The penalty shouldn't go away in a group, it's just supposed to be shared. I don't know where some folks get the notion that the additional experience was drawn out of nowhere. Perhaps they can provide links? As described by Sony, penalized classes (not just hybrids--hybrids merely had the highest penalty, not the only one) simply received more experience per kill in a group. Even if you divide that 40% against the entire group, you still level slower than a non-penalized class. You're right, though, in the sense that it penalizes the player most heavily for soloing.
In the end, I don't care about that. I do care about the significant and non-classic nuisance factor in that my wife's character constantly out-levels mine. I have to spend significantly more time than her online, and in some cases she suicides just to help us stay even. The best I can say is that I tolerate it.
Warriors appear to be on a separate damage table here. I cannot confirm, though.
Danth
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