What is a good group XP rate?

[footlongcorndog]

What is a good group XP rate on this server? My highest level toon is in the late 30s and when I solo I get about 30% even up to 40% an hour. But when I group, the best I can get is about 20% per hour. I also die way more in groups then solo, so that rate drops even lower.

I like grouping a lot more than playing solo, but I like progress more than anything. Is 20% per hour a good rate? Or have I just had a lot of bad luck when I group?

[Ralexia]

I kept this experience log back in 2010 when I was playing with a static group. Eventually, it turned into a static 3 man and we ended up making a lot more experience. I played the monk and I think I was using fists so with Kunark weapons you should be able to do a lot more damage. Try playing with a smaller group? 2-4 person groups are better than full groups usually since you run out of stuff to kill or the puller can't or doesn't pull stuff fast enough to keep everyone active.

Paw consistent exp group

Date/Day of the week/Monk(level)/ class composition

11/08/2010-Monday- lvl 37 - war, rng, mnk, ench, clr

3:38:10, 47%
4:10:00, 57%

11/09/2010-Tuesday- lvl 37 - war, rng, mnk, ench, clr

3:27:23, 67%
3:58:30, 77%
4:32:45, 87%
5:05:45, 97%
30% exp in 98.25 minutes = 327.5 mins/lvl

11/10/2010-Wednesday- lvl 38 - war, rng, mnk, ench, clr

3:30:00, 05%
3:56:00, 15%
4:31:45, 25%
5:04:00, 35%
30% exp in 94 minutes = 313.33 mins/ lvl

No play on 11/11/2010

~Didn't record exp progress for 11/15/2010, 11/16/2010

11/17/2010-Wednesday- lvl 39 - mnk, dru, ench -

3:35:45, 42%
4:08:30, 62%
4:50:50, 84%
5:19:00, 00%
58% exp in 103 minutes = 177.59 mins/ lvl

11/18/2010-Thursday-lvl 40 hell level - mnk, dru, ench -

3:25:00, 06%
3:54:45, 16%
4:38:00, 26%
5:15:00, 36%
5:34:30, 40%
34% exp in 129.5 minutes = 380.88 mins/lvl for a hell level. If you divide by 2 you get 190 mins/lvl

[footlongcorndog]

20% per hour in your 30s seems low but its not terribly off. But it also sounds like you are doing full 6 man groups that are dying a lot.

I recommend you get better at EQ

We got a bad ass here boys! I'll do better to live up to your high standards. Cause ya know, being "good" at elf sim is the only thing i live for

[Wonkie]

We got a bad ass here boys! I'll do better to live up to your high standards. Cause ya know, being "good" at elf sim is the only thing i live for

why ask about exp efficiency if you don't wanna be good?

:confused:

[Topgunben]

What is a good group XP rate on this server? My highest level toon is in the late 30s and when I solo I get about 30% even up to 40% an hour. But when I group, the best I can get is about 20% per hour. I also die way more in groups then solo, so that rate drops even lower.

I like grouping a lot more than playing solo, but I like progress more than anything. Is 20% per hour a good rate? Or have I just had a lot of bad luck when I group?

Try 2 levels per hour with Bard.

Nub

[footlongcorndog]

why ask about exp efficiency if you don't wanna be good?

:confused:

Questioning XP isn't a matter of being good, its a matter of time investment. As noted in this thread, I'm the "bad" player, yet when I solo I can get 50% more XP than the "good" player who replied.

The idea that anyone thinks they're "good" in a game based around RNG, auto-attack, kiting, and equipment to increase your effectiveness is laughable.

Why reply with "git gud" if you want your post to be taken seriously? :confused:

[rajax]

The above advice to limit your group size to only as many characters as you need to handle fights smoothly and efficiently is the best.

When you have 5-6 man groups that are not normally challenged by 2-4 size pulls or are not doing a dungeon crawl where everyone is cautious, but instead a more common camp and pull (usually in competition with other groups in the area) there is a ton of pressure to pull recklessly as the biggest danger is often just boredom and people falling asleep at their keyboards- it can lead to disaster especially on P1999 where mob pathing can be “questionably” implemented.

Xp division used to be far worse before when class and race modifiers effected all grouped Xp rates. At some point I recall a patch probably around Luclin/PoP era that boosted group Xp rates for large groups probably more then once as EQ aged and population declined but if all you are concerned with is Xp rate per hour smaller duo/trio groups were always the best and often were still slower over extended time then the best soloing classes.

It would be non-classic to have group experience rates buffed so I would encourage you to try to enjoy the journey to 60- which is the whole game for non-raiders. Maybe break up the monotony of efficient park and pulls on some days and get that large group to take a trip through old less crowded dungeons or areas people haven’t tried in ages. The Xp won’t be better necessarily but it will be a lot more fun.

[Wonkie]

Questioning XP isn't a matter of being good, its a matter of time investment. As noted in this thread, I'm the "bad" player, yet when I solo I can get 50% more XP than the "good" player who replied.

The idea that anyone thinks they're "good" in a game based around RNG, auto-attack, kiting, and equipment to increase your effectiveness is laughable.

Why reply with "git gud" if you want your post to be taken seriously? :confused:

spyder doesn't want to be taken seriously, he's trying to piss you off

:o

[Canelek]

And that is probably way too much corn dog.

[Tethler]

Cause WTF are you expecting when you say you dont know how to group without dying constantly and obviously have the answer to your own question (your XP rate sucks since you crush it solo, this shouldn't be the case).

Take your daddy issues out on someone else

This isn't RnF. I realize this forum is rife with posters personality disorders, but can we at least attempt to remain civil outside of RnF? If you don't want to post constructively, move on to the next post.

[Foxplay]

If you log out with more exp than when you logged in...you dun good

[aaezil]

No trolling in server chat please promptly ban the offender thanks

[Danth]

What is a good group XP rate on this server? My highest level toon is in the late 30s and when I solo I get about 30% even up to 40% an hour. But when I group, the best I can get is about 20% per hour. I also die way more in groups then solo, so that rate drops even lower.

I like grouping a lot more than playing solo, but I like progress more than anything. Is 20% per hour a good rate? Or have I just had a lot of bad luck when I group?

A bubble an hour in the late 30's isn't setting records, but it's not an unreasonably slow group experience rate, either. What class are you? Some classes do commonly make faster experience solo than grouped. That's part of why something like Necromancers--one of the most popular classes on P1999--aren't especially common in pick-up groups.

Danth

[Jimjam]

Social loafing is a thing. But I think there is more to it than that.

What roll do you play? What is your equipment? Where do you solo? Where do you group?

To really know what's happening we need to know that.

The number 1 thing I find in groups is the puller spends too long in camp fighting instead of running off to pull the next group of mobs. The group needs to be kept on its toes.

Don't be scared of disciplining and kicking repeat offenders that don't pay enough attention.

Also Spyder isn't completely full of shit; grouping is harder than soloing as it requires broader class knowledge, communication and teamwork.

[Crede]

The only good group I ever had was in FV, we had 2 Druids pulling with non stop mobs in the camp at all times. This is because 99.9% of the time the camps in this game don’t provide enough mobs to make big groups worthwhile. It’s actually a shame more full groups don’t form in dense zones with completely uncontested mobs(Kerra Isle, Cazic Thule, Nurga/Droga, Dalnir, etc.)

But generally speaking If you want to get great xp while still being social, don’t do anything more than a duo or trio. And then you get to laugh if you end up in an overcrowded zone when you get rude gestures from people who are butthurt because you didn’t invite them in your trio

[eadric]

JimJam nailed it. Pulling is by far the most engaging and tiresome job on p99. Almost every class has tools to do it for most low level camps. Share the burden and offer to pull every now and then.

QFT. Often, i find myself soloing on my ranger just because I'm not up for the hectic pressure of pulling. As others have stated, smaller groups are the best solution to your problem. That, and remember it's about the journey. Level 60 isn't much fun unless you enjoy the raid scene here.

[Rygar]

it can lead to disaster especially on P1999 where mob pathing can be “questionably” implemented.


Lol. .. did you even play during 1999 - 2001? P99 pathing is insanely superior. Live had mobs that would run away from you, get stuck, run back and forth, or just plain disappear.

[rajax]

I started EQ about 1 month after it originally launched- first character was a rogue Barbarian who lost his body several times in the white maze of Everfrost to teleporting polar cubs and warping ice goblins (unstable servers and dial up connection). I also remember my 2nd character a wood elf bard that I stereotypically walked off the edge of Kelethin within 1 minute of entering the world.

Yeah pathing sucked in the original game and every expansion brought its own special bugs but P1999 has had its up and downs with the same issues for better and worse. Can’t argue with the increased stability that modern internet infrastructure and broadband connections has brought us.

[solrokk]

Factors are going to play into this as well. Are you guys living off the land? Do you have 10k worth of gear? More or less? What classes are in this group? Are mobs constantly being pulled in or are you spending alot of time looking for pulls?

If you all are wearing banded, fine steel weapons, and are comprised of 2 bards, 1 druid, 1 cleric, 1 Shaman and a Tank. This can affect your experience. We just don't know.

Here's my example of a group last night.

Me: 30 Monk (Hell Level) Ada club/SoS/Fungi etc.
29 Druid, zero gear.
29 Mage, Zero gear.
29 Rogue, 1k worth of gear.

I was getting about 40% exp in a hell level per hour in Sol A. Mind you, I was hunting for pulls quite a bit as the zone was packed and there was 2 60's PLing another toon.

[Pint]

And that is probably way too much corn, dog.
Ftfy

[Dhalquisst]

LDoN were great for level-grinding. (and fun, more challenging)

[Topgunben]

Factors are going to play into this as well. Are you guys living off the land? Do you have 10k worth of gear? More or less? What classes are in this group? Are mobs constantly being pulled in or are you spending alot of time looking for pulls?

If you all are wearing banded, fine steel weapons, and are comprised of 2 bards, 1 druid, 1 cleric, 1 Shaman and a Tank. This can affect your experience. We just don't know.

Here's my example of a group last night.

Me: 30 Monk (Hell Level) Ada club/SoS/Fungi etc.
29 Druid, zero gear.
29 Mage, Zero gear.
29 Rogue, 1k worth of gear.

I was getting about 40% exp in a hell level per hour in Sol A. Mind you, I was hunting for pulls quite a bit as the zone was packed and there was 2 60's PLing another toon.

40% ? That's pretty good for 1 hour in hell level. That's 80% non hell level.

Am I missing something/doing something wrong? I don't think I have ever gotten close to that fast exp. PM please and send advice.

[Canelek]

Ftfy

Lol, thanks for that. :D

Back on topic, keep in mind that there are always a ton of options, unless you must have that ZEM, ideal group, or prefer the crowded zone progression. I mostly solo due to my schedule, but grouping is a blast as well; especially if you are not concerned about min/max, exp gain per mob, etc.

And yes, grouping is where you learn to play your class well. That is why oddball group combinations can be the most rewarding. Ask a druid or necro that loves the group dynamic what they bring to the table (answer: quite a bit!).

[pickled_heretic]

40% ? That's pretty good for 1 hour in hell level. That's 80% non hell level.

Am I missing something/doing something wrong? I don't think I have ever gotten close to that fast exp. PM please and send advice.

He's very well twinked, I am betting he could have gone even faster e.g. soloing in guktop.

When you are soloing, there are minor inefficiencies that pop up. E.g. medding at fm because you are tabbed out and watching midget porn, waiting for mobs, running around finding mobs, not casting the right spell at the right time etc.

Well, when you get a bunch of people together, these issues start conflating and compounding (one inefficiency causes another causes another and so forth). It's just inevitable. A duo is at the point where specialization benefits more than these inefficiencies penalize, but it is rarely true for a full group.

Also if you have some classes like wizard or most druids it is essentially welfare. They cant pull their own weight so you are basically subsidizing their exp gain. It is the same with gear and twinks.

[kjs86z]

Short answer: it depends.

[jackd104]

Everything depends on what zone, camp, group member levels. I have found generally xp is better in a good group than solo. Def more fun. There’s no rush to the top. Once you get there you’ll find you’re on the bottom.

[Servant]

Try red99, brother - The exp is natively faster than blue, you get an additional bonus for each member in group, meaning you can even leech exp afk sometimes and people won't mind as long as you aren't known for making a habit of it. Also, camps are open for the taking - there are no waitlists, and with red's pop being as low as it is (owing to summer and the active Rise of Zek server pulling some players out) there's hardly even any pvp to interfere.

Lastly, and most importantly - Red needs people. The horror stories about griefers and snobby über guilds are dated - it used to be more like that, though never to the level of the worst nightmares of Blue's rumor mill, but now griefing is really rare, and the raiding guild will accept pretty much anyone that makes it to the required level and isn't a big douche. Raiding on red is healthy, everything in Velious other than Tunare and AoW dies with regularity, and Kunark raids related to epics or specifically prized items (AoN for instance, which for various reasons is excellent in pvp.)

There are certainly some unique challenges on Red, and if you play, even though it's not like some may have you believe - you will get pvp'd at some point, you will get griefed at some point, and you have to be prepared for that. Some things in the game work differently on red as well, so there's always a bit of a learning experience (for instance, duck doesn't interrupt casts, you have to wait the entire cast bar - but you can sit and med mid-cast and stand up at the last to complete the spell) but overall it's much the same as blue, with some additional challenges and some additional perqs, and with not enough people instead of way too many. Give it some consideration, and if you do elect to come over - bring your friends! :)

- Servant - 60 CLR- Red99

[Topgunben]

Try red99, brother - The exp is natively faster than blue, you get an additional bonus for each member in group, meaning you can even leech exp afk sometimes and people won't mind as long as you aren't known for making a habit of it. Also, camps are open for the taking - there are no waitlists, and with red's pop being as low as it is (owing to summer and the active Rise of Zek server pulling some players out) there's hardly even any pvp to interfere.

Lastly, and most importantly - Red needs people. The horror stories about griefers and snobby über guilds are dated - it used to be more like that, though never to the level of the worst nightmares of Blue's rumor mill, but now griefing is really rare, and the raiding guild will accept pretty much anyone that makes it to the required level and isn't a big douche. Raiding on red is healthy, everything in Velious other than Tunare and AoW dies with regularity, and Kunark raids related to epics or specifically prized items (AoN for instance, which for various reasons is excellent in pvp.)

There are certainly some unique challenges on Red, and if you play, even though it's not like some may have you believe - you will get pvp'd at some point, you will get griefed at some point, and you have to be prepared for that. Some things in the game work differently on red as well, so there's always a bit of a learning experience (for instance, duck doesn't interrupt casts, you have to wait the entire cast bar - but you can sit and med mid-cast and stand up at the last to complete the spell) but overall it's much the same as blue, with some additional challenges and some additional perqs, and with not enough people instead of way too many. Give it some consideration, and if you do elect to come over - bring your friends! :)

- Servant - 60 CLR- Red99

All of what you said is true because no one plays on Red. I tried red, couldn't find a group anywhere. It's a ghost town that needs to be burned to the ground and rebuilt. I'm not against PVP...... I am against playing a 20 year old elf sim all by myself .

[Servant]

Nobody plays? Nah. There's not enough, but there are players. You don't get groups by just going to a zone you hope to hunt in and looking for a group, you get them by advertising in /ooc, by making friends and talking to them, and most especially by joining the leveling guild du jour, which is currently <Savage>. I've gained 4 levels on my characters in the last week, all 50+, and none via soloing. I didn't even hit it all that hard, just good groups with players that know wtf is going on.

It is true however that the lower levels, such as what you were experiencing, are an especially ghostly ghost town - the reason being that, if you get plugged into the social scene and thus can find a group, it takes almost no time at all to go from 0-30. CB->Unrest->Nybrights->Mistmoore. Since it's so fast to get past these levels, and since the pop is low, there's hardly anyone sub 20 on the server at any given moment. No big deal though, one good group, or an afternoon's PL session with a friendly druid, and you're golden. But your point remains - one of the challenges of the red server are the quiet levels from 1-20, and to a lesser extent the 40's can be a pain too. We just need maybe 30 more active players there, which is in part why I'm recruiting :)

- Servant

[Topgunben]

Nobody plays? Nah. There's not enough, but there are players. You don't get groups by just going to a zone you hope to hunt in and looking for a group, you get them by advertising in /ooc, by making friends and talking to them, and most especially by joining the leveling guild du jour, which is currently <Savage>. I've gained 4 levels on my characters in the last week, all 50+, and none via soloing. I didn't even hit it all that hard, just good groups with players that know wtf is going on.

It is true however that the lower levels, such as what you were experiencing, are an especially ghostly ghost town - the reason being that, if you get plugged into the social scene and thus can find a group, it takes almost no time at all to go from 0-30. CB->Unrest->Nybrights->Mistmoore. Since it's so fast to get past these levels, and since the pop is low, there's hardly anyone sub 20 on the server at any given moment. No big deal though, one good group, or an afternoon's PL session with a friendly druid, and you're golden. But your point remains - one of the challenges of the red server are the quiet levels from 1-20, and to a lesser extent the 40's can be a pain too. We just need maybe 30 more active players there, which is in part why I'm recruiting :)

- Servant

I honestly would give it a shot again, but there's just no one on Red, so I'm not going to. If there were 150 active players, I would give it a shot, but 40? No way man. I got better places to waste my time. . I seriously don't understand why Rogean and Nilbog don't wipe Red. The server pop would literally quadruple from all the new people giving it a shot if they did.