Leveling is TOO FAST - Here's why, the XP to level table is buggered up

There’s plenty of topics about there about how leveling is screwed up beyond all recognition… but for this one I’m just going to present some basic data to illustrate WHY leveling is so messed up.

And it’s simple - just comparing the “XP to level” number across a bunch of alts.

It actually started with identifying an anomaly earlier today, but after deciding to check a bunch of half-abandoned alts (and making a new allied race character just to check level 10)… well, the results are surprising. So here’s the raw data:

  • Level 10 - 8,490
  • Level 17 - 15,385
  • Level 19 - 18,250
  • Level 23 - 24,665
  • Level 25 - 28,210
  • Level 27 - 31,985
  • Level 30 - 38,075
  • Level 31 - 38,430
  • Level 40 - 39,070
  • Level 41 - 38,860
  • Level 42 - 38,590
  • Level 50 - 34,395
  • Level 51 - 36,305
  • Level 52 - 38,265
  • Level 54 - 42,330
  • Level 61 - 58,055
  • Level 63 - 62,980
  • Level 69 - 78,895
  • Level 72 - 270,190

Just for reference, I took a few notes for a “leveling an alt naked” experiment in the topic below:
https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/leveling-is-so-easy-you-can-do-it-naked-alright-lets-try-it/2125040

Now, between the XP to level data, I have a few observations:

  • Levels 10-20 have increasing XP to level. Based on past experience and the noted in the topic linked above, it’s fast but not absurdly fast.
  • Levels 20-30, the XP to level still increases, but it’s slowing down.
  • Levels 30-40, the XP to level is pretty much flat, barely an increase at all. This is against the XP per quest still increasing.
  • Levels 40-50, XP to level DECREASES. Wow, I actually didn’t expect to see this, but yeah. And this is still why XP per quest is still increasing.
  • Levels 50-60, XP to level starts increasing again, but the increment per level is comparable to 20-30 against still-increasing XP per quest.
  • Levels 60-70 see more substantial increases, comparable to levels 10-20.
  • Level 70+ sees a big jump because it’s the current expansion.

In short, here’s the problem - leveling ACCELERATES from levels 30-60. XP to level essentially slows right now, then decreases for 10 levels, and gradually speeds up again.
This is also when stats start skyrocketing, leaving players with the extremely underpowered 1-30 gear for several slots until they’re in TWW.

I took a look at some old XP to level charts (at first to just find the data, but they’re outdated. However, the numbers even from after the first level squish in SL looked SANE compared to the above, see the links below if you want:

  • Article - https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Experience_to_level
  • Chart - https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wowpedia/images/f/f4/XPtoLevel9x.png

So yeah, another topic about how screwed up leveling is in WoW… but this rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper. Hell, they’ve made it WORSE since the level squish in SL, and now there’s the data to prove it. Nevermind things like the Warband XP bonus and soon-to-end XP buff.

Does Blizz even spot-check this stuff to see if it makes sense?

7 Likes

Leveling is fine. Most topics on it are just troll attempts. This isn’t Classic.

33 Likes

I agree, delete leveling.

9 Likes

It really isn’t, as basically every “I made a new account to experience what noobs do” video will tell you.

3 Likes

Yea I noticed before how xp requirements went down, it sure is a weird design choice

1 Like

That’s one persons take on things, on Youtube. Where people post things to get clicks.

7 Likes

Absolutely not. Leveling is honestly in need of even more buffs.

11 Likes

This one is presenting raw data, just multiple alts and how much XP they need for the next level. The numbers really don’t make sense.

Obvious sarcasm aside… they’re kind of halfway there already.
Well, more than that to tell the truth.

  • Level 42 in Retail Currently - 38,590
  • Level 42 just after SL level squish - 94,485

Works out to 59% less XP to level up.

Cherry-picked because it’s probably the biggest difference… well, level 50+ was the “current” expansion at the time and ignored because XP to level increases for that bracket. Though for the record, it’s 82% less XP to level up.

They’ve deleted a substantial about of the XP to level, and after the level squish no less.
You can actually say they have passed the halfway point of deleting leveling, using the XP to level numbers as a measuring stick

I think we can generally agree that the XP to level should go UP with each level… nor should the rate of that going up be less than the XP gained per quest. I don’t have raw data on that one, unfortunately, but these particular tables are especially messed up right now.

4 Likes

What you provided is that they give the xp per level range for the experience they want retail to have. Which since even the first expac was faster than before because no one wants to level like they did in Vanilla on every character.

What Blizz has also learned is that people play alts a lot in retail. People don’t want to level their alts slow either.

If you want to level slower, take your time. Don’t use pots, don’t play non-stop until you get to max. Play a few hours and give it a break. It’ll take you days to level characters.

3 Likes

I think leveling isnt fast enough
:dracthyr_lulmao:

8 Likes

Absolutely nobody cares about this. Even you.

4 Likes

3 XP settings:

Explorer XP - provides the least amount of XP for those wanting to take their time.

Adventurer XP - a middle ground for those wanting to level at a steady pace.

Zoomer go zoom zoom XP - the most XP, allowing players to level quickly.

6 Likes

The Zoomer one made me wheeze, but yeah if they could do it, separate xp settings might be the best way to go about it.

2 Likes

I used to spend entire expansions just leveling characters because that was what I enjoyed over some end content activities.

But when I look it today with how retail functions between more account wide shared items, connected realms, cross realm/faction guilds, and the majority of the new content being solely focused in new zones and systems, leveling no longer serves much purpose beyond learning a class as you receive new talents and spells at a slower pace than boosting.

Because of this I feel leveling has turned into something I have to get through before playing the game actually. Like training wheels.

At this point I wish they would restructure how leveling works within the game. I feel like we could get the same value out of 20 levels worth of leveling as we do in 70 before getting to new stuff. Our starting zones offer us a unique experience to connect to our characters. We have lorewalking to show us past experiences. Should honestly be enough to set people on their way to a new adventure.

There is nothing stopping anyone from going to old zones and questing if they want to see stuff.

Classic exists to play in the past. Retail is for the current.

3 Likes

I don’t really care about the raw experience numbers, but I do want options.

Turning off experience entirely is not a fun workaround. I don’t even like doing side quests on my main after I hit the level cap because it all feels wasted (all those experience points just go poof. I could get an alt to do it instead).

A few different settings. An experience slider. “Story mode”. I want Blizzard to try something. Give me an option to level at a slower pace.

This isn’t about going “Classic slow”. It’s about having a meaningful adventure during the leveling process instead of just plowing through content as fast as possible.

Right now, we primarily level from 70-80 by playing the Khaz Algar campaign. That campaign takes us through the 4 major zones and tells a story. If you follow the quests and do not do much else, you should pretty much hit 80 when the campaign is done (if not before). It’s a good system.

Which makes it absolutely insane that you cannot do the same thing for level 10-70 (1-10 is it’s own thing). We can tell a meaningful story and have an adventure in 10 levels, but we can’t in 60 levels before that.

We can keep all of the awesome perks that make it easy to level alts for players who just need to get to end game fast. I’m using them all myself; they’re great. But I enjoy questing and I want to play at a slower pace sometimes.

4 Likes

Leveling in retail isn’t fun so it needs to be fast
Go play classic if you want leveling to be engaging

1 Like

The good system we have leveling 70-80 we have had every expansion. If we leveled through the game as it was originally leveling would take around 150 hours. Most people wouldn’t have more than one max level. And telling new players that in 2 or 3 months you can start playing with your friends wouldn’t be great

2 Likes

No, I’m saying they should tune Chromie Time to allow you to play through an entire expansion.

If you start in Dragon Isles, you play the Dragon Isles campaign. Bonus points if they factor in the patch zones as part of it too. When you’re done, you’re level 70 and ready to go to the latest content.

If you start in Northrend, you see everything from Howling Fjord to Icecrown. When you’re done, you’re level 70 and ready to go to the latest content.

I have an alt in Northrend right now. So far, I’ve seen all of Howling Fjord and maybe half of Dragonblight. If I’m really lucky I’ll see all of Grizzly Hills, and then I’ll be forced out. If I want to see the other zones, I need to roll another toon and skip the first half of the story and jump straight into Storm Peaks or whatever.

On the contrary, leveling is very fun in Retail. It has a fixable problem.

People have different opinions, and the game can accommodate more than one.

5 Likes

If you are leveling using timewalking or questing, the numbers honestly don’t matter much. I am more annoyed with the ilvl of the gear that drops. Like I don’t have enough gear to replace the pieces that I am outleveling. Also, the gear that drops is higher than my heirloom gear, heirloom gear overall has become a lot worse, but I don’t really have a choice but to use it. The mysterious fortune bags dropping repeat items or items I already have as heirlooms. And the fact that at 70, you need to get dreambound gear or else you are hitting like a wet noodle with the gear you have. Some characters also just feel really bad to play at low levels, from 10 and up to 30.

I wish they fixed heirloom scaling and added pieces that are not among heirlooms to the timewalking vendor. They do have some, but not all. And then if the mysterious fortune bags would drop timewalking badges instead of gear, it would be a lot easier to have decent gear all the time.

1 Like

leveling speed is fine…turn XP off here and there if you want to make it take longer.
Hopefully they give you all XP gains options so the game the rest of us enjoy isnt screwed over

1 Like