XP Idea for HumbleFriar

[Splunge]

Keep those ideas flowing. I love reading all the feedback, especially when you all keep it in a positive light looking towards the future.

Since you asked, here you go. I broke it out into a separate thread instead of burying it several pages into the other one.

In the past, SSG has said that they want to discourage players running the same quests over and over again. That was the stated reason for permanent ransack of optional XP and a couple of other changes. There are several reasons that players run certain quests and avoid others, but one of the big ones is the amount of XP they give. There are some quests that are so good I run them every life. Others are even better, and I farm them every life.

The problem is that when a quest is released, SSG makes their best guess as to how much XP it should be worth, and it stays that way forever, barring a rare manual xp adjustment like we saw a few years ago. There's no way to get the numbers right when you do that, especially since the "correct" number can change over time. The solution is to have variable XP. Keep track of how often quests are run. Each week (or whatever other period you choose), quests that are run more frequently than others get an automatic reduction in XP. Quests that are run less frequently get an automatic increase in XP. The farther away a quest is from the mean, the larger the adjustment. Eventually, the numbers should steady out and you'll find that people run a larger variety of quests.

Yes, there are some problems that would have to be overcome. For example, you might want to exempt the last two releases as well as the last expansion, since people have to run those a lot if they want the best gear, and it would suck to get no XP while you're doing that. You should probably also lower the overall XP needed to level since there won't be any more quests that give really outstanding XP that you can use to level faster. I think it's worth considering, though.

[ahpook]

Since you asked, here you go. I broke it out into a separate thread instead of burying it several pages into the other one.
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I would agree that a system like this would be good. It may require some tweaking to get an appropriate adjustment range for to ensure that XP doesn't turn into a slot machine windfall but that doesn't sound impossible. However, I doubt that their archaic code base could handle a dynamic system though. And it would likely add lag <- only somewhat said in jest.

[Xgya]

I like the idea of making some quests better than others sometimes, but dynamically checking sounds like a LOT to do for the server.

However, doing it manually, say, once every month or two, sounds like a very good idea.
Not exactly sure how they'd math it out.

You also have to understand some packs are less run just because people hate the quests or the path to those quests (two coming to mind being Threnal and Restless Isles), and that's VERY hard to sell, even with greater rewards.

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I'd also love "hotzones", a daily system that just makes a pack more rewarding than usual.

"HOTZONE! Today Ravenloft gives 10% more Xp and chances for unique equipment!" (tweak the numbers as you like)
They could be related to Patrons, split by adventure packs or areas...

[Arkat]

The problem is that when a quest is released, SSG makes their best guess as to how much XP it should be worth, and it stays that way forever, barring a rare manual xp adjustment like we saw a few years ago. There's no way to get the numbers right when you do that, especially since the "correct" number can change over time. The solution is to have variable XP. Keep track of how often quests are run. Each week (or whatever other period you choose), quests that are run more frequently than others get an automatic reduction in XP. Quests that are run less frequently get an automatic increase in XP. The farther away a quest is from the mean, the larger the adjustment. Eventually, the numbers should steady out and you'll find that people run a larger variety of quests.

Makes sense to me.

I would agree that a system like this would be good. It may require some tweaking to get an appropriate adjustment range for to ensure that XP doesn't turn into a slot machine windfall but that doesn't sound impossible. However, I doubt that their archaic code base could handle a dynamic system though. And it would likely add lag <- only somewhat said in jest.

I'm afraid you're right about the archaic code base.

[Seph1roth5]

Completely disagree. There's also the option to make crappy xp quests worth more, and LEAVE GOOD QUESTS ALONE. Not saying they all have to be awesome, but my group would run a lot more stuff like threnal and titan flaggers if the xp matched the effort. If nothing else than to mix up our runs a bit.

[Eantarus]

I would definitely rather they simply adjust poor xp/min quests up rather than force us to track this stuff.

[Bagel99]

I think the best idea from my rant thread that was meant to be a lighthearted vent fest .... was to have XP double up to a certain amount. Could be a VIP function to spice things up too or you would get more mileage out of that benefit being VIP.

I am not a fan of quest rotation though without some reworks going into them. If Sorrowdusk got reworked a touch to be a bit more modern and have a legendary variant i would be game. Just making the total higher due to lack of play ... not so much.

[Drekisen]

What about a daily featured quest or quest pack, quest or quests give 2-4x base XP, or something crazy that will make people run them. They could even make it ViP only, if they would enhance ViP I would probably sub again

[droid327]

I'd also love "hotzones", a daily system that just makes a pack more rewarding than usual.

"HOTZONE! Today Ravenloft gives 10% more Xp and chances for unique equipment!" (tweak the numbers as you like)
They could be related to Patrons, split by adventure packs or areas...

Daily probably is too fine a resolution, but definitely there could be a weekly expansion/adventure pack that's featured with a 25% XP bonus or something, along with the other rotating weekly bonuses.

Will it often leave many players unable to participate, because they dont own the content or dont have a character at that level? Sure...but that's still OK

[Bagel99]

What about a daily featured quest or quest pack, quest or quests give 2-4x base XP, or something crazy that will make people run them. They could even make it ViP only, if they would enhance ViP I would probably sub again

I would find this fun! or Feature a Pack and Expansion every weekend or so ?

[Wizard1406]

They could use the DDO audit numbers for xp/min and increase outliers that have very low xp min. Also take a look at the number of runs there. Many quests that low numbers because they have too low xp or flagging requirements.

Speaking of flagging - it should be once per character, not once per life. And all quests should be redbox-able, for grouping.

[erethizon]

Since you asked, here you go. I broke it out into a separate thread instead of burying it several pages into the other one.

In the past, SSG has said that they want to discourage players running the same quests over and over again. That was the stated reason for permanent ransack of optional XP and a couple of other changes. There are several reasons that players run certain quests and avoid others, but one of the big ones is the amount of XP they give. There are some quests that are so good I run them every life. Others are even better, and I farm them every life.

The problem is that when a quest is released, SSG makes their best guess as to how much XP it should be worth, and it stays that way forever, barring a rare manual xp adjustment like we saw a few years ago. There's no way to get the numbers right when you do that, especially since the "correct" number can change over time. The solution is to have variable XP. Keep track of how often quests are run. Each week (or whatever other period you choose), quests that are run more frequently than others get an automatic reduction in XP. Quests that are run less frequently get an automatic increase in XP. The farther away a quest is from the mean, the larger the adjustment. Eventually, the numbers should steady out and you'll find that people run a larger variety of quests.

Yes, there are some problems that would have to be overcome. For example, you might want to exempt the last two releases as well as the last expansion, since people have to run those a lot if they want the best gear, and it would suck to get no XP while you're doing that. You should probably also lower the overall XP needed to level since there won't be any more quests that give really outstanding XP that you can use to level faster. I think it's worth considering, though.

It is a solution, but it doesn't solve the problem that experience is so easy to get it really doesn't matter what quests you run. You will get your levels effortlessly no matter your quest choice. It will get some of the extreme efficiency crowd, but won't do anything to motivate people that already realize XP per minute is high enough no matter what you play.

I do like the idea of rewarding less popular quests though. I wouldn't mind seeing increased drop rates of rare items. Perhaps augments, tomes, etc.. If Faithful Departed had a significantly higher drop rate of augments, I know I would enjoy looting every chest more.

[thedip]

How about doubling the amount of xp that optionals give? I was in Raven's Bane EH (me lvl 27) and received a whole two hundred xp for completing one of the optionals - why bother?

Given the diminishing returns for optionals, a bit of a boost for some of them wouldn't go amiss - maybe a new type of optional (similar to barrels broken) that only give xp on completion of the quest?

On the subject of barrels broken, maybe the xp could be increased here, the zergers are going zerg but it would give a boost to us flower sniffers.

[ahpook]

How about doubling the amount of xp that optionals give? I was in Raven's Bane EH (me lvl 27) and received a whole two hundred xp for completing one of the optionals - why bother?

I assume that the was the lazlo ghost one. That one seems like a contractual obligation to the source material rather than something they actually want anyone to do.

Given the diminishing returns for optionals, a bit of a boost for some of them wouldn't go amiss - maybe a new type of optional (similar to barrels broken) that only give xp on completion of the quest?

On the subject of barrels broken, maybe the xp could be increased here, the zergers are going zerg but it would give a boost to us flower sniffers.

I like the idea of optional boosts for many quests but not the barrel/ransack boost. XP for breaking a barrel seems silly to begin with and then there are some quests where it makes no sense at all. Like you are helping some citizen out but then get bonus for smashing all their stuff in their house? It should be removed and not boosted. I doubt they will change it but if they do a boost is the wrong direction IMO. An optional XP increase or adding small chances for named loot in optional chests is a better way to reward "flower sniffers".

[Scrag]

WRT optionals, I am still first life, and every little bit of exp is appreciated, but I can see totally skipping optionals on my second life, because they are so small. Many quests I have run I can do maybe _2_ runs in the time it takes to do one with all the optionals. That stinks.

[Zuldar]

How about a tiny stacking xp bonus for each unique quest completed until you TR, thinking .1% per quest or so. It would be kind of an extension of the bravery bonus streaks already in game. Quests that might not be worth running just for the xp alone might be worth it if it buffs the xp on other quests like shadow crypts for example.

Just to tie this into a buff for VIP's while I'm at it maybe double the bonus for them, so .2% per quest instead of .1%.

[droid327]

Given the diminishing returns for optionals, a bit of a boost for some of them wouldn't go amiss - maybe a new type of optional (similar to barrels broken) that only give xp on completion of the quest?

This was the whole promise the devs made when they added optional decay...that they'd be able to add in optionals that were far more generous, because you couldnt just farm them separately. They also speculated that they might be able to tune up optionals across the board for existing quests too.

Neither of those ever actually happened, though. Chalk another one up to another half-completed design intent that got back-burnered and forgotten when they moved on to the Next Shiny Thing.

[mbartol]

Nerf now, payoff later.
Or not—players will probably forget.