Games with continuous leveling systems

By "continuous", I mean the calculus definition of continuous.

Many many games that have some leveling system, where levels are just integers. There is no such thing as level 2.7473, either 2 or 3. Each time one levels up, one's stats suddenly jump from one value to another value.

But I was wondering how many games use a continuous leveling system where the stats always increase each time experience is gained.

That's a curious concept, but I have to wonder what the point of doing that would be.

This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...

I recall seeing some older games and some indie games where the stats do indeed have decimals. A few MM Os also incorporate decimals when dealing with percentage based bonuses from gear and items.

Still, on some level the distinction between going from 10.000 to 10.001 and from 10,000 to 10,001 is purely cosmetic, isn't it?

In Risen 2 you basically had no Levels and insteed spent your exp directly on stats but I wouldn't know of a game where stas scale directly with exp.

edited 12th Jul '13 1:26:24 AM by Kiefen

Only game I can think of that comes slightly close to that is World of Tanks. The crewmen for the tanks in the game all start out at 50% efficiency, which means that if the stated reload time for a cannon was supposed to be 3.5 seconds, a 50% nerf would be applied, meaning the actual time would probably be closer to 5.0 seconds. But as you gain exp, their efficiency will slowly increase up to 100%, which will then allow them to optimally control the vehicle with the actual stated values.

UnReal World...I think.

edited 12th Jul '13 8:44:16 AM by onyhow

Give me cute or give me...something?

@Kyler Thatcher

The progression in the real world tends to be continuous.

Discrete levels are easier to calculate and track, but now that we have computers it wouldn't be too bothersome to approximate continuous progression.

So if the computer can do it but the human player is alienated, why do it?

"Wait, it's IV. Of course they are. They'd make IV for Dreamcast." - Enlong, on yet another FFIV remake

Not sure but just probably to patch up an acceptable break from reality.

Well in that case, it would not do to utilize a Character Level system at all, unless you have some Level-Locked Loot. This method would service much better in a Stat Grind system, albeit one that has to be intricately balanced. I mean, after all, when we study, we increase our intelligence, with a side order of willpower if studying logic-based systems. Conversely, one session of studying doesn't drop your strength, agility, or charisma, but making studying your "class", so to speak, would introduce decay over a period of time. And again, "levels," if offered, would have to be a function of skill in your chosen profession plus an amalgam of the aforementioned stat totals, and would, save for the aforementioned Level-Locked Loot and certain level-targeting spells^note What Trope is that, BTW?, be purely cosmetic.

edited 12th Jul '13 10:06:34 AM by DonaldthePotholer

Ketchum's corollary to Clarke's Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced tactic is indistinguishable from blind luck.

Well that is an interesting concept. It would require some obnoxiously high numbers for the stats, though, unless you get XP at low orders of magnitude.

Dopants: He meant what he said and he said what he meant, a Ninety is faithful 100%.

That's the usual case from what I've seen.

Quest 64 can max out your various experience types by training that stat. It maxes out at 500 HP, 500 MP, 255 Defense, 255 Agility, and 50 in Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind.

...It's weird having so many websites and no way to properly display now, lol.

Again, why go with an arbitrary number of decimal places when we can use an arbitrarily large whole number with single digit increments instead?

Don't the Pokemon games do that now? To an extent anyway. I remember being confused when training Pokemon in Black, before being told that Pokemon gain stats as they gain E Vs rather than gain all of their stat points when leveling up.

edited 12th Jul '13 4:04:49 PM by KnownUnknown

"The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy, paraphrasing Mark Twain.

But EVs are still discrete.

Extra 1: Poochy Ain't Stupid

Probably because, depending on the context, it's easier for humans to process something like 23.746 ATK (which most would just consider to be "about 24") than 23746 ATK (which kind of pressures you to keep track of a five-digit number).

This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...

(x4) The distinction isn't in how the numbers are displayed, but rather in how accrued experience affects your overall stats.

In the traditional class / level system, you can only increase your stats when you advance from one level to the next; no matter how many times you swing that sword, you won't actually get any better at it until you gather enough experience points to advance to the next level. If I understand it correctly, with continuous leveling, every time you gain experience, your stats slightly increase by a tiny amount that builds up over time rather than jumping by fits and starts at level thresholds.

edited 14th Jul '13 12:23:35 PM by Specialist290

Problem is, while a step system may make gaining experience seem irrelevant until you get to a threshold, I suspect this would introduce an even worse problem: lack of perceived improvement. Note that Skyrim added feats to its skill system, just so that you can have something notable and detectable happen as you improve.

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