100% (2x) exp increase is not enough.
Here's why:
1) server has 50 - 150 population (a fraction of live)
... it requires more time to level without solid groups
2) Pvp is an additional risk to the normal PvE
... more time to level because douche bags are griefing you
3) Most players are anon so it's harder to find groups
... the social atmosphere on eq pvp servers has always been unfriendly
I didn't vote because this poll is rigged.
Preferably, we could alter the classes to compensate for the small population. But something like that would require a lot of work (and wouldn't be like this game), so a overall exp increase would be a much quicker response. This point also applies to the blue server since it has always had less population than live.
What would I do? I would not allow people to solo in a way that's out of character for eq (even though I'd be tempted to). I do not have the design document for this game so I cannot say what population a server requires to meet its needs. But my guess is somewhere around 1000. So if this server has 80 people on average then I'd need to correct for a factor of 12. That's a large valley to fill. We want players to still seek out each other and form groups, but we cannot have it be based on needing a large group to level at an acceptable rate. There just aren't enough players. And then you have to consider the size of the continent and that this game wasn't made to allow faster travel than a druid or wizard could supply (assuming they're sufficiently available). So seeking out that 4th or 5th person that's on the other side of the world isn't practical. It's a tough call, but I'd start by doubling the overall solo/group experience. Then I'd triple the group experience bonus. So when you add a 2nd person (assuming a equal capability to yourself), you'd gain 48% rather than 16%. And when you add a 5th person (and 6th) it would be 600%. After that the factor is 1.5, so close enough. Now I would need to add an additional experience bonus to compensate for the fact that this is a PvP server, not a PvE. How much longer does it take to level up here, versus on the blue server? That would be a worthwhile thing to know. My guess is 50% longer, if you exclude the population difference. So I'd increase the overall experience by a factor of 1.5x, once more. All of this is off the top of my mind (and subject to mass error), but it would be a start.
There is something else. Before I would make up my mind, I'd examine the difference between solo classes and group-based classes. How much faster does a solo-class level up than a warrior or rogue? For example, if the population on the server was only 1, then, without grouping, what are the prospects for all of the classes to reach max level? Beyond these concerns, we also have to consider that epics and raids and certain zones depend on a person being in a group whether they're max level or not. So a single person would not be able to do them. Furthermore, people like to see other players and a empty zone is not a conducive atmosphere. I'm sure there're many other things I could list here that require more than 1 person for enjoyment of the game.
In the end, an exp gain is a bandaid fix. It's not at all preferable. If I was a warrior on an empty server, for example, no amount of exp gain is going to make the game feel fun and rich as it should be.
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