History Main / ExperiencePoints

* The CallOfDutyModernWarfare series has this, alongside a military-rank-themed CharacterLevel system. Earn XP from kills and from completing challenges.

* The online mode in metal gear solid 4, aptly called metal gear online, subverts/lampshades this in an interesting way. Each character has levels, and levels determine who you get automatically matched up against. The twist? All EXP is, in fact, based on THE PLAYER'S performance. That means that it ranks your ratios from each match, and determines how much EXP you gain. To make things fair, if you don't preform above a set scale, then you can lose EXP and levels. That's right, the game judges you character's level on YOUR performance. Do note that they do keep things fair, and surprisingly symbolic. The symbolism is that as your real life skills improves, such as reaction time or accuracy, it could be equated the stat-ups from common RPGs. Personally, I think it's rather neat.

*** ''{{FinalFantasyXIII}}'' has the similar Crystarium system where Crystal Points earned in battle are used to connect to a system of nodes for each of the classes a character has. It's possible to spend a small amount of CP on ability or stat increase and change to another node as long as it connects to a previously unlocked one.

* how is it world of warcraft didnt make it here the whole point of the game (lampshaded at one point) is to "try not to die ,level up and get better gear"

* In ''FinalFantasyXIII'', TechPoints replace XP entirely. Your character never levels, but you can spend CP to improve your stats and get more abilities.
** That's just [[CallAHitPointASmeerp Call An Experience Point A Smeerp]]. ''FinalFantasyX'' did more-or-less the same thing.

* ''SystemShock 2'', ''DeusEx'' and ''VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' all award fixed amounts of XP not for slaying enemoes but for particular achievements on the way towards the next major objective. The two latter ones also grant additional points for solving the problems in a non-standard way or finding hidden routes.

** ''FinalFantasyII'' is probably the only entry in the series to NOT use XP at all. Instead, stats are raised based on what you've been doing in the battle. Attack more, get higher strength and weapon proficiency; cast more, get better spells and more intelligence. It even included HP increases for taking a lot of damage and MP increases for casting a lot of spells.

** In ''FinalFantasyTactics'' and ''FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'', thieves can steal experience.

* ''TheElderScrolls'' series has avoided using ExperiencePoints ever since ''Arena''. In place of this, they use a "get credit for doing stuff" system which levels based on an increasing number of times that a certain skill is used. Character levels are awarded after a specific number of skill levels have been gained, and that also awards you a few points to distribute to base stats.

* Used downright horribly by ''{{FATAL}}'' ([[SoBadItsHorrible as with everything else related to it]],) in which these points are given only by doing things related to the class you're leveling. The problem comes when it takes 83 years to level up a clerk, and a whore has to reach level 20 by giving ''millions'' of blowjobs.

* ''NeverwinterNights'' had a particularly bizarre method of giving experience, as it was altered by your companions. In weird, arbitrary ways. If I recall correctly, killing alone gave you more experience than if you had an NPC ally, but less experience than if you had a summoned creature. A wizard or sorcerer's familiar gave you more experience than alone, but less than using a summoned creature. Using a familiar and a summon in concert gave you more experience than using only a familiar but less than just having a summon. A druid's animal companion on the other hand, made you gain less than you would alone, and summoning a creature made you gain even less. Oh and barring one or two areas where enemies can respawn infinitely, there's a limited amount of experience available, so this matters.

* ''{{Okami}}'' lets you spend the experience, or [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly praise]], to level up your stats (health [[[ThePowerOfTheSun Solar Energy]]], MP [[[ArtInitiatesLife ink]]], wallet and [[VideoGameLives astral pouch]]). Unlike most, if not all other examples, you get praise by [[VideoGameCaringPotential feeding animals, reviving dead plants, and restoring nature wherever you go, or just by helping people.]]

[[AC:MMORPGs]]

* In most TurnBasedStrategy [=RPGs=], experience is gained by successfully performing actions such as hitting someone or using an item (including hitting your allies and healing enemies). This means that the ''most'' efficient wins in these games (when you play tactically with the hopes of racing up to the enemy boss to a quick and easy victory) paradoxically become the ''worst'' in terms of overall gameplay.

* Used in the ''WorldOfWarcraft'' episode of ''SouthPark''. The boys power up by spending over a month slaughtering boars in Elwynn Forest, which only gives you 2 experience points each (but kill a billion of them…).
** Its interesting that the game does not work like that. Any enemy around 5 levels below you garners no xp.
** One World of Warcraft player tried to see if it was possible to level all the way to the Level Cap (level 70 at the time) ''just'' by killing boars. He was a Night Elf Hunter, and his pet (also a boar) was named Cartman. The hardest stretch came in his mid-20s, where the only boar in the whole game that he was capable of killing, but which still gave XP when killed, was a unique monster named Bellygrub.

** ''Final Fantasy II'' is probably the only entry in the series to NOT use XP at all. Instead, stats are raised based on what you've been doing in the battle. Attack more, get higher strength and weapon proficiency; cast more, get better spells and more intelligence. It even included HP increases for taking a lot of damage and MP increases for casting a lot of spells.

** In ''CrisisCore: Final Fantasy VII'' Zack levels up whenever the slot machine that grants him special attacks comes up 777, apparently at random. In fact, it does keep track of experience points, though never shows the player their total, and the probability of it coming up 777 is based on how much experience above the threshold for the next level you have.

* In FinalFantasyXIII, TechPoints replace XP entirely. Your character never levels, but you can spend CP to improve your stats and get more abilities.

* Red Mage from ''EightBitTheater'' does some things for XP, even though that world apparently doesn't have it.
* Jim from ''DarthsAndDroids'' is surprised you can get them from actually roleplaying.
* A cartoon from ''KnightsOfTheDinnerTable'' (perhaps from the comic) has a line about getting excited from getting points for doing one's own stitches, so the player says he's going to take them out and do it again.
** Finding ridiculous ways to abuse the system to gain XP or other bonuses probably accounted for a good third of the jokes, at least in earlier strips. Bob started his own religion and managed to gain a level before the first game session just by recruiting fellow PC's to his religion. They also once started a monster farm to mass produce killable monsters for the XP.
** Then there was the time Sara forced them to crossplay. They spent most of the session luring men out of the tavern and jumping them for XP and treasure. In a later Sara game, they played the rpg of ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', after getting tired of playing second fiddle to the ChosenOne (Buffy), they discovered they could kill her, wait for a new ChosenOne to appear and ambush them creating an infinite XP loop.
* ''CaveStory'' does this for weapon levels; experience (triangular coins) is collected from enemies, and is lost by getting hit.

* ''GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' uses XP that can actually increase or decrease depending on actions.

* Used downright horribly by ''{{FATAL}}'' ([[SoBadItsHorrible as with everything else related to it]],) in which these points are given only by doing things related to the class you're leveling. The problem comes when it takes 83 years to level up a clerk, and a whore has to reach level 20 by giving ''millions'' of blowjobs.
* ''SystemShock 2'', ''DeusEx'' and ''VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' all award fixed amounts of XP not for slaying enemoes but for particular achievements on the way towards the next major objective. The two latter ones also grant additional points for solving the problems in a non-standard way or finding hidden routes.
* {{Iji}} has Nano points, which are found lying around as well as dropped by almost all enemies.
* ''BubbleTanks'' has… bubbles. These are produced when enemies are defeated, and are actually the bubbles they were made of. Once enough bubbles are collected, you level up, and can choose an evolution path for your tank. Careful– if you get hit, you ''lose'' experience points, and if they go below your level, you will de-evolve to a lower stage.

* In ''GodOfWar'' and ''DevilMayCry'', one gains experience points for killing people, smashing things, and also extra points for hitting things repeatedly without pause, or with a variety of attacks. Subverted, in that its not intangible points you're collecting, but crimson-colored goodies that are spent towards new abilities.
* One series of strategy game to feature these is HeroesOfMightAndMagic.
* In ''MedalOfHonor: Airborne'', you earn weapon upgrades for frequently killing enemies with a specific weapon, as well as for getting headshots or other specific hits.
* The ''HeroSystem'' is different from most games with ExperiencePoints in that a player will earn only one, or maybe two if he did a fantastic job roleplaying his character, ExperiencePoint per session. Also, he can [[PointBuy spend those points on his character]], making it more powerful.
** ''{{GURPS}}'' copied this system.
** The ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUNiverse'' uses the ''HeroSystem''... um... [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment system]].

* On DiscworldMUD (and possibly other Multi-User Dungeons) the players do not gain levels with experience. They have to [[PointBuy spend that experience on skills]], and this ratio of points in certain skills determines level. If the player dies, XP drops to zero, although getting resurrected can bring some back.

->"Kill monsters, get experience!"

* In ''GodOfWar'' one gained experience points for killing people, smashing things, and also extra points for hitting things repeatedly without pause.
** ''DevilMayCry'' as well. (This troper has been trying repeatedly to describe the "Red Orbs" in both games as EXP on TheOtherWiki, only to have the changes reverted by [[CallingARabbitASmeerp people who don't know what they're talking about]]. ''GodOfWar'' even ''calls'' them EXP at one point.)

* In ''{{GURPS}}'' ExperiencePoints can be spent to [[PointBuy buy abilities]].

* The ''HeroSystem'' is different from most games with ExperiencePoints in that a player will earn only one, or maybe two if he did a fantastic job roleplaying his character, ExperiencePoint per session. Also, he can spend those points on his character, making it more powerful.

* In ''Knights of the Old Republic 2'' you level up by killing things and getting XP, but it was used as a plot point as a Jedi getting stronger by killing people is seen as unnatural.