Solved Beta 4 - Player Level – Abilities & Good Quality Weapons etc

[Talisman]

( Not sure I have used the correct Prefix in the header for this thread )


I have to admit I am a bit confused by the changes to the calculation of the amount of XP for each player Level.

As far as I can see the number of Levels has been increased by approximately 20 for the same amount of XP gained.

In Beta 3 player Level 50 was from 7.7 million to just over 8 million XP – while in Beta 4 player Level 50 is 3.8 to 3.9 million - and 8 million XP gets the player to Level 68.

NOTE:- ( There are also some strange jumps in the XP amounts for certain Levels – I am not sure whether this is because I was using Numberpad 4 to get the figures - they are at Levels 16, 25, 36, 49, 64,and 81 see the spreadsheet.)

I assume this is a result of the fact that the player now needs to get more Ability points to activate the Abilities ( with some now needing 3 or 4 points to activate them). So that in total to activate all the abilities the player now needs to obtain over 100 Ability Points. (In Beta 3 there were approx 40 abilities needing one point each to activate them).

If the player can only get one ability point each time they level up then the player needs to get up to Level 100 to have all the abilities. ( Question - Is it possible to give the player more than one Ability point when they Level up?)

I am not sure why some abilities need more points than others – if it is to make high level abilities less easy to obtain than basic abilities, then that is already being achieved by the other systems in place.

- High level abilities require possession of the Lower level version first;
- some abilities are locked until the player either reaches a minimum level
– or carries out a task
– or obtains an item,
- or a combination of these.

So the fact that some abilities need more points to obtain than others just seems like an unnecessary extra control that serves no real purpose.

Or is the intention to make it that because the player has to get so many Ability points - to get Abilities for themselves - they are put in a position where they have to hire officers to get access to the shared abilities they want. If that is the case then why has the amount of XP required to gain a certain level been reduced - thus making it easier to Level up and get Ability points? And anyway the same objective can be achieved by the other restrictions on Abilities listed above.

Sorry if all this is a bit confusing - but I am a bit confused myself about what is trying to be achieved ( apart from cleaning up the code and making it easier to understand and control - which is a good thing )

Also:-

Having the player Level up more for the same amount of XP means that the weapons and goods that are “Good or High Quality” and should only start to appear later in the game as the player gets to a higher level; are now appearing earlier in the game as the player reaches the qualifying level that much sooner. So if the current Levelling system is continued, will the levels attached to these items have to be changed.

And finally – there are some Side Quests that also only become available after the player reaches a certain Level. Which may (or may not) have to be changed:

Rescue Peter Bloods Crew – Level 4

Search for Peter Bloods Ship – Level 14

Find the Missing Son of the Spanish Admiral ( & Lucas in Hoist the Colours) – Level 4

Elizabeth Shaw’s Disappearance ( & First Contact in Hoist the Colours) – Level 6

Find Angelique Moulin’s Father – Level 15

Help Turks Island – Level 10

The Silver Train – Level 12

The French Pirate in the Tavern – Level 4

Hard Labours of An Assassin – Level 5

(Levels quoted are the ones from Beta 3)

 

[Levis]

Here you can find the calculations behind the different XP needed:
http://www.piratesahoy.net/threads/sudden-huge-amounts-of-xp-gained.24829/page-12#post-515322

I understand it looks weird but in the old version a lot of different multipliers where applied. So 1 xp could mean you got either 10, 50 or 80 depending on which function was used. Now everything goes trough the same functions so each XP you get is worth the same (depending on the skill it is for). Also the total multiplie over it is toned down so altough it seems you need to get less XP you should also receive less XP for tasks. If people still thinks it goes to fast it's possible to change 1 variable to have XP be multiplied with something to make it more or less.

About the abilies. Some have got more points because they are "better" the others. So this way if you want a certain ability you need to save for them to get them while others are easier to obtain.
I choose to have the abilities max out at level 100 so there is no real chance you will ever get there. So in order to still be able to use all abilities you will need officers to help you. This is done to make officers more important.

Locking the abilities is mostly done to have players experience parts of the game which they else might not find. And to reward them for doing so. Also it prevents them from having some abilities which could profit you very much early in the game unless they specificly want. This makes a player think more about the way he plays the game and the choises he want to make.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

About the abilies. Some have got more points because they are "better" the others. So this way if you want a certain ability you need to save for them to get them while others are easier to obtain.
I choose to have the abilities max out at level 100 so there is no real chance you will ever get there. So in order to still be able to use all abilities you will need officers to help you. This is done to make officers more important.

Locking the abilities is mostly done to have players experience parts of the game which they else might not find. And to reward them for doing so. Also it prevents them from having some abilities which could profit you very much early in the game unless they specificly want. This makes a player think more about the way he plays the game and the choises he want to make.

All good ideas as far as I'm concerned. But there is a toggle on them for those who don't want it, just in case.

 

[Talisman]

About the abilies. Some have got more points because they are "better" the others. So this way if you want a certain ability you need to save for them to get them while others are easier to obtain.

The point I was trying to make was that the" points" system is duplicating the "locking" system plus the system that requires the player to get the basic abilities before they can aquire the "better" abilities. And I don't really see the point of having 2 systems in operation that appear to be achieving exactly the same thing.

 

[Levis]

The point system slows down the progression a bit and makes for a longer game play. While the lock system prevents you from having some abilities from the start AND it makes the player try stuff which he else might not. So I do think they serve different purposses

 

[Pieter Boelen]

While all those systems do serve very similar purposes, they are also ever so slightly different:

- Abilities requiring certain other ones first: Ensures there is a logical progression to them
- Requiring multiple points for abilities: Spreads out gaining experience over a longer time and gets it in line with the skill points too
- Unlocking abilities through specific game actions: Encourages players to try those elements of the game and works gaining your points into the game experience

They all slow things down, but they also all have different secondary consequences which are a bit different.

That being said, having so many things to take into account perhaps doesn't quite simplify the game experience....

 

[Talisman]

That being said, having so many things to take into account perhaps doesn't quite simplify the game experience....

Thanks - that is the point I was trying to make

I just could not explain it clearly.