This Friday, we want to know from you whether games always need a progress system – or if it works well without one?
Is Progress the Future?
Everyone has probably experienced such a situation: The level bar is almost full. You should have been in bed a long time ago, but there’s just this one quest left to finally reach the next level. And then one more task, so you have a little “bonus” to start with tomorrow… and suddenly two levels are done and the night is over. In the past, almost only RPGs had such a progress system; nowadays, it has been extended to almost all games.
There are not only account progressions with rewards but also for different characters, such as in SMITE or Heroes of the Storm. Even shooters like Star Wars: Battlefront come with a ranking system that unlocks new outfits and other toys. But do games actually need that? Shouldn’t games be able to impress simply because they are fun?
Cortyn says: Maybe I sound a little like the grandpa telling stories from the trenches of the war, but when I first really got into gaming, there was little progress in most games. Sure, RPGs are a big exception; development has always been an integral part of the gaming experience.
But let’s take some more banal classic games like Counter Strike or Warcraft 3. I’ve played both games at LAN parties (does anyone remember those?) over and over again without ever needing a level bar that tells me after each match that I’ve come a little closer to my goal X. No, in the past I played these games because they were fun.
If you look at comparable games today, like Overwatch or Paladins, players are demanding exactly such systems. In the comments, you often read things like “Nowadays, a game simply needs that, otherwise I won’t touch it.” Have we really become so banal? Do we always need more bars that unlock some nonsense? Don’t we play anymore just because something is really fun? I don’t want to believe that.
From my point of view, games should more often refrain from such imposed mechanics – if the game is fun, there is always something to do.
P.S.: Shooters back then were never “boring” or “monotonous” – playing against friends was always enough motivation.
But enough about me, let’s get to you! Do modern games necessarily need a progress system to remain interesting? Would you miss it if games returned to their “core”, the pure fun? Let us know in the comments and engage in lively discussions!
