Possible game mechanic idea.

[Cadh20000]

It has probably been done before, but not too often I don't think... Anyway, I am curious whether anyone would want to play a game like this so I am asking here whether people think it is one I should bother making. Of course, it would be basically shelved until my current project is done, but I would still brainstorm on it occasionally in the meantime.

I was reading a manga last night and it inspired this little twist on the traditional “level up and select advanced class” theme in RPGs. It is similar to, but not the same as, the evolution system in Pokemon and Digimon:

• You start out very weak and have very little stat growth per level, but when you reach max level you get offered a branched evolution where you pick what you grow/evolve into. Declining to evolve is not an option.
• Upon evolving your level is reset but you are now a stronger species that has higher stats(first level for the new form will have similar stats to the max level for the previous form) and can learn different skills depending on the evolution branch chosen. All skills learned prior to evolution are maintained and can still be strengthened.
• There are also hidden or variant evolutions that can be unlocked by accomplishing something or otherwise meeting certain conditions prior to reaching max level.
• The max level itself is relatively easy to obtain but becomes harder the stronger your current evolution and the pattern repeats with different and more powerful evolutions available each time.
• Skills can also be learned from others.

 

[Vox Novus]

This certainly sounds like something that would fit well in a game, actually reading this Terra Battle popped into my head since I've been playing that recently. In Terra Battle you can get up to 3 jobs for a character (You have to unlock jobs 2 and 3) and each job levels indepentently of the other. Skills obtained in the other jobs can be applied using available skill slots. What you describe is more in depth of course.

Just make sure if you have to level from one again that it isn't a frustrating thing for the player to do, nobody enjoys having to grind for levels just for the sake of leveling up.

 

[Cadh20000]

Just make sure if you have to level from one again that it isn't a frustrating thing for the player to do, nobody enjoys having to grind for levels just for the sake of leveling up.

I'm thinking have max level be somewhere around lvl20 so it wouldn't take too long, also each time you reach level 20 you completely change form and base abilities, stats won't change much between max level of one form and lowest level of the next so it won't really feel as though level was reset.

Each time max level is reached you will have 2 or more possible evolutionary branches to choose from depending on whether you accomplished whatever was needed to unlock a hidden variant. The thing is that people won't KNOW whether or not there is any hidden variant for that branch until the evolution choice is presented to them and will have no way to tell that an accomplishment will have any effect.

Some hidden variants will even depend on a series of accomplishments throughout the prior branches rather than only on that branch.

 

[Wavelength]

Sounds a lot like Reincarnation from the Disgaea series or certain versions of the Job system in Final Fantasy games.  I was never the biggest fan of this kind of one-step-back-two-steps-forward approach, but I think a majority of people do like these kinds of systems.

 

[Cadh20000]

I'm thinking the player will have 2 to 4 choices per evolution depending on whether or not you have variants for that evolution stage unlocked(not all stages HAVE variants though). There will be 5 or 6 different evolution stages too.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

Disgaea came to mind first (which Wavelength already mentioned) Fire Emblem has something similar to this as well. It's certainly a feasible system in RPG games and branching choices of evolution would give the game a boost towards replayablity. (because some people will want to see how they evolve differently)

 

[optimum45]

I actually use this kind of thing in my current project.  It's more or less a "bonus" than anything.  Each of the 6 playable classes can "Ascend" if they reach level 99.  Their sprites gain wings, they reset back to Level 1 with a stronger class, a stronger evolving weapon, and a slightly higher tuned batch of skills.

Though not necessary to complete the game, it was a fun bit to install, and has opened a world of "post game" options.

 

 

[Shaz]

I've moved this thread to Game Mechanics Design. Please be sure to post your threads in the correct forum next time. Thank you.


doesn't get much more obvious than that

 

[Cadh20000]

Sorry about that. A long day + a late night = overlooking the obvious.

 

[Fernyfer775]

I do like this idea a lot. It gives some replayability if the player is interested enough to try out the different evolutions. Sometimes players get turned off on the idea of a "level reset" though, so maybe a way to counter-act this is to not have the player reset, but lets say, at level 15, they "evolve" then again at 30, 45, 60, etc, etc, that way they don't feel like "aww man, I'm back to level 1" even though they're actually stronger.