Experience point

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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]

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

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

Not to be confused with Level (video games).

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

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

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

See also:
Character point

Free-form advancement is used by many role-playing systems including

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

power-leveling
.

Perks

See also:
Skill tree and Power-up

"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

Killing Floor (2009), as well as action games such as Metal Gear Online
(2008).

Remorting

"Remorting" (also known as "rebirth", "ascending/ascension", "reincarnating", or "

avatars, classes
, skills, or otherwise inaccessible play areas within the game. A symbol often identifies a remorted character.

The term "remort" comes from

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

Main article:
Grinding (video gaming)

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

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

Main article: Video game bot

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

References

  1. OCLC 15251827. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-01-18.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  2. 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. Gamasutra. Archived
    from the original on 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
  10. 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. ISBN 076457003X
    .
  13. 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.
The dictionary definition of experience points at Wiktionary

The dictionary definition of level up at Wiktionary

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Experience_point&oldid=1276736617"