Experience Memory

In some games in the *Svea* series, upgrades come in the form of acquirable **cards** or **visions** that depict certain **events** or **memories**. Once acquired by the player, a card increase the experience points of an attribute that applicable mons' use, eventually leading to one of few upgrades at a fixed experience point.

The application differs slightly depening on if the game has recruitable enemy party members or not. Mons have a list of specific cards that relate to them, and that they can utilize.

DodongoAttack⥁Speed3Defense⥁Speed3Fire Stomp3

## Experience

Each card can have 1 or several aspects it grants **experience** to, granted immediately as the card is picked up and as long as it remains in the inventory. These are usually categorized as **stats** and **abilities**. Experience is granted to the stats/abilities of all mons who match the **filter** stated on the card. The mons in question has a list of missing cards, and their names.

### Example

1. * The player acquires the card "Glistening Forest Heart".
	* This card has the following properties:
		1. +2 Attack⥁Speed
		2. +2 Special Psychic-type moves
		+ Fairy-type Pokémon
	* Acquiring this card would give EXP to the Sp. Atk MAX stat of all Fairy-type Pokémon.
2. * The player acquires the card "Stronghold of Artemia".
	* This card has the following properties:
		1. + +2 Defense⥁Speed
			+ Steel-type Pokémon
		2. + +2 Physical Fire-type moves
			+ Steel-type Pokémon
	* Thus, acquiring this card would give EXP to the Speed MAX stat of all Steel-type Pokémon.

## Upgrade

Once an aspect has gained enough experience, it **upgrades** to the next **level**. These upgrades are very few in number, which helps with making the changes feel tangible and worth seeking out.

For stats, the valve system is used; the player does not directly have the option to increase stats, but they are able to turn one of several valves, each corresponding to a conversion from one stat to another. Doing so lowers one of the stats, while increasing the other.

## Acquisiton

Cards can be acquired in various ways. Wild enemy mons may occasionally carry cards; if the player defeats the enemy, they may grant those card(s) to the player. Most encounters will not be with cards carried; when they do, cards are selected from a random pool of viable options, which may induce duplicates to those the player already has. Duplicates can be traded with other players.

## Trading & Probability

In games with online functionality, each copy of the game has set **probability** for certain cards to appear above others. While all cards can be acquired in-game on their own, the chances to do so are incredibly rare for certain cards, on certain copies of the game. Therefore, the player is encouraged to **trade** with other players, to acquire any missing cards.

## Battle Motivation

Defeating random encounter enemies grants player the currency that allows them to make changes and increase the **battle stats** of the Mon, while acquiring cards increases the Mon's **potential**/**capacity**. Battling enemies also successively increases the chances that they drop cards that the player does not have.

## Discussion

### One card for multiple Mons

Only one card needs to be acquired for all mons to be able to utilize it; if one was needed for each mon that could have it, then players would never trade them away in case another mon would need one. Alternatively, if one was required for each applicable mon, *but*, the card stated how many units left required it, the game could simply be bloated with too many cards in high amounts, which undercuts the rarity aspect.

### One card for more than 1 ability

One problem is that abilities used are supposed to be as unique as possible; this would mean cards would have only 1 ability and as such only 1 mon that they work on. One solution could be to have cards grant EXP to more than one ability. Either through a list (bad idea), or grant EXP to all abilities that match a generic filter such as "Physical Fire-type moves" (better idea).

### Fixed "experience"

The player needs to be able to know how many cards they are missing. This is to drive their curiosity and desire to explore; otherwise they would run straight to a guide instead. Along with this comes the effect of having a fixed amount of "experience" in stats/abilities. Each Mon is able to "level" differently, so this doesn't need to be a problem, but they need to take into account that if a card is added that would grant them EXP in say a stat, that stat shouldn't be able to level up from just 1 more card, late-game.

### EXP -> Levels vs. EXP = Immediate Stat Boost

Immediate value from cards might seem like it would suit well with stat valves, since they are by nature a gradient. This also adds to expanding the card pool naturally, as the player won't have to worry about getting enough for a new level, they simply will get the stats immediately.

For abilities however, not so much. Not only do you need to get a specific amount to get an ability **unlocked**, it should probably not improve as a gradient? Unless abilities also work like valves, which might seem too much, gradient improvements would feel like they don't do much.

Non-levels in general feel much less tangible, unfortunately, and has the side-effect of bloated numbers, which is not what we want with a low-number approach.

## Example

### *Pokémon*

* The player has caught an early route Ralts.
	+ It has the following cards:

Gentle PremonitionMax. Speed+3Kind PredispositionMin. Damage+2ConfusionEXP+2
* + And it can use the following abilities:

Destiny DreamPhysical Fire

* The player then encounters a wild Ralts and scans it, to reveal:

RaltsStats

Abilities