D&D 4E 4ed leveling on gameplay

[xechnao]

How do you think leveling will affect gameplay?
How a 3rd level encounter will be different from a 9th level encounter gameplay wise? If everything is scaling in a linear way, the goal design is "the sweet spot" and monster roles such as minion, elite or brute can be modelled to fit encounters for every level how will the combat experience be different from one level to the next?

 

[Jack99]

How do you think leveling will affect gameplay?
How a 3rd level encounter will be different from a 9th level encounter gameplay wise? If everything is scaling in a linear way, the goal design is "the sweet spot" and monster roles such as minion, elite or brute can be modelled to fit encounters for every level how will the combat experience be different from one level to the next?

Always fun?

 

[xechnao]

Always fun?

So why not skip leveling all-together? And keep only class powers to gain by taking and accomplishing specific quests that tie to the campaign.

 

[shilsen]

So why not skip leveling all-together? And keep only class powers to gain by taking and accomplishing specific quests that tie to the campaign.

Because most players like levelling their PCs, and because there are too many things tied to levels that cannot be mapper by only class powers. Plus there's the whole issue of gameplay purportedly being different at levels 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, so you need levelling to achieve that sort of variance.

As for the questions in your first post, any opinion I (or anyone else who isn't a designer and/or playtester) have right now is almost completely baseless, since I haven't even seen the books. So I prefer to reserve judgement until I actually have the books in hand, so that I can make an intelligent and informed assessment. I'd recommend other people take that approach, but I've already seen most of the threads in this forum, and it's clear that's not about to happen.

 

[xechnao]

Plus there's the whole issue of gameplay purportedly being different at levels 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, so you need levelling to achieve that sort of variance.

Exactly. IMO, it would be more intuitive in terms of game design to link players' power level directly to the campaign's progress. Assign levels to quests-encounters rather than players, and make rules that link quests or encounters among themselves. Think of stuff like resources, strategic points etch. Each player, regarding on the powers and resources he has should have to plan on judging the challenges that lie ahead and how and if he can model them to their advantage.

Will it be impossible to model D&D for such a game?

 

[zoroaster100]

Hopefully, the fact that experience is no longer tied to spell components for powerful spells, or creating magic items, will make it easier for the DM to tie advancement in level to specific campaign goals or adventures rather than keeping track of experience per encounter.

 

[Jack99]

So why not skip leveling all-together? And keep only class powers to gain by taking and accomplishing specific quests that tie to the campaign.

Because that wouldn't be DnD.

 

[xechnao]

Because that wouldn't be DnD.

But in DnD leveling was part of the gameplay. In 4ed (always fun) it seems it isn't. I am not against that, but I am against keeping leveling if this new design holds true.

 

[Jack99]

But in DnD leveling was part of the gameplay. In 4ed (always fun) it seems it isn't. I am not against that, but I am against keeping leveling if this new design holds true.

I am sorry, I really don't get how leveling isn't part of the gameplay in 4e. Please explain.

 

[NewfieDave]

So why not skip leveling all-together? And keep only class powers to gain by taking and accomplishing specific quests that tie to the campaign.

Because players generally want their characters to grow in power at a reasonable rate, and it is helpful for both new and old DMs to have rules dictating that progression.

You could just as easily ask, "Why not skip classes all-together?" It's an iconic part of D&D that doesn't detract from gameplay and provides an easily understandable role.