The sense of getting upper level.

[Lost in woods]

Maybe you will find a good idea to give some abilities to high-levelers, just to make that process more meaning.
1. Let high levelers to create game for level defined crew. For example - 4 leveler can create game were all players are to have not less than 3 level.
2. Give for them to use some new content, not available for new. For example - to be a captain of a "light galeon" / other new class of ship you are to be at least in the level of 5. This never mean that this new ship have an advantage - no, it is just an another kind of stuff.
3. Divide battles in two groups - fun mode (death match mode), where you can use any ship or weapon and role-play mode, where you can use stuff of your level - capture the flag, get the points, and so on. Additional achievements for that modes will be a prise for role-players.   

[HamsterIV]

The number/title next to your name is more than enough reward for attaining a higher level. I have joined random server and had people I never met before fill up my ship, occasionally abandoning ships they were serving on last game.  It is a tremendous feeling especially for someone who was usually picked last during PE in grade school.

I do not want access to stuff other players do not have, with the possible exception of a fancy hat. Ohhh I love them hats.

[Helmic]

I'm very happy with the current system.  It's a useful marker of someone's experience playing, but the only reason you'll lose to them is because of that experience, not because they had access to more tools than you; just because something is a sidegrade doesn't mean it doesn't confer a noticeable advantage to higher level players, the more tools at their disposal the more they can adapt to different situations and the more good builds they'll have access to.  As for the community related stuff, you don't want to section one group of players off from another group of players unless absolutely necessary.  Splitting a community means death.

[Pickle]

Keep levels as a vanity achievement.  The way they are.

[Keon]

Nothing more powerful than we have already. Level bases would be good, that way we can set up beginner matches better and help teach.

[Morblitz]

Allowing levels to alienate a large portion of the already small player base is a step in the direction of intolerable elitism that already plagues a lot of competitive games, and in my opinion would be a mistake. I am very fond of Icarus for resisting that pull. This is something that is not needed. Just yesterday I saw someone request that another player be reported for being 'a noob'. This behaviour and mentality does not need to be encouraged by actual game mechanics.

High levels are a sign of presence in the game, it's a visual signal to people and, as said before, allows new players to identify those who already know what they're doing. Let's allow it to remain that way, for the sake of the game.

[Lost in woods]

OK maybe you are right. Oh, how many levels exist? And will the system change in future?

[Pickle]

OK maybe you are right. Oh, how many levels exist? And will the system change in future?

30 - ten per role, at the moment.

[VikingOfSixth]

Allowing levels to alienate a large portion of the already small player base is a step in the direction of intolerable elitism that already plagues a lot of competitive games, and in my opinion would be a mistake. I am very fond of Icarus for resisting that pull. This is something that is not needed. Just yesterday I saw someone request that another player be reported for being 'a noob'. This behaviour and mentality does not need to be encouraged by actual game mechanics.

This is exactly the type of response I was hoping for when I opened this thread, thank you Mor. Segregation of the community due to something as arbitrary as achievements simply because elitist do not want to mix with more casual gamers or those new to the game is a perfect way to ruin the community. If you want restrictions on the type of people in your game take it to a private lobby. 

Besides it is bad enough you will find a stacked 2v2 where 1's and 2's are being farmed by 8's and 9's who are more worried about the number next to their name then enjoying the game, the community, and lending a hand to the newer players.

When players become conscious about their K/D ratio more than creating a environment that is worth logging into then the game starts to lose the qualities that made it worthwhile in the first place.

[HamsterIV]

It is not that the 8's and 9's are farming the lower level players (though they might be for some achievements). It is very frustrating to be on a new player's ship. I have become accustom to the ship repairing at a certain rate, the guns hitting consistently at a certain range, the pilot flying at a certain skill level, and the captain giving certain orders. When one or more members of a crew are performing at a lower than expected rate the entire ship suffers and those of used to more competent crews get frustrated.

At some level we know it is not fair, we were noobs once too. Someone had to put up with us messing up their experience so that we could learn. We are here to have fun and putting up the the mistakes new players make is not that much fun. That is unless they are on the other team.

[Helmic]

The teamstacking issue isn't entirely intentional, it happens naturally when the losing team quits to find an easier match along with some of the more inexperienced players on the winning team.  The losing team ends up being replaced by a random assortment while facing the strongest survivors of thw winning team.  I don't disagree that we shouldn't be mercilessly mocking people's lackluster gonads when they're too scare to face their similarly-skilled teammates, but it's not like everyone on a stacked team WANTS easy matches.  It just kind of happens until someone speaks up and asks to trade spots.

[Nadrynne]

Because I rarely get to play with my friends due to work and time, I  mostly just play random games. From my perspective, I'd not want the game segregated by levels as it'd just make it harder for me to get a game as I often end up in games wither newer players. I am a pretty good shot though. =P

[Veyka]

Due to how buggy or weird some of the achievements are, and that sometimes you almost need to run private games to get them without screwing up random peoples games (eg buffing achievements, some of the map ones) it would leave lower leavl players without friends to help them at an even bigger disadvantage if it gave you a statistical boost.

Teamstacking: Sometimes friends want to play together, sometimes as Helmic says, the losing teams range quits and is just filled in by noobs, etc. Also being a higher level means lots of people just don't want to fly VS you, and if you are say an experienced engineer it can be hell playing with a pilot who knows jack all and wont listen to advice.

Thats another thing, some days you just don't want to have to micro your crew, but just play the sodding game :/ </end OT rant> (PS QUICKJOIN IS BAD AND YOU NEVER NEED MORE THAN ONE GUNNER)