You read the title. This post is pretty self-explanatory. I'm a bit stuck on ideas for a unique leveling system while keeping the same plot I've already designed for a fic I'm writing. For those wondering, the setting is pretty generic. A 'tower' has appeared on earth and a large population is transported into it. They have to clear the 100 floors of the tower (killing monsters, dungeons, etc) in order to save their planet and all that blah blah blah. At first, I considered a generic level up system with class choices, skills you acquire when you do specific things, etc. But since the main focus isn't really going to be on this specific system, I feel like it may be a bit too complicated and have too many loose ends. I've also considered class based leveling, e.g. you choose a class and level up that class and stat increases and skills come from level ups, etc. But I have a suspicion this is slightly too basic and imo kinda boring. I want it to be more focused around one central skill/ability with level ups being a side-thing to get stronger. Not sure how to do that though, which is why I'm here today. Anyways, the tower is supposed to act as a 'trial' as well. To fish out the strong from the weak. So it sort of has to depend on the person's own abilities (not tower given ones) as well.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or ideas. I also don't want to give too much away about the story. If you want to have like a back and forth conversation about your ideas, I'd be happy to talk over discord. But for now, just looking for any inspiration.

Abilities as loot drops.

On the first floor you’ll only find basic abilities (sprint endurance, empowered slash, high jump, etc,) and as you go higher up in the tower the skills get more unique. Maybe turn any boss drops into upgraded forms of the generic skills that can be gotten from the normal monsters.

Add leveling to skills so that they remain relevant (and so new skills don’t immediately replace old ones) and I think you’ve got a functioning system.

Ploopie Wrote: You read the title. This post is pretty self-explanatory. I'm a bit stuck on ideas for a unique leveling system while keeping the same plot I've already designed for a fic I'm writing. For those wondering, the setting is pretty generic. A 'tower' has appeared on earth and a large population is transported into it. They have to clear the 100 floors of the tower (killing monsters, dungeons, etc) in order to save their planet and all that blah blah blah.

If you are genuinely looking for ideas for your story here I have a couple of suggestions. Your setting has been done. The tower, the weak to strong, 100 floors, leveling system, all of it. 

Rather than a leveling system, why not attack the "generic" parts of your story directly? What are you truly wishing to write? The hero's journey (aka the monomyth)? A murder mystery? A heist? Strip your story down to its very foundation and then choose a path that fits your hero/team. Do you want the tower for a specific reason? Do you want the 100 levels for a particular reason? Do you need a level system for any specific reason? 

Let's say we start with Earth. Does it matter when? 

Next, we have the antagonist. How powerful do you need them to be? How intelligent? Are they a part of nature or an attack from elsewhere?

Finally, you need your hero/team. You want them to grow from weak to strong but do they need otherworldly assistance to be able to defeat your antagonist or is possible for highly trained people to do it?

Paradoxcloud Wrote: Abilities as loot drops.

On the first floor you’ll only find basic abilities (sprint endurance, empowered slash, high jump, etc,) and as you go higher up in the tower the skills get more unique. Maybe turn any boss drops into upgraded forms of the generic skills that can be gotten from the normal monsters.

Add leveling to skills so that they remain relevant (and so new skills don’t immediately replace old ones) and I think you’ve got a functioning system.

That's... actually super freaking cool. I think there'll be a few minor things needed to be fleshed out but damn, I really like this concept.

For now, I can only see one small issue with this concept. How would you 'level up' skills? Maybe when you kill monsters, you get specific amounts of exp which you can then distribute to the skills? I don't really like the concept of 'doing x skill gets x experience points'. It's too wishy washy for me.

This also kind of reminds me of those new card game thingies that are popping up...

Xian Wrote:

Ploopie Wrote: You read the title. This post is pretty self-explanatory. I'm a bit stuck on ideas for a unique leveling system while keeping the same plot I've already designed for a fic I'm writing. For those wondering, the setting is pretty generic. A 'tower' has appeared on earth and a large population is transported into it. They have to clear the 100 floors of the tower (killing monsters, dungeons, etc) in order to save their planet and all that blah blah blah.

If you are genuinely looking for ideas for your story here I have a couple of suggestions. Your setting has been done. The tower, the weak to strong, 100 floors, leveling system, all of it. 

Rather than a leveling system, why not attack the "generic" parts of your story directly? What are you truly wishing to write? The hero's journey (aka the monomyth)? A murder mystery? A heist? Strip your story down to its very foundation and then choose a path that fits your hero/team. Do you want the tower for a specific reason? Do you want the 100 levels for a particular reason? Do you need a level system for any specific reason? 

Let's say we start with Earth. Does it matter when? 

Next, we have the antagonist. How powerful do you need them to be? How intelligent? Are they a part of nature or an attack from elsewhere?

Finally, you need your hero/team. You want them to grow from weak to strong but do they need otherworldly assistance to be able to defeat your antagonist or is possible for highly trained people to do it?

Eh, I get what you're saying, but the reason why I was looking for ideas was more directly for the system. I've already got a plot planned out which I don't particularly want to reveal. I know what I'm asking for is probably a little vague, but since the 'system' is not really that important, I've chosen not to base my story around it. I'm not exactly looking for a super new and imaginative system, just wanted some fresh ideas to spice it up :D

Ploopie Wrote: For now, I can only see one small issue with this concept. How would you 'level up' skills? Maybe when you kill monsters, you get specific amounts of exp which you can then distribute to the skills? I don't really like the concept of 'doing x skill gets x experience points'. It's too wishy washy for me.

If you really want to make it unique you could make it so that abilities require ability drops of the same skill (or type) to become stronger. Incentivizes picking more commonly dropped skills as they can be leveled throughout the tower or if a more unique skill is picked up it can only be leveled by staying on the same floor for longer. That is unless you make the types very general, all offensive abilities count towards the offensive type, all defensive likewise.

The world is your oyster though and I'm just spitballing.

I've read so many stories here where the actual numbers/stats are constantly inconsistent and corrected by readers to the point where I find stats and leveling to be...not so compelling. I think there's definitely a place for that kind of thing, such as maybe the main character becomes too absorbed with the idea of the system that momentarily they forget everything is real or never internalized things as real in the first place. Like for example maybe in one moment of the story where they start up a relationship with someone and move in for a kiss to affirm their feelings, a pop-up blocks their vision saying they unlocked a new achievement! Having the system undermine real personal feelings by putting a number to it sounds just so wonderfully tragic!

Otherwise I'm more into softer magic systems where things are a tad more vague. Exact powers are unknown and people have to work out how dangerous or useful something is for themselves. Perhaps have the entire system be equipment based, a spear that when thrown can be recalled at any moment, a shield that changes form to expand and shrink on a dime, or perhaps boots that conjure invisible platforms to allow for levitation/rudimentary flight by constantly jumping to new platforms. This could even introduce the concept of Murderers being able to hoard power by trying to get as many pieces of equipment as possible. Maybe there can be a detriment to using too many pieces by having all of them be somewhat sentient and using too many at a time floods their mind with constant voices/hallucinations as their will begins to overpower the user!

Food for thought I suppose

I've felt the same way for some time.  I don't even read people's status updates.  Changes to skills are still interesting, but the numbers mean nothing to me, and I'm a math nerd.  Too many systems, in too many stories.  And as a writer, it is a huge pain in the ass to keep all of that straight while you are just trying to get the story down.

For what you need, have you thought about, and bear with me here because I know it's a crazy idea, NO SYSTEM!

Ditch the stats, the levels, the skills, and definitely the windows.  Give them ONE talent that they are randomly assigned when they first enter, and make it all about how they adapt to using their only talent/skill/special ability/superpower or whatever you want to call it.  You can even make it all "crazy" and let people steal other people's powers by killing them, but they can only have one so they need to choose, with or without the ability to see what the other ability is.

This gives you the ability to keep some people out of the tower due to a lack of imagination, in addition to fear.  A guy who's eyes emit light might think it's useless so he stays out, but if he took the time to work with his talent he could figure out over time how to squint in such a way to make them laser eyes.  Then there are the crafting talents, stitches that don't break can be used to make some pretty tough stuff.  Or metal that never rusts after a blacksmith has worked it, but the guy is a brewer.  Use your imagination.

Maybe add another one if they make it to some level, 50 for instance, if you need to have more than one.

I am using a purposefully soft [System] in my story. There are classes, levels, tiers, and skills in the system. However, there are no defined stats or numbers and the descriptions are left purposefully cryptic. I have a reason for that in-universe, but discovering that is something the residents of the world have not accomplished yet. 

My feeling on the LitRPG genre as a whole is that if the [System] is used to enhance the narrative then it is a good thing, but if it is used as a crutch for the narrative then it is a bad thing. If you are a math whiz and want to go that route and keep track of all the math and have it make sense, then rock on with yourself. However, I think for most people the crunchy numbers aspect tends to be more of a skippable crutch rather than an interesting bit of storytelling. I see far too many people saying they either skip the system parts completely, or they are digging through them to find mistakes and errors. Either way, it seems like a detriment rather than a boon. 

I am hopeful that my story, when published, will have a better reception in the LitRPG genre with a softer system that isn't so much math as it is part of the narrative universe. My advice to you if you want to do something similar, is to try to go less hard on the math, and make it something that enhances rather than detracts from your story. That is the route I am taking, and its one I see few people attempting.