Wait, So Boosting Was Effectively Patched and You Unpatched It? (Dungeon XP)
My understanding is that two changes were made to dungeon experience in an effort to address boosting:
-
Dungeon mob XP was significantly reduced.
-
XP was calculated relative to the highest-level player in the dungeon, rather than simply awarding experience based on the level of the character receiving it.
Now, the response to concerns about dungeon XP appears to be two changes of its own:
-
Increase dungeon XP by 20%.
-
Change the XP calculation so that it is relative to your character’s level rather than the highest-level player in the group.
I understand the reasoning behind increasing dungeon XP. If the rewards are too low, players may run a dungeon once for the quests and then never return. Over time, that means fewer people running dungeons, making it increasingly difficult for players who level later or want to run those dungeons for the first time.
But why change the second mechanic at all?
Why move away from calculating XP based on the highest-level player in the dungeon when that mechanic was specifically intended to address boosting?
Here Is a Better Solution
Restore Classic XP per mob, but retain the rule that XP is calculated relative to the highest-level player in the dungeon.
This accomplishes two things:
-
Dungeon XP becomes worthwhile again. Players receive the familiar Classic XP rewards for killing dungeon mobs, making dungeons a viable leveling option rather than something people do once and abandon.
-
Boosting remains discouraged. The highest-level-player XP calculation remains in place, preventing low-level characters from exploiting high-level players to gain excessive experience from dungeon runs.
In other words, restore the Classic mob XP values while keeping the mechanic intended to prevent boosting.
That seems to address both concerns without undoing the measure designed to solve the original problem.
So Why Undo the Anti-Boosting Mechanic?
I understand wanting dungeons to remain relevant throughout the life of the server. I agree that dungeon XP needs to be worthwhile enough to encourage players to keep running them.
But increasing XP rewards and changing the way XP is calculated are two different decisions.
Why not increase dungeon XP while retaining the highest-level-player calculation?
If the goal is to make dungeons rewarding without bringing boosting back, why abandon a mechanic that was already intended to address that issue?
Perhaps there is a technical reason or an unintended consequence I’m overlooking. If so, I’d genuinely like to understand it.
But from my perspective, the proposed changes seem to solve the dungeon XP problem by reversing part of the solution to the boosting problem.
Give us Classic XP per mob, keep the highest-level-player XP calculation, and let legitimate dungeon groups enjoy worthwhile rewards without reopening the door to boosting.
Why isn’t this the approach being taken?