Let me say first that i think the game looks extremely good! The developer made a fantastic job so far, everything i saw so far looks fantastic, and when he continues his plans to include a deep story line, i think the game will be a truely unique experience! I bought the game some time ago because i wanted to support the development, and though i didn't play it so far i definitely don't regret it! My hope is that by the feedback i give I could influence the development process, because i think it's still some time until the game will be finished :)
My take in asking about level scaling and level max was that in the past whenever i played these "huge" rpgs, very often these points were something i could call a showstopper for me. Starting with level max, i remember playing "Kingdom of Amalur" until i reached the point that no further level progress could be achieved. I experienced the same in many other games, and almost always i instantly lost interest in the game, rushing through it because it felt the game was already beaten. But why a level max? I often hear that this should prevent games becoming too easy in end game, but honestly: if we're talking about RPGs, then the main criteria for an RPG is that i play it the way i want it to play. If i am making all side quests and grinding in fights, then the reward will be end game to be easier (i could say that this pretty much reflects the "real" world where being hard working rewards with an easier life, ideally). Not everything that has levels and skills is an RPG, there are "RPGs" and "RPG likes", and in fact you'll find few games out there that does not include some kind of leveling nowadays, what in many cases i welcome it because it's good for motivation. But the difference is that in an RPG, I decide how i play it. And everything i said about level max counts for level scaling, too. What's wrong with areas where the enemies are just too tough for me now...come back later is just fine when you've proven yourself to handle difficult enemies. I understand the point of level scaling: making areas too difficult so you'd need to play very long to get to them will make people flee who just want to have a good time in a "different world". You could solve that by difficulty settings, or an optional (!) level scaling. I'm totally fine with everything that makes games more accessible. But if it comes to basic role playing mechanism (like leveling), level scaling takes away the purpose of leveling. We all remember Oblivion and how terrible their take on level scaling was.
So, in a nutshell: I'm not saying rpgs must be difficult, but they must be rewarding. If I work hard, I'll make my life easier. If i decide to become a half-god and blow the final boss away with one punch, this is the result of my effort. If i decide to play just for the story, include a story mode that can even have level scaling.
Difficulty levels can affect the minimum levels needed for specific areas, so you don't even need scaling, keep the levels low for story gamers, medium for gamers who want a rewarding experience, and high for those who like to spend dozens of hours in grinding.
If you ask me on what spectrum i am, i can say the whole one: some games i play in easy, some in medium, very very few in hard. But whenever possible without level scaling and level max, sometimes achieving this with the help of mods if necessary. Thanks for reading :)
