(06-29-2015, 04:25 PM)Flickering Ember Wrote: I don't think I have even role-played with a level 1 character or even any character under level 15.
(...)
I don't think anyone has given a straight example on what level a character needs to be to be seen as decently powerful--powerful enough to be a threat. How does one determine such power levels? By the time you're level 20, you've already killed a primal. If something like level 30 is average, what does that make a level 60? Or does a character need to be max level before they are considered a threat?
Do people only take this into account when fighting against the other character in RP combat? What about fighting together against an RP-monster together? What about in conversation, such as the character talking about what they do for a living?
Huh. While I don't run into a ton of level 1 "RP only" characters outside of storylines, I have run into some.
Anyway, the primary thing I use the "snap level judgment" for is the particularly rare (on XIV) situation of someone out of the blue deciding to start a fight with no OOC discussion at all. I think we can safely set that one aside for the moment, since it's a pretty uncommon circumstance.
I take level into account, as one of many factors, for the plausibility of anything a character might do. A level 20 arcanist, for instance, professing that they have the ability to summon three different types of egi and conjure fields of flesh-melting darkness starts pushing the boundaries of my acceptance, since they can't actually do any of those things in game. Now, if they provide supporting statements such as that they've been studying arcanima for years, or that they're a prodigy, or basically have some reasonable story that isn't "the blood of Bahamut runs through my veins and I was personally taught all these powers and more by Papalymo," we're probably square. Like I've said, level isn't a particularly important factor for me. It becomes more important to me as the level of claimed power rises and starts slipping into grey areas of lore, but even then, all the other elements of the character's story trump it. I'm sorry I'm not really giving a "bright line" answer, but for me, there simply isn't such a line. When it comes to implausible things, "I know it when I see it," so to speak.
In the context of mechanics to resolve things, relative power level may become a factor, in which case level can provide some tools in that regard -- but even then, I usually don't see that as all that necessary. Superhero balance logic can easily put everyone with the same general character concept ("adventurer") into the same bucket of power, in which case success or failure is up to chance alone.
Ultimately, for me, level only says you're a threat or not if there is no other information available. If you RP that you're an untrained civilian waiter at the Bismarck, then I don't care if you're level 60 in every class -- you've established in your RP that you're not a combat character (and to go back on that and whip out some of those level 60 powers, you'd better have a good reason!). Conversely, if you're only level 20 and you RP that you're a highly trained pit fighter, then you've established in your RP that you're combat-capable, and we can go from there on the "superhero balance logic" scale.
With all that said, though, I think the growth of characters makes for some good RP, so I personally think that there's a lot of value in playing your power closer to your character's level. Instead of playing the master assassin at level 20, try playing the assassin still learning the trade, and have your powers grow as you level. Perhaps this works better for those of us who RP as we progress (instead of leveling to max level and then RPing, or never leveling and only RPing), but I've found it quite rewarding.
So, that's what I mean when I say level "sometimes matters" to me. It matters when there's no other information available to assess another character. It can matter to determine relative power level, if all people agree to that. It can matter as a measure of your own character's growth in ability, if you want to do that. It can matter, in conjunction with other factors, as a way of deciding if some claim seems plausible or not. For me, it doesn't matter as a way of deciding who to RP with, or as an ultimate decider of who gets to play what or who gets to swing the largest stick.
The Freelance Wizard
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((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))
Quality RP at low, low prices!
((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))