Opening up the levels to level 60

[Hellblazer]

I know this is a big one.

But as we now have a few players reaching level 40.. it might be interesting to open up the levels to level 60. There is a few servers out there that has done it. I know of one called Higher grounds. So I know it's possible to do. But anyhow, just my suggestion so that those that gets to level 40, still find that there is more to go on the way.

Maybe upon reaching level 60, there could be a major quest run for ascention? like a ubber ecdq-wldq.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Ummm...  How about not...  Just for the fact it would totally unbalance our already balance-challenged world.

You think melee characters have it bad now?  Sheesh...

[Hellblazer]

Truly I doubt that would change a whole lot when you think that the most places the highest level goes now is the GF and the areas pasts that, fort of kings and also the deep. So that wont change much will it? Fighters already have problems in those areas.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

So it makes sense to compound those problems with a great disparity in the power of casters vs melee characters?  Another +20 to Attack Bonus doesn't exactly match a potential + 20 to DCs of spells, not to mention the Team would have to put amounts of time not available to make sure these HIGHER level PCs can't just walk around as Gods smiting everything (which seems to be the whole point in this suggestion, based on your ascension remark).

No, this is ridiculous.  It unbalances what we already have problems agreeing on, would make Dev Crit Available to EVERYONE by virtue of being able to Get that 30 str NO MATTER WHAT (which the team would just make harder to get and by then wouldn't be worth it, if this was implemented) and there is just no time to even bother with making characters even more powerful.

If you want to be tough, grind to level 40, or attend every quest, and/or work toward something WL worthy.  Or if you want to play a game that lets you get to level 60+, go play WoW.  Every new expansion for that adds 20+ more levels anyway...

[LightlyFrosted]

Spell save DC doesn't actually work like that.  I'm not arguing that the level cap should be raised, but save DC is calculated by way of ability modifier, spell level, and then any miscellaneous modifiers (such as spell focus).

The only real use for caster level is in the duration and damage of some spells, as well as the likelihood of piercing spell resistance.  However, the only real disadvantage I can imagine for casters is the duration between allowed rests - I find twenty minutes arduous if I've a particularly evocation-heavy spell load prepared.  Still, sometimes such things cannot be helped.

No, the real trick is the scale of such PC's.  Already, we have nigh-deific heroes of epic lore - and those are the ones between levels 20-30.  Between thirtieth and fortieth level, one runs into the ballpark of the ludicrous - beyond that, and one must imagine that the Gods themselves would shake to contemplate it.

Perhaps a trifle flowery, but consider the heroes of classical fantasy.  Conan the Barbarian is at his least, perhaps sixth level - at his most, perhaps twelth.  Gandalf the Grey could well be a Wizard/Cleric with a total combined level of twelve or thirteen.  Already, we surpass these characters tremendously; one wonders what they would even think of a sixtieth level character.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

In Forgotten Realms, even, (and I don't mean NWN, I mean the pen and paper campaign) the all too often cliched Drizzt is level 16, and Forgotten Realms makes him out to be the definition of Epic, and he's not even mechanically epic.

So yeah, level 60?  Ummm...  No...

[s0ulz]

While in it's conception, it might seem like a good idea, I'd be against it.

Firstly, I don't see the relative benefit of having the "XP counter" grow beyond 40. The game really isn't designed to go beyond that. Heck even 21-40 is a stretch and isn't mechanically well thought out by the NWN creators.

Secondly, if we were to go beyond 40, a lot of work would have to go into creating content for these 40+ characters, and I personally think we're better off leaving the team working on the MMO prospect than puffing up spawns for an elite few.

Thirdly, from my experience, at around level 30, grinding for levels or just plain old leveling becomes sort of a second priority behind making your character actually reflect his level in world stature. I don't care if I'm level 32, 35, 38 or even 50. What's the point if it doesn't reflect in the world I play in. Not to mention characters are given 1 huge success story and everything else has to player-driven, so creating WLDQ-primes would take even more time from the DMs.

Overall, I think it's not worth it to tamper with the levels. The work that would potentially go into that does not overweigh my existing hopes of a slightly more polished MMO when using that time for development.

[mixafix]

I'd much rather see a narrower range of skills/levels between opening level and finishing. That way the divide does not generate extra building and it would be easier to run games where everyone can contribute fully. the story would be elevated, the race for levels put in the background, and more diverse ambition given a bigger stage.

[Warchild214]

Well even though Im still pretty new here, Ill put my opinion on the table to share my thoughts on this...

I used to played Higher Ground for a while and it is a great mod....but its built for power gaming in mind..hence the 60 levels..  In that mod you could get into the 30th levels in about a month if you worked at it.  IF they didnt have the 60 levels, I think players would get burned out to fast and become board and leave  if it only had 40 levels

IMO - Layonara makes leveling secondary...sure we all like to level...but even though I am only currently level 9..I already find myself not really caring what XP or how much I get doing whatever.  This world has been up and running for some years now, and just now there are only a few players reaching level 40?...  So in other words...it took these players 4-5 years or maybe even longer to achieve 40th level?  

I asked a GM a question once on character ageing.  I was told that although they do not make you retire characters when you characters are in thier "golden years", they kinda expect for that character to "slow down" a bit and NOT be challanging the worlds foes from a wheelchair so to say.  When it takes so long to level to 40 even....if a human raced character played till level 60...they would be really old even in elven years..and I just cant picture a bunch of senior citizen heroes in Layonara running around together riding the lands of beasts?  I dont know..it just seems it would throw off the whole in game time thing and would be a waste of time spent implementing it.

but again...just my two cents on this..

[Xiaobeibi]

I'd much rather see a narrower range of skills/levels between opening level and finishing. That way the divide does not generate extra building and it would be easier to run games where everyone can contribute fully. the story would be elevated, the race for levels put in the background, and more diverse ambition given a bigger stage.

So would I, it would be more inclusive; whereas I see how more levels could result in layo breaking in the middle (so to speak) between those who could invest the time, and have the knack of levelling, and those who won't and don't.

I fear new players (not new characters, but players) and old returning ones could all to easily end up feeling they were brought in as an audience to watch the "real" heroes at work.

I am a one-character guy myself so I understand and I appreciate the need for goals and challenges at high levels, but in the occasional heretical mood I wonder if the opposite way - of more levels - wasn't better.

[davidhoff]

I think it would be nice for the 40's to have something to look forward to (besides world involvement, etc.).  I think just to give them something to shoot for would be enough.  How about letting progression go to level 45 and make it take 20-30 million xp to get to each level after 40?  That would be a long and near impossible road, but something out on the horrizon for them aspire to.

[Rowana]

I think it would be nice for the 40's to have something to look forward to (besides world involvement, etc.).  I think just to give them something to shoot for would be enough.  How about letting progression go to level 45 and make it take 20-30 million xp to get to each level after 40?  That would be a long and near impossible road, but something out on the horrizon for them aspire to.

Just to address the highlighted portion.... On an RP server, is there anything else? *winks*

~row

[HooD!uM]

the thing is once a few people get to 60, there will be another post asking to open it up to lvl 70 - 80..ive started layo on 07-08-04...and ive only got one character to lvl 20 since ive started....i dont want another 6 -10 years to make another 40 lvls....