Tech Points: Difference between revisions

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See also [[Point Build System]].
{{examples|Examples:}}
 
== [[First -Person Shooter]] ==
* In ''[[Battlefield (Video Gameseries)|Battlefield]]: [[Battlefield: Bad Company (Video Game)|Bad Company 2]]'', there is standard [[Experience Points]] which goes to increasing your level which gives you weapons and specializations all classes can use. Every class and vehicles in general have their own separate [[Tech Points]] bar needed to unlock new gadgets, specializations and weapons for to be used for that class of [[Tech Points]].
* ''[[Call of Duty (Video Game)|Call of Duty]]'' games with the Create-a-Class system do similar: experience points go towards increasing rank and unlocking weapons, perks, and whatnot. The weapons and perks themselves have their own points systems that go towards unlocking more attachments or upgrading a perk to its Pro version.
* Both ''[[BioshockBioShock (Video Gameseries)|Bioshock]]'' games have ADAM, the [[Applied Phlebotinum|sea slug extract]] Rapture revolves around. Its main use to the player is as currency to buy new plasmids, tonics and health/EVE upgrades.
* ''[[Crysis (Video Gameseries)|Crysis]] 2'' has separate bars for the main level and the three Nanosuit modes, with their own unlocks.
 
== [[Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game|MMORPG]]s ==
== [[MMORPG|MMORPGs]] ==
* This is a common MMORPG mechanic, with skills arranged in 'trees' and the player allocating points.
* ''[[Billy vs. SNAKEMAN]]'' has Jutsu XP, which are primarily used to learn jutsu techniques. BvS also has ZP in the Zombja side area, to learn Z-Skills; and MJXP in the Mahjong minigame to learn new ways to cheat the NPC opponents.
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* In ''[[Nethack]]'', you need both "skill slots" (gained through Experience Points) and a certain number of successful uses of the item/spell in question to advance a skill.
 
== [[Role -Playing Game]] ==
* ''[[Chrono Trigger (Video Game)|Chrono Trigger]]'' is the [[Trope Namer]]. In this case, while characters outside your party would get XP, they wouldn't get Tech Points.
* ''[[Xenosaga (Video Game)|Xenosaga]]'' has the spend tech points to level up version. In fact, it separates them into Experience, Skill Points (for passive skills), Ether Points (for magic), and Tech Points.
** ''[[XS 2]]'' had an annoying variation where you needed both Skill Points AND Class Points to unlock new skills.
* ''[[Legend of Dragoon]]'' has a nested Tech Point system of sorts: Gaining levels unlocks each of the characters' Additions (timed-button-press attack sequences) except the final one, which must be earned by mastering all of the character's previous skills. Meanwhile, extending the duration of Dragoon transformations is linked not to ''this'' process, but rather to the amount of [[Charge Meter|Spirit Points]] generated with each attack (or special equipment, or used items, and so on). Additions are generally split between "high damage yield" and "high SP yield," except for characters who flounder with both because [[Magikarp Power|their Level 5 Dragoon Magic is so insanely powerful]].
* The ''[[X-Men Legends]]'' games and ''[[Marvel Ultimate Alliance|Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]'' use the 'Distribute points at level-up' variant for skills (''Legends'' also does it for stats). It can be quite intimidating trying to distribute points for characters you haven't used in a long time. ''Ultimate Alliance'' also allows you to redistribute skill points at will.
** MUA doesn't give them out at every level, but has a few that can be accessed without needing to level up (such as mastering someone's training CD mission, or putting Iron Man in your team and activating the console in his lab).
* Appears in many ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' games with a job system. ''[[Final Fantasy V (Video Game)|Final Fantasy V]]'' gave each job a fixed progression of abilities that are learned with AP. ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'' let the player decide which abilities to learn for each job.
** ''[[Final Fantasy III (Video Game)|Final Fantasy III]]'' had class levels and character levels separate.
** Inverted in ''[[Final Fantasy XII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy XII]]''; all characters receive "License Points," but only active characters receive XP.
** ''[[Final Fantasy VI (Video Game)|Final Fantasy VI]]'' gives you magic based on which [[Green Rocks|Magicite]] a character has, but as they also affected stat growth, it was best to level up as little as possible while gaining AP.
** ''[[Final Fantasy VII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy VII]]'' allows you to "level up" your [[Powers Asas Programs|Materia]]; when a materia gets to max level, it spawns a duplicate so you can share it out around your party. This takes a [[Level Grinding|long damn time]], though. Also, a few materia do not level up, and so will never copy themselves.
*** The only ones are Underwater (useless for the most part), Enemy Skill (you get more than you can use at a time anyway), and the Master materias (which, after a '''ton''' of [[Level Grinding]], can be obtained in bulk by trading mastered Materia of the corresponding type, and those Materia ''do'' replicate.)
** ''[[Final Fantasy VIII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy VIII]]'' had a minor version; your [[Summon Magic|Guardian Forces]] gained AP after every battle and would gain new skills for it. [[Guide Dang It|If you know what you're doing]], this can give you the ability to [[Game Breaker|destroy the game's difficulty curve]].
** ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'' combines Job Points with a [[Point Build System]]; the sequels changed things so that you only earn AP after a battle and the techniques are learned from your equipment, not your character class.
** ''[[Final Fantasy X (Video Game)|Final Fantasy X]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy XIII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy XIII]]'' arguably use Tech Points ''in place of'' [[Experience Points]]; they're used for increasing stats in addition to learning new abilities in both games, while your characters don't have true "levels" in either.
*** The literal "tech points" in XIII function more like [[Mana]] for powerful spells (where as regular magic doesn't cost any)
** ''[[Final Fantasy X -2]]'' lets you select a specific ability to gain, each of which has its own Ability Points requirement. You get one point for using any technique (that's not Attack or Item) in battle. Gaining new abilities unlocks more abilities for you to learn as well (for example, a Songstress cannot learn Sleepy Shuffle until she's learned Samba of Silence).
** ''[[Final Fantasy IX]]'' deployed perhaps the most complicated twist of any of them. Each character has various passive skills that can only be equipped permanently once mastered via TP accrual. Of course, once learned, they still have to ''be'' equipped, using a third set of points that provides a [[Cap]] on the number of skills you can use at one time. ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'' used a similar system; in ''IX'', you gained new skills by wearing new equipment (providing, of all things, an ''incentive'' for [[Level Grinding]]), but in ''D:FF'' you pick them up naturally via level progression and they cost more "inventory points" to deploy when non-mastered.
* Appears in the ''[[Grandia]]'' series, with separate experience for character levels, magic, and skills.
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* The two ''[[Digital Devil Saga]]'' games have Atma Points, which are used to unlock skills.
* Subverted in the first ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]''. When you deflect an attack or capitalize on an enemy's weakness, you earn tech points, and the word tech, along with the number of points flashes on the screen. However, the tech points in this game are in fact bonus experience points.
** [[The World Ends With You (Video Game)|The World Ends With You]] has this in that you get 'PP' pin points to level up your pins to get higher attack power, and sometimes they evolve into better more powerful pins.
* Using a type of gun in [[Borderlands (Video Game)|Borderlands]] (SMG, Shotgun, Pistol etc.) gives you points towards proficiency with that gun type. When you gain a proficiency level, it boosts either reload time, accuracy or power for all guns of that type, as opposed to the generic level which lets you choose new skills.
* In ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]'' series, you gain proficiency with weapons, spells and skills by using them. You reach new [[Experience Levels]] (that allow you to increase your attributes) with each 10 skill points gained in any single "major" skill (tagged at the start of the game).
* In ''Deadly Sin 2'', you gain one Skill Point each time you level up, but you also gain them by using Magic Node Shards and completing quests.
* ''[[Wizardry]]'' has a hybrid system: most skills not in Academia category (weapons, thievery, Ninjutsu, Oratory, Music...) may increase by 1 point when successfully used. Characters also get skill points on level-up, but those are best spent on skills that ''cannot'' be practiced (or cannot be practiced yet, like Swimming below certain value). So, when a party encounters weak monsters, the bard sings them to sleep, then a training session starts: everyone equips weapons they need to practice, then spellcasters unleash direct damage spells at 1-2 dice power, stealth classes backstab, etc. "For some reason" Alchemists (who don't need to train Oratory) tend to develop weapon skills faster than other [[Squishy Wizard|primary casters]]...
 
== [[Turn -Based Strategy]] ==
* ''[[Disgaea]]'''s skill system works this way, with the possibility of nigh-infinitely leveling up individual skills.
 
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[[Category:RoleCRPG Playing GameTropes]]
[[Category:Tech Points{{PAGENAME}}]]
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