The first experience system of MYFAROG was similar to that of RuneQuest, with skill ranks awarded to the skills used successfully. I saw this as the most realistic system, and stuck to it for a long time.

Eventually I realised that this experience system was very complex, hard to keep track of and also didn’t work very well in all contexts. Like how to learn a language? A new script? It just got too clunky. It also took away some of the role-playing aspect of the game, and forced the players to ‘skill grind’ in order to improve this or that skill. I recalled how I locked the W-key on my keyboard in Morrowind, and had my character run into a wall, whilst I did other things, for many hours some times – only to have my character improve his Athletics skill. My character became faster, sure, but…