What do you guys think about the 4x bonus on post R26 wipe?

Since the R26 wipe, I've been enjoying doing hunting and gaining adventure level so far. My skill progress has gone really well.. However, I realized that it is how it is right now because of the 4x bonus. Right now, I can train whatever start skills I like and try to train up my stats without having to turn innate skills on and off, which significantly enhance the initial game play experience.

If 4x bonus were to go away on the next or final wipe, I don't think it would be as enjoyable as how it is right now. I don't mind having to work on adjusting innate skill on and off at later stage (maybe when they are at 40s). For those who just start without a bonus, it will be very painful for them to progress. Not only that, they will need to learn how to adjust the innate skills, which could be too much of micro management for those who just want to get their feet wet first.

Yes, we can do quest for tons of XPs, but the quest system isn't quite there yet. What would you guys think about just bumping the XP rates to 4x for everyone or maybe meeting half way at 2x?

 

Agreed, the current 4X rate feels right for advancement. Going back to 1x is going to be extremely ... negative. Months ago I recommended dispensing with the 4X bonus and putting in level-up PC's instead, if they wanted particular level ranges tested.
This would permit targeted testing but also permit accurate feedback regarding progression rates. Alas, no-one cares to learn from history.

The general public is not going to enjoy the 1X rate, in my opinion. Doing everything I've done 4X as much, and it getting worse as I level? Not a fan of that.

 

Yes, considering the pain the non-bonus people will have to go through just to build up str enough to carry stuff around could be very frustrating. with low dex, you will miss alot hence use more XP. With low int, you have low focus to call special ability. The game will be much less enjoyable unless you get someone to do the killings for you, but that would take away some sense of self-progression, I think.

 

Sorry I know it is nice to people can test levels, but to do that they should just let player select skills for a time, all this 4x stuff need to just plain GO AWAY, as when the game launches players will have NO idea how to actually train skills since all they have ever known was 4x exp and had huge pools.

To many players will have no idea how to actually play the game and do nothing but complain . . . . . Wait for it

To those who have worked thru to no more 4x exp and are at GM in multiples you really don't need to answer since you already know how to work the systems

The game will not be less enjoyable - it will be something you HAVE to play not let the game play itself

And I am done here

 

It is the pain point that only people who has been playing without bonus would understand. I came back on R25 and managed to push myself up to lvl 51 before the wiped. I made it that far because I had people initially help me explain things how it work because the in-game hint barely help much at all. That would mean for any new person to success in this, they will have to get on the meta-gaming level rather than trying to just hop in the game and play it. Yes, the game will be less enjoyable, not everyone will have the chance to expose to every tip and trick how to boost themselves before they give up and go on nerd rage quit as usual.

Well if XP is not the issue here, then maybe it's the in-game tutorial or initial workflow that didn't drive people enough to understand what the heck they supposed to do and how to go beyond the starting point?

 

Hopefully, we can start pointing them towards the quests, if they're willing. It's suppose to be playable separately so even if it is incomplete. Completing one is suppose to make it easier going through the other two - or that's kind of how it sounded anyway. And if it levels up on pace with the current quests, well, it should help with the exp gain part.

 

My 2c worth? The devs really wanted (and still want) to see how the economy, skills etc etc function as players ascend to higher levels. And you only have 3 months to do that. On top of that people have already done this many times before. So as a sweetener, and to aid in metric analysis and testing, we have a XP bonus.

When the real game launches I would be surprised if the bonus carried on. We have many years to play this game, it's not being taken away after 3 months. If we take longer to climb to the top of the tree, so be it. It perpetuates the feeling of challenge and achievement. I would not want to be all-powerful after 6 months and have nothing left to challenge me further for the next 5 - 10 years.

 

The 4x bonus was implemented after the previous wipe. We've had it for like the last four releases.

 

I like the exp bonus now after a wipe. I don't think I would be motivated to play at all with the prospect of being confined to beginner areas for 3 months and then - wipe!

When the game goes live, I wouldn't mind the exp bonus going away. I think the bonus would give an additional unfair advantage to veteran players and be discouraging to newbies.

On the second day of R26 I was seeing players with the GM symbol everywhere I looked. After the final wipe I think it should take them at least 3 days to get so far.

 

What I'm getting here is that removing 4x bonus away, it's not as simple as having to kill 4 x extra mobs. You will be put into having to do micro management on the skills to make sure that your XP pool doesn't go to low and unable to cover the skill decay. Also at the same time you need to turn some on, some off in order to not gimping yourself. Hence, you would have to stick in starter area much longer, kill the same mobs, in order to not only gain fighting skill, you may have turn off skills here and there in order to increase HP and focus before you can move to next stage. With the current UI, it just becomes meta-gaming and take away the fun out of things.

It's one thing to having to turn off some skills because you have way too many of them up. It's a different story when you just start and all skills you have is the first two tiers and some stats innate, but having to kill the same stuff over and over because the next stage is too difficult.

Maybe it's too soon to discuss about it since most of the current veterans have been playing with 4x bonus in the past few wipes. Once everyone is back on equal ground, we may be better to give the better assessment, I guess.

I'm just pointing this pain point out because I can freshly tell the difference in game play experience between have and not have the 4x bonus.

 

I would hope it would take them bot longer than that... it should be sign of veteran player...seeing it within the first week seems wrong to me.

 

Personally I find the 4x far too fast although its fine for testing purposes to ensure the devs continue to get feedback from the higher level ranges however when the final wipe happens it should be put back to the normal pace. I don’t see the point if after a week everyone is sitting at cap after very little effort, the journey should not be diminished as it is just as important as the destination.

 

I actually disagree with this. The game is already live and we have all put in our time, again and again.

 

My 4x bonus stopped at level 53, it took me a very long time to bring up to 58. People said to lock the skills I don't need, so I followed that advice and was at the point where I only had one skill to train. At 80ish, I can no longer find a mob that I can kill that still yield positive XP. I ended up having to lock my archery, grind up 200k XP with these spiders in deep ravenswood, then burned it back down to gain skill points. It went back and forth until I managed to GM archery (phew!).

GM'ing skill without 4x bonus is surely doable, but the struggle is real. The process of going there definitely drained a heap of fun out of me TBH.

Are there anyone else who have been GMing skills without the 4x bonus recently? Am I missing something here?

 

And that is by design it should be a challenge and difficult to GM skills.

I am glad you found out how to do it and learned to manage your skills.

I cannot wait until I hear all the complaints when everyone has to deal with the same situation and learn how to play the game

I am still under the impression they should take it away but understand why it is here now. BUT if they want us to test skill just let us pick skills and level for a release or two. The give us no bonus for a few releases before launch.

Look at my post about GMing and exp points - .2 % of pool Means the more the merrier

 

If you lock all your skills, gain exp then train them on a gustball, it'll take longer than just training that skill while fighting mobs.

 

Yeah, smacking gustball would be an option along with skill management.

My point is that having to do this early will take away all the fun from the game, though. It's one for GM to be difficult, but it shouldn't be this painful to go up to 50 base combat skill and find yourself stuck and unable to move forward.

But as @Weins201 suggested, until everyone feels the same pain, it will be hard to have an effective fine-tuning on the XP yield rate.

 

My 4x ran out at lvl 20 this wipe, as I bought a different account, and I have since progressed to the mid 60's. TBH it wasn't that bad, and 90% of that XP was solo play. I think the slower XP gain will be a non issue come final wipe.

 

Yea xp is way too fast right now, waaaaay too fast.

Is it nice to level up quickly? sure but only as an instant gratification knowing that it actualy takes a long time to level up.

I know many many people that were GM's after the second day of the wipe. yea....

 

I came back in R25 no 4x and no clue how the skill system worked. Last time I played was R12.. we put points into what you wanted.. I made it to AL 68 in less than 2 months of play with not much help and or guidance. I asked questions to those I passed in game and didn't know and listened in on conversations in town when I passed by to pick up more. This release with the 4x I am already lv 70 2 weeks in.. so it is completely doable.