Breakpoints where gear tiers shift the curve
A character's damage-per-second grows exponentially with item level, but the growth is not smooth. At level 10, an iron sword deals 5 DPS. At level 15, still iron, it is 6 DPS (small gain). At level 16, you equip a steel sword and jump to 12 DPS (doubling). This discontinuity is intentional: gear tiers mark psychological progression gates. Players feel the power jump and are motivated to chase the next tier. If DPS scaled linearly (no jumps), leveling would feel like an endless grind. Tier breakpoints create the illusion of discrete progress.
Scaling relationships between stats and power
A player with 50 attack power and 50 armor reduction deals more damage to armored targets than someone with 100 attack power and no reduction. Stat scaling is not additive; it is about matchups. A designer tunes scaling ratios to influence playstyle: high scaling encourages item investment, low scaling makes stats feel flat and unrewarding. Games that scale health slower than damage intake create a fast-paced, risky environment. Games that scale defense quickly reward tanking and encourage longer fights. DPS curves are the aggregate of these tuning decisions.