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When the question of how challenging a role-playing game is comes up in online communities, I always find it fascinating. Because there are so many options for how to advance the plot over such a lengthy period of time, the perceived challenge of RPGs varies greatly from player to player. Recently, I noticed a different topic in which several players griped that Octopath Traveler was too hard, needed grinding, etc., but I didn't find this to be the case at all. However, there are certain role-playing games (RPGs) that I struggle with despite others' apparent ease. To cut a long tale short, I have no sympathy for the role-playing game designers who are tasked with making their games challenging for players of all skill levels.
However, the dynamic level scaling of adversaries is one design option that may radically change the overall experience of any role-playing game.
There is no other basic design principle that I can think of that has more far-reaching consequences than this in role-playing game creation, and I'm willing to bet that the opinions expressed in this thread will shed light on that divisive quality. For those unfamiliar, level scaling occurs when the difficulty of a game increases in proportion to the player's level, preventing the player from being over-leveled and breezeing through the game. Because your foes will inevitably increase in power along with you, this is also designed to limit the amount of time spent grinding.
While this may be appealing to some, others may rather encounter obstacles simply by raising their own level above the adversaries', which would serve as a gating mechanism for access to new sections of the game world. This is the more prevalent approach to RPG design, and although it may be more challenging to balance from the designer's viewpoint, it is favoured by players who want the feeling of accomplishment that comes with being over-powered via grinding or strategic play.
Alright, that's enough chitchat. Just go for it! If you have the time, please explain your poll selection and why you made it.
However, the dynamic level scaling of adversaries is one design option that may radically change the overall experience of any role-playing game.
There is no other basic design principle that I can think of that has more far-reaching consequences than this in role-playing game creation, and I'm willing to bet that the opinions expressed in this thread will shed light on that divisive quality. For those unfamiliar, level scaling occurs when the difficulty of a game increases in proportion to the player's level, preventing the player from being over-leveled and breezeing through the game. Because your foes will inevitably increase in power along with you, this is also designed to limit the amount of time spent grinding.
While this may be appealing to some, others may rather encounter obstacles simply by raising their own level above the adversaries', which would serve as a gating mechanism for access to new sections of the game world. This is the more prevalent approach to RPG design, and although it may be more challenging to balance from the designer's viewpoint, it is favoured by players who want the feeling of accomplishment that comes with being over-powered via grinding or strategic play.
Alright, that's enough chitchat. Just go for it! If you have the time, please explain your poll selection and why you made it.
