>>2070219
>It's basically just like levels and gear. It lets you take on bigger enemies.
then why not properly balance actual levels and gear to let the players take on bigger enemies in the first place? metaprogression is bad because it nedlessly pads the playtime of the game, wastes the player's actual time, and lets devs get away with not coordinating rng with the game's base progression

the only "upside" is that it offers regular rpg players a different way to grind their way to victory instead of forcing them to consciously master the gameplay to win, which is the whole point of roguelikes

>you have died 20 times!
>you have unlocked the sword of bloody bitch basterds
>playtime has reached 100 hours!
>you have unlocked truvada in the merchant shop
>the final boss killed you!
>you have unlocked the "don't die to the final boss" ability
fuck you, just give me access to all that shit to begin with and balance the game around it