You could easily design an rpg without levels or exp and do character progression through gear and items.
Part of me thinks, "ew, a shooter", but actually I think in some ways it's not a bad approach. Thinking of TES and various other games where the PC can progress to the highest rank of any given guild without even having any skills in the relevant field. And while I'm writing that I'm thinking, "hmm, most of the managers I've encountered IRL."
