Progression & Economy

Skill System

Player power is split across individual skills, each with its own XP track and level. There is no level cap. Early levels come quickly for momentum; higher levels require exponentially more XP but always remain achievable. Every level provides a tangible benefit.

The prototype ships with 4 combat skills. Gathering skills (Mining, Woodcutting) are planned for the beta.

Combat Skills

Skill	Governs	XP Source
Attack	Accuracy (hit chance against enemy Defence)	Landing hits
Strength	Power (damage dealt on a successful hit)	Dealing damage
Defence	Evasion (chance to avoid incoming hits)	Being attacked
Hitpoints	Max HP (total health pool)	Passively from all combat

Gathering Skills (Beta)

Gathering is out of scope for the prototype. Mining and Woodcutting will be developed for the beta release alongside crafting.

Skill	Governs	XP Source
Mining	Harvest ore nodes, speed and yield	Mining ore nodes
Woodcutting	Harvest trees, speed and yield	Chopping trees

Gathering skill levels will gate which resource nodes the player can interact with. A low Mining level won't be able to harvest iron nodes; the player grinds copper until they've leveled enough.

XP Curve

Infinite and exponential. Fast early progression, always achievable at high levels. No hard cap.

Open Questions

Exact XP curve formula. Milestone bonuses at round numbers (e.g., every 10 levels)? Do gathering levels affect yield quantity, speed, or both?

Equipment (Prototype Placeholder)

Enemies drop gold only. No gear drops in the prototype. The player buys weapons and armor from the vendor using gold. All gear is available from the start, gated only by cost. This system will be replaced in the beta with loot drops, crafting, and rarity tiers.

Gear is organized by material tier with increasing stats and price. For example:

Item	Cost	Bonuses
Copper Dagger	5g	+1 attack, +1 strength
Copper Sword	10g	+2 attack, +3 strength
Iron Dagger	15g	+3 attack, +2 strength
Iron Sword	25g	+4 attack, +5 strength

The player can open the Equipment Slot Menu from anywhere to equip and swap gear.

Resource Economy

Gold is the universal currency.

Sources

• Enemy kills: gold
• Boss kills: gold (larger amount)

Sinks

• Gear purchased from the vendor
• HP potions purchased from the vendor

Prototype Scope

In scope:

• 4 combat skills with infinite XP progression (Attack, Strength, Defence, Hitpoints)
• Gold-only drops from enemies
• Vendor-purchased gear and HP potions
• Equipment with stat bonuses and attack speed

Out of scope (deferred to beta):

• Gear drops from enemies
• Loot tables and drop rates
• Gathering skills (Mining, Woodcutting) and crafting
• Gear enhancement/upgrade systems
• Rarity tiers
• Full consumable system