|
Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 12:40 PM |
Hi all,
I did some searching for this topic in the forums but was unable to locate what I was looking for. If this does exist, please kindly direct me there.
Basically, I'm trying to figure out the Experience system in Vives. I have one character currently (who's a meager level 9) and, I'll admit, I've found it a bit discouraging that hunting the same creatures while soloing results in a 'penalty.' Presumably, many others who prefer to hunt alone have encountered this, so I'll ask a couple of simple questions after stating an example.
The example I'll use is mountain giant hunting in Fiirkrag Pass (due east of Buckshire Village). Being a Dwarf (my character, anyway - I'm slightly taller :), I was delighted to discover that I could solo these mountain giants at level 9 with little problem. My first kill resulted in about 150 experience points (which, to any who have put any time at all into Vives, is known to be a good chunk for a kill), and I was, to put it plainly, pretty geeked about it.
After a few more kills, it came to my attention that the rewarded experience was dwindling rapidly. Having killed about twenty of the creeps, I now receive roughly 40 experience points when one drops.
So here are my questions.
First, is this a common thing and something I should expect throughout the world? In speaking with the Vives Guide (OOC Area), I learned some time back that players are 'rewarded' for being in groups. The experience system utilized in Vives is the Persistent World XP System by Bills, but I was unable to find much information about that (being an experienced builder myself I had intended to look into it).
Second, if players are 'rewarded' for grouping up, does that mean that the experience received for killing creatures doesn't wane as it does when fighting alone?
I certainly enjoy grouping up, but oftentimes I have just a half hour or so to play, and I'd rather not find a partner only to ditch him or her several zones from a safe spot forty minutes later.
Thanks,
Ben
Lucid_Reverie |
|
|
  |
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 12:47 PM |
First of all, the generic DM response. Vives isnt about the XP. As such we would not encourage extensive discussion of how to get xp. Where to go, what to kill, etc. Some of the details you use in your post are a bit near the mark really.
That said, so long as RP is very high in your priorities and you enjoy that aspect of playing in Vives, some concern with levelling and xp is obviously quite common for many players, and you wont be penalised or criticised for it... :0)
The xp system in Vives will continue like that with everything you fight. Eventually resulting in no more than 5 xp for anything you have killed plenty of. This is to encourage people to "adventure" rather than find something easy and "camp".
Makes no difference if you are in a party or not. Your xp will still be effected by how much -you- have killed something. Not how much other people in your party might have. Every class has some critters they are better against than others, diversity is they key here, exploring and picking your fights.
Course doing that solo is suicidal. That's where the emphasis on partying comes in.
Partying doesnt give any bonus xp. Just gives a bonus to chance of surviving! And as long as within 5 lvls of each other, penalties to xp are not drastic for partying up.
Hope that was some help, anyone else replying please steer clear of specific examples of how and where to get xp,
Sirac |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 12:51 PM |
The Experience system is designed to show more reality, as in, are you really going to learn the same amout by killing the same creature the same way over and over again? No, probably not.
I'll be honest with you, I'm not sure how EXP in groups is done. I don't really pay much attention to EXP as it's not really the point of Vives. I'd take being rewarded for being in groups as meaning that I'm more likely to run a DM event on the fly with a group of people rather than one person. Take for example my last event with a Troll in a cave, if it was just one person in that cave it never would have happened, but with seven the event happened.
And yes, it is a common thing you'll see for every creature on Vives. Each kill of a creature is added to your character's database and that number is referenced when giving out EXP. |
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 01:16 PM |
Okay, many thanks. I appreciate the responses.
My apologies for going into too much detail on the example.
I'm certainly into RP; it's the main reason that I came to the server. As you'll most likely agree, Vives is different in many ways from the majority of NWN servers (most of these ways positive). I simply wanted to ensure that I wasn't missing anything and that I wasn't leveling up more slowly than others because I was uninformed, misinformed, or just plain stupid ...
Knowing that this is the way Vives works (and it makes sense ... particularly True Darkness' comment on learning the same amount by killing the same creature over and over), I'm a happy camper again.
I'll also take this opportunity to dote on the DMs again. I've been playing over forty hours on Vives and haven't had a single bad experience! While my comment may sound humorous and even facetious, it's certainly not. Thanks to all for quick responses IG (as well as in the forums), being helpful, and actually knowing what's going on.
Ben
Lucid_Reverie
P.S. - So I'm a bit suicidal. Should that be held against me? ;) |
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 04:31 PM |
No, it's definatly a plus. Though I find your comment on being "a happy camper" a bit humerous (No, I'm not poking fun, I just get most of my humor out of plays on words, and allusions to past events)
Out of curiosity, I've been here years now, and I have two questions: When you use the word been, prounced "Ben", is it spellt been, or ben? Secondly, how exactly is XP handled when the level difference IS huge and you're in a party? Let's say I theoretically partied up with a level 30 at level 10 (just so the numbers aren't too unrealistic), and we went out killing Uber-25th level zombies or something. I know you'd typically only get 2 XP a kill, but if you killed 50 or so with this 30th level, and then finally managed to be able to solo some on your own later in your adventuring career, would you only get 2-5XP for each one knocked off?
Just something I've always wondered. |
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 05:03 PM |
Yes, you can lose out on xp in this way, killing a -lot- of things over your level whilst partied with someone much higher lvl. If you are in a party then anything your teammates kill counts as one kill for you also.
To an extent most chars suffer from this to some extent over their adventuring career.
The counterpoint to that is that Ara and the other builders are continually adding new stuff to see / critters to kill. So the xp pool is always increasing, it is already a massive amount larger than when many of us started playing.
Also, please be aware travelling places with people and refusing to party with them for xp reasons is really not in the "spirit" of Vives. More than fair enough in a big group to make two parties of similar levels, but to not party at all really isnt on. And if the other character is helping you with buffs / weakening monsters for you to kill, then you are both metagaming and will face penalties that far outweigh the xp gained.
I -know- the vast majority of players here have never, and would never do this. But as it has happened rarely in the past, and the topic has kinda come up here, just worth mentioning. And yes, DMs can see whether you are partied or not.
Cheers,
Sirac |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 05:06 PM |
| *Nods* That's what I suspected, though it was just an idle curiosity. |
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 06:34 PM |
You'll never have to worry about 'poking fun' at me - I can be quite a card when I choose to be as well. ;)
I'm really enjoying Vives so far, particularly due to the nature of the roleplaying. This is the first server on which I've played wherein virtually all of the players not only stick to the heavy RP, but actually seem to know what they're doing as well. Communication is key. Many players will use the 'I can't type' excuse, but hey, until you actually try, you're never gonna get anywhere, right?
'Do, or do not. There is no try.' - Master Yoda :) |
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 06:37 PM |
Partying doesnt give any bonus xp. Just gives a bonus to chance of surviving! And as long as within 5 lvls of each other, penalties to xp are not drastic for partying up.
Just wanted to state as a personal opinion, that as soon as one partys up past one or two level differnce, the penalties do become rather drastic. Not to mention that if traveling with someone of a much higher level, even a few kills can null one's experince with 2-5 exp per creature. |
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 06:42 PM |
Partying doesnt give any bonus xp. Just gives a bonus to chance of surviving! And as long as within 5 lvls of each other, penalties to xp are not drastic for partying up.
Just wanted to state as a personal opinion, that as soon as one partys up past one or two level differnce, the penalties do become rather drastic. Not to mention that if traveling with someone of a much higher level, even a few kills can null one's experince with 2-5 exp per creature.
Not that it bothers me much (Yes! I had to say it!), but I have to agree. I've had characters that travelled with others only 3 levels above them, and I think the penalty does become quite drastic from that point on. Not that it stopped me from travelling with them, since parties are a lot more fun than soloing. |
WickedArtist: I think he needs a proper elf.
WickedArtist: A christmas elf!
Tasra: Any sort of elf that actually smiles ;o
Gasp! Scandalous!!! |
|
|
|
|
Re: Experience system
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 06:44 PM |
| It does bother you ... admit it! ;) |
|
|
|
|