Why the static quest XP reduction?

[Burt]

It seems the XP on static quests has been reduced (significantly in some cases).

What exactly is the purpose of this reduction? It seems like it's only going to hurt new players since everyone else (me included) farmed them already for the maximum rewards.

I think I can speak for 90% of players when I say that Level 1 holds no appeal whatsoever. Spending more than about 10 hours there is far too long.

Please return statics to the previous awards. Sure people level up in a couple of days - but it's more fun for everyone involved and hardly detrimental to game balance.

[Runestaff]

It seems the XP on static quests has been reduced (significantly in some cases).

I haven't played in some time, so I don't know the current status of the statics, but the last I saw, statics have already been reduced twice since the final day of beta (i.e., April 14).

It was my understanding that ALFA 2 was supposed to bring a new static reward system that awarded based on the CR of a static. Assuming that is the case (possibly a big assumption), has CR been adjusted downward as well, or were the experience awards deemed to be out of proportion to the threat? My experience during testing is that several of the Rivermoot statics were quite deadly as is, when the xp rate was something like 66-110-154 or so for each tier available.

I do tend to agree, though, with Burt's assessment that this appears to disproportionately penalize new PCs or those who could not play much during the first couple weeks of live.

[Joos]

It seems the XP on static quests has been reduced (significantly in some cases).

What exactly is the purpose of this reduction? It seems like it's only going to hurt new players since everyone else (me included) farmed them already for the maximum rewards.

I think I can speak for 90% of players when I say that Level 1 holds no appeal whatsoever. Spending more than about 10 hours there is far too long.

Please return statics to the previous awards. Sure people level up in a couple of days - but it's more fun for everyone involved and hardly detrimental to game balance.

2nded.

[indio]

I set them up to get players through Lv1 relatively quickly, and without exposing players to too many risks. It's got to have been the biggest lesson from ALFA1...get players to Lv2.

So I agree. It'd be great to return them to their original levels, or better yet, increase the number of quests.

[witch]

2nded and level 1 sucks..

*caculates...hmmm 10 hours ingame 100xp.. im doing something wrong.. .Ohh i know.. RPing..*

ANd i have no idea what the old xp levels were but if they are set back to the high amount, me wants xp

[Veilan]

While I see no problem with the reduction - come on guys, some of them could be solved within all of 30 seconds without any real risk even alone, how much feeling of achievement was that to make level two like that? - slightly irritatating would be if those who went there and got the full 990xp first were to keep them.

I am concerned about that because it only fosters the rat racing and competition mentality: complete as much content as fast as you can, or you'll get punished.
Some people like to take statics slow or when they seem IC on the path of their character development, giving those players a disencouragement over the initial 24/7 crowd seems not entirely conducive to the spirit of roleplay we want to foster.

Now of course, a retroactive reduction might possibly make some of those first people scream about how they earnt it and that they are not powergamers (noone said they are), so my sympathy for the tight spot you DM guys are in.

So long,

[indio]

I don't think anyone wants a rat-race mentality, in life or in game. But Level 1 ought to be a proving grounds of sorts, not a life-threatening gauntlet. You join ALFA, roll up a PC, download the works and log on. Let's return the favour for your efforts by ensuring your PC means something to us as well as it does you by getting you to Lv2 without risking life and limb.

I really believe this is what we learned from ALFA1. We can curb PGers, but not human nature. Let's not try to curb human nature. Everyone is anxious to get out of Lv1 by virtue of it being insanely easy to die. No one wants to die that soon. So let's just let people get Lv2, take a breath, and head off to earn a living.

Rivermoot is a backwater, it's nowhere, a dead-end town. Soon everyone will be in Silvy or far away, and Rivermoot can serve its purpose as a start location where newcomers can log in, earn a level, then travel where they wish. Let's leave that deliberate part of the server design in-tact.

[ThinkTank]

1-2 is a scrabble for survival. Unless your into that sorta breathless festival of instant kills and failure, it means you are not at the level you wish to RP at.

The rat race is mostly people wanting to get to a level where their chosen RP plots matchs their actual statistics.

Or at least, race until they feel reasonably certain they can pit their PC against most static content (DM content hopefuly being scaled to party level) without getting raped.

Unfortunatly with alot of people wanting to play unstoppable badasses from the start, you get a charge for XP up to 10th.

Leveling is based on time put in more than static content, people who dont play 24/7 are still gonna get left behind.

No I'm not going anywhere with this, so look at the cute bunny.

[Mulu]

While I see no problem with the reduction - come on guys, some of them could be solved within all of 30 seconds without any real risk even alone

That's BS. Have you run those statics yourself? I can't think of a single one that didn't involve a spawned encounter. Even if you don't have to kill it to complete the quest, you typically get attacked anyway unless you are a min/maxxed stealth build. At solo 1st level, it only takes one shot to kill you.

But the real issue was best descibed by Indio, as usual. Newbie statics are a chance to earn some coin, get a level, and get a feel for the server. RM was a good design.

[ç i p h é r]

What's this? ThinkTank speaks?

Cutting down XP to try and normalize leveling not only won't work, it's outrageously communist in principle! (both in trying to level the playing field and not working, parts)

Sorry for the pointless banter. I'll get back to whatever I was doing...

[darrenhfx]

*straps on flak jacket*

We adjusted them to better reflect the risk/reward ratio. In addition, the next update will feature new statics that will help lift everyone out their lvl 1 blues.

[Wynna]

I did it, with my little ax.

I'm doing my best to DM each of you out of the Level 1/Level 2 doldrums, as are the other DMs. It's nicer to be in on the creation of a unique backstory for each newly minted PC.

[Burt]

I did it, with my little ax.

I'm doing my best to DM each of you out of the Level 1/Level 2 doldrums, as are the other DMs. It's nicer to be in on the creation of a unique backstory for each newly minted PC.

There's nothing you can do backstory-wise at level 1 that can't be done as effectively at level 2. Backstory is generally the purview of the player - i.e. the biography - if it's that important ask for bios.

As for risk/reward ratio...how exactly does fighting a (CR2 by default ) bugbear at level one reflect low risk? The majority of the statics include danger that at level one is life-threatening.

For those who enjoy milling around avoiding harsh winds lest they be slain, fair play to you. Personally I, and most others, like to be able to adventure. If these changes are going to stick then all players who completed the quests early ought to have their xp brought in line with the new expected gains, otherwise it's a slap in the face to new members and returnees. "Thanks for playing but we're putting you at a disadvantage for starting late."

[fluffmonster]

before long, most PCs will have moved on from RM. It will only be a few new PCs left. That willl make it more difficult to find a party, which is essential to doing most of the statics. Then it falls to DMing. It has to date been rare for me to see a DM even on, and I've not been DMd myself thus far. Yes, I have a very limited playtime and cannot get on regularly.

Even if we accept the rat-race argument, who is slowed down most by drawing out lvl1? Its people like me, the people who lag behind in the race anyway. We are the ones who have the least chance of enjoying some DM time, and lowering static rewards makes everyone that much more dependent on DM time. The rat race isn't diminished, its simply substituted away from a "race" for statics toward a race for DM time.

I thought this was a lesson learned in NWN1? Sure, its easy to look at a given static and say its got to be nerfed to balance risk and reward for that particular static, but I think its better to consider the reward in the overall context of a PCs life. As a player, this is discouraging and now I feel like I'm going to have to do that much more hunting if I want to get out of level 1, or wait for some scheduled DM time that I can actually be around for. Neither encourages me to want to log in.

[Sintaqx]

Having enough statics in place to get a new character to level 2, half of which can be done solo, is probably ideal for Rivermoot. Now I've only done the 3 scouting quests (no character motivation for the others) so I can't speak on the rest, but the first 2 in scouting either don't have any spawns, or only pass by a pre-existing spawn, and are/were an easy 99xp when I did them.