I am currently prototyping an rpg jump'n'run and was thinking about a level
progression system.
The rough concept is an kind of open world with an small hub (kinda like
Firelink Shrine and the Zones around that in Dark Souls).
The basic idea is that you don't get straight up better when leveling up and
the enemies stay roughly the same during the game.
So let's say the enemies in different zones have different weaknesses. Like for
example you have a zone where most enemies take more damage from fire attack.
If you start as an pyromancer you can take out most of them in a few hits
during the first few hours of the game. So this is your natural starting zone for low levels.
If you venture into another zone where most enemies have weaknesses against
divine attacks you need a lot more hits. So while you could do this from the
beginning of the game, you need more time for it during which you can make more
mistakes and die. So you need items or skills to deal with that more efficiently.
If you start as an cleric you have an advantage in the latter zone, but need to
find items and skills for the fire-weakness zone.
So the idea is that:
* You don't find weapons/armor/items that are straight up better, but
that do other damage/give other resistances that plays to your enemies
weaknesses or gives you more options in your playstyle.
* You are not artificially gated or hardlocked against specific zone (you first
need to find the key to this door, the pickaxe for this wall, the jumping boots
for this wall, a whistle to certain things to appear, etc.), but rather
discouraged through the perceived toughness of the enemies in that zone.
Any ideas or concerns about that? Does anyone know any games that work like
that or can be inspiration for aspects of this?
