So I've seen two ways that players can be rewarded during a game to unlock additional content. The first of which is obtaining a new level by gaining experience points. The second is by acquiring "money" to buy new content (different weapons, upgrade current weapons, etc). I'm trying to decide if I should go with just one or a hybrid. Any thoughts as to why one may be better than another, or even better ways to reward the player with new content? (Some will be unlocked by completing specific objectives)

Another common scheme is to hide game content and have players search for it--think Knights of the Round from FF7.

Another way is to have rewards for certain non-essential game statistics, such as the different ending screens for Metroid:Zero Mission based on how quickly you beat the game. These can be based on speed, firing accuracy, perfect games (however that's defined), and any number of other things.

Black and White did something novel (even if it didn't end up being all that fun), in giving you different gameplay based on how good or evil you acted.

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Original post by darkpegasus So I've seen two ways that players can be rewarded during a game to unlock additional content. The first of which is obtaining a new level by gaining experience points. The second is by acquiring "money" to buy new content (different weapons, upgrade current weapons, etc)

I see character levels and money as the 2 most popular counters in RPGs. I take it you're open to replacing one of these with something that resembles, or mimics, the gold accumulation or character stat/level?

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Original post by darkpegasus So I've seen two ways that players can be rewarded during a game to unlock additional content. The first of which is obtaining a new level by gaining experience points. The second is by acquiring "money" to buy new content (different weapons, upgrade current weapons, etc). I'm trying to decide if I should go with just one or a hybrid. Any thoughts as to why one may be better than another, or even better ways to reward the player with new content? (Some will be unlocked by completing specific objectives)

Levels are a monotonically increasing statistic. This generally means that your content is viewed in a predictable order, and that you can make simplifying assumptions that players will see one thing before another, be able to acquire resources from one to use with the next, can be assured of having access to X if they have just gained access to Y, and so on.

The distribution of money however has no such guarantees built in. Since a player typically has the ability to choose any permutation of purchasable goods, you can't make any assumptions as to where they are in the game, etc. Your game must be robust under any combination of purchasable goods, given the amount of progress made in order to have earned that much money.

If you track money handouts in the same way that experience handouts usually are, you may be able to keep this under control. You can also adopt a compromise system by gating access to certain shops until you have met some other criteria, thus partitioning your purchasable items and reducing the possible permutations.

Obviously the use of money, or any other arbitrarily assignable resource, gives the player the feeling of having more choice or influence over the game. But obviously this is only an illusion unless the purchases have significant differences on how the game plays, which in turn is a burden upon you to ensure that these differences are balanced appropriately.

I already mentioned it in the "No. 1 Players in Muds" thread but I feel it is appropriate here as well. Please tell me if repeating ideas like that is considered a bad practice.

It is a common admitted idea that in a RPG, as time passes by, a player's character has to get better in every domain. This is however very debatable. I took the example of Sid Meier's 'Pirates!' game where your character begins at the top of its skills and then begin to age. You unlock content by acquiring money, reputation, nobility rank and by advancing your family quest but you have to fight against time in order to achieve all of this will you are still fit. Usually in this game you would retire from piracy at one time and get your "final score" based on your age, personal wealth and titles.

This is really adding a level of challenge in the game and increased the fun : when you are young, you can be daredevil and attack a big ship with a small crew, your skill at fencing will compensate. When you age, however, you will prefer to use a big ship and to kill most of your enemy's crew in naval combat before getting to the sword duel part.

Excellent points Kylotan, thanks.