I think this is one of the biggest problems with MMO RPGs, especially CoX and CO. You levell up, but so do MOBs...You get more powers and your stats go up, but MOBs get even stronger to force you to use those powers and you remain static pretty much. Yes you can take on things at a lower level, but does that really feel like you are getting stronger? You never deal with that level again and you are essentially fighting the same type of mobs with the same problem throughout your game play. The worse part about this is that it feels like your character is somewhat moving backward because you have more powers and still fighting schmucks, but it now takes you longer or more powers to do the same % of damage... So how can this be fixed? I think a game without levels would be a good start. Maybe do something like have everyone have base stats and then add some sort of modifier that makes your char's stats or powers grow. It would be cool if you started a game at base stats, but in char creation you could pick powers, their source, or whatever and then based on that you would grow stronger or weaker...having to pick strengths and weaknesses and severity of them... So someone like Superman would get his powers at near 0 mod, with say a 100 weakness to kryptonite... As the char is out in the sun longer his mod goes higher, but then it goes down under red sun light. Batman on the other hand wouldn't have to take any weaknesses because he doesn't have powers. That being said there would also be ways to gain stats and such via gear as well. This way, low end type MOBs would be a constant level and get weaker relative to your char, your char would grow, Higher end type MOBs would be able to get powers and abilities that make them elites and in the case of some would give their minions equip to make them stronger and you could possibly get upgraded like this... I think this would be an awesome system, but what would you do to correct this problem?

Humans have natural variation. Our muscles can only handle up to a point before fatigue begins (lactic acid formation) when we run out of oxygen. A person has to maintain their level of training to maintain their muscles, but there is also a default that they can go back to. This default is a lower limit of how weak you can be if you fail to maintain your training. The lower limit is there and exist because people will always use most of their muscles everyday at lower levels of stress. There's a saying that goes, "1 day you don't train, and you stop advancing. 2 days you don't train and you decrease a level. 3 days you don't train and you're back to square 1." The saying only works at high level stress for your muscles. At lower level, then there are more rest time you can take, but the higher [stronger] level you are, the more you have to maintain the level of training. The 72 hours maximum rest time exist in weight training. If you rest more than 3 days, then your strength will decrease. So the only way to implement in the game is to take the variation in real life. You have to continue training to stay where you are.

My method will be like real life variation. You have to continue training in order to stay in place. By stop training, you will decrease your level. The higher your level the faster you fall down. But there is a limit on how much the character can lose their level. In real life, then it's about 5 years to lose everything. The first 10 months is enough to lose the first half.

Real Life abilities:
10 months - 50% remain
20 months - 25% remain
30 months - 12% remain
40 months - 6% remain
50 months - 3% remain
60 months - Nothing remain
For any ability you don't use, your memory has a half life of 10 months. In just 5 years, you will forget any skills that you have never use for the last five years.
You want to implement this similar degradation to the game to keep them playing, but most players don't want punishment, so there is inflation to hide the degrading stats. Players like inflation, so there's not much developers can do to make a good game. Developers gave what the players want (inflation), and that's why the players complain.

There is a Free-To-Play MMO called Mabinogi. Not sure if you have heard of it or not. Just check it out if you have not, I currently play it.

Just speaking on behalf of the game play here.

When you create a character, you are not presented with many options at all on his-or-her appearance. You can choose between an Elf, a Human, and a Giant. The unique thing about this game, is you can choose what age you begin. You can start at the age of 10, or 17, and everything in-between. The lower your starting age, the lower your initial stats.

The game has no level cap that I know of. You start off, and you are basically completely balanced out. Giants obviously have a lean toward strength, and combat. Humans are neatly balanced. Elves are more toward speed. As you progress through the game itself, you unlock new abilities, sometimes you have to finish a quest to gain, sometimes they are randomly presented, and other times you have to gain levels in your present skills in order to unlock new, random ones. If you fight a whole lot, and continue fighting, you will gain weight, and gain muscle. If you do that, and stop for a while, the weight, and muscle begins to decrease.

The more you run, the stronger your legs get, and etc. Now Mabinogi is nothing amazing by any means. They have some of these unique features, but not to a revolutionary scale. Some people go their entire Mabinogi lives without fighting anything. Some may become musicians, and raise their levels just playing, and composing music.

Your skills are also oriented to your life-style. If you fight a lot, you will gain a lot of combat skills, or skills oriented around fighting itself. You can, however, stop leveling up your combat abilities whenever you want. Every character has a total level, and that can go up regardless of fighting or not. Also, every week in real-time, a year in-game goes by. Every year, your character grows up. His/Her stats will automatically increase corresponding to the growth.

I think the game has a good portion of what you are talking about. I cannot say it will completely quench what you are speaking of, but it sure does have some of the qualities. Give it a look.

CMFordham, I have played that. It's a decently fun game, but the whole rebirth system is a cheap solution in my opinion.