I think the place they are getting the bit about patience from is specifically dragon quest. Where the devs intentionally positioned it in opposition to other games of the time that required you to get good so to speak.

I read an interview a few years ago, I think with Yuji Horii about the design in dragon quest being set up specifically so that by sinking time in you would eventually overpower everything and progress, even if you never improved at the game mechanics. I couldn't easily find it again when I looked to link it but maybe I will be able to later today.

[–] emb@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

Yep, that is indeed what I was thinking of (though I don't have a link handy either).

Didn't mean to imply that's where experience levels were invented. The clarification is appreciated though.

And even thought I was alluding to that DQ comment, I'm sure it wasn't the first game to adapt experience levels, and across the board making things easier wasn't always the impetus.