Deus Ex is probably not as good as an example as System Shock 2. Deus Ex was way too long ever for me, and can indeed become tedious.
System Shock 2 also has something like a skill point system, but it feels different: In Deus Ex you can always do almost everything, just with more or less efficiency. System Shock 2 tends more toward unlocking e.g. the ability to use a specific gun. The game also has a knack for keeping you low on at least one supply (health or ammo or weapons or so).
Experience points are limited, you get them for progressing in the story. So you can't stay around and grind. (That's similar in Deus Ex.) So your level of abilities is just a convenient way for escalating the stories. Just like getting new weapons in Half Life or new kinds of tanks in a real-time strategy game.
On the other hand, you might like games like nethack or Spelunky. They have a notion of your character growing in abilities, but since each game is short, you start from zero each time, handling the progression well just becomes another skill. A bit like picking up weapons and ammo in Quake 3 in the most efficient manner possible. Or Master of Orion, where getting new technology is part of the game (and can be compared to getting new skills in an RPG).
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I see your point, and I even mostly agree.
Deus Ex is probably not as good as an example as System Shock 2. Deus Ex was way too long ever for me, and can indeed become tedious.
System Shock 2 also has something like a skill point system, but it feels different: In Deus Ex you can always do almost everything, just with more or less efficiency. System Shock 2 tends more toward unlocking e.g. the ability to use a specific gun. The game also has a knack for keeping you low on at least one supply (health or ammo or weapons or so).
Experience points are limited, you get them for progressing in the story. So you can't stay around and grind. (That's similar in Deus Ex.) So your level of abilities is just a convenient way for escalating the stories. Just like getting new weapons in Half Life or new kinds of tanks in a real-time strategy game.
On the other hand, you might like games like nethack or Spelunky. They have a notion of your character growing in abilities, but since each game is short, you start from zero each time, handling the progression well just becomes another skill. A bit like picking up weapons and ammo in Quake 3 in the most efficient manner possible. Or Master of Orion, where getting new technology is part of the game (and can be compared to getting new skills in an RPG).