Experience point

Last updated
A character in the roleplaying video game Legend of Grimrock who has 23373 experience points: they need 71006 points to reach the next level Legend of Grimrock screenshot 01 (cropped).jpg
A character in the roleplaying video game Legend of Grimrock who has 23373 experience points: they need 71006 points to reach the next level

An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experience points are generally awarded for the completion of objectives, overcoming obstacles and opponents, and successful role-playing. [1]

Contents

In many RPGs, characters start as fairly weak and untrained. When a sufficient amount of experience is obtained, the character "levels up", achieving the next stage of character development. Such an event usually increases the character's statistics, such as maximum health, magic and strength, and may permit the character to acquire new abilities or improve existing ones. Levelling up may also give the character access to more challenging areas or items.

In some role-playing games, particularly those derived from Dungeons & Dragons , experience points are used to improve characters in discrete experience levels; in other games, such as GURPS and the World of Darkness games, experience points are spent on specific abilities or attributes chosen by the player.

In most games, as the difficulty of the challenge increases, the experience rewarded for overcoming it also increases. As players gain more experience points, the amount of experience needed to gain abilities typically increases. Alternatively, some games keep the number of experience points per level constant but progressively lower the experience gained for the same tasks as the character's level increases. Thus, as the player character strengthens from gaining experience, they are encouraged to accept new tasks that are commensurate with their improved abilities in order to advance.

History

The term "experience point" was introduced by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in the creation of Dungeons & Dragons. Arneson introduced a level-up system while playing a modification of Chainmail, for which Gygax was a co-author. [2] Dungeons & Dragons needed an abbreviation for "experience point", but EP was already in use for "electrum pieces", part of the currency system. One of TSR's first hires, Lawrence Schick, suggested the abbreviation to XP, to help Gygax complete the game manuals before release. [3]

Types

Some games use hybrid advancement systems that combine elements from more than one of the following types.

Level-based progression

In many role-playing games, such as games derived from Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), an accumulation of a sufficient number of experience points (XP) increases a character's "level", a number that represents a character's overall skill and experience. To "level" or "level up" means to gain enough XP to reach the next level. By gaining a level, a character's abilities or stats increase, making the character stronger and able to accomplish more difficult tasks, such as safely battling stronger enemies, gaining access to more powerful spells or combat techniques, or resolving more difficult social challenges.

Typically, levels are associated with a character class, and many systems allow combinations of classes, allowing a player to customize how their character develops.

Some systems that use a level-based experience system also incorporate the ability to purchase specific traits with a set amount of experience. For example, D&D 3rd Edition bases the creation of magical items around a system of experience expenditure (known as burning xp). The d20 System introduced the concept of prestige classes, sets of mechanics, character developments, and requirements that can be leveled up.

Some games have a level cap, or a limit of levels available. For example, in the online game RuneScape , no player can exceed level 120, which requires 104,273,167 experience points to gain, nor can any single skill gain more than 200 million experience points. Some games have a dynamic level cap, where the level cap changes over time depending upon the level of the average player.

Activity-based progression

In some systems, such as the classic tabletop role-playing games Traveller , Call of Cthulhu and Basic Role-Playing , and the role-playing video games Dungeon Master , [4] Final Fantasy II , The Elder Scrolls , [5] the SaGa series, [6] and Grandia series, [7] character progression is based on increasing individual statistics rather than general experience points. Skills and attributes grow through exercised use. [8]

Free-form advancement

Free-form advancement is used by many role-playing systems including GURPS , Hero System or the World of Darkness series. It allows the player to select which skills to advance by allocating "points". Each character attribute is assigned a price to improve, so for example it might cost a character 2 points to raise an archery skill one notch, 10 points to raise overall dexterity by one, or it might cost 20 points to learn a new magic spell.

Players are typically free to spend points however they choose. Some games simplify free-form advancement by offering packages or templates of pre-selected ability sets.

Cash-in advancement

A cash-in experience advancement system uses experience points to "purchase" character advancements such as class levels, skill points, new skills, feats, and base attribute points. Each advancement has a set cost in experience points with set limits on the maximum bonuses that can be purchased at a given time, usually once per game session. Once experience points are used, they are erased or marked as spent from the character record and cannot be used again. Final Fantasy XIII and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay are examples of games that use a cash-in advancement system.

Video games

Since many early role-playing video games are derived from Dungeons & Dragons , [9] most use a level-based experience system.

In many games, characters must obtain a minimum level to perform certain actions, such as wielding a particular weapon, entering a restricted area, or earning the respect of a non-player character. Some games use a system of "character levels", where higher-level characters hold an absolute advantage over those of lower level. In these games, statistical character management is usually kept to a minimum. Other games use a system of "skill levels" to measure advantages in terms of specific aptitudes, such as weapon handling, spell-casting proficiency, and stealthiness. These games allow the players to customize their characters to a greater extent.

Some games, particularly MUDs and MMORPGs, place a limit on the experience a character gains from a single encounter or challenge, to reduce the effectiveness of power-leveling.

Perks

"Perks" are special bonuses that video game players can add to their characters to gain special abilities. The term refers to the general usage of "perk" as an abbreviation of "perquisite". Perks are permanent rather than temporary and are progressively unlocked through experience points. The first video game to use the term "perks" to refer to such a mechanic was the 1997 role-playing video game Fallout .

Besides RPGs, perks have been used in various other video games in recent times, including first-person shooters such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007), [10] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), and Killing Floor (2009), as well as action games such as Metal Gear Online (2008).

Remorting

"Remorting" (also known as "rebirth", "ascending/ascension", "reincarnating", or "new game plus") is a game mechanic in some role-playing games. Once a character reaches a specified level limit, the player can elect to start over with a new version of the character. The remorting character generally loses all levels, but gains an advantage that was previously unavailable, such as access to different races, avatars, classes, skills, or otherwise inaccessible play areas within the game. A symbol often identifies a remorted character.

The term "remort" comes from MUDs. [11] In some MUDs, players may become immortal characters—administrative staff—simply by advancing to the maximum level. These users are generally expected to distance themselves from gameplay, and interaction with players may be severely limited. When an immortal chooses to vacate this position to resume playing the game—usually from level one just as with any new character—he or she is said to have remorted, "becoming mortal again". [12] [13]

Grinding

Grinding refers to the process of repeating one specific activity over and over. This is done, for example, by repeatedly participating in challenges, quests, tasks and events which reward experience points for performing repetitive, often menial challenges. This definition can also be used in multi-player games, but it is typically displaced by a much more charged meaning. A term intended to describe this style of play without pejorative connotation is optimization, also known as "XP farming".

Power-leveling

Power-leveling is using the help of another, stronger player to level a character more quickly than is possible alone.

Sharing

Games that allow several characters to participate in a single event (such as battle or quest completion), implement various methods of determining how and when experience gets shared between participants. These methods include: only awarding experience to the character whose hit killed the enemy (as in Fire Emblem series); sharing experience among characters (as in D&D ); and giving experience based on each character's actions (as in Final Fantasy Tactics ). In some online games (for example Dungeon Defenders ), it is possible to join a group and gain experience while providing little or no contribution to the group. This type of behavior is referred to as leeching. In games that allow players to gain rewards by kill stealing, this is also considered a form of leeching.

Botting

Some players of online games use automated programs known as bots to grind or leech for them in order to progress with minimal effort. [14] This practice often violates the terms of service. Bots are also commonly used in commercial operations in order to powerlevel a character, either to increase the sale value of the account, or to allow the character to be used for commercial gold farming.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> Fantasy role-playing game

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR). It has been published by Wizards of the Coast, later a subsidiary of Hasbro, since 1997. The game was derived from miniature wargames, with a variation of the 1971 game Chainmail serving as the initial rule system. D&D's publication is commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry, which also deeply influenced video games, especially the role-playing video game genre.

<i>GURPS</i> Tabletop role-playing game system

The Generic Universal Role Playing System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system published by Steve Jackson Games. The system is designed to run any genre using the same core mechanics. The core rules were first written by Steve Jackson and published in 1986, at a time when most such systems were story- or genre-specific. Since then, four editions have been published. The current line editor is Sean Punch.

<i>DragonQuest</i> Fantasy role-playing game

DragonQuest is a fantasy role-playing game originally published by Simulations Publications (SPI) in 1980. Where first generation fantasy role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) restricted players to particular character classes, DragonQuest was one of the first games to utilize a system that emphasized skills, allowing more individual customization and a wider range of options.

In tabletop games and video games, a character class is an occupation, profession, or role assigned to a game character to highlight and differentiate their capabilities and specializations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Character sheet</span> Record of a player character in a role-playing game

A character sheet is a record of a player character in a role-playing game, including whatever details, notes, game statistics, and background information a player would need during a play session. Character sheets can be found in use in both traditional and action role-playing games. Almost all role-playing games make use of character sheets in some fashion; even "rules-light" systems and freeform role-playing games record character details in some manner.

<i>Castles & Crusades</i> 2004 fantasy role-playing game

Castles & Crusades (C&C) is a fantasy role-playing game published in 2004 by Troll Lord Games that is based on a simplified variant of the d20 System created by Wizards of the Coast. The game system is designed to emulate the play style of earlier editions of the Dungeons & Dragons game while keeping the unified mechanics of the d20 System. It has been credited with birthing the Old School Revival (OSR) in fantasy role-playing.

Dungeon was one of the earliest role-playing video games, running on PDP-10 mainframe computers manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation.

Several different editions of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of D&D, Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the game. However, many D&D fans continue to play older versions of the game and some third-party companies continue to publish materials compatible with these older editions.

<i>Lejendary Adventure</i> Tabletop role-playing game

Lejendary Adventure is a role-playing game created by Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and creator of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D).

The fighter is one of the standard playable character classes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics.

A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by their class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes to create a Dungeons & Dragons player character. A character's class affects a character's available skills and abilities. A well-rounded party of characters requires a variety of abilities offered by the classes found within the game.

The rogue, formerly known as the thief, is one of the standard playable character classes in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks. The rogue is stealthy and dexterous, and in early editions was the only official base class from the Player's Handbook capable of finding and disarming traps and picking locks. The rogue also has the ability to "sneak attack" enemies who are caught off-guard or taken by surprise, inflicting extra damage.

The barbarian is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The class was introduced in 1985 and went through a number of variations in subsequent editions of the game.

The monk is a playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A D&D monk is a fantasy martial artist, specializing in unarmed combat.

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, game mechanics and dice rolls determine much of what happens. These mechanics include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Character creation</span> Process of defining a game character

Character creation is the process of defining a player character in a role-playing game. The result of character creation is a direct characterization that is recorded on a character sheet. This may include a representation of the character's physical, mental, psychological, and social attributes and skills in terms of the specific game's mechanics. It may also include informal descriptions of the character's physical appearance, personality, personal back-story ("background"), and possessions. Games with a fantasy setting may include traits such as race, class, or species. Character creation is the first step taken by the players in preparation for a game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tabletop role-playing game</span> Form of role-playing game using speech

A tabletop role-playing game, also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a classification for a role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech and sometimes movements. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a set formal system of rules and guidelines, usually involving randomization. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise, and their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement for Dungeons & Dragons

The Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1984 as an expansion to the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement for Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1985 as an expansion to the Basic Set.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons Immortals Rules</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement for Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons Immortals Rules, written by Frank Mentzer, is a boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game first published by TSR in 1986 as an expansion to the Basic Set.

References

  1. ↑ Gygax, Gary (1987). Role-Playing Mastery. New York, NY. pp. 147, 172, 174. ISBN   978-0-399-51293-3. OCLC   15251827. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-01-18.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ↑ Kushner, David. "Dungeon Master: The Life and Legacy of Gary Gygax". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  3. ↑ Purchese, Robert (2024-05-05). "From creating D&D to making Baldur's Gate 3: meet the man who coined the term XP". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  4. ↑ "Dungeon Master". GameTripper. 2018-01-08. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  5. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (2007-07-26). "Final Fantasy II Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  6. ↑ Gann, Patrick (2005-10-11). "RPGFan Reviews - Romancing SaGa". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  7. ↑ Reyes, Francesca (1999-11-04). "Grandia". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  8. ↑ Andy Corrigan (31 July 2016). "Final Fantasy II: A Retrospective". Ign.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  9. ↑ Barton, Matt (2007-02-23). "The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 1: The Early Years (1980-1983)". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
  10. ↑ Shamoon, Evan (10 August 2007). "Call of Duty 4 Preview for 360 from 1UP.com". 1UP.com . Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  11. ↑ Natalia (May 1999). "What is Remort?". Tharsis Gate. Imaginary Realities. Archived from the original on 2016-03-29. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  12. ↑ Towers, J. Tarin (1996). Yahoo!: Wild Web Rides. Foster City, California: IDG Books Worldwide. p. 166. ISBN   076457003X.
  13. ↑ Bartle, Richard A. (2004). Designing Virtual Worlds . Indianapolis, Indiana: New Riders. p. 356. ISBN   0131018167.
  14. ↑ Fahey, Mike (24 February 2017). "The Elder Scrolls Online Has A Botting Problem". Kotaku.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg The dictionary definition of experience points at Wiktionary

Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg The dictionary definition of level up at Wiktionary

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.