[b] Progression[/b] Sometimes progression is seen as a bit of a negative these days. Personally, I love progression systems and having a constant sense of moving forward in the world. In this post I thought I would talk about one way I am giving players a sense of progression: visually. Rather than just completing quests and simply having a checkmark in your journal, a big part of what I want to do is visually represent progression in the world as best I can. [b]Player Progression[/b] Seeing their characters progress visually as they level up and get through specific milestones in the story is one way of giving players an idea of growth. I know it's a minor thing compared to other games but it still gives a sense of progression as your characters start looking fairly basic and slowly evolve as they grow in power. Below is an example using the 'Knight' character. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44820455/4f40ea48bb7609a13e52801c5820ae1ed8a6f09c.gif[/img] Characters will also have changes in their quarters in the main town hub. As you progress, so will their living areas when you visit them. Some might even collect little keepsakes or trophies from fights or events and I think this gives a sense of players being in an actual world as well as give them things to collect in the world that also have little visual story elements. [b]Town Progression[/b] A similar system is also present in the towns, particularly your main hub. As you complete quests for people you will notice their buildings also 'upgrading' and eventually the town growing as well. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44820455/b30b7edf3c348bc86a1093f99bc6230e892cdd84.gif[/img] This is more than just visual for most of them. You might then have access to more quests or more powerful items or even new crafting options and recipes. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44820455/099904a65d62778fd37df3079f641e684c17f83a.gif[/img] [b]World Progression[/b] The same system is present in the world. Completing certain dungeons or locations might then result in changes to the world leading to new quests or locations to visit. I think giving the player a reason other than just loot or experience can be a fun way of providing a sense of making a difference in the world. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44820455/3df9ca1653bbb4c3d42709037ca71d6a71ea4984.gif[/img] Below is an example of an early dungeon area. After clearing out the abandoned keep players will find that at first the local militia returns, offering new quests. Then as you complete these quests gradually the keep will be restored and increase the standing the party has in the local area (and perhaps decreasing it in others). This area can then be used to purchase supplies and rest at safely in an otherwise hostile region. [b] Conclusion[/b] Of course, there's a whole heap of actual gameplay progression systems to talk about later as well , but think providing a sense of visual progression will help players literally 'see' how things are progressing as they play. "Show don't just tell' is a big part of the game. As usual, thanks for reading and any suggestions or questions are welcomed.