Level Up!

You have a lot of thinking time when you have an insomnia night. A couple nights ago while trying to settle down, I had plenty of time to consider all sorts of things. In the way our brain wanders down odd paths in the dark, it occurred to me that life would be more tidy if it was set up like a game.

Think about it. Everyone starts on the same level--the lowest. If you don't work at it, that's where you stay. If you work hard and develop your skills, then you level up.

Except for the bare minimum to survive in the beginning, you're given nothing without earning it. Every thing else is a matter of hard work and skills. Either you win your sword or armor or food outright or you win money so you can buy them. Either way, it's purely personal effort that wins the day.

In most games, fighting the good guys nets you nothing. Only by fighting the monsters and bad guys are you rewarded. The more bad guys you fight, the greater the reward.

Some monsters will require banding together to fight. Part of that process is using all the varied skills in the group to the best advantage. And another part of that process is allowing the new guys to gain experience under the wings of the more skilled warriors.

If you're a lousy fighter, there are other ways to gain what you need. You can provide food or shelter or supplies and trade with a warrior. Either way, your ambition is rewarded. If you price your commodities too high, the warriors will go elsewhere to obtain their supplies.

If you're a warrior who cringes at parting with your gold, then you have the option of hunting or mining or farming to obtain your own supplies. The more skills you develop in the non-fighter areas, the more you are rewarded.

Non-combatants such as healers and priests are valued for their specialized skills, even though they aren't warriors. No matter how good your fighting skills, they are no substitute for a priest or healer when you're wounded.

Certain inherent skills will provide you with a greater advantage. Most of these skills (such as map reading or memory) are simply a matter of genetic talent. Some have them. Some don't. How you use them will determine whether they help you or not.

If you are persistent and determined, you will level up.

anny