Quote Originally Posted by Akiza View Post
Restricting your characters ability to grow with leveling and gear mechanics is the simplest definition of Vertical Progression. Horizontal Progression is increasing the power of the player's character and it comes in two forms open and closed. An Open Horizontal Progression there is no leveling and class system there is just an ability tree where Player Characters have a large arbitrary number of skill points to spend in categories ofMelee, Range, Magic, Pet, Tank and Healing to build their Job it's entirely character progressive. Closed Horizontal Progression is like WoW where the skill trees are locked behind the classes and ESO is in between the two extremes. Horizontal progression is mainly used as an alternative to the leveling system and answer the end game gear grind that plagues every mmorpg.
There is no open and closed horizontal system. You're combining concepts needlessly. When it comes to the skills you character has access to, it's either a class based or skill based system. When it comes to your character's growth, there's horizontal or vertical. Horizontal involves levels, whereas with vertical, it's some form of quest to get your skills. You can do a class based horizontal game, and you can do a skill based vertical game. All horizontal progression would mean it that rather than gear, there would be something else we would be working towards, such as skills.

And there are other ways to answer the gear grind.