I think this experience penalty is a little harsh. I, like guineapig, play at odd hours and only for an hour here or an hour there, so I have been playing a Magician and soloing is a must. Even if I were fortunate enough to find a group in the first ten minutes I was online, I would only be in a group long enough to get settled in and then have to leave.
Yes, I could still level solo with the Magician or Necro, but doing 50% of the damage in a fight would be both very costly in mana and difficult to do without drawing aggro to yourself a lot (the aggro issue could just mean getting better at the class, which isn't the worst thing in the world, I guess). Last I checked, Magicians were, for lack of a better phrase, defined by their pets, so it seems silly to make their pets so much of a burden when soloing.
Personally, I think it should be altered so that if a solo player doesn't do 1-5% of damage to a creature, the pet steals 75-99% of the experience. If the concern is AFK levelers, this will solve the issue. AFK = no damage done to the mob = 75-99% experience lost.
EDIT:
The comment about this making them about on par with hybrids is very, very valid in my opinion. When considered that way, it doesn't sound so bad. =P
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