ZEM different for camps in certain zones?
 

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?

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

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.

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

1. 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
2. Do the same thing with another mob (eg. some Aviak or the Hermit or something) elsewhere in the zone
3. 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)
4. 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 ;)

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”

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.

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.

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.