There's that post on level creep, well scaling was a "solution" to solve that problem. It's an issue when people keep trying to add to a game, piling on solution after solution rather than just rethinking how things are done.
Darkfall Online, and now Rise of Agon, your character gains some hitpoints, but not many. The armor you wear determines your damage taken and it depends on the damage type. Even if you're max character using the best gear if you sit in a newbie goblin spawn they will eventually kill you.
Think about what happens when your character levels and all the shit they keep piling on. When you level why does your HP go up? It doesn't make any sense and it's completely unnecessary.
Characters should get stronger and more capable as you move on, but if you think about the jump each level gets in the 'standard' mmo that is probably enough for nearly the entire game.
Think of all the other stuff you could add to players' abilities such as stealth, spells, illusions, poisons, lights and shadows, etherealness, pets, and generally speaking all the things MMOs have had to date plus more.
Again, players that play together long term, they can develop tactics to make the experience more rewarding.
That's a good point about AI, but I didn't mean to make MOBs chaotic in nature. Just randomize their actions so it's not the same cookie cutter every time. Maybe add in a magical item once in a while to make a MOB more interesting.
This isn't much off topic, really, as it's an alternative to Scaling.
So, I've only ever really played one MMO where non-combat abilities made any sort of difference (or requirement) to group content.
In SWG, the Deathwatch Bunker raid included a special crafting bench that was required to craft specific armour sets (mandalorian? can't remember now lol). This meant that crafters had to team up with raiders to get in there and craft their cool stuff. It brought together players who often didn't have much reason to interact outside of trading.
So, I do like the idea of additional types of playstyles finding a useful role in group content. For example, in a sci-fi MMO, maybe you need to bring along crafters to help cut through doors with blow-torches, or transport specialists to help get the combat people where they need to be, or leadership specialists who can stay at the forward operating base to give out orders / update maps / call in reinforcements. Or stealth / acrobatic players who are the only ones who can reach certain places to set traps, or hit buttons to close doors for enemy reinforcements or whatever.
Yes, I love those ideas, and that concept. Not as something that you always need in all Dungeons, but enough to spice things up and cause players to intermingle and antramingle (I just made that word up, but for a reason).
If a game has a single Smith's Altar-Bench that only can be used 4 times per game year (at sunrise on the solstices), and it's guarded by evil forces that ramp up spawn at those times, located at the top of an ancient mountain peak temple, and creates a special magical effect...then such a game can have all sorts of similar special things in it.
And I really like your idea of skills (or stats) sometimes being required/helpful to get past key points.
I think substitute abilities (skills, spells, natural racial abilities, whatever) should be in, too. At least in many cases. That way you aren't dependent on a single character type, but one of a few.
A game can be much more interesting, much more social, much wider in scope and play, and much more fun to jump into.
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Darkfall Online, and now Rise of Agon, your character gains some hitpoints, but not many. The armor you wear determines your damage taken and it depends on the damage type. Even if you're max character using the best gear if you sit in a newbie goblin spawn they will eventually kill you.
Think about what happens when your character levels and all the shit they keep piling on. When you level why does your HP go up? It doesn't make any sense and it's completely unnecessary.
Characters should get stronger and more capable as you move on, but if you think about the jump each level gets in the 'standard' mmo that is probably enough for nearly the entire game.
Not as something that you always need in all Dungeons, but enough to spice things up and cause players to intermingle and antramingle (I just made that word up, but for a reason).
If a game has a single Smith's Altar-Bench that only can be used 4 times per game year (at sunrise on the solstices), and it's guarded by evil forces that ramp up spawn at those times, located at the top of an ancient mountain peak temple, and creates a special magical effect...then such a game can have all sorts of similar special things in it.
And I really like your idea of skills (or stats) sometimes being required/helpful to get past key points.
I think substitute abilities (skills, spells, natural racial abilities, whatever) should be in, too. At least in many cases. That way you aren't dependent on a single character type, but one of a few.
A game can be much more interesting, much more social, much wider in scope and play, and much more fun to jump into.
Once upon a time....