Character Level: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|''"Wow! [[Lampshade Hanging|I feel as if I've passed some arbitrary experience value and gained more power]]!"''|'''Marcus''', '''''[[Fallout 2]]'''''}}

 

 

In most games with Character Levels, the main character starts off with a fairly low "level", usually described in single digits (e.g. "Lv.1"). When they defeat an enemy, they receive [[Experience Points]], and each time their experience reaches a designated threshold, the character "levels up": Their stats increase by a small amount, and they may be rewarded with new skills and abilities. This improves the character's ability to vanquish monsters, and allows the player to successfully take down larger monsters (with higher yields of experience) over time.

Depending on the game, the increase in level may either have a predetermined effect, [[Character Customization|allow the player to invest into new abilities and stats]], or a combination of the two. Some games even tried to make the process more logical by [[Stat Grinding|increasing the attributes the character has used most]].

 

 

Finally, some games may actually use levels to restrict options. For instance, that [[Infinity+1 Sword]] may [[Level-Locked Loot|require you to reach, say, Level 500]] before you're allowed to even lay eyes on it, let alone pick it up and start bashing monsters. This comes up in games where it's feasible for a level 1 character to get his or her hands on that sword somehow; typically, this would be an online multiplayer system.

* An interesting usage of this trope involves the MMO Sports game ''[[Shot Online]]'', a golf game where you start as a Level 1 golfer, slicing and hooking the ball like mad, driving off the tee barely 150 yards. The more you play, the more experience you earn, gaining levels, and placing points to stats to straighten and lengthen those shots...

* ''[[Battle Stations]]'' - [[RPG Elements|levelling up]] gives you stat points that can be used to boost your abilities, and allows access to better ships and equipment.

* The MMO ''[[Video Game/Dark Ages 1999|Dark Ages]]'' handled character levels in the usual way, but it called them "insights", which at least added some flavor and an explanation as to why your character was suddenly better at something: he or she was said to have "gained a flash of insight". Later updates to the game ruined this flavor, though, by implementing a [[They Changed It, Now It Sucks|"Level Up" graphic above the character's head]].

 

* ''[[Blur (video game)|Blur]]'' has Fan Levels. As your fan level increases, you unlock new cars and new mods. In single player this is capped at 25. In multiplayer this is capped at 50 with the option to enter Legend Mode, similar to Prestige in ''[[Call of Duty]] [[Modern Warfare]]'' in that your level resets to 1 and you can go through the progression again (up to 10 times), except each Legend Mode unlocks another new car.

 

* The ''[[Fallout]]'' series has a fairly generic level-up system similar to ''[[GURPS]]'' (which it was originally slated to use), in which each level-up is primarily focused on allocating skill points. Base attributes do not change upon level-up, but every third level grants a perk for further customization of the player character. Your [[NPC]]s level up as well, and, as the page quote shows, they will throw in some funny lines when they do. [[Fallout|Fallout's]] level system is notable for not holding the player back from wielding powerful weapons in an open game, allowing people in later playthroughs to pick up [[Game Breaker|devastating weapons and armor]] early on with the proper know-how. This is marginally balanced by the fact that most low-level characters won't be able to pick up enough ammo or even hit anything with an energy weapon at 20% skill with it.

* Despite being a card game, some [[Genre Shift]]ing ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' video games do this, preventing you from using stronger cards until you "level up" to their caliber. This has sometimes gone to the extreme, not only preventing you from using cards higher than your current level, but whose collective experience point total is higher than yours, as well, essentially forcing you to play with lackluster cards until you're more than halfway through the game.

 

=== [[Stealth Based Game]]s ===

 

=== [[Survival Horror]] ===

== Non-video game examples ==

=== [[Film]] ===

 

=== [[Tabletop Games]] ===

* ''[[Exalted]]'' returns to Character Levels, sort of. It uses the WW system and allows you to buy what you want, but a character's meterstick for power is their Essence stat.

** All of the ''[[New World of Darkness]]'' games feature a meterstick for power (Blood Potency for Vampires, Primal Urge for Werewolves, Wyrd for Changelings and Gnosis for Mages). In most cases, however, this doesn't limit what powers you can buy (save for mages, where Gnosis determines just how many levels a mage can buy in their ranked Arcana).

* Averted in ''[[GURPS]]''. Characters slowly gain Character Points that are used to improve skills, powers or stats. Theoretically a character built on more points is more powerful but the system explicitly notes that even a discrepancy of 25 points is fairly minor.

* ''[[FATAL]]'' apparently has levels too...although your character is supposed to die before level 20. The author considers this a ''good thing''.

[[Category:Older Than the NES]]

[[Category:Tabletop Game Tropes]]

[[Category:CRPG Tropes]]