I just want to know if my idea is good.

This level system idea of mine is that you can only level up your characters if they have partners. Instead of the default levelling, there is a relationship level on how close the partners are. And also there is a level limit to a specific partners. To extend the limit, it will depend on the events (major or minor) like going to the restaurant, sparring, dating etc. You can exchange partners but the level and experience will be changed depending on your partner but the stats will not change at all. And also, the partners will have the same experience and relationship level.

Example:

• If you have only 1 member in the party, that character cannot level up since he's alone.
• If you have 3 party members, the first 2 will gain experience and the other 1 will not.
• If the partners' level is level 1 and the limit is only up to 3, they cannot gain more experience if they reach the level limit.
• If partners go to the arcade (video games that is) to have some fun, they will increase their level limit only to these partners.

Sorry for my bad grammar skills.

For a sim related game, or something not necessarily built around the traditions of an rpg (dating sim, puzzle games, harvest moon / pokemon style games) this idea may work. This may even work for games built more around an open world theme where different choices affect the outcome of the game.

But for a traditional rpg where focus is built around story, this would turn me off. I don't mind unique level systems, but if fighting a monster means building a party, and one of my party members can't get passed level 1 to give me much of a chance, I'd just as soon as skip over it and go play another game.

I'm planning on a sim related game which takes place in a modern times with some battle scenes (like in Persona, if you know that this game is).

Persona certainly has way more than "some battle scenes". Everything you did in Persona was to increase your strength in battle, one way or another.

Sorry for my misunderstanding messages here.



Yes, increasing strength in battle in Persona is also in my script.

What I mean is that you can only strengthen the characters is that pairing is necessary. And you can increase the maximum level allowed by conversation, instead of increasing the social level of Arcanas in Persona.

So, if you pair up with somebody and level up to however high you go with that person, can you then pair up with another and level up with them as well, so everybody has a chance to level up?

Also, is leveling up done through various actions (ie., answering somebody correctly, helping somebody out, etc) or is only through battles. If battles are a minor focus and not necessarily used for leveling up, then I think it can work, and as I said it would be interesting. However, if battling is the only way to level up, then either somebody won't be leveling up (unless they have a partner) or I'd have to fight battles over and over again until I've partnered with everybody and leveled everybody up.

That's where I think the concern will be. If it's the former (ie., battles are more story related and not necessarily used for leveling up) then this could turn out great. If it's the latter, you may wind up turning people off since a lot of RM players will get bored of having to level up each person separately, only if they have a partner.

this is an interesting idea, but i kinda agree that the partnership concept somewhat shackles the player's progression through the game with a party. I think if you're going to have a partner, maybe you still gain exp alone... but with a partner, the exp bonus is much higher. so that way if you have three characters and two of them are partnered, they gain more exp than the character that's alone. or you could do what I'm doing in my game, and prevent the player from having more than 2 characters. in certain situations neutrals join in battle, but for the most part you just have two characters.
that way the player might have to choose which partner they really wanna be stuck with. maybe some chars dont actually partner with the player, leaving options for the player in terms of, do i want to be paired or do i want to sacrifice that paired exp bonus for a stronger party member?

again, i like the idea, i just think that i too would give up on the game if i spent 6 or 7 hours without a partner, not leveling up. that's kinda like getting through a full season on harvest moon, not getting the girl and not being able to continue farming. (i was too concerned about wealth and crops to mack the ladies).

I like it (and everyone loves Persona so you're probably onto something ).
The one thing I'm a little concerned about is if there's a (presumably low) level for other characters who you're switching between anyways wont your main just become way overleveled compared to them?
I think a good way around level caps would be to give each character some unique buff or bonus to partnering with them.

My ideal system is not exactly the same thing as persona.
You can also have partners without the main character.

EDIT: By the way, I'm already making a script with this and it's almost done.

Cool, I'd like to see a demo of your idea so we can offer better feedback. I agree with everyone else that it doesn't make sense for a character not to level up from battling - the pairings should offer bonuses, so that the choices of who you date/battle with are significant to the game. In Persona characters gain experience from battle independently (see my analysis of Persona 4's system - even if you aren't trying to mimic Persona 4, it offers some great lessons in game system design).

Actually, I haven't played Persona 4 but I played Persona 3 instead since I only have PSP here and my PS2 is broken.

By the way, where can I post some WIPs?

In order to really do this, you'd wanna get rid of in battle XP, and award outside of battle (similar to a party XP thing). You'd also want it to have some variable that tallies based on the number of times a combo/team technique is used.

Based on this line:

There is still have normal exp given to the active party members and instead of getting rid, I'm planning to change some exp given depending on the partner and thanks for telling about combos, I will plan to place it too.

I also asked to other forums about this idea of mine and I'll revised some of my ideas according to some replies:

• Instead of levelling only with the partner, I'll make a normal level and relationship level separate.
• There are bonus stats of one character depending on the partner and their relationship level.
• Learns skills exclusive to a specific partner depending on the relationship level.
• The ways on what, when, and how the partners gain relationship level, it's up to the events.
• Limitting relationship level will be fixed to all.
• If you have only 1 member in the party, that character cannot gain any bonus (skills and stats) since he's alone.
• If you have 3 party members, the first 2 will gain bonus (skills and stats) and the other 1 will not.

Insights, reactions, or any confusions about my idea are still welcome.

Romancing Walker.

Probably one of the best RPG Maker games I've ever made. And it revolves around relationships with girls. Pretty neat, you got fantasies? (lol I know that's not what it's about )

But yeah, relationship and dating has its place in an RPG. It's been done well before. I haven't played Persona myself, but I hear people raving about it, and basing whole games upon its style, so it *must* be good. I should play it sometime.

The more I read the more it reminds me of Thousand Arms. Persona is not the only game that had something like that. The main character in Thousand Arms could date the members of his party or some hidden NPCs. If the date is done well via mini-games or Sim Dating, This could make his party gain new magic, and stronger weapons.

I'm also doing something like this on my own game. So I'm going to be taking some tips and seeing if I could help out here. XD

So far, what you came up seem well enough. For the limit, are you going to add something like: "Do something with this person for this one day" Or like Thousand Arms, where you earn points from battle, and spend them to go on a date?

I'll try to play your game too. Maybe, I can get something from here.



I haven't played Thousand Arms before but as far I find, I think it the main character and the girls are the ones that can be dated. But in my idea, I include other characters and not involves dating but also friendship of same-gender partners, etc.

Sounds great. If you want to post a short demo showing off your mechanics in action (not a full game demo from the beginning of the story), I think you can post it in the design critique forum. That forum is for critiquing specific systems like what you're describing. Maybe just event a couple of events to show us how your system will practically look like.

I'll try to post it there after I get some screenshots or videos on this.