One of the primary reasons I wanted to develop a distinct system was to kill classes. I.e. you should be able to make any character concept you can think of. This naturally leads to a point-based character creation system.

Here's a concept I had for the game. It's default assumption is that you use "levels" to progress player characters, but the core mechanics of the game actually don't use levels. Levels are basically an elaborate, assumed houserule (to keep balance) but internally the system can work without them (although that may lead to unbalanced characters).

It's core system would be like any other point-based system; each character is simply represented by a certain number of character points, and no levels at all.

However, the rules would layout a level-based system. I.e. you need so many "experience points" or "milestones" to reach a new level, and when you do, you get so many new character points to spend on your character.

Also the rules would split up the character points into Attribute Points, Combat Points, Non-Combat Points, and Any Points. Attribute points can only be spent on raising attributes, combat points can only be used on combat-related abilities and skills, non-combat points can only be spent on non-combat-related abilities and skills, and "any" points can be spent anywhere you'd like.

We could then suggest that for those with different types of campaigns, they can vary the amount of differing points available to starting characters, or even scrap the differing point-types alltogether and allow creation with nothing but "any" points (like most point-buy systems). They could also ignore levels and reward characters with character points directly (again, like most point-buy systems).

Ya in many of the RPG games i wrote a long while back i never incorporated levels into my games. I usually used a point based system. Yes the downside of not using levels is it opens up the doorway for making unbalanced characters.

In some of my systems i used to prevent an unbalanced character you have the Major proficiency tables with sub tables within them

-Combat
*accuracy
*critical
*combo
*bonus power

now each sub table you can spend points in to give your character a boost in those stats. however they all cap at lets say 5. now you cant put anymore points into those subtables until you level up the Main Table

at Level 1 Combat you get a 5 cap in all sub tables. at Level 2 combat you get a cap of 10 in each sub table and so on and so forth.

this in a way forces the character to use those points in other areas until they reach a new level in combat. they can very well save up those points in order to target or be specialized in one particular stat. yes this may be still unbalanced, however lets just say instead of unbalanced they are simply just a specialist in that area.

on a further note to prevent them from being unbalanced. in order to reach Combat level 2 they must spend at least 10 points in that Table level to advance to Combat lvl 2. sort of how WoWs talents work.

which would be fun to play honestly