So far, it sounds like Experience points will unlock Weapons, Gear, etc. Or at least differentiation between say Assault, Tactical, Devastator and maybe Terminator 'classes'. My thinking is some sort of tech tree that uses exp to unlock, and maybe requisition to use/purchase such as TDA. Leveling up turns the game into a WoW type, where your level will be the deciding factor, not your skill, or your hard counters (Assault vs. Devastator).
Levels don't always mean power. Having 40k levels would make me want to play more in between content patches. It would be meanless over all to be level 10234 as most likely you will get everything with in the first 100. Well I guess be 10234 won't be meanless, would show how much I play the game.
I like the idea of reaching ranks in the fraction. If you earn enough XP you unlock special weapons, armor parts or bitz to customize your whole outfit (armor and weaapon). I don't think, thats a normal shooterbased levelsystem like THQ's Space Marine will work for this kind of game. Someday everybody reachs the highest levels, no matter how good the Player is. And I think only the Hardcore Gamers are gaming further, when they reached the max level.
Warhammer has always been an unending war, eternal conflict and strife There are always new foes to fight, new hights to reach. So, I think it's reasonable for "leveling", reaching ranks to be an unending process For example Space Marines learn and study all their lives, reaching out to perfection but never quite grasping it This is what it should be like in the Eternal Crusade
If levels give benefits, then we would just be catering to the lifeless grinders and the people sharing accounts to grind. I think this game can work fine without any levels what so ever. You get "points" from doing "stuff" and you can unlock new gear or customize. Having levels would probably only be an ego-thing, like is PS2. If you only play a game to get to the lvl-cap, then you are doing it wrong. Games like this should be played for the fun you get out of working with a team to capture and hold a base.
As long as the player feels rewarded for his effort, then there really doesn't need to be any kind of leveling system. Only an incentive is needed to keep playing and that's what the devs need to provide. Enough content to satisfy a long time dealing with unlockables is the way to go.
40,000 levels would be a complete nightmare for completionists. Maybe it could take longer to level up, but that many levels would be absurd.
