[shnozlak]

Id like to suggest that the entire concept of a set difficulty curve is kinda of a problem. Okay, so I learned this new skill found this gun, ect. But imagine if your RPG character grew up in a town surrounded by level 20 monster. This is one of these issues that forces a gap between the game as a simulation or representation of a story and a game as a rule/number system.

should the game build evenly? I dunno. The issue of it going the other way could just be a representation of the hero becoming used to his role as the hero. Personal growth ect. Legend Of Zelda is a good example. Evenly building could represent the idea of getting closer to the heart of the enemy strong hold though it also means that the avatar isn't learning?

Growth in a game is a serious issue, players want to progress not just in terms of incrementing the stage number but in terms of character's strength. old enemies = easy enemies ect. So you get locked in the unending power up cycle.
A semi-solution is tactical changes. RPG's, tactical ones most especially tends to feature an increasing array of tactical options as you progress, new spells, new effects ect. In this way the curve is pushed by means of necessary tactical understanding. However this can be bypassed by finding a place where healing is free and then spending hours walking back and fourth fighting random battles. Pre-planning on the part of the player actually ruins the planned curve in this instance, however when designers attempt to predict things like power leveling we get the issue of the out of the blue very hard boss beast, who isn't tactically harder than he might be he just has really big numbers.

The curve can also be warped in games where the player uses the game elements in unforeseen ways. EX: Vanish-Doom:FF6, screen warping :Links awakening, sniping with the magnum:Half Life 2.

I suppose the question is: when dose it work? not: when dose it fall down?
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