WoW grouping xp?

[valarin]

I was wondering what people think about the lack of xp bonus for grouping. In early EQ, there was no bonus for grouping. All xp was simply split between party members. This meant smaller groups mowing down easier mobs was by far the best experience. However, high con mobs did give a sufficient enough xp bonus that a group often could obtain better xp then you could solo due to limitless mobs and an xp boost for the high con. In current EQ there is an actual xp BONUS based on the number of people in the group. This tends to reward people for filling in full groups.

If you look at Ao you see I think one of the BEST postive grouping systems in so far as the xp obtained for a SOLO kill is virtually the same as the XP obtained for a group kill. I am sure many will complain that this is far to generous. However, I think we can all agree that the POINT of an MMO is to PLAY with other people. Most of us who are power gamers will want to level pretty much as QUCKLY as humanly possible in order to escape the crowds and to find new content. One of the nice parts of AO is that virtually everyone CAN solo but group xp is SO much better then solo xp that eveyone wants to group.

Atm, my experiene with WOW is that not only is grouping not advantageous but it is a downrigth DISADVANTAGE. I think this really need a rework/rethinking. One of the nice things about an MMO promoting grouping early is that is leads to friendship and a cohort of people to play with as you all level. I am not saying that the AO grouping bonus is not perhaps TO kind but there is most definitly a middle ground.

[Angry Amadeus]

Originally posted by valarin
I was wondering what people think about the lack of xp bonus for grouping. In early EQ, there was no bonus for grouping. All xp was simply split between party members. This meant smaller groups mowing down easier mobs was by far the best experience. However, high con mobs did give a sufficient enough xp bonus that a group often could obtain better xp then you could solo due to limitless mobs and an xp boost for the high con. In current EQ there is an actual xp BONUS based on the number of people in the group. This tends to reward people for filling in full groups.

If you look at Ao you see I think one of the BEST postive grouping systems in so far as the xp obtained for a SOLO kill is virtually the same as the XP obtained for a group kill. I am sure many will complain that this is far to generous. However, I think we can all agree that the POINT of an MMO is to PLAY with other people. Most of us who are power gamers will want to level pretty much as QUCKLY as humanly possible in order to escape the crowds and to find new content. One of the nice parts of AO is that virtually everyone CAN solo but group xp is SO much better then solo xp that eveyone wants to group.

Atm, my experiene with WOW is that not only is grouping not advantageous but it is a downrigth DISADVANTAGE. I think this really need a rework/rethinking. One of the nice things about an MMO promoting grouping early is that is leads to friendship and a cohort of people to play with as you all level. I am not saying that the AO grouping bonus is not perhaps TO kind but there is most definitly a middle ground.

I would AGREE with you EXCEPT for ONE point. Sometimes you NEED a GROUP to get into the dungeons/instances that REQUIRE you to go in THERE for a QUEST or SOMETHING. I MEAN, SOMETIMES a group is a MUST.

IN ACTUALITY I believe that WOW does a GREAT JOB of SEPERATING TIMES for GROUPING and TIMES FOR soloing; for instance BRD hahaz YOU COULDN'T play solo THERE, silly. WELL, then again you COULD try but I don't think THAT would PAN OUT very well.

TA,

[orcmauler]

So far is that the sheer speed in which groups can kill makes up for the lack of xp bonus.

Aside from the problems I have had w/ the stress test, the one time I have had a group we were killing mobs 2-3 levels higher than the highest member at the time.

Now I know that that is not the most efficent form of grouping, but mobs were dying so fast that we plowed thru the area (frostmane caves the level 9ish version) four times with no problem.

So in that case speed of killing>>>>>greater solo xp

[EnigmaticParadigm]

I haven't played yet, but was wondering how much of the game content hasn't been included yet? It seems like the gung-ho for the game is starting to fade a bit, but is that due to the fact that most of the high end content hasn't been pushed out yet?

Just curious.

[Elgonn]

Grouping currently is an xp penalty. The only good reason to group is completing certain quests and getting certain gear. Both of which aren't particularily important (at least pre-end game).

[Kildace]

Originally posted by Elgonn
Grouping currently is an xp penalty. The only good reason to group is completing certain quests and getting certain gear. Both of which aren't particularily important (at least pre-end game).

You mean pre level 30, right?

[Elgonn]

Originally posted by Kildace
You mean pre level 30, right?

Even post 30. Unless you fit into some of the rare examples soloing is better xp (AE group, certain duos, etc).

[Tuco]

TA,

Your underlying WIT ingeniously penetrates EVERYTHING, Amadeus.

I believe SlyOne said that grouping should almost always be the best method of gaining exp, but soloing should always be an option if one wants to solo, or doesn't have time to find a group(or can't). The downside being to soloing that you can't get as good of exp, not to mention loot.

He also said that they will balance that idea until it is in application within WoW.


Frankly, it's not, so I imagine they will balance it, how they do so I don't know, but I have two answers:

ZEM and/or group bonus.

Frankly, WoW lacks something when you're soloing, and often you're doing so because, well, it's the best way. Grouping is inconvienent not only because you get less exp overrall, but also because the questing system involved doesn't make for good grouping.

One answer to this is to make quests repeatable, as long as you put safeguards so it couldn't be exploited for mega-exp.

[Kildace]

Originally posted by Elgonn
Even post 30. Unless you fit into some of the rare examples soloing is better xp (AE group, certain duos, etc).

With the way stats work after the last pash, I would say that grouping up in instances would be pretty important if you want your character to be efficient.

Sure you can solo to 55, but your gear will be utter shit, and you'll have a much harder time than someone who did all the instances up to the cap and therefore had gear upgrades which made him much more efficient.

I'm a big fan of duos in WoW for non elite quests, I did most of my leveling from 15 to 55 in a duo, the xp is almost as good as soloing, the quest items are not a pain even divided by 2, and you can tackle much harder things than you could do solo.

[valarin]

I guess it is obvious grouping for gear/quest is often required. However, i would think it should be an advantage to to group for xp all the time not just when you need to bum help from friends for uberitem10839.

[Kildace]

Originally posted by valarin
I guess it is obvious grouping for gear/quest is often required. However, i would think it should be an advantage to to group for xp all the time not just when you need to bum help from friends for uberitem10839.

I'm not sure why and if it should be.
I enjoy being able to solo for half an hour and get stuff done when I don't have a lot of time to play, I enjoy being able to group with just about any class duo or trio and mow through quests.
Because don't doubt it, if they add an xp bonus to grouping, they will make everything else harder so you don't level even faster than before. It would screw over the soloer, the less needed classes (they wouldn't be able to solo very efficiently anymore, they'd have to beg for groups for instances, and outside of them), and it would seiriously harm one of the main appeals to WoW for me : the freedom to do just about anything without having to spend hours to find groups.

I'm a hardcore player, I have 30 days played on my beta char I created less than 3 months ago, but I still enjoy not being dependant on others for everything, and I hope it stays this way.

Edit: What i'm trying to say is : WoW is what you make of it, players that will take the time to group will get better gear, players that don't have the time to group will be able to have a char at cap and have fun in the process with any class, players that don't want to group can still play and not die every 5 minutes. I think that it's one of the main strengths of the game, and I hope that the "force grouping" mindset that all EQ players have doesn't make its way to this game.

[Undaine]

Originally posted by Angry Amadeus
I would AGREE with you EXCEPT for ONE point. Sometimes you NEED a GROUP to get into the dungeons/instances that REQUIRE you to go in THERE for a QUEST or SOMETHING. I MEAN, SOMETIMES a group is a MUST.

IN ACTUALITY I believe that WOW does a GREAT JOB of SEPERATING TIMES for GROUPING and TIMES FOR soloing; for instance BRD hahaz YOU COULDN'T play solo THERE, silly. WELL, then again you COULD try but I don't think THAT would PAN OUT very well.

TA,

I AGREE with your POINTS and WONDER if you COULD maybe CONTINUE with YOUR ability to EMPHASIZE every OTHER word even IF it DOESN'T make ANY sense.

[The Bog]

Hear that, Amadeus?
That's the joke going over his head.

Woo, there it goes.

[Jait]

ZEM can wait until post-RELEASE, just start with a BASELINE, and tweak it based on population numbers/usage.

GROUP xp needs a bonus pre-release, and BALANCING.

PLAIN and simple. It has to happen, it would be plain silly to leave it as-is.

[Fer0x]

How about actually getting a group. I'd like to run around duo, but it's not quite that easy with all the bnet fucktards running around. I can't tell you how many shouts, and how much begging I do in order to get a group. Instead I just solo, it's much easier.