Adjusting for Power like Quake or The Leveling Systems

I'm a big gamer. Over the time I've played plenty in my life that has inspired me. But there's a game I've never played that oozes Lovecraft and that's Quake. Anyone who plays games knows the legend of Quake. One of the first 3D games, it took the fps genre to the next level the same way Mario 64 did for platforming. If you've played a 3D game, there's a good chance that it has its base staked in Quake. This game created Quakecon, one of the few and most important conventions for gaming. Tournaments were held that shaped the foundation in all the gaming tournaments held today. You can't overstate the importance of this game.

So why haven't I played it?

Due to time, mostly, and a lack of interest I've never got around to playing it. The game did more for gaming than Lovecraft. But one of the important aspects I've been studying is the enemy lineup. Zombies, Ogres, Vores, and my favorite, Shamblers all stand between you and a showdown with Shub-Niggurath. The importance un these enemies comes in how you deal with them. Shamblers are strong against explosives, Vores lob homing charges, Death Knights are strong with close range attacks and Zombies stalk you as cannon fodder. Depending on your arsenal and the shape of the room the player has to decide what to take on first and how. Tactics range from run and gun to using the rocket launcher to launch yourself over their heads and rain down Hell. While the monster lore is steeped in Lovecraft, it's hard to translate this to writing. 

By that I mean, what enemies do I use as fodder in my book? Shamblers play an important role in my stories, but how strong are they to a Tick. If you've read my review on The House of the Temple by Lumely, you know what I'm talking about. The problem with Lovecraft's monsters is that ALL are dangerous. In fact, Lovecraft's characters often do better when they have against a human opponent. At least that kind of foe can be defeated, or at least understood. Quake takes these monsters and gives th a grade, or a level, that the player can understand so they can defeat them. "This monster shoots a straight beam, I better dodge it. This one fires homing misses, I better find a corner to hide behind." This leveling system is similar in books. In Harry Potter, Harry faces enemies lesser than Voldemort before the final showdown to build up the tension. How does that apply to Lovecraft when EVERYTHING is dangerous. I can't write "This thing will make you only a little crazy" or "This monster makes you incoherent for a few seconds." Lovecraft barely gave a power system to his gods. It's like handling poisonous snakes, some bites can wait for the hospital and some will kill you in a few minutes. Or in the Potter universe, there are forbidden spells and some for common use. But with Lovecraft, everything kills you or makes you mad. I guess I can make my own system but doing so kills the mystery. Ma6be it's better without a level system in place.

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