Is Level-less progression something people might like?

[Marrik]

To be frank I dislike RPGMaker's default 'here is the start stat here is the end stat and here's a vague curve how it progresses til you get there.'

Plus I want my game to have a fair bit of story focus, so was thinking hand out stat progression as events unfold, items are found (learning spells by interacting with items,) or the like as opposed to 'you killed a thousand rats, therefor your magic got better.'

Not saying there won't be fighting, but the idea I have is more aimed at rewarding exploration instead of 'here grind for a halfhour to get better at murder.' Fighting would still be important for loot, but character growth would be divorced from it.

 

[Starbird]

one thing you can easily do to be a little different is to hide the XP and use it in the background (or some other variable) to link to a common event that levels you up via your class or nickname

 

[Sinnistar]

Well, since all the stats are hideable in some form or another, you can do just that. By using Yanfly's plugin for player base stats you can make all level ups give absolutely nothing or only certain stats if you preferred. You can then follow your idea and hand out the stats for exploring/progression which would certainly be a unique way of gaining stats.

Another method you could use is SumRndmDde's plugin for stat points, which allows you to reward stat points that the players can spend on whichever stat they want. This route might be better if say, you are fighting fire enemies and know lightning ones come after. The player could think if they're able to deal with the fire ones alright, and just stat for lightning protection instead of being forced to fire. But in either case, these plugins should be able to help you achieve your idea and make it unique too.

I think you have to physically edit the data files to actually hide certain stats and such though, not sure on that one.

 

[Akra Olna]

There's a lot you can do to move away from the level curve entirely.

Between getting stats via events and paying variable currency, or items that give stats, equips, etc.

Progression can be done in so many ways, my dude.

Half of my games don't even use the default stats or leveling system at all.

 

[Sinnistar]

There's a lot you can do to move away from the level curve entirely.

Between getting stats via events and paying variable currency, or items that give stats, equips, etc.

Progression can be done in so many ways, my dude.

Half of my games don't even use the default stats or leveling system at all.

lol I'd say at least 2/3 of the games made in MV don't use that stat system. Most likely because yanfly's plugin allows more flexibility on it, but yeah, stats can be done in pretty much any way you can think of with relative ease. Whether you want to reward stats for exploring, doing quests, talking to random NPCs, selling x number loot, or just story progression and meeting other characters, plenty of ways of doing it. You could also remove stats entirely, and use something like attack/defense modifiers on equips, or if you're not using equips at all, you can easily do something like a dice roll for the outcome of things.

I really do like the amount of flexibility RM engines have on this sort of thing. Makes anything you can think of possible.

 

[Akra Olna]

lol I'd say at least 2/3 of the games made in MV don't use that stat system.

Probably because at least 2/3rds of games made by people with rpgmaker are developed by lazy pieces of shit who are scared of fucking stuff up by changing numbers or going to genuine effort but hey your guess is as good as mine.

Most likely because yanfly's plugin allows more flexibility on it, but yeah, stats can be done in pretty much any way you can think of with relative ease. Whether you want to reward stats for exploring, doing quests, talking to random NPCs, selling x number loot, or just story progression and meeting other characters, plenty of ways of doing it. You could also remove stats entirely, and use something like attack/defense modifiers on equips, or if you're not using equips at all, you can easily do something like a dice roll for the outcome of things.

It's healthy to think like this, so keep doing that. Nothing more standout in an rpgmaker community than a man who knows how to think outside the box.

I really do like the amount of flexibility RM engines have on this sort of thing. Makes anything you can think of possible.

Debatable, but it's power is pretty extraordinary, despite the associative 'stigma' it carries.

 

[Sinnistar]

Well, so far I've come up with some crazy things with my creativity. First off, Guitar Hero in MV lol and it worked perfect. A Rowboating system where you can touch water and be on a rowboat. Co-op adventuring gameplay. Several gambling/card game type systems. Unique material gathering and fusion systems. And the list just goes on and on. There is a ton of flexibility if you know what you're doing, but for someone new, yeah it will seem very limiting since you have to have plugins to do a lot more with the engine.

By default, it doesn't have much to it, but thanks to all the creative people there have been countless improvements on the engine for MV. That's what I meant by anything you can think of is possible, because it pretty much is if someone else also thinks of it lol.