On the other side Precipitation and Ancient Scrolls franchises, Bethesda has always employed two different leveling systems. Although both series function similarly in terms of open-world RPGs, the ways in which its protagonists become more powerful are very different. These differences encourage players to view their characters in different ways and focus on different play styles.
With Fallout 5 Effect presumably somewhere on the horizon, developers will once again have to face the challenge of finding a satisfactory approach to level progression. It might make sense to follow Fallout 4 Effectsteps, but taking inspiration from SkyrimThe style of letting players get stronger can also be worth it. Both approaches have pros and cons, and the next Precipitation the game may need to aim somewhere between the extremes.
How Skyrim’s leveling system works
Encouraging players to specialize in certain skills
Skyrim employs a skill-based leveling system where experience is gained for a specific skill when players use it. Attacking with fire bolts grants destruction skill experience, while blocking with a shield can grant blocking experience, and so on. Each skill starts with a score of around 15-20 and can reach 100 throughout the game. Each time players reach a certain milestone with a skill’s XP progression, they gain experience to level up, eventually gaining more health and a perk point.
These points can be used in individual skill trees to gain specific buffs and abilities pertaining to that skill. Notably, many of these perks cannot be chosen until players have a certain score in that skill, meaning players need to continually use the skills they want to improve in order to do so. That’s it a style of leveling that encourages players to specialize in certain weapons and actions and makes the experience a little less rewarding.
It is also a very internally focused system. The game doesn’t just offer experience for killing a bad guy or completing a mission, but only for the specific way players do it. Leveling up is all about internal player improvements rather than its effect on the world around them, and some players like how it makes the player character’s journey more personal.
How Fallout 4’s leveling system works
Experience as a reward for progress
Fallout 4 Effect in particular, it works very differently. Rather than being tied to any specific action or skill, Fallout 4 Effect grants experience for doing certain things. Completing missions, defeating enemies, creating and even discovering new places all grant chunks of experience. The experience is all grouped together until a certain point is reached and the player levels up, and then restarts with a bigger goal to achieve.
This style of level progression doesn’t take into account how a player does things, as long as they do them. The approach allows players to win fights against environmental hazards or attract enemies to each other, and generally allows them to be much more experimental in the way they play. It also loosens restrictions on obtaining certain perks, which depend on someone’s SPECIAL attributes rather than skill progression.
However, this approach has the disadvantage of reducing the RPG elements of the game. Precipitation franchise. Most previous games had skills like trading and science, and this approach does away with them completely. More freedom in terms of how the player can act at all times also means that the player character’s identity seems less established.
Fallout 5 should use a combination of the two
Trying something new while staying true to the franchise
There is no doubt that Fallout The level progression system is simpler and more intuitive for new players. Fallout 5 Effect will probably try to imitate this, but It would also be beneficial to remove some pages from the Skyrim’book. Bringing it back Fallout Effects skills, having experience applied to each skill individually, or doing something similar with the SPECIAL system are approaches that may be worthwhile.
Overall, progression in games like these should happen both internally and externally. Players should feel like their characters are truly theirs while being connected to the world around themand experimenting with the level system is a great way to achieve this and make future Precipitation games better.
Source: Bethesda Softworks/YouTube