R P G A M E R . C O M   -   E D I T O R I A L S

Random "Leveling"

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Derek 'Roku' Cavin
STAFF EDITORIALIST

Leveling up is an important part of many RPGs. It affects the growth of an individual's effectiveness in battle and, in some cases, out of battle. Most games use a standard experience system while others used quest-based bonuses. The focus of this editorial will be on the random bonuses given in games such as the SaGa series.

Unlike most RPGs, a number of games in the SaGa series do not have standard levels. Instead, they have the usual statistics stand alone and grow randomly with use. Repeatedly taking hits raises HP, using certain elements will level them up, etc. I personally like this concept as it allows for characters to grow into and specialize in the fields the player desires. I do have an issue with the way that it is implemented in many games though.

While the idea itself is a good one, the problem stems from the fact that it occurs at seemingly random intervals. Two identical characters in Final Fantasy Legend 2 performing the exact same actions in battle will more often than not come out with completely different bonuses. Though they each have the same chance of increasing the statistics that are used, the bonus itself appears to be applied entirely at random. In SaGa Frontier 2, having a particular character skilled in fire burn the enemy with the same fire spell several times per fight may yield an increase in fire magic after a few dozen battles while they may gain their next bonus after only a few.

Rather than pick on this aspect of the SaGa series more, I'll mention a more popular game that seems to use this system, though it uses it for skills instead of levels. In Final Fantasy XI, characters will often go through piles of materials in order to get a mere 0.1 increase in some crafting statistic or another while they also have a chance of gaining a bonus of 0.3 for doing next to nothing. The same applies to spells and weapon specialties. It seems to be completely random and based solely on how lucky the player is.

This may simply be a personal pet peeve of mine, but I like to receive x reward when I do y work in a game. Relying heavily on chance in these cases can be frustrating at times, especially when there's a large time and in-game monetary investment involved such as with crafting in FFXI. This system seems more oriented toward people who enjoy gambling than those who prefer a steady income.