Filling experience

Last weekend, “are we there yet!” cries erupted on the beta Vanguard forums after an unknown entity set Vanguard’s leveling curve from moderate down to glacial as it gets. I first fell victim to the news as I slay even cons whom barely pushed my experience forward and this was at a whopping level seven. Filling the bar in the later levels was a hefty time sink according to forum reports, but the proponents to the unexpected change were in full force bashing any naysayers and degrading the debate into the all familiar name calling: “wowkiddies” and “softcore carebears.” Way to stay classy, catasses-buy some new socks would ya.

Being a trooper, I committed to earning one level which took a few plus hours. It was difficult playing because I was bored out of my gourd and ended up watching a slideshow more than being a melodic bard in harmony with my surroundings. I found more enjoyment peppering questions at random strangers discovering their opinions about the game than making a tub of popcorn for the slide show and wading through the bubbles. Out of the small handful of players I surveyed who love Vanguard have very capable computer systems that would power a cylon race if equipped with the right nanotechnology. The 8800gtx was the top choice among video cards.

I decided against playing Vanguard over the weekend in hopes the problem would be assuaged or acknowledged. It wasn’t hard accomplishing this since the throbbing electrical current supplying ample amounts of soothing warm air dissipated as the bitter cold extinguished those power lifelines somewhere in the nearby mountains forcing me to play survivor man and prevent frost from enveloping my digits. Copious amounts of alcohol stashed under a ten layer blanket fort assisted me in my staying warm trials.

Skip the next two paragraphs if you don’t want to read the boring weekend anecdotes. Last thing I want is for my sister to return from the icepocalyspe devastating Austin, only to find her dog left in my care with gnawed frozen finger treats from her brother strewn about. Unfortunately, Austin is not leaving a pleasurable impression on her, which I find extremely disappointing because we were are no longer discussing a move there together. I guess Austin is not like how it is in the movies or something.

The first day under my care the dog escaped the gulag I imposed, a search and rescue party of one in 15 degree wind chill weather resulted in frozen lips and what would be remnants of my tongue stuck to the metal contraption bastardizing my teeth. Five hours later I finally stumbled upon my prisoner only for her to run away as I attempted to tackle after tackle forcing me to gasp for breath leaving my face blue. After my failed tackling attempts, I coerced the dog into submission by using several incoherent ghastly howls of life or death causing her to cower and piss all over my shirt as I carried her back home. Better that then dead I say, the dog is diabetic and requires two insulin shots a day and my sister would never forgive me. Truth is, I love her dogs even if they are both a stinky pain in the ass. And now back to filling experience…

I’m fine with longer level curves if there is meaningful content to support it, if not, I will dislike your world and I will come on this blog and I will become a raged emo and tell you how much you suck and cut my wrists, tell all my friends I’m a cutter and join a live journal cult whom worships naked smurf cutters and go play Second Life and drop a small phallus down some ugly holes. Yes, to be more consider I will not play your fucking game. If a leveling curve lacks meaningful content I’d rather see a system similar to Eve Online where levels advance without having to grind mobs where the only strategy involved is to make sure endurance or mana is in check and only foozle at a time. After the last five thousand leveling bars this strategy most mmogs employ is So much fun!

Anyway, Vanguard’s leveling woes have been tweaked from the glacial pace back to a more moderate friendly pace. According to David Forrest, a senior programmer, Vanguard’s leveling curve is still a work in progress and provides some valuable information on what players can expect. Only two weeks until release and the leveling curve is still pending whether poopsocks will be required for play. Like I said already; provide meaningful content and I’ll take the longer curve. I bemoan WoW’s quicker leveling pace because I enjoy the content so much I want it to last longer and I’m not killing grey cons either.

Forrest on Vanguard’s leveling curve:

“Our EXP system has changed quite a bit (as noted a few patches ago) and it does take some time to get it feeling just right. The primary reason experience was so incredibly and unbearable slow prior to last patch was that the group multiplier on the base experience for an NPC was missing! This means that for a short period of time the base experience of a four dot (challenge level 4) NPC was giving 5 times less than it was supposed to.

We also adjusted the experience rewards across the board to make it easier. For example we gave two dot (challenge level 2) NPCs a 40% increase in experience. This all took effect in the patch earlier today.

Is experience going to stay as slow as it is right now on beta? It is unlikely but it really depends on the balance that takes place over the next week. We are trying to zero in our intended combat times in group and solo situations and that is what determines how much experience things give. Unfortunately some of the experience changes have not been timed perfectly with the kill time adjustments for players.

Rather than spend too much time discussing experience amounts I would like to give everyone some perspective regarding our level time goals (since that is what this comes down to anyway). These times are NOT final and will be adjusted prior to release but they should give you a ballpark. For those of you on the edge of your seat I’m not actually on the verge of divulging our experience rate master plan.

That said we are targeting something like 1.5 hours to reach level 5 and between 7-8 hours to reach level 10. In your late teens we are targeting something like 4.5 hours to level and in your early thirties half a day. Don’t worry we are measuring the time to max level in hours not years.

Again these are not exact values and are subject to change but if you experience (hehe) nothing like this you can expect it to speed up quite a bit. We will be continuing to look at kill times, down time and travel time and adjusting experience over the next week. We have also taken steps so that our future changes to experience should not cause anyone’s progress in their current level to be altered.”

FOCUS: How much time should the average player invest to reach max level? 15 days, 25 days, 40 days 100+ days? Oh, they measure it, don’t believe the rascally devs who usually lie to us players about these sorts of things.