Steinhauer's Opinion: Breaking the Level Barrier, Part 1

Jonathan Steinhauer's bi-weekly Monday column looks at the "level barrier" in its latest edition. Within, he examines the very concept of levels that most MMOs embrace and what's wrong with them.

Looking more into levels within games, we find that their use a broad statement of experience demands a certain rigidness of focus. Only a few rare exceptions (such as Neverwinter Nights where an adventurer can have more than one character class) allow for greater flexibility of experience. But if you were to twist character levels and actually measure real life experience, would it be absurd to find a man that is a Level 25 computer programmer, a Level 30 husband, a Level 10 bowler, and a Level 42 chef? Not at all.

Read more after the leap.

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Ultima Online doesn't use levels at all, which makes for a more realistic way to play. You are free to roam your character anywhere, at anytime, provided you have the skills (not levels) to cope with whatever you may face there.