In other games, like Cube World (good old days), I loved the idea that you could always keep progressing. You'd move from one zone to another, each with increasing difficulty. That system offered a few key things I really liked:
Unlocking new skills that let you play in new ways (like gliding in Cube World).
Finding weapons and armor of a higher level than yours, giving you that satisfying feeling of finally being able to use them once you’ve progressed enough.
Sometimes having to use gear you're not used to, because it's much stronger than what you had. This pushes you to adapt and appreciate other playstyles rather than sticking to the same weapon or skillset for hours.
Infinite progression.
Merging these two genres - survival and RPG-style infinite progression - is not easy, and I’m not even sure it’s a good idea yet. But here’s my current idea on how they might blend:
You start the game at level 1. Each creature (including animals) has a level that increases their stats (like damage, speed, etc.). The farther you move from the spawn point, the higher the enemy levels will be, similar to CubeWorld*. This encourages exploration, which is one of my main goals.
You rarely find complete weapons. Instead, you mostly find blueprints for weapons of a specific type and level. Around the world, there will be enemy groups guarding chests, or other challenging dungeons. Defeating them unlocks the chest, which contains a blueprint.
Once you build the necessary crafting tables (which depend on the weapon tier and materials), you can craft a basic level 1 item by default. Using the blueprint unlocks the ability to craft that specific weapon at a higher level (you can still choose to craft a lower, unlocked level).
gilded heart
gloomy marsh
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