Occurs when the GM or system overcompensates for character growth, so that any new powers or improvement is exactly countered by new antagonists and challenges, leading to a zero-sum change. Rules obfuscation can help with the perception of this.

Part of the criticism levelled against Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition by its critics.

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Rickard comments:

Seems like it could be part of a zero sum game, where all forces shall reduce each other. But yeah, it's an illusion that characters are getting better when they don't.