The challenge of raising the level cap in Borderlands 2

Borderlands 2 fans want an increase in the game's level cap. But, it's not as easy as turning on a switch, Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford explained.

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Borderlands 2 fans want an increase in the game's level cap. But, it's not as easy as turning on a switch, Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford explained. According to Pitchford, the experience system of Borderlands 2 is "complete," and that simply raising the level cap could lead to "game-breaking" situations.

"We don't just want the numbers to increase, we want the skill points. And some of the skill points are mutually exclusive; they're designed so that you know what you can build in terms of the trade-off between different trees. You can't fully build out two trees," he explained.

But what if you could? "Some of the combinations become game-breaking," he told Digital Trends.

Not only does the game have to be rebalanced with a new level cap, new content would have to be created. "We also have to design and build new iterations of the enemies... You want gear too. That stuff doesn't just magically happen," he explained. "Basically, we have to make the game again."

Fans have been incredibly vocal about making the level cap go up, which has put Pitchford in an awkward position. "We really want to do right by our customers," he said, but noted that the cost of testing an update would be "ridiculous," and could face opposition from publisher 2K Games. "We are committed to it, but it's not easy."

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    February 15, 2013 3:00 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, The challenge of raising the level cap in Borderlands 2.

    Borderlands 2 fans want an increase in the game's level cap. But, it's not as easy as turning on a switch, Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford explained.

    • reply
      February 15, 2013 3:10 PM

      I refuse to listen to anything Randy Pitchford has to say anymore.

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        February 15, 2013 3:18 PM

        If you play borderlands 2 you'd know he is not fibbing here. the guns almost double between level 48 and 50.. and literally if i had just a few more skillpoints my gunzerker would be invincible (and really any of the classes for that matter, cept maybe maya)

        i'm sure they'll figure out something, but as far as just raising the number and continuing the math they started with would definately make a pointless game of borderlands.

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          February 15, 2013 6:28 PM

          Soooo...you're saying they fucked up the level progression? You know, since they knew they had 4 DLC coming.

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            February 16, 2013 7:50 AM

            Having not done it, I finished the game in the mid-30s; I don't think it's a stretch that on TVH, four DLCs will get you to 50 without grinding.

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            February 16, 2013 9:00 AM

            i don't think they were truly planning on raising the cap until the community flipped out... lol

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      February 15, 2013 3:12 PM

      So break the game already. Half the fun of Borderlands is leveling to the point where you can destroy everything. Why are you balking at letting me have more fun?

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        February 15, 2013 3:16 PM

        Because part of the player base disagrees with you - look at all the crying when Blizzard made Inferno easier.

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          February 15, 2013 6:04 PM

          Well that's easy. Make it an option. You can turn it on or off in the menus. Those who want it get it, those who don't can leave it alone. Problem solved.

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        February 15, 2013 3:16 PM

        I have to agree. Just raise the level cap and let me keep getting ridiculously powerful. It's soothing to run through an area completely destroying everything, it's therapeutic.

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        February 15, 2013 3:18 PM

        I'd also put in some mega bosses, which are so powerful that you need to be god-like to take them on fairly.

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          February 16, 2013 7:49 AM

          Those already exist! Just because some people have them on farm doesn't mean they're not there. See: Every WoW raid boss, ever.

          I'm not saying raising the cap is a bad idea or anything, but this is a silly reason to.

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      February 15, 2013 3:17 PM

      I predict that this thread is totally going to be derailed by A:CM hate.

      In any case, I almost feel like there's a limit to how much Borderlands you can play before it starts getting more repetitive than normal.

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      February 15, 2013 3:18 PM

      [deleted]

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      February 15, 2013 3:21 PM

      I'd like to see gun leveling skills return in place of just raising the 50 cap. i know badass rank replaced this feature from the first, but i think it would make a respectable replacement in leveling. as long as something is leveling...

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      February 15, 2013 6:07 PM

      [deleted]

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        February 15, 2013 7:57 PM

        Yea, I have a hard time believing they didn't think about how raising the cap would be an issue until after the game shipped.

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      February 15, 2013 7:57 PM

      You know, it's not like they didn't know people would want this feature from the first game and be expecting it. How did this never make it into the game design from day 1?

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        February 15, 2013 8:22 PM

        because gearbox

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        February 16, 2013 9:03 AM

        Answer: Pride. I think they were so proud of their game and mechanics that they figured everyone would just love it the way it was and not bother wanting more... but people need for a sense of progression drives ALOT of gamers to keep playing. (i'm usually one of those people, but some reason farming in borderlands feels like progression so it doesn't bother me i'm not getting xp)

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      February 15, 2013 9:45 PM

      This guy's just a corporate salesman. You can't believe what he says, for him it's all about selling units. All the stuff he said about Duke Nukem, it turned out to be crap! All the stuff about Aliens! It's WORSE!

      And yet, he feels a deep need to 'do right' by his customers.

      How about not releasing shit games for full price? Would that not be, 'doing right' by your customers?

      I can't remember a really killer gearbox game. I'm amazed they're still going after all these years.

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        February 16, 2013 7:46 AM

        "I can't remember a really killer gearbox game."

        Borderlands and Borderlands 2 ;)

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          February 16, 2013 7:52 AM

          [deleted]

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          February 16, 2013 7:54 AM

          Anything involving gearbox aside from borderlands has been complete trash. Fact of the matter is, GBX has an awful track record in terms of consistency - if they're working on the development of a game without "borderlands" in the name, they basically just say fuck it and give no shits about the quality.

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        February 16, 2013 8:17 AM

        [deleted]

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      February 16, 2013 7:42 PM

      Obsession. The players have become too powerful for the game, which happens all of the time now. That used to mean people quit playing the game and move onto the next one in the stack, but instead they make it a hobby to complain about it (just see the Gearbox FB page...ugh).

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      February 17, 2013 12:13 PM

      I still play Borderlands 2, and i'm happy that they even considered a level Increase. They could have just said NO!, and done Patches, and DLC. As far as Randy Pitchford goes he interacts more with the Community than I see most Developers. I'm surprised he still Tweets considering all the Entitled Babies that complain about any and everything.

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      February 17, 2013 10:05 PM

      http://segabits.com/blog/2013/02/16/another-gearbox-worker-takes-to-reddit-says-segas-money-funded-the-borderlands-franchise/

      Sega needs to get their money back from GearBox for destroying Aliens....

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