Just play 'traditional' RPGs lmao
I feel that level scaling is acceptable as long it correlates with immersion. If I have the HALBERD OF THE GODS I damn better well be able to struck down a common footman in a hit. Similarly if I dick around with the local wizard I do expect their intermediate-level spells to at least hurt if I'm not heavily resistant against magic.
To be honest, my ideal solution would be ridding level systems altogether and use a "resource" system. Players rely on their knowledge to dispatch simpler foes, discover efficient routes, and their progression allows them to collect 'tools' to temporarily/permanently minimize now-mundane tasks, and possibly open up more ways to deal with new and old obstacles. Players become stronger, not the character. Basically metroidvania with minor twists.
The leveling of basic level enemies like bandits and draugr was what really turned me off vanilla skyrim, a much better way to have done it would be that each camp or tomb had a level.
Borderlands 2 is the best.
Kill that "simple average man with gun" with A BAJILION GUNS AND ELEMENTAL EFFECTS, AND YOU BETTER HAVE THE BEE AND NOT GET HIT ONCE
Ya, the whole "enemies just get tougher" thing is a major turn off for me. Games like borderlands just lose their touch for me because of it. I have always been in favour of games where the enemies come in different combinations, higher quantities, or become more intelligent or skilled. I think Killing Floor 2 (though enemies do get tougher mildly as you progress) does a really good job of make a good balance progression where you still feel much more powerful as you go.
Level scaling always felt terrible to me. The line in this video "If you couldn't beat them, you left them alone until you or your character got better" I feel is the perfect scenario, and Dark Souls is the golden standard. Despite him apparently claiming that leveling doesn't exist in Dark Souls, it does, and yet you can take on any challenge in the game regardless of soul level.
I also really disagree with him using Origins as an example of fixed challenge. The level zones were not at all an example of 'fixed challenge' because the game is rigged to make anything 2-3 levels above you damn near impossible. You gain a little bit of damage and a little bit of armor every level, and yet enemies just two or three levels above you are near unkillable tanks. It's not difficult because the enemies are any harder to dodge or parry than lower level enemies, but because it's going to take you 10-20 minutes to kill an enemy even if you play perfectly, because the game gave them "you thought this game was open world? fuck you go back"-armor.
I've always heard that Morrowind had static levels and recently bought it just because Oblivion and Skyrim scaled enemies so poorly.
I think he gets it wrong, the best way to level areas is gear based not level based. If you suddenly start doing more damage with your weapon because you hit a gamey level up that's crap. Plus if it's gear based it gives good players a way to take on these areas with skill alone.
Definitely prefer games there enemies get new powers or new damage/resistance variety and not just stat uplift. But honestly, devs should look at their plot and lore and choose the systems which accompany them. It's completely fine to start seeing tougher law enforcement if you terrorize city for long enough, as it is fine to fight tougher guards as you move from outskirts to the capital of fictional empire
But gear means the enemy isn't stronger because it has a bigger level number. It has to do with either their gear or their base stats that don't change.
Similarly, it gets boring if you can just one-shot every enemy with a single SMG shot.
I wonder how it'd work if they scale with you, but some certain areas' enemies do have minimums set higher than your level, so they can still be "outside your skill level" until you catch up, but when you do, they continue to scale with you so they're not a breeze.
I generally hate scaling in most games. A really bad example I can think of is Homeworld 2 where it's literally a more viable option to scuttle your entire fleet before the final level because the enemy fleet scales to your size.
HomeWorld Remastered also has this issue, and you can literally lose mid-cutscene during the mission to take the Cryotrays on board the Mothership since the enemy fleet just blows them all up before you can move.
A better example of scaling is KoTOR, particularly KoTOR 2 since they'd usually throw more mobs of enemies for more difficult areas as opposed to just a few really strong guys. This meant playing Counselor was more rewarding late game as you could just throw out force attacks and clear an entire wave in an instant. I never event noticed the scaling until every Sith I killed was dropping Jolee Bindo's robes for some reason.
When it comes to RPGs, I think fixed levels are the way to go. Too many developers are so preoccupied with the power fantasy that they forget that the satisfaction of a power fantasy comes from starting at the bottom and working your way to the top, going from fighting rats in someone's basement to fighting gods. That's actually a very common angle CRPGs took at the time. Softlocking areas with powerful enemies also makes players curious and feel more invested in exploration because they know there's something to come back to later on.
I think in terms of procedural scaling, you should never just up the numbers or put a legendary adjective over the enemy's name and give him 6000x the amount of health the common ones have. There should always be a baseline template of that particular enemy that the players can associate to that doesn't deviate much. Instead you should have... more content. If there's more enemies you can fall back to, then you don't have this disconnect where you're now at level 40 but the lich still takes like 50 hits from your elven longsword to kill because the devs just upped the numbers.
Nothing will be as disastrous as Oblivion, though. That game is just hella stupid.
The most fun combat I've had in games is where your numbers vs the enemies numbers don't change through some arbitrary levelling system, rather the player's options in dealing with them are expanded. Of course, the enemies have to have capabilities that make them a threat beyond putting out X damage over Y seconds and taking Z damage to kill. Bioshock, 2 especially I felt, was excellent in this regard, despite the research mechanic granting you damage boosts. I wish there were a way to disable that element and retain the passive bonuses.
AC: Origins level scaling sucked a long smelly dong.
As stated before on this thread; it was some grade a bullshit when fighting a level 23 enemy as a level 19 Bayek meant that I had to deliver 30 hits but could only take 3 hits myself.
I really disliked the leveling system in The Witcher 3, I am playing as a 100-year old magically and biologically enhanced mutant man, whom I've completed two epic campaigns with before. Why am I slapping having to slap these bandits around in the beginning as if I'm bludgeoning them with a rubber sword.
Hilariously enough: Assassin's Creed 1 had a really good scaling system.
Enemies were the same, your assassination jobs got harder with more protection for the targets. You gained better weapons, more health and most importantly; a bigger move-set and more tools.
In the beginning it was best to either run away from enemies or learn how to fight really dirty, but once your move-set was full you could flawlessly wipe out a small platoon in a minute.
I'd rather have a mix where the 'common rabble' of more dangerous areas would have higher minimum fixed levels whereas bosses and other such uncommon enemies would scale with you to provide a constant challenge.
This way, the game doesn't become totally piss easy the moment you pick up a common sword that's max level while still keeping that feeling of power and progress by allowing you to easily cut down the fodder and only keeping your chin up against their designated elites/bosses. On top of this, I'd also like it if games throws more easy to kill fodder at you as you become more powerful or just plain give them more tactics/behaviors in accordance to your power.
I've modded my Skyrim to sorta be like this and it's pretty fun killing the many rabbles easily before going into a slow, high-stakes duel with the fodder's big leader.
modlist? Sounds fun
3rd Person Camera Overhaul - Smooth Camera Follow (optional)
Wildcat Combat
Attack Commitment
Ultimate Combat
TK Dodge
Mortal Enemies
In that order in the load order for compatibility. It's not 100% perfect as Skyrim's jank is never gonna be fixed, but these changes p much make any unblocked hits lethal and the only viable ways of tanking being timed blocks or straight dodges. I've also installed Organized Bandits In Skyrim to be able to spawn more bandits and have them be more varied in terms of abilities/themes. Also keep in mind I've really only tested this on an archery/one-handed light armor build, so I'm not sure on heavier two-handed builds, but so far going with underspecced two-handed, it still works fine.
That doesn't sound like it does anything in terms of enemy balancing or levels.
It doesn't, most of the difficulty is honestly added by Organized Bandits In Skyrim that adds more varied bandit types compared to vanilla along with options to stack more bandits. Maybe I fucked up with my wording there and that I meant I got mods that simulate the psuedo level scaling difficulty I mentioned and not really a mod that totally turns Skyrim's levelling into that desired system.
Again, it ain't perfect, but with a bit of tweaking, I'm able to make most fights last no more than 3 or 4 swings against me or other humans.
Fixed levels are objectively better for RPGs, even open worlds. Fight me. If you do it right, fixed levels will always beat scaling because it invites creative enemies and intelligent placement instead of just clicking a few boxes.
Fallout New Vegas always feels like an adventure where as Fallout 4 is just 'oh, super mutant has a new prefix'.
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