History Main / PowerCreep

** Although, the 15 mana cost is the biggest reason why it needs the extra help, as simply being able to play Emrakul is an impressive feat in and of itself. [[DifficultButAwesome If summoning him into play weren't an almost guaranteed win,]] [[AwesomeButImpracticalhe wouldn't be worth the trouble.]]

* Creatures in MagicTheGathering have crept up in power over the years along almost every possible metric. [[http://magiccards.info/al/en/103.html Force Of Nature]] was the original strongest creature in the game, a 8/8 (for 6 mana) that you need to keep paying mana in order to keep alive and lacks any useful powers. Compare [[http://magiccards.info/roe/en/4.html Emrakul]], the current strongest creature, a 15/15 (for 15 mana) that still needs host of special powers to be relevant.

A PowerCreep virtually always leads to a BrokenBase, with the most "conservative" players stating that [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks the new unbalanced content is an insult to the original game]] (which might be true or not, [[{{YMMV}} depeding on the case]]). On the other hand, there will always be players who like these new adds on, saying that it [[GrowingTheBeard actually makes the game more fun to play]].

Having mind though that as a general rule, PowerCreep is a bad thing. [[SturgeonsLaw While there may be exceptions]], it usually shows that the producers are unable to come up with something interesting and balanced, [[FakeBalance instead preferring to create an over-powered add on]]. PowerCreep also tends to lead a game beyond it's pre-defined limits, with one of two results: it will becomes a competition [[ZergRush of mindless speed]], or of [[DeathOfAThousandCuts predictable slow strategies]].

Having mind though that as a general rule, PowerCreep are a bad thing. [[SturgeonsLaw While there may be exceptions]], it usually shows that the producers are unable to come up with something interesting and balance, [[FakeBalance instead preferring to create an over-powered add on]]. PowerCreep also tends to lead a game beyond it's pre-defined limits, with one of two results: it will becomes a competition [[ZergRush of mindless speed]], or of [[DeathOfAThousandCuts predictable slow strategies]].

[[folder: MMORPG ]]
* WorldOfWarcraft
[[/folder]]

[[caption-width-right:350:'''On your left''': Four useful cards at the time of their releases but with some draw-back([[hottip:Blue-Eyes: a powerful 3000 ATK monster which requires 2 tributes]];[[hottip:Nyan Nyan: Powerful 1900 ATK monster which was destroyed when controlling a non-LIGHT monster]];[[hottip:Mositure: Requires 2 or 3 tributes. If summoned with 3 tributes, destroys enemies' magic]];[[hottip:Gilford: Requires 2 or 3 tributes. If summoned with 3 tributes, destroys enemie's monsters]]). '''On your right''': One card released later that can do the same as those four, AT THE SAME TIME! with no draw-back!([[hottip:Effect: Can be summoned with no tributes with 1900 ATK. Can be summoned with 2 tributes with 3000 ATK. Can be summoned with 3 tributes to destroy all monsters and magics your opponent possesses]])]]

* The ''[[TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon Trading Card Game]]'' similarly raises the bar for each generation. In the 1st generation, Stage 2 Pokémon (Pokémon who have evolved twice, like Charizard) were lucky to have 120 HP. In the 5th generation, Basic Pokémon (Pokémon who don't evolve or haven't evolved) get published with this much HP or more in every set, with evolved Pokémon approaching 200 HP. Attacks have since increased in damage and Energy costs too. It has gotten to where Base Set Venusaur's "Energy Trans," which allows free transfer of Energy between Pokémon, was a near GameBreaker in the card game's earliest days but the more recent Meganium from "[[PokemonGoldAndSilver HeartGold/SoulSilver]]," which has the same power, was quickly brushed aside for quicker and more powerful cards.
* YuGiOh

This makes sense, [[MoneyDearBoy at least for a monetary point of view]]. New-added-content requires people to actually buy it and use it, but why would they use their money to buy some obscure thing they don't know how to use (yet) it if [[{{Whoring}} they can keep on using]] their awesome InfinityPlusOneSword by paying 5 mana? Easy, make every new content item a [[GameBreaker Inifinity+2 Sword]] which requires 3 mana to work. And the same will happen in the next expansion, with a [[UpToEleven Infinity+3 Sword that only cost 2 mana]].

Having mind though that as a general rule, PowerCreep are a bad thing. [[SturgeonsLaw While there may be exceptions]], it usually shows that the producers are unable to come up with something interesting and balance, instead preferring to create an over-powered add on. PowerCreep also tends to lead a game beyond it's pre-defined limits, with one of two results: it will becomes a competition [[ZergRush of mindless speed]], or of [[DeathOfAThousandCuts predictable slow strategies]].

Having mind though that as a general rule, PowerCreep are a bad thing. [[SturgeonsLaw While there may be exceptions]], it tends to hows that the producers are unable to come up with something interesting and balance, instead preferring to create an over-powered add on. PowerCreep also tends to lead a game beyond it's pre-defined limits, with one of two results: it will becomes a competition [[ZergRush of mindless speed]], or of [[DeathOfAThousandCuts predictable slow strategies]].

Having mind though that as a general rule, PowerCreep are a bad thing. [[SturgeonzLaw While there may be exceptions]], it tends to hows that the producers are unable to come up with something interesting and balance, instead preferring to create an over-powered add on. PowerCreep also tends to lead a game beyond it's pre-defined limits, with one of two results: it will becomes a competition [[ZergRush of mindless speed]], or of [[DeathOfAThousandCuts predictable slow strategies]].

Having mind though that as a general rule, PowerCreep are a bad thing. [[SturgeonLaw While there may be exceptions]], it tends to hows that the producers are unable to come up with something interesting and balance, instead preferring to create an over-powered add on. PowerCreep also tends to lead a game beyond it's pre-defined limits, with one of two results: it will becomes a competition [[ZergRush of mindless speed]], or of [[DeathOfAThousandCuts predictable slow strategies]].

PowerCreep is a term used in any kind of multi-player game (including VideoGames, CollectibleCardGame and TableTopGames) to describe the process in which newly-added-content can be played along with the old-content, but with the former being far more powerful/useful in every sense. These process leaves [[SoLastSeason old-content completely worth-less]], save for few exceptions and for CherryTapping.

[[caption-width-right:350:'''On your left''': Four useful cards ([[hottip:Blue-Eyes: a powerful 3000 ATK monster which requires 2 tributes]];[[hottip:Nyan Nyan: Powerful 1900 ATK monster which was destroyed when controlling a non-LIGHT monster]];[[hottip:Mositure: Requires 2 or 3 tributes. If summoned with 3 tributes, destroys enemies' magic]];[[hottip:Gilford: Requires 2 or 3 tributes. If summoned with 3 tributes, destroys enemie's monsters]]) but with a draw-backs at the time of their releases. '''On your right''': One card released later that can do the same as those four, AT THE SAME TIME! with no draw-back!([[hottip:Effect: Can be summoned with no tributes with 1900 ATK. Can be summoned with 2 tributes with 3000 ATK. Can be summoned with 3 tributes to destroy all monsters and magics your opponent possesses]])]]

[[quoteright:350:[[YuGiOh http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/power_creep_demostration_mini_2_5298.jpg]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:'''On your left''': Four useful cards ([[hottip:Blue-Eyes: a powerful 3000 ATK monster which requires 2 tributes]];[[hottip:Nyan Nyan: Powerful 1900 ATK monster which was destroyed when controlling a non-LIGHT monster]];[[hottip:Mositure: If summoned with 3 tributes, destroys enemies' magic]];[[hottip:Gilford: If summoned with 3 tributes, destroys enemie's monsters]]) but with a draw-backs at the time of their releases. '''On your right''': One card released later that can do the same as those four, AT THE SAME TIME! with no draw-back!([[hottip:Effect: Can be summoned with no tributes with 1900 ATK. Can be summoned with 2 tributes with 3000 ATK. Can be summoned with 3 tributes to destroy all monsters and magics your opponent possesses]])]]

[[caption-width-right:350:'''On your left''': Four useful cards ([[hottip: Blue-Eyes: a powerful 3000 ATK monster which requires 2 tributes]];[[hottip: Nyan Nyan: Powerful 1900 ATK monster which was destroyed when controlling a non-LIGHT monster]];[[hottip: Mositure: If summoned with 3 tributes, destroys enemies' magic]];[[hottip: Gilford: If summoned with 3 tributes, destroys enemie's monsters]]) but with a draw-backs at the time of their releases. '''On your right''': One card released later that can do the same as those four, AT THE SAME TIME! with no draw-back!([[hottip: Effect: Can be summoned with no tributes with 1900 ATK. Can be summoned with 2 tributes with 3000 ATK. Can be summoned with 3 tributes to destroy all monsters and magics your opponent possesses]])]]

PowerCreep is a term used in any kind of multi-player game (including VideoGames, CollectibleCardGame and TableTopGames) to describe the process in which newly-added-content can be played along with the old-content, but with the former being far more powerful/useful in every sense. These process leaves [[SoLastSeason old-content practically worth-less]], except for few exceptions and for CherryTapping.

Examples:

This trope is the Gameplay Mechanics counter-part to SequelEscalation and SerialEscalation, which refers to narrative elements.

[[*folder]]

* MagicTheGathering

The thing is that this gets out of hand really easy, particularly in a LongRunner. After four or five expensions, with the new [[UpToEleven Infinity+8 Swords that gives you 10 free mana]], there is little point in using the [[CantCatchUp Inifinity+3 Sword that cost 2 mana]], and let's not talk about the lame [[OvershadowedByAwesome InifityPlusOneSword that cost 5 mana!]]([[SeinfeldIsUnfunny who'd ever use that anyway?]]).

The thing is that this gets out of hand really easy, particularly in a LongRunner. After four or five expensions, with the new [[UpToEleven Infinity+8 Swords that gives you 10 free mana]], there is little point in using the [[CantCatchUp Inifinity+3 Sword that cost 2 mana]], and let's not talk about the lame [[OvershadowedByAwesome InifityPlusOneSword that cost 5 mana!]]([[SeinfeldIsUnfunny who'd ever use that anyway?]]).