Ilum XP Farm

[Kubernetic]

Is it not still possible to level there today? I understand the XP boost is gone, but the XP should still be way better than elsewhere, right?

 

You might be able to, but honestly, without the double XP boost, if you can stomach that mind-numbing grind for that long to get to 50, you deserve it.

 

I think the largest majority of the power levelers were doing it this weekend, and will be returning next weekend. You might get a few groups during the week here or there, but I doubt it.

 

I only did that leveling thing for about an hour and a half last night and I wanted to shoot myself. Had so much more fun PVPing with my other toon and leveling up that way.

 

AND DON'T FORGET:

 

Let me just be a right rotten bastard and say that it's a PVP zone, at least on the PVP servers. If you don't like them leveling up, get on your alternate faction toons and kill them all. They can't level up very quickly when they're dead.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Kubernetic

[justandulas]

It is a bug and i'd be more than shocked if it was intended, however... who cares? The game has been out for almost a year and a half, and anyone who has a 50 already has one. Bioware may just be turning the blind eye to let people level up quickly before their expansion, every MMO does it. Blizz has looked the other way countless of times as botters, and exploiters get world firsts, abuse leveling, etc. Bioware just wants it's customers to have fun, and this is one of those bugs that isn't really game breaking as it doesn't overpower anyone and we all have a chance to do it. And no, I didn't get a chance to do this as I was busy all weekend but still, it isn't game breaking and it isn't a big deal. So someone hits 50 faster than we did a year ago, not a big deal IMO. Let them have fun

[Heezdedjim]

It's very likely it was unintended, I agree with you there...but it's been fun for the majority of players, and that needs to factor in to their decision about what to do now. It's a time consuming, but viable alternative to leveling via quests...I would love to see it stay as it is.

If it suggests to them the appeal of making level 10 ops and large-group-grindable leveling content, then that's legit. Obviously people liked it cause they did it. The challenge for Bioware is to look at it and see what it's telling them about the appeal of this activity vs. other things people could do, then figure out how to carry that appeal through to something designed into the game, without breaking everything else they have made.

[TUXs]

it's a problem for the game and anyone that wants to play it - all other leveling progression paths are currently obsolete and eventually, once this gets down to a widely known routine, no one other than a select few will bother with them. Good luck finding people to do sub 50 fps or wzs or heroics. That's -IF- the Gree event occurs monthly as it has for the last two. I've seen the same thing happen in other games and don't want it to happen to this one.

 

What does that tell you about the sub 50 leveling process? If, as you claim, "no one", other than a select few, want to level the traditional way, what is wrong with providing people an alternative? I WANT to play the game, and this is not a problem to me. The reality is, 1-49, or leveling, is only done in MMOs, by the majority of players, because it's necessary to reach 50 (or level cap). This is why end game content needs to be heavily focused on in MMOs - players spend most of their time playing AT level cap.

[Heezdedjim]

You might be able to, but honestly, without the double XP boost, if you can stomach that mind-numbing grind for that long to get to 50, you deserve it.

 

I think the largest majority of the power levelers were doing it this weekend, and will be returning next weekend. You might get a few groups during the week here or there, but I doubt it.

 

I only did that leveling thing for about an hour and a half last night and I wanted to shoot myself. Had so much more fun PVPing with my other toon and leveling up that way.

At least in this case people had to actually do something in order to level up. There are games where the entire mid-range leveling process consists of dozens of players sitting on a hill /afk for days on end, while another player runs around nuking mobs in front of them. (That's right, Anarchy Online, I'm looking at you.) That's the sort of thing that turns games into graveyards.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Heezdedjim

[TUXs]

If it suggests to them the appeal of making level 10 ops and large-group-grindable leveling content, then that's legit. Obviously people liked it cause they did it. The challenge for Bioware is to look at it and see what it's telling them about the appeal of this activity vs. other things people could do, then figure out how to carry that appeal through to something designed into the game, without breaking everything else they have made.

 

Good reply!!! To me, it was joining up with my friends, 7 of us, in one Ops group that allowed ALL of us to contribute, despite our levels.

[Kubernetic]

At least in this case people had to actually do something in order to level up. There are games where the entire mid-range leveling process consists of dozens of players sitting on a hill /afk for days on end, while another player runs around nuking mobs in front of them. (That's right, Anarchy Online, I'm looking at you.) That's the sort of thing that turns games into graveyards.

 

Agreed.

 

If it suggests to them the appeal of making level 10 ops and large-group-grindable leveling content, then that's legit. Obviously people liked it cause they did it. The challenge for Bioware is to look at it and see what it's telling them about the appeal of this activity vs. other things people could do, then figure out how to carry that appeal through to something designed into the game, without breaking everything else they have made.

 

That really is one important thing missing from this game, IMHO.

 

In a previous game that I played, and sometimes just go tour for fun, you could either hunt, mine, or craft. Hunting mobs would net you loot comprised of resources that you could sell to get more money for more ammo to go hunt some more, etc.

 

But many of the mobs were very big, very tough mobs. So we would put together massive hunting parties, and just head off into the open landscape to find a pack of the mobs we wanted to hunt, and started.

 

I think you're onto something here, Heezdedjim. Instead of reacting like "**** IT'S AN EXPLOIT, CHANGE CHANGE BAN BAN", the obvious suggestion here is that this game needs much bigger mobs that teams of people will gather up to go hunt en masse.

 

And raids aren't enough. Sometimes I don't want the story, I don't want all the surrounding crap and navigating the maps and finding my way to quest hubs and what not. I just want to grab my armor and my weapon and head into the darkness to find something to pew pew pew with a group.

 

But is it the group mob hunting that people enjoy most, or just the quick leveling? Do they like the taste of the beer, or are they only drinking it for the alcohol content?

 

Some testing in various modes in the coming months with new such content would be a great way to figure that out. Make it happen, BioWare!

Edited March 18, 2013 by Kubernetic

[Heezdedjim]

Good reply!!! To me, it was joining up with my friends, 7 of us, in one Ops group that allowed ALL of us to contribute, despite our levels.

People have complained before about how the bizarre group XP mechanics actually punish you for grouping if you're even slightly lower level than friends. It's odd in a game that makes so much effort to make people run in groups (e.g., "social points").

 

There are other games that handle team bolstering much better. Star Trek Online, for instance, will let max level players and brand new toons group together to do the same content, and they somehow managed to make the bolstering and XP calcs all work out fine, without gimping the content, and without allowing /afk "power leveling." Of course, STO also has a bit more content that is "off the rails" compared to this game, but not much.

 

Basically the way it works is that mobs in any instance (other than endgame raids) will spawn at a level that matches your level when you enter. If a max level player is teamed with a level 1, then the level 1 is bolstered up to 51 in stats and basic item rating, and the mobs you face match the higher level. So you both have to do the work, nobody gets a free ride, and the XP is award to each person as if they were doing content on their own level.

 

They could make FPs work that way if they wanted; bolstering all group members to the same as the highest level in the group, and making mobs scale to that level as well. It would require some reengineering to make mobs scale dynamically, and they would also have to rework the XP code a bit to deal with each person individually. But it would ensure that everyone can contribute in any group (and has to, in order to get the instance done).

 

This game could do a lot more along those lines, to make it viable for people to play together no matter what their level, while still making the XP gain proportional for each member of the group, and not allowing higher level players to just drag lower levels through stuff blindly.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Heezdedjim

[Andryah]

Does it really matter how quickly other people get to 50?

 

I honestly don't care and I find it quite odd other people do.

 

/Signed.

 

Fact: people level to cap faster in MMOs over time (when compared to when the MMO launched). It's the nature of MMOs for the most part. Some of it is player skill, some is game mechanics. Why do people care how fast someone else levels a character? Your not playing that character and getting to level cap one dimensionally does not make a character superduper in any way. Let people level the way they want to.

 

Heck some MMO companies even give veteran players automatic level dings as a perk to get them to come back and pay to play some more.

 

Note: personally I don't take advantage of the Ilum XP farm... as I enjoy taking the time to level a character via normal PvE routes... so don't even bother trying to gank me over this.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Andryah

[JoeeyyMagzz]

I am still failing to see the problem with this? If players want to get to 50 as fast as possible, why should they be stopped? I fail to see how people getting from level 1-50 in 20 hours or whatever affects my gameplay in the slightest... If it's someone's very first toon ever and they're doing that, then they are only cheating themselves and I don't care. If it's their 10th toon getting to 50, then they are fully capable of getting to 50 via other means and I still don't care...

[Andryah]

I am still failing to see the problem with this? If players want to get to 50 as fast as possible, why should they be stopped? I fail to see how people getting from level 1-50 in 20 hours or whatever affects my gameplay in the slightest... If it's someone's very first toon ever and they're doing that, then they are only cheating themselves and I don't care. If it's their 10th toon getting to 50, then they are fully capable of getting to 50 via other means and I still don't care...

 

/Agree.

 

Nothing more to say really. JM nailed it as far as I am concerned.

[itsmymillertime]

Bioware stated it was a level 45+ area, if they do not enforce it, then the players are not at fault. It is like when a higher level groups up with a lower level and blows through content for the lower level to level faster.

[TUXs]

Bioware stated it was a level 45+ area, if they do not enforce it, then the players are not at fault. It is like when a higher level groups up with a lower level and blows through content for the lower level to level faster.

 

I thought the 45+ was just for the missions, not the area?!

[Urael]

Fact: people level to cap faster in MMOs over time (when compared to when the MMO launched). It's the nature of MMOs for the most part. Some of it is player skill, some is game mechanics. Why do people care how fast someone else levels a character? Your not playing that character and getting to level cap one dimensionally does not make a character superduper in any way.

 

Indeed. Leveling speed increases after the first time to CAP in any MMORPG (unless one is a derp). One learns the patterns and pitfalls of a particular games leveling progresson/path and learns to optimize on each subsequent toon regardless of class played. That said, a path that is basically instant CAP is a cheezy way to level. Why bother with a progression like this. Just give people "instant 50s" after the first and be done with it. This has to be an unintended leveling experience ( but, not an exploit unless EAware identifies it as such).

 

... as I enjoy taking the time to level a character via normal PvE routes... so don't even bother trying to gank me over this.

 

Indeed. I have never minded a leveling progression. It gives me time to learn each class I play in each game I play. There may be "areas" of a particular leveling path that I loathe (Taris Imp or Pub in SWTOR, ALL of Outland in WoW) but as for a process I don't mind leveling.

 

((Still able to post with no time remaining for about 5 days now .. I guess when server reset happens tonight I am done. LoL ))

Edited March 18, 2013 by Urael

[Savej]

What does that tell you about the sub 50 leveling process? If, as you claim, "no one", other than a select few, want to level the traditional way, what is wrong with providing people an alternative? I WANT to play the game, and this is not a problem to me. The reality is, 1-49, or leveling, is only done in MMOs, by the majority of players, because it's necessary to reach 50 (or level cap). This is why end game content needs to be heavily focused on in MMOs - players spend most of their time playing AT level cap.

 

Give people everything they think they want for little effort and yes, they will gobble it up. But then they will get bored and move on very quickly thereafter. Sort of like making a 2 hour Star Wars movie showing nothing but two characters dueling with lightsabers - it's what you want, sortof, but without context it is pointless and cheap. This leveling process has the potential to remove that context for anyone (brand new players, soon-to-be-disgusted old players, etc.). MMO design 101 - don't allow this.

[JoeeyyMagzz]

Indeed. Leveling speed increases after the first time to CAP in any MMORPG (unless one is a derp).

 

I don't know why, especially since the term has been popular since EQ days, but whenever I see derp I always laugh hysterically. <3 gamers for coming up with the greatest terminology on the planet. <3 non-gamers for being oblivious, using our terminology, and thinking it's "cool".

[TUXs]

Give people everything they think they want for little effort and yes, they will gobble it up. But then they will get bored and move on very quickly thereafter. Sort of like making a 2 hour Star Wars movie showing nothing but two characters dueling with lightsabers - it's what you want, sortof, but without context it is pointless and cheap. This leveling process has the potential to remove that context for anyone (brand new players, soon-to-be-disgusted old players, etc.). MMO design 101 - don't allow this.

 

What? Not everyone is a roleplayer wanting to sit through all that. I'll still go back and do the class quests, but I'll do them back-to-back and enjoy them 100x's more than splitting them up like the current alternative is. Call it cheap if you want, but I don't enjoy the leveling the same way you seem to.

 

And I disagree with you. MMO design 101 should allow for alternative leveling processes, not repeating the same quests ad nausem.

[Rafaman]

Meh... XP farming was probably an unintended consequence of the event lining up with XP weekend but who cares. Didn't bother me in the slightest and, tbh, seeing peeps group in mass, play together and have a good time doing it was and is a good thing.

 

A couple of rebuttal arguments to what I've read.

 

First to those that worry that now there will be fresh 50s that don't know how to play. Heh. There are plenty of 50s that "learn how to play" after they cap aside from this event. Many respec as the leveling skills and trees are no longer relevant and they want to focus on raid builds. Others begin to focus on group content. Nothing wrong with that and it is quite easy to learn. Besides... most players looking to power level now are doing so on their alts. They know the game and the mechanics. Getting to 50 is no longer a learning process for them.

 

Second, to those that feel that farming is and exploit an unfair competitive advantage that is tantamount to cheating; yea... it is not. You are not in a direct competition with these other players. The fact that they get to 50 using a shortcut does not cheat you out of your gaming experience. Not sure why you care tbh... and it smacks of the p2w hysteria. People do not have to play your way, even in on RP server btw.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Rafaman

[Andryah]

((Still able to post with no time remaining for about 5 days now .. I guess when server reset happens tonight I am done. LoL ))

 

Hehe... so I see.

 

I'm sure the neff bat is coming your way soon on the fourm posting priviledges though.

[Andryah]

Not sure why you care tbh... and it smacks of the p2w hysteria.

 

I agree.

 

This is probably this weeks rant-dejour.

 

Last week it was the Cartel Market again, getting beaten like anwanted pet, most recently over faux-hysteria about faux-rep being faux-P2W. The week before that it was the faux-rage at....at.... heh, I can't remember. That's how significant this kind of complaining is actually....nobody remembers past the prior week.... it's like the cable news cycles I guess.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Andryah

[Arkerus]

I agree.

 

This is probably this weeks rant-dejour.

 

Last week it was the Cartel Market again, getting beaten like anwanted pet, most recently over faux-hysteria about faux-rep being faux-P2W. The week before that it was the faux-rage at....at.... heh, I can't remember. That's how significant this kind of complaining is actually....nobody remembers past the prior week.... it's like the cable news cycles I guess.

 

God, isn't that the truth. These forums are exactly like the 24 hours news cycle. Hey! Here's some BS that no one really cares about but I feel important so here it is anyway.

[BaronV]

well i tried it on my level 20 Imp Agent... didnt work at all

 

Couldnt pick up the quests

 

Tried killing trash mobs - got 285 XP per lobel killed.

 

Doesnt sound like much at all...

[selios]

 

1.) There will be a glut of level 50s who will be able to out farm me and my alts for resources on lower level worlds since they will be invulnerable at the lower levels. They will have to grind their skills up.

 

2.) Equipment prices for 50 gear will skyrocket due to demand. While I have a decent amount of credits, I am not rich in this game.

 

3.) There will be a huge influx of players on the level 50 FPs that will not have figured out how their toons work. I am not saying that I am an elite player but having someone who powerleveled a tank or healer try to learn their rotations/skills in a 50 hard mode isn't going to end well.

 

4.) Related to #2 - Inflation from the influx of 50's being able to grind all dailies and have larger credit pools to spend.

 

FuulishOne hit most of the points but it's early and I can't help myself.

 

1 and 3...Using the official game metrics given to you by Bioware, how many of the players in this "glut" of 50's are new players and how many are alts you were already in competition with for resources? How many of this "glut" in FP's are new and how many are alts that know the fights? What caused the new players to not learn the basics while leveling in an Ops group? Cause an Ops group is just like a FP group only more people in the group.

 

2 and 4...How did players first acquire lvl 50 gear? Did the gear fairy pass it out or did players have to do the FP's and Ops to get the gear? Does the gear fairy still pass out gear or do players have to do FP's and Ops in order to get gear if they can't/don't buy it? If a player doesn't have the credits to buy Op's armorings/mods/etc what are they going to have to do to get the gear? How much at the current prices, prices that btw have dropped by almost half since the xpac is just around the corner, does and FULL set of BiS armorings/mods/enhancements/barrels cost? How long, hours in a day/days in a week/weeks in a month/etc, would a player have to run dailies to acquire that many credits? Feel free to add in up to 11 alts. Also feel free to add in the time to gear the alts too. If players are spending credits from dailies on gear they could get in Ops and it's a MASSIVE "glut" of 50's doing this, is it inflation or is it supply and demand at work?

[Elear]

AND DON'T FORGET:

 

Let me just be a right rotten bastard and say that it's a PVP zone, at least on the PVP servers. If you don't like them leveling up, get on your alternate faction toons and kill them all. They can't level up very quickly when they're dead.

 

All those 8-12k characters with 0 expertise? This is perfect definition of target rich environment.

[Savej]

What? Not everyone is a roleplayer wanting to sit through all that. I'll still go back and do the class quests, but I'll do them back-to-back and enjoy them 100x's more than splitting them up like the current alternative is. Call it cheap if you want, but I don't enjoy the leveling the same way you seem to.

 

And I disagree with you. MMO design 101 should allow for alternative leveling processes, not repeating the same quests ad nausem.

 

This has nothing to do with me wanting to rp - where are you getting your bs from? MMOs with optional leveling paths are great. Swtor has several - more is fine. But when one path is 5 or 6x faster than the others then no one is going to do the others other than the diehards. And the diehards will be lonely and, at best, pitied by the other people they might run into. I have seen this happen in several other games - it does not end well.