Non Level Related Grinding

[hiromu656]

That sounds good Kvich. I like the last thing you said the most "What I aim for, is not to penalize those who just want to play the story, and don't want to spend hours at a dungeon farming skill stones, but reward those who do." That's sort of a problem for me at the moment. Since you can only use 3 spells at any given time, people that don't want to spend the time crafting new spells will feel behind and possibly cheated. I really don't want that to happen. I've been thinking of "forcing" the player (tutorial style) to create at least one additional skill just so the player gets the hang of it (and a free spell). That way the incentives are a bit more realized for the player. Rather than just knowing that you can create spells, the player has to make a spell at least once so that they get a feel for it.

 

[Kvich]

I can see your problem mate.

It's hard to balance really, and what may work one place, may not at another place.

I'll take a example from my current project again, and hope it can inspire a bit.

I usually do several runs in my dungeons, from point A to B, note down the numbers of battles and find a average amount of battles between them.

Then assigning a "complexity" number to the dungeon - is it just a easy almost straight line from A to B - the "complex" number is 1,but are we talking a 100*100 maze with 7 switches and 12 doors, the number may be 2 or 2.5, I then take the average number of fights, and times it with the complex number, and I usually get the number of fights a average player goes through in the dungeon. +/- 5%

From there I design the drop rates, of items I want to be rare or exotic.

Edit:

Wording of some things.

 

[Beamlight]

Does this sound like a system that could work (feedback etc)? What do you think about having non level related grinding.

(although, obviously you'd still be killing enemies and getting experience)

I see your portrait. You've played Persona 4. You've grinded for persons no doubt. The simple answer is yes

In a lot of ways grinding always has the same purpose: make your character more powerful. Gold buys you gear and items. Experience levels. BUT, when you add in a system like that, it will feel ancillary, more dynamic. Players will have to search out different skills. Think the Blue Mage :3 Well the Blue Mage was for serious collectors... But FF5's Job System had different types of grinding too! 

So yeah, tldr: It sounds like you have a really cool system. Run with it If it doesn't work you can always scale it back later... Does that make sense? XD