Generally, there are two ways to design enemy levels in RPGs. The first is traditional set levels, where the same enemy will always have the same statistics and attack set. The other is the style where the enemies’ levels change based on the players, so that the player is always presented somewhat of a challenge, no matter what the fight is.
So, the question follows, “How does one decide whether to use a set or scaling level system?” I was thinking about this question for a while in the early stages of development. As a fan of difficult games myself, I like the idea of the challenge that scaling offers, but ultimately, there are some narrative drawbacks to using scaling.
Honestly, I am of the opinion that a game’s narrative structure should dictate whether it is a set or scaling level style. A structured narrative, like traditional games of the Final Fantasy series feels better off as a structured style, while open world RPGs such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim give much better experiences with a scaling enemy level. This is because a structured experience is just that, structured, and each enemy can be specifically tailored to where the player is expected to be approximately on the level curve. That being said, one of the big draws of open world games, such as Skyrim is the ability to craft your story and be the hero (or cabbage hoarding kleptomaniac) you truly want to be. As a result, the enemy level scaling system allows the player the freedom to go literally anywhere they want and not get one-shot (bar getting launched 5,000 ft. into the air by a giant).
So, what was I to do about my game’s enemy level system? As Draconic Echoes: The Ardent War is very narrative driven and structured, I decided to go with a set level style. One of the protagonist’s driving characteristics is the desire to become stronger, therefore the game play should reflect this in some way. As the players levels up, the numbers say that they are getting stronger, but does it feel that way? Would it not be weird that after going on a grand adventure, obtaining legendary weapons, and slaying dragons, the bats and rats back in the first cave were somehow still a threat? Yeah, it would be strange. Especially considering the central narrative point that the protagonist is striving to get stronger, I decided a traditional structured level style would be a better fit for both my game’s narrative.
Both styles of enemy leveling offers unique and compelling game play experiences, but really, the style and system must be selected based on what experience the game is trying to achieve.
If you’re curious about how all my nonsense actually plays out in a game, check out Draconic Echoes: The Ardent War on Steam!