An Experience to Be Had

The other day I was listening to a podcast on everything MMO from a decade ago… I know, I know some of the “data” those guys had was a little outdated. Nonetheless, it was a really interesting listen. The predictions that were made then and what actually came to pass were sometimes spot on and other times way off.

For example the Wrath of Lich King expansion for WoW was supposed to miserably fail… Which of course it didn’t. In my humble opinion that expansion was the single most successful expansion in the history of WoW, maybe even MMOs. Not sure about that last part of the statement, because WoW is the only MMO that I played through each expansion.

As I was listening to the podcast one of the points that was brought up and discussed is the current Experience System that is almost universally used in MMOs. After listening to the ideas and the thoughts that were brought, being a man from the future, I decided to jot down my own thoughts on it.

Interestingly enough 10 years later I agreed with almost everything that was brought up and still don’t see a replacement system that we can all call revolutionary.

So here are my thoughts:

The way experience works right now, doesn’t actually signify the experience you have had. In real life, for example, you are called experienced when you have actually experienced something and know how to do it. Then if you continue on your path of learning (experiencing) you become an expert on that subject. It’s never really about how many times you have done the same thing, it’s about how well you can do that said thing.

I don’t think that the EXP system currently in games attests to that part of the experience.

You could argue that if you are level 110 you are experienced in killing mobs and at least have a very basic knowledge of encounters types in game. Yes practice does make perfect. But the experience bar doesn’t actually prove that I did it. I could have paid someone to experience the level grind from me. I think that’s the problem. If I show up to a dungeon and I am max level with decent gear, but I don’t know any of the boss fights. I can not be considered experienced. And the only way you can prove you have done that dungeon is by having gear from that particular dungeon.

Which again maybe a much better way of gauging how well someone knows this particular fight or content.

So then are level systems relevant at all in games anymore. Pretty much everyone goes off the Item Level. Which then has a much better gauge on how well someone is prepared for certain content.

This would explain the sudden change from level gated content to level adjusted content. I think the first MMO that made a big deal about it was ESO with their One Tamriel update. World of Warcraft, with the Legion expansion allows you to start at any of the zones without having to worry about what level you are. Which creates for better experience in my opinion. Because of the fact that you can play any zone that looks good to you instead of being limited to following the predetermined path that everyone is.

However on a personal note, I really do like going back to areas I have out leveled and steamrolling through them. How do we make sure that part of the game play remains if we get rid of the current leveling system.

We have seen games like EVE Online stray away from the traditional grind of leveling up. All of the skills in EVE Online are time based. Which solves the level grind problem, but doesn’t solve the lack of actual experience gauge problem. Like with the example above, just because I am trained in Caldari Cruiser Level 5 doesn’t mean I know how to fit that ship or how to use it effectively in game. It just means I clicked that skill and had it sit in queue until it was done several days later, during which I spent time grinding out EXP points in WoW.

So not really a solution, a different version of the same problem.

I predict levels as a whole are going away and being replaced by Item Level or a system similar to it. That actually gauges what experience you have had.

There is however something about the big ding, when you level up. I think it’s that experience that keeps people satisfied with the way the system works right now. But what if we could get something like that but minus the leveling up grind? Would it just be replaced by a different type of grind?

I think the first gaming company that finds a way to have the satisfying ding be actually associated with a real experience will be the next big revolution in the MMO genre.

Ultimately this article doesn’t answer the question of what should be done about this little problem, maybe even creates more questions. Still I hope that the future me, 10 years from now reads this article and comments explaining exactly how we got past this little issue in MMOs.