Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-26172435-20151221114104/@comment-25841881-20151223160413

AlteOgre wrote: Madman198237 wrote: I'm sort of going blind right now, sorting through everything being discussed in this one thread. I think that maybe its become too complicated. Perhaps we should make this into just a couple of important points.

Basically, right now we're discussing both magic and character upgrades, with an eye to using the current XP system for both.

I think that magic should be left out of this suggestion because, as I mentioned earlier, magic is sketchy in LoTR. Experience levels could, however, easily apply to the first point in the OP. Perhaps, upon reaching a certain level, characters could gain one skill point (The omnipresent face of your average RPG leveling system).

This point could then be spent towards skills/traits unlocked by faction standings. Increasing standing with Mordor could make available some nighttime strength buffs or some such, while being friendly with the hardy and strong Rangers of the North could allow you to unlock health and or damage increases.

A system of magic should be left to another suggestion, because it does not fit with how Middle-Earth works. Killing Orcs didn't (Sadly enough) give Legolas the power to defy gravity.

Peter Jackson did that. Good points.

Use of skill points may be a way to safely 'store' experience orbs to later improve character traits, when alignment criteria are met. Disadvantage may be that it will reward grinding too much as it significantly lowers the risk of losing experience from 'knockouts' (what many call 'deaths'). I am convinced knockouts should have a price and grinding be discouraged ... so I'd not suggest a skillpoint system until more convincing arguments of using them are brought up. I edited the OP accordingly.

I agree the post is long and the scope may appear too big. I decided to include magic as the conceptual choices for all subjects are interrelated. And as long as there hasn't been a clear (communicated) decision on which starting points and basic concepts will be used for the final system, I feel it will be rather pointless to separately discuss these subjects.

I made a number of edits in the OP based on this feedback. No death penalties actually discourages grinding. It makes it more possible for people to get experience without being entirely safe. Most of the time you never die when you grind.