ZEM different for camps in certain zones?

[Clazxiss]

I notice the Sebilis ZEM is set for 85 on the wiki. Does this mean ALL mobs throughout the zone offer that much bonus XP per kill? Or, do certain mobs/camps offer even more or less than that?

I ask because there are lowbie zones that have those weird camps of high level monsters hanging around such the Swamp of No Hope, Field of Bone, and Oasis of Marr with the spectres. Back on live, before Luclin, I remember people "feeling" they received more experience at certain spots in a zone. Another example would be orcs on orc highway in Oasis. Killing orcs on the highway feels like it wields faster XP than killing other mobs in the zone of equal level.

Is this in my head or are these noticeable to other players?

[DMN]

Confirmation bias related to larger mob level range while still conning blue.

[Legidias]

A lot of people debate about LoIO blood gills specifically for area specific ZEM bonuses. Personally I don't think its true, and that they just mistake the goblins low health for added xp bonus (per hour)

[Clazxiss]

A lot of people debate about LoIO blood gills specifically for area specific ZEM bonuses. Personally I don't think its true, and that they just mistake the goblins low health for added xp bonus (per hour)

How would one test this theory out? I've personally felt the gnolls around the Splitpaw spires were an increased ZEM camp. Same with the Aviak guards by the arena entrance.

[loramin]

How would one test this theory out? I've personally felt the gnolls around the Splitpaw spires were an increased ZEM camp. Same with the Aviak guards by the arena entrance.

It's easy, all you have to do is ...


Repeatedly kill (a whole lot ... I dunno, maybe 50 times? probably more to be statistically relevant) of the exact same mob of the exact same level. For a camp like the gnolls in SK, where (I believe) there are no fixed-level mobs, you'd pretty much need an appropriately leveled (ie. same level as the mob) character to con each one when they spawn, and another character to clear all the ones of the "wrong" level, so that your main character can kill 50+ of the "correct" level
Do the same thing with another mob (eg. some Aviak or the Hermit or something) elsewhere in the zone
Do the same thing with two other mobs of the exact same level as those last two, but in another zone (ideally a zone that you know has no modifier)
If you really want to be sure, I think you'd need to do it again (with the same exact level mobs) in another zone, so that you can triangulate


See? Easy ;)

[aaezil]

Problem is most mobs spawn in a range of 2-3 levels. Would need to find things that con white to test accurately. Everything else is “just a hunch”

[DMN]

It's easy, all you have to do is ...


Repeatedly kill (a whole lot ... I dunno, maybe 50 times? probably more to be statistically relevant) of the exact same mob of the exact same level. For a camp like the gnolls in SK, where (I believe) there are no fixed-level mobs, you'd pretty much need an appropriately leveled (ie. same level as the mob) character to con each one when they spawn, and another character to clear all the ones of the "wrong" level, so that your main character can kill 50+ of the "correct" level
Do the same thing with another mob (eg. some Aviak or the Hermit or something) elsewhere in the zone
Do the same thing with two other mobs of the exact same level as those last two, but in another zone (ideally a zone that you know has no modifier)
If you really want to be sure, I think you'd need to do it again (with the same exact level mobs) in another zone, so that you can triangulate


See? Easy ;)

Easiest I think is choose something that people really think gives boosted exp. Then find something that is the same level as the chosen mob in the same zone. Then just screenshot your exp bar during the process for measurement. Obviously try to not let your blue bar lapse into a new one on either kill as it complicates the measurement and the whole intention is to be quick/easy.

[Legidias]

That's tough to do in same zone cause most of the rumored XP areas are specific spots of high lvl mobs in an otherwise low level zone.

[DMN]

That's tough to do in same zone cause most of the rumored XP areas are specific spots of high lvl mobs in an otherwise low level zone.

Deepwater baracuda = 38 level, tainted = 36l. Bloodgill goblins 35-39.

[abyssalstalker]

I was reading a guide on XP, actually, and it's very interesting. IIRC it is verified by previous GMs as well.

I believe the way the XP system works in EQ is that mobs yield a flat amount of XP, depending on their level. All level 30 mobs yield the exact amount of experience, server wide.

The only variables are the ZEM for the zone, multiplying that flat XP amount by a small positive percent per kill, or mobs conning green (and still giving XP) which cut the flat XP value you'd receive in half. Also, there is a cap to the max XP you can receive per kill even if you kill a mob 20 levels higher than you. I'm not sure on the exact math, but maybe no matter how much higher lvl it is, it always yields the flat XP of a mob 4-5 levels higher than you.

[Legidias]

The max you can get is 10% xp on a single xp gain.

I was also wondering about the coding involved but ZEM is like the highest of coding secrets on P99.

[loramin]

I was also wondering about the coding involved but ZEM is like the highest of coding secrets on P99.

This is very true.

ZEMs are almost completely unique in this project. For virtually every other decision ever made for P99, classic mechanics trumps classic experience. No one remembers OT hammers, midnight mallets, epic MQs, etc. being anything at all like they are here on P99, but despite being deeply unclassic as far as everyone's memory/experience, the devs keep them working that way because P99 is all about re-creating EQ's mechanics, just like they were on live ...

... EXCEPT for ZEMs. It's so odd how anomalous that one decision is.

[Clazxiss]

This is very true.

ZEMs are almost completely unique in this project. For virtually every other decision ever made for P99, classic mechanics trumps classic experience. No one remembers OT hammers, midnight mallets, epic MQs, etc. being anything at all like they are here on P99, but despite being deeply unclassic as far as everyone's memory/experience, the devs keep them working that way because P99 is all about re-creating EQ's mechanics, just like they were on live ...

... EXCEPT for ZEMs. It's so odd how anomalous that one decision is.

And this is why I posed my question. From a large population stand point, it would make sense to make un-popular zones offer an incentive to level in them, such as the Gorge of King Xorb. Or, the bloodgills in lake omen. Not only does it draw people away from zones that are over-camped, it helps maintain support in other zones that people have to travel to. Best example of that would Dagnor's Cauldron as people run to Unrest.

[Crede]

Confirmation bias related to larger mob level range while still conning blue.

This.

Mobs like bloodgills have 4-5 level range yet the difference in hp is barely noticeable, only how hard they hit. But the experience gained through each one is noticeable. heard once there’s an underwater zem and also a noob zone zem but that’s hard to confirm.

[loramin]

As an aside, if anyone (or more like several anyones) wanted to work with me to do the (painful) research necessary to establish what the actual ZEMs are, I'd love to contribute to such a project. It's just that with all my wiki projects (and, you know, real life) I don't have time to do much more than farm for an hour and submit my data points.

The project would really need someone who's motivated and organized to lead it, and likely several other data contributors though.

Of course, as soon as we start figuring out the ZEMs the staff might change them in response, but hey at least if that happens we will have succeeded at rotating ZEMs, which is a victory in itself.

[jolanar]

ZEMs are mostly irrelevant when determining XP/Hour though. The real project would be to rank zones by xp/hour, but that's already effectively been done by the playerbase because that mirrors the Unrest > Mistmoore > CoM etc popular zone paths.

Also, IMO the ZEMs are poorly implemented here. Zones like Dalnir/Nurga/Droga with mobs that are significantly more difficult should have a much higher ZEM than they currently do. The whole point should be to balance out the difficult zones with a worthwhile risk/reward.

[Crede]

ZEMs are mostly irrelevant when determining XP/Hour though. The real project would be to rank zones by xp/hour, but that's already effectively been done by the playerbase because that mirrors the Unrest > Mistmoore > CoM etc popular zone paths.

Also, IMO the ZEMs are poorly implemented here. Zones like Dalnir/Nurga/Droga with mobs that are significantly more difficult should have a much higher ZEM than they currently do. The whole point should be to balance out the difficult zones with a worthwhile risk/reward.

Would like to see rotating ZEMs like this instead of the inevitable shit show that green server will bring.

Kerra isle is a prime example. A zone that’s probably 80% closer to a portal than unrest is, with a metric shit ton of mobs and requires a lowbie to know their ass from a hole in the ground. Shame it’s empty.

[Buellen]

Think you all over thinking this.

Would be pain to set up "areas within a chunk " to having different xp rates.

1) How do you calculate the entire zone xp vs one area ?
2) How do you check to see if mob is the correct area to give the correct zem ?
3) It just easier to set a whole chunk to one zem

I rem how sony tended to just do what was the easiest fix for a problem. This makes sense whatever required the least amount of man hours is what they tended to do (from my personal view).

Anyhow my 2 cents.

[loramin]

Think you all over thinking this.

Would be pain to set up "areas" having different xp rates.

1) How do you calculate the entire zone xp vs one area ?
2) How do you check to see if mob is the correct area to give the correct zem ?
3) It just easier to set a whole chunk to one zem

I rem how sony tended to just do what was the easiest fix for a problem. This makes sense whatever required the least amount of man hours is what they tended to do (from my personal view).

Anyhow my 2 cents.

I'm not at all convinced that there are area ZEMs, but if they did exist their implementation would not be difficult (nor would it require much extra work from Verant devs, since we all know they weren't fans of extra work):


Devs draw an area on the map
Any mobs that spawn within that line get bonus (or reduced) XP