suggestions about the leveling system

[zodiac44]

I've been trying to think of some way to make levels relevant in the game, and I've come up with two ideas so far:

1) Make the skill progression dependent on leveling (ie, gaining a level grants points to spend on skills and stats, or level acts as a cap on how much of each skill a girl can use - a level 1 girl may have a BDSM skill of 100, but she would be effectively capped at some lower number).  This was discussed to an extent, and it didn't look like there was much enthusiasm for it.  So I though of:

2) Tie levels and compensation together.  Higher level girls attract wealthier clients who are willing to pay more for their services.  Conversely, higher level girls get "pushier" - they want better accommodations, a bigger cut of the take, more perks, more free time, maybe some sort of leadership responsibility (if anything like that gets implemented).  If they are free girls, they are more likely to leave for greener pastures if they don't get what they want or are otherwise treated poorly.  If they are slave girls, they will be more likely to attempt to buy their freedom, and failing that, run away.  High level girls might even make friends in high places who could bring pressure to bear on the player if they don't get their way.

I know the higher levels = higher compensation was done in SimBro, but I think I have sufficiently expanded on the idea to make it more interesting, less of an automatic income booster, and it has potential story hooks.  Any thoughts?

[letmein]

I'm not really a fan of levels.  A lot of games seem to throw them in "just because", as if levels deserve to be in every game.  They don't.  Personally, and I think I've mentioned this before, I'd toss leveling out the window entirely and just depend on stats to show girl quality.  Accomodation shouldn't have anything to do with levels - it should depend on the class of building, as should the wealth of incoming clients.  Then stats determine whether those customers are satisfied, and the percentage of satisfied  customers determines fame, which determines the number of incoming customers.  Levels are, in my opinion, a useless complication to the formula.

[Rose]

I have to agree that, in a game with a complex non-level based stat system, levels aren't really necessary.

[zodiac44]

Fair enough.  Getting rid of them entirely is an equally viable option.  The effects I suggested can be achieved through other means.  Let me ask another question then: can anyone think of a reason not to get rid of the leveling/XP system?

[letmein]

Simplification.  If it isn't helping anything, then taking it out streamlines things, removes potential for bugs, and  removes a complication.

[zodiac44]

I was looking for reasons *not* to get rid of it.  I'm with you on the issue, but with only three people weighing in so far, I think we should get some more opinions on the matter.

[letmein]

Ah.  Sorry, misread your question.

[Mehzerz]

I don't mind removing them as I said in a previous thread.
I think Fame and ability should increase how much a girl charges. Not... her level.

[Command]

Why not set up a fame rank for each girl and if a girl is popular enough or is getting over worked because of popularity you can get an option of increasing her price to limit the customers.  This would help keep the girl from getting over worked and giving you more money with less of a risk for being over worked.

[delta224]

The girls do have fame, but like a lot of things it is rarely used.  One of those things is to have customers sleep with her if they do not have enough money.

[Command]

How about a ranking system that is employed that the higher their rank in the brothel the more personal benifits to the girls get, Like more freedoms.  Better meals, better rooms, and such.  THey also have more jobs they can do like that sleeping with option.  You can have a set up where you can give girls what sex jobs they do but the job options increase the higher their rank is.  However have the rank like permotions.  You give promotions or demotions to the girls but one twist.  You can only have a certain number of girls of each rank the higher the number the lesser the girls.
 
lowest rank: general whores, Highest rank your personal mistress.  You have the player figure out who to promote but the lower the states for the person you promote the worse she will do her job.  Make sure the person you promote girls with a good enough stat for the promotion.
 
That would make a ranking system more interestting.  And liklely give some girls with a competitive insentive for working harder.  It can also eventually give some leway in the development of this game to create a rivalry system where some girls would sabotoge each other or even get into fights with other girls.

[letmein]

I think that most of that can be done with the current accomodation system, and the planned matron system.  Rankings and levels are, to me, not essential to the core game.

[necno]

Currently the levels affect what accommodation the girl expects to receive (except in the case of slave girls). And is also used as a rough idea of the girls overall ability. They also act as markers to test when a girl may gain some new traits. Removing them would require little effort but so would making them more relevant. I've also been thinking that some of the planned traits would make sense to only be available at certain levels.

[Command]

Good idea.

[zodiac44]

If ability is based entirely on skills, and levels are gained by earning XP through doing jobs, then the two aren't correlated, so levels should not be used as a gauge of ability.  If that's what you want them to be, then you have to change how they are earned.  If you instead base levels on some function of skills and stats, then it will work.

Of course, that is presuming that you decide to keep levels at all.  I like having something in the game which would cause the girls to demand more from the player, and I don't see an easier way than using a level system.