Suggestion: Option to turn off experience gain

[DameonLG]

You apparently haven't gotten to the 40-50 range.

 

People could easily screw themselves over by forgetting they toggled on "no XP". You get a a LOT more xp from quests than you do from the things you mentioned. Not to mention you only have 1-2 dailies of your level available at any time (you out-level the lower ones).

 

Having a no xp option could easily create problems where people are forced to grind for many times longer than they would if they quested. And there would be QQing about that as well.

 

So have the NPC have a 'user beware' statement.

 

People QQing about having to grind would have no one to blame but themselves.

[Kalthorine]

So have the NPC have a 'user beware' statement.

 

People QQing about having to grind would have no one to blame but themselves.

 

Alternatively (although not ideally) it could be set up so that those who want to toggle xp gain off have to re-toggle it each time they log on, rather than have to remember if it is on or off. That completely removes the potential for anyone moaning that they "forgot they had their no-xp flag on" (which I agree is a rather weak argument against it anyway).

[DameonLG]

That sounds like a lot of work for those of us that don't suffer from alzheimer's.

[Phexa]

I'm with you on this. I don't know if outright toggling XP off would be the way to go, but tuning the XP gains might be something to consider in the long run. I skip a fair bit of the bonus missions, haven't done any of the planets' bonus series and only do each flashpoint once to experience the story, and I'm still past the recommended level of the planet when I'm halfway through.

 

I like PvP and space combat so I do the occasional mission every now and then, which seems to cause even more of a gap between my level/planet content. I enjoy the challenge, and at the moment the only time it gets interesting is when I solo the 2+ missions.

Edited January 9, 2012 by Phexa

[VeganHipster]

No, you gave vague reasons that support your argument

 

I want to hear a pragmatic reason, for why they should spend (waste) time, and money on developing something that so few people would use, which serves no purpose

 

I want to hear a pragmatic reason as to why you are still posting on these forums if this game sucks and you hate it, at least thats what you have said according to your other topics.

 

Can't wait till the 20th.

[maradigamer]

If you choose to turn off xp you shouldn't be allowed to pvp until you're level 50. That would solve the twink problem in pvp and give the pve completionist crowd what they want, too. Everybody happy, right?

[darthjerro]

Because I don’t like to skip content, what is so hard to understand?

 

Nothing is too hard to understand. i know exactly where you are coming from.These types dont care about story, only end game.

 

On topic, i agree with the op, im lvl 41 and still on alderaan.

Doesnt take much ( im a flashpoint freak ), so run then alot, and do space combat, no pvp though.

 

Is it me or does quest completion just give out way too much xp. Green space battles, 20k xp a pop. Normal quest up to 20k a pop, waaay to much..

 

I would use the turn of xp option, or why not make it if the quests are green , you get very little xp for it. Im happy for no xp myself and just credits till i get to yellow quests. ( i havnt done a yellow normal quest since i was lvl 10, all green ).

 

No i will not skip content, its a brand new game, im a completionist, i want to see it ALL.

Edited January 9, 2012 by darthjerro

[Shaz]

I like the fact that there is more to do than is necessary to hit 50. I like it being possible to skip a side quest or area, or not have to do dailies every single day, or skip PvP entirely and not suffer for or fall behind on xp.

 

However....

 

I would like to have the xp toggle.

 

My main character did *one* flashpoint. One! (Black Talon.) She did less than a half dozen space battles- and some of them were done on a whim, without a daily quest attached. She missed over 80% of the Heroic quests on every planet she went to. She was never involved in any PvP. And at level 36, she was at least 5 levels higher than the quests she was doing (and much higher than that for many).

 

That's excessive, especially for having missed so much.

 

I simply did all quests I found, all side quests, all bonuses, went on crafting material harvest adventures and datacron hunts... and I vastly outleveled my quests. I started skipping areas. I started ignoring bonus quests. I still remained several levels higher than the quests I was doing.

 

 

 

Some form of xp toggle would be nice... even if it's just toggling off the xp gained from killing things, while keeping quest xp turned on. Something to 'trim down' the xp inflow, for those that want to 'go slower'. I don't WANT to be 50! That's when the story ENDS (for now, at least!), so why do I want it to be over? I want to take my time and discover everything, on my OWN time, and without being so overleveled I'm bored to depression.

Edited January 9, 2012 by Shaz

[Styxian]

+1 for the xp lock switch. I found myself constantly overleveling my current planet by +5..+6 levels.

 

No need to be an asinine *****... And don't give me that I don't care crap. All you storyline-zombies care about is letting others know how much you care about the story. Pathetic.

Someone needs a hug.

[Meiu]

Just something I would like to see in the game, I like to do quests, flash point, space missions but due to this I awaits out level every new zone I enter (4+ levels) which makes killing mobs mind numbingly easy (not fun) ...even the heroics.

 

Wanted to see what others thought as well?

 

So when the 50 bracket is out you can twink for level 49 ?

[sithlordcip]

I agree, im lvl 30 and havent even been to Tat yet and Im starting to outlevel even Alderaan.

 

/signed

[Kalthorine]

I hope that the number of responses to this thread, as well as the numerous times someone has attempted to start a similar topic and been re-directed to this thread (Google "SWTOR turn off xp" to see what I mean), will stir Bioware into action... or at least earn the idea a Dev Tracker!

 

Seriously, as I said in my post earlier in the thread, this is an option that people who want it would love if it was introduced, and if it was would have absolutely no detrimental effect on those who didn't want it. Please Bioware, show us story-loving challenge-seekers a little love...

[Kalthorine]

I still think that this "turn off xp" toggle is the answer to a lot of peoples' frustrations with game flow, as evidenced by the debate going on in the following "Cut EXP gain 35% across the board" thread:

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=156224

 

No need to argue, people, give us this toggle and players can - at will - suspend their xp gains until they want to re-enable them. And it wouldn't adversely affect anyone else.

 

The only arguments I have heard at all against this are:

 

1. Argument: "I would never use it/It is a waste of time"
   Response: You wouldn't have to use it - don't stop others from doing something just because you wouldn't choose to. Like I said above, having the feature and choosing not to use it doesn't affect you at all does it?
   .
   
2. Argument: "Some people might forget they have it turned on and waste time grinding before they realised it."
   Response: Oh come on, really? You are trying to tell me that after goodness-knows-how-long not gaining xp or levels by choice because you turned on your no-xp toggle, on deciding it was time to level again you would somehow not remember why you weren't gaining xp before??? Seriously, if we are going to not include game features because the most mentally challenged players make mistakes like that then we'd better start removing features already in the game - like being able to dismiss companions, so as to prevent players-of-little-brain from accidentally engaging tough mobs in solo PvE just because they forgot to resummon them... Basically, I don't accept this as a valid argument against, it sounds like clutching at straws to me.

In conclusion: VOTE XP TOGGLE!!!

 

*** Max benefits for those who want it, zero penalties for those who don't. ***

 

You know it makes sense...

[LordHartigan]

I think part of it is some of the things you gain experience for are just plain unbalanced. Space combat being the main offender. It is ridiculous that you get that much experience for something so easy that takes less than five minutes. The other part is the things that actually give you xp. Maybe there's too many of them. For example when i was in single digit lvls I went around and 'discovered' all the crew skills to gain a whole lvl in about two minutes. There's xp for all the lore objects. There's xp for basically taking just one step and unfogging a new part of the map. Taking some of that out might help slow down the lvl prorgression.

[Meedz]

You make a good point OP, and I would consider using xp toggle when I just want to enjoy the story. The plus side to being stronger than the planet you're on is that you don't feel the grind. This felt especially good on taris and nar shadaa; kill 30 then 45 rakghouls and then 30+45 gangsters? No problem when I can pull 6-7 plus a strong and feel a challenge. It's not too easy but it's not painfully hard either.

[Kalthorine]

You make a good point OP, and I would consider using xp toggle when I just want to enjoy the story. The plus side to being stronger than the planet you're on is that you don't feel the grind. This felt especially good on taris and nar shadaa; kill 30 then 45 rakghouls and then 30+45 gangsters? No problem when I can pull 6-7 plus a strong and feel a challenge. It's not too easy but it's not painfully hard either.

Good points made, Meedz. You could of course use the "turn off xp" toggle to maintain the right level difference between you and the area you are in to stay just overleveled enough to enable the scenario you described. I certainly agree that removing challenge from the game by being way too powerful for the area you are in usually leads to getting bored really quickly.

[EvgPopov]

I would also very much like to see such an option in the game. I have recently begun playing an alt in order to wait for the people I want to play with. Before that, I was still waiting for them, while doing space combat and PvP, until I realised I was outlevelling the planets (I don't do heroic quests or flashpoints for the most part, since I'm too high level to do them with my friends...).

 

From my point of view, the game is balanced like this :

 

1. It allows a solo player to progress at the recommended pace when doing his class missions + associated hub missions + 1 alternative source of XP.
    
   
2. The alternative source can be any of :
   
   • The bonus objectives of the quests.
     
   • Heroics
     
   • Bonus planet quests
     
   • Flashpoints
     
   • PvP
     
   • Space missions
     
   • Mob farming
     

 

[*]This is pretty awesome, since it allows you to chose how you want to progress through the game.

 

[*]However, if you begin to earn XP from several of these alternative sources (in my case, simply bonus objectives and bonus quests), you start to get ahead of the recommended level. Do more, and the gap widens.

 

[*]This is a problem, since you begin to get insufficient challenge and obsolete rewards from your quests. Even worse, outlevel your play buddies, and you make the game worse for them - their XP gains are greatly reduced for grouping with the high level you.

 

The solutions I'd like to see, beginning with most entertaining (and most difficult to implement ) :

1. A mechanic with a game world representation that allows you to sacrifice XP gains for another ressource - for instance, 10 XP = 1 Credit. This can take the form of a holo-camera floating besides you, used to remotely train NPC recruits of your faction - basically giving your XP to them, in exchange for payment, or a reputation gain. This has the benefit of fitting within the world, as well as keeping XP gains rewarding in another manner.
   
2. The same mechanic with only an interface representation (cheaper in terms of development time). An active power that gives you a buff, transforming any XP gain into credits. You can either deactivate the buff at will, or wait for it to expire (or log off). Additionnally, make it a learned power taught by a hidden trainer, making it an investment and hiding it from unsuspecting players who don't want it.
   
3. The same XP transformation mechanic, but as a simple menu option - it can be harder to know when this is active, however.
   
4. The toggle option described in previous posts - activated in the menu, it inhibits all xp gains while selected. The caveat is that an important source of reward is lost for the player, possibly making the associated content less enjoyable.
   

 

Any of these would be a quality of life buff for me, and I think would enable more people to enjoy the full range of content available to us.

[Szemis]

Gain Experience Toggle. Yes Please!

 

/signed

[Jaick]

Don't do space and Warzones and you'll actually UNDER LEVEL. Then fighting mobs 2-3 levels above you will seem more rewarding to you hardcores.

 

To me leveling is fine.

[daemian]

I would 100% support a feature to pause or at least slow down experience gain.

[DameonLG]

Don't do space and Warzones and you'll actually UNDER LEVEL. Then fighting mobs 2-3 levels above you will seem more rewarding to you hardcores.

 

To me leveling is fine.

 

I didn't do -any- on my Jedi and I was still 3 or more levels ahead of zones just from doing all the quests.

[Eagle_Tarquinas]

I would support this on the condition that you cant disable warzone experience.

 

Why? Because if you disable that too someone can sit at level 49 and troll everybody else with full level 49 gear pwning lowbies to farm commendations. So, dont do that.

[maradigamer]

So when the 50 bracket is out you can twink for level 49 ?

 

That's exactly what would happen.

[Loxion]

Usually I only want an xp option off in pvp to twink, but its different here. This game needs an off option so:

 

1. I can play pvp, do all side quests, flashpoints, and space missions when I want to. Right now if you do too much outside of the class story (which isn't much), you out level content and start 2 hitting mobs/grey quests/pointless item drops/etc.

 

2. From what someone posted early - maximize crafting with the resources at that level, taking the time and feel no need to rush.

 

The only downfall to this I see is Twinks.

 

I think your 2nd point is a little extreme to be honest. I have done PvP, space combat, all solo missions on planets, quite a few FP and most of the Heroics and I haven't had a single grey quest / mob yet up to level 42. Admittedly I have been up to 3 levels above a planets level range when I get to it but it has never been grey.

[Kalthorine]

So when the 50 bracket is out you can twink for level 49 ?

The majority of people who want the xp toggle want it because the game gets too easy and lacking challenge once they are 3-4 or more levels higher (on average) than the areas they are questing in.

 

There is a simple solution to this: Make it so that you can only disable your xp if your are level 1-45. Once you hit level 46+, the option to toggle xp off would be removed... yes there might still be "twinking" (hate that word) by level 45s, but that wouldn't be as blatant an exploit as doing it at level 49.

 

To be honest, however you design a system to be helpful to as many people as possible, there will always be the determined few who find ways to exploit the system. I for one don't believe that something like an xp toggle which would be a boon to so many who want it, should not be implemented just because of some powergamer's potential for twinkiness!