What is your sentiment towards the rate of which levels and experience are gained?

[Ork]

I've made a similar case before, and I agree that you don't need to be 30 to make an impact. However, it's irrefutable that the vast majority of players are on a dead sprint to level up - be that to get the next class ability, to be able to defend/incite pvp, to roll for a more attractive race, or to explore all of Arelith's content. There's a thousand reasons to race to 30, but the majority of players are doing it.

The reason they're not asking for a faster pace is that it would never happen and players are leveling their characters at an exponentially higher rate than ever before. You can get to 30 by logging in each day, doing your 3 writs, and either logging off or bumbling around for the rest of your play time.

I'd challenge you to look at this systematically instead of emotionally. Prior to a few years ago, chancellor/settlement leaders could really be any level, faction leaders could be any level, archdruids/mages/etc. could be any level. Now, it is rare to find an underleveled individual in these roles. The L17 head of state doesn't exist. Either because XP is so easily obtained or there are systematic components that disincentize this play.

[Whosdis]

"RP at 30" is no longer just a meme but a priority for the majority of players. Players feel entitled to a faster transit to 30 so they can participate in the RP at that level.

According to the poll, the vast majority of the players think it's fine or even too fast, so anything claiming that most would like to get to 30 faster is just not the case. Heck, nearly three times more people than want it sped up would rather it have it slowed down, instead.

Lamentably you need to look towards the context, as by the time this poll came out the February nerfs to adventuring XP had just kicked in, considerably predating both the Skaljard XP nerfs and the shadow-nerfs to Surface writ XP, which people are just bumping into recently and to about now.

[Amateur Hour]

I'm sorry, there's only so much fun I can have locked out of the epic levels, when most of the content revolves around the epic levels.

I think this bears repeating.

I think of all the DM events I have ever happened to touch, all of them strictly required all participants to be performing at epic levels to be able to actually contribute at all. Yeah, you can sit there and twiddle your thumbs regardless at DM events and say you participated, but you can't actually do anything--and it makes sense, in a way, because DM events are supposed to be a challenge...but they end up being designed as a challenge for the level 30s present.

I can hear the argument "you don't need DM events to enjoy Arelith; Arelith's appeal is that it's very player-driven." All right, that makes sense, but I've yet to see a situation where there's a problem and, unless secrecy (or XP gain rate mechanics) were a huge need that limited options, they didn't go immediately for the level 30 expert(s) to help solve the problem, because OF COURSE you want the best-of-the-best experts and not the trainee apprentices. Pre-30--certainly pre-epics--your RP has to center around "gitting gud", which is very limiting.

"RP begins at 30" doesn't necessarily mean "I refuse to RP before 30". It often means "I will be blocked out of RP until I get to 30".

[Kriegos]

However, it's irrefutable that the vast majority of players are on a dead sprint to level up...

...I'd challenge you to look at this systematically instead of emotionally.

Of course leveling is a goal of people. No argument there. The point I take with it is that everyone wants to do it as fast as possible. Maybe they do, but there is such a thing as too fast, which ruins the pace of a game. We might already be there.

Last night my monk was barely level 9. Then I did some writs and he was level 11. It took about two hours. That's insanely fast. He has 30k worth of adventure XP, too, despite being a long winded old man who will ramble to anyone who passes by. He spends most of his time online not adventuring, but he's still gaining xp very quickly. The current leveling up rate of the server means that no one will be low leveled for very long.

That increased rate of leveling that has happened not just recently, but steadily over the server lifetime, means that the overall likelihood of lower level characters even existing for very long is simply lower. They have less time at those levels to do things.

If anything, the myriad problems you've pointed out about these low levels not existing in places of influence of power could just as easily be because of the overall leveling rate of Arelith and how it might be too fast now. It's definitely the case that most players have leveling up as a goal, but it's not at all irrefutable that people are dead set at leveling as fast as they can. It might just be that everyone on the server simply levels quickly because that's the reality of Arelith's systems these days.

As for the votes, I was pointing out the poll numbers, and musing about some ways the numbers might not line up with some of the claims being made. Your insistence that you know the reason for those numbers leads me to think you should look at this less emotionally. Assumptions like that never lead to better discussions or solutions, and I'm trying to have a conversation on the topic.


PS: I appreciate the additional context on the recently changed XP rates and the poll, Whodis! I only saw your reply when I went to preview this one, but I think everything above still has something to contribute to the discussion, so here goes the post!

[Kalthariam]

Leveling is fine the way it is.

Feels like the server massively incentivizes you to be max level anyways.

Reducing the EXP rate isn't likely going to incentivize people to RP more, it will make people go back to old circle farming methods like spirits, with zero RP to grind to level 30 (Or 26 if it's a roll character).

If people are intent on pushing themselves to 30, they will push themselves to 30 no matter what you do.

I personally didn't enjoy slower leveling, feeling like your forced to circle grind spirits for hours to level up was not enjoyable.

[Tareldar]

Yeah, unironically I think leveling has never been better. Leveling still takes a relatively good while for casual players (almost a month) and as people have mentioned, leveling rate doesn't change the fact that most of the time I (and others) feel alienated from the RP until we reach max level. At least now a good amount of us reaches level cap in a timely manner, rather than like half of us getting burnt halfway through just purely grinding mobs.

[SaintPhilosopher]

Leveling is perfect right now. Leveling atm is not too fast and not too slow. You still want some sort of 'journey' to max level. For the sake of getting that ideal 'earned' reward feeling, having a mandatory reason to meet other characters and make connections (help with writs), -not there yet- RP, and having a lowbie economy. But, you don't want it to take an entire year, there is a diminishing return. As long as all of those beneficial points of leveling are hit, the leveling rate does not have to change. Arelith provides all of those points during the current leveling experience in satisfying dosages, it is fine.

[Good Character]

I have an additional perspective. As a faction leader and one who runs events, the writs and pace of leveling have definitely opened players up to sticking around to roleplay and more comfortable in-general.

Also, definitely the addition of these obscenely hard dungeons is great. They aren't locked behind solely levels but true teamplay. Even then the teamplay may not be alone; it sets up fantastic moments you'll actually talk about and can boast about.

[Xantor_Stromgate]

Of course leveling is a goal. It might just be that everyone on the server simply levels quickly because that's the reality of Arelith's systems these days.

Quite so. I remember about, oh, ... 15 years ago when there was not ADV. XP, no Mark of Destiny, no Writs, and an Isle that had not been "fully explored". I remember the player sg42 sending me a Tell saying, "I think we leveled to fast". I then sent her one back stating my confusion.

I love character building, but I know I don't have to be level 30 to enjoy playing on Arelith. I've been playing Urgo on the side since the Gift of Wealth was instated. He's just now level 11. Now, he has no aspirations for leadership, which in a sense would require are more "experienced" character. But, if I remember correctly, Gar wasn't XP Maxed when he was coronated Thane of the Golden Halls of Brogendenstein. But, do know he was in his Epic Levels.

Personally, I think the XP gain just fine as you can adjust it somewhat from the player side. I.E.: You don't have to do the Writs, and you can patrol the Cordorian Iron Mines until you get under 5 XP per slaying. So, you have a good influence on how fast your character gains XP.