History Main / TechPoints

* The ''VideoGame/XMenLegends'' games and ''[[MarvelUltimateAlliance Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]'' use the 'Distribute points at level-up' variant for skills (''Legends'' also does it for stats). It can be quite intimidating trying to distribute points for characters you haven't used in a long time. ''Ultimate Alliance'' also allows you to redistribute skill points at will.

* Both ''Franchise/BioShock'' games have ADAM, the [[AppliedPhlebotinum sea slug extract]] Rapture revolves around. Its main use to the player is as currency to buy new plasmids, tonics and health/EVE upgrades.

* ''RagnarokOnline'' separates experience into 'Base' and 'Job' experience and monsters will give both separately. Job experience governs the skills while base experience governs stats of the character. Also while quests often give base experience virtually none of them give job experience making it a bit harder to aquire.

* The two ''DigitalDevilSaga'' games have Atma Points, which are used to unlock skills.

* In ''LostSoulsMUD'', skill advancement is determined by experience gained with that skill through practice and training.

* The ''{{X-Men Legends}}'' games and ''[[MarvelUltimateAlliance Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]'' use the 'Distribute points at level-up' variant for skills (''Legends'' also does it for stats). It can be quite intimidating trying to distribute points for characters you haven't used in a long time. ''Ultimate Alliance'' also allows you to redistribute skill points at will.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvanced'' uses a similar skill learning system, but instead of using an additional pool of points to equip them, they are tied to a specific grouping of skills (such as Fighter Tech or Black Magic), two of which can be assigned to any character.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' has Ability Points (ABP) that unlock skills particular to that job class, including the skill that's already permanently equipped[[note]]except for a Monk's Kick, for some reason[[/note]. Once a skill is unlocked, it can be equipped to ''any'' job.

* ''{{Disgaea}}'''s skill system works this way, with the possibility of nigh-infinitely leveling up individual skills.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' arguably use Tech Points ''in place of'' ExperiencePoints; they're used for increasing stats in addition to learning new abilities in both games, while your characters don't have true "levels" in either.

* ''LegendOfDragoon'' has a nested Tech Point system of sorts: Gaining levels unlocks each of the characters' Additions (timed-button-press attack sequences) except the final one, which must be earned by mastering all of the character's previous skills. Meanwhile, extending the duration of Dragoon transformations is linked not to ''this'' process, but rather to the amount of [[ChargeMeter Spirit Points]] generated with each attack (or special equipment, or used items, and so on). Additions are generally split between "high damage yield" and "high SP yield," except for characters who flounder with both because [[MagikarpPower their Level 5 Dragoon Magic is so insanely powerful]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}: [[VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany Bad Company 2]]'', there is standard ExperiencePoints which goes to increasing your level which gives you weapons and specializations all classes can use. Every class and vehicles in general have their own separate TechPoints bar needed to unlock new gadgets, specializations and weapons for to be used for that class of TechPoints.
* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' games with the Create-a-Class system do similar: experience points go towards increasing rank and unlocking weapons, perks, and whatnot. The weapons and perks themselves have their own points systems that go towards unlocking more attachments or upgrading a perk to its Pro version.

* Both ''VideoGame/BioShock'' games have ADAM, the [[AppliedPhlebotinum sea slug extract]] Rapture revolves around. Its main use to the player is as currency to buy new plasmids, tonics and health/EVE upgrades.

* Appears in many ''FinalFantasy'' games with a job system. ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' gave each job a fixed progression of abilities that are learned with AP. ''FinalFantasyTactics'' let the player decide which abilities to learn for each job.

** ''FinalFantasyTactics'' combines Job Points with a PointBuildSystem; the sequels changed things so that you only earn AP after a battle and the techniques are learned from your equipment when in a certain character class.

** ''FinalFantasyX2'' lets you select a specific ability to gain, each of which has its own Ability Points requirement. You get one point for using any technique (that's not Attack or Item) in battle. Gaining new abilities unlocks more abilities for you to learn as well (for example, a Songstress cannot learn Sleepy Shuffle until she's learned Samba of Silence).
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' deployed perhaps the most complicated twist of any of them. Each character has various passive skills that can only be equipped permanently once mastered via TP accrual. Of course, once learned, they still have to ''be'' equipped, using a third set of points that provides a {{Cap}} on the number of skills you can use at one time. ''DissidiaFinalFantasy'' used a similar system; in ''IX'', you gained new skills by wearing new equipment (providing, of all things, an ''incentive'' for LevelGrinding), but in ''D:FF'' you pick them up naturally via level progression and they cost more "inventory points" to deploy when non-mastered.

* In ''TheElderScrolls'' series, you gain proficiency with weapons, spells and skills by using them. You reach new ExperienceLevels (that allow you to increase your attributes) with each 10 skill points gained in any single "major" skill (tagged at the start of the game).

* ''{{DragonQuest}} IX'' and the two Dragon Quest Monsters Joker games have "skill points", which are earned every few levels and can be spent on a variety of skill categories, with skills unlocking at certain thresholds of skill point expenditures.

* ''BillyVsSNAKEMAN'' has Jutsu XP, which are primarily used to learn jutsu techniques. [=BvS=] also has ZP in the Zombja side area, to learn Z-Skills; and MJXP in the Mahjong minigame to learn new ways to cheat the NPC opponents.

* ''DCUniverseOnline'' has both normal XP (which, on level up, gives you alternately a Power or Skill point) and Feat Points, which award a free Skill point every 100 you get. While levels are capped normally, Feats Points are only limited by how many of the (non-repeatable) Feats you can achieve.

* In ''NetHack'', you need both "skill slots" (gained through Experience Points) and a certain number of successful uses of the item/spell in question to advance a skill.

* Subverted in the first ''KingdomHearts''. When you deflect an attack or capitalize on an enemy's weakness, you earn tech points, and the word tech, along with the number of points flashes on the screen. However, the tech points in this game are in fact bonus experience points.
** Played straight with the link points accumulated by your dream eater allies in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3D'', which are used to unlock new commands and abilities on their link grids.

** ''FinalFantasyTactics'' combines Job Points with a PointBuildSystem; the sequels changed things so that you only earn AP after a battle and the techniques are learned from your equipment, not your character class.

** Inverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''; all characters receive "License Points," but only active characters receive XP.

** ''FinalFantasyIX'' deployed perhaps the most complicated twist of any of them. Each character has various passive skills that can only be equipped permanently once mastered via TP accrual. Of course, once learned, they still have to ''be'' equipped, using a third set of points that provides a {{Cap}} on the number of skills you can use at one time. ''DissidiaFinalFantasy'' used a similar system; in ''IX'', you gained new skills by wearing new equipment (providing, of all things, an ''incentive'' for LevelGrinding), but in ''D:FF'' you pick them up naturally via level progression and they cost more "inventory points" to deploy when non-mastered.
* Appears in the ''{{Grandia}}'' series, with separate experience for character levels, magic, and skills.

** MUA doesn't give them out at every level, but has a few that can be accessed without needing to level up (such as mastering someone's training CD mission, or putting Iron Man in your team and activating the console in his lab).

* VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou has this in that you get 'PP' pin points to level up your pins to get higher attack power, and sometimes they evolve into better more powerful pins.
* Using a type of gun in VideoGame/{{Borderlands}} (SMG, Shotgun, Pistol etc.) gives you points towards proficiency with that gun type. When you gain a proficiency level, it boosts either reload time, accuracy or power for all guns of that type, as opposed to the generic level which lets you choose new skills.

* In Deadly Sin 2, you gain one Skill Point each time you level up, but you also gain them by using Magic Node Shards and completing quests.
* {{DragonQuest}} IX and the two Dragon Quest Monsters Joker games have "skill points", which are earned every few levels and can be spent on a variety of skill categories, with skills unlocking at certain thresholds of skill point expenditures.

** ''XS2'' had an annoying variation where you needed both Skill Points AND Class Points to unlock new skills.

** VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou has this in that you get 'PP' pin points to level up your pins to get higher attack power, and sometimes they evolve into better more powerful pins.

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* Both [[BioShock BioShock]] games have ADAM, the [[AppliedPhlebotinum sea slug extract]] Rapture revolves around. Its main use to the player is as currency to buy new plasmids, tonics and health/EVE upgrades.