Should ZEM even be in the game this early?

[fadetree]

Originally Posted by Dolalin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

ZEMs were in from the start. But the insane bonuses on newb dungeon ZEMs was added during PoP when they added the low level cleric rez spells etc.

I've done all the digging.

In era sources from a ShowEQ dev that the max ZEM was 100 pre-Luclin, explicit references to Crushbone and Najena ZEMs being 80, and so on.

We are playing with PoP ZEMs and this should change.

https://www.project1999.com/forums/s...d.php?t=343193

I think Dolalin is correct. My opinion:
ZEM was always a core mechanic. That way they could make small adjustments to compensate for the 'difficulty' of a dungeon/zone. It could also be used globally to slow people down across the board, as was mentioned.

Luclin and the insane zem on Paludal Caverns was the fist sign that the devs were beginning to react to fears that new people would be left behind as the huge wave of people that had been playing all along would all be end game. They were afraid they'd start to lose new subs because 'there's no-one to play with'. Solution - tinker with noob dungeons to really crank up the zem, that way people can blast through and join their friends. Of course, much later, they were like, 'eh...just start 'em at 80'.

They also started to think about underused zones and how to get people to them, since, craven little min-maxers that we are, everyone followed the same path through 4 or 5 zones to end game. This was what started the 'hot zone' idea later.

I also think the zems in play on p99 are probably from a much later era. Should they fix them? I think so...the problem is I don't think we have any hard data that describes all of the zems per zone at an era that applies to classic. Also, we may SAY we want it 'fixed', but of they did I bet it would cause a firestorm of complaining.

The zem change to Kedge was a p99-specific deal...not sure exactly but I think it was a response to people being able to exploit charm and.or pbAOE or something and render the dungeon easy and yet still with a high zem.

[cd288]

Originally Posted by fadetree [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I think Dolalin is correct. My opinion:
ZEM was always a core mechanic. That way they could make small adjustments to compensate for the 'difficulty' of a dungeon/zone. It could also be used globally to slow people down across the board, as was mentioned.

Luclin and the insane zem on Paludal Caverns was the fist sign that the devs were beginning to react to fears that new people would be left behind as the huge wave of people that had been playing all along would all be end game. They were afraid they'd start to lose new subs because 'there's no-one to play with'. Solution - tinker with noob dungeons to really crank up the zem, that way people can blast through and join their friends. Of course, much later, they were like, 'eh...just start 'em at 80'.

They also started to think about underused zones and how to get people to them, since, craven little min-maxers that we are, everyone followed the same path through 4 or 5 zones to end game. This was what started the 'hot zone' idea later.

I also think the zems in play on p99 are probably from a much later era. Should they fix them? I think so...the problem is I don't think we have any hard data that describes all of the zems per zone at an era that applies to classic. Also, we may SAY we want it 'fixed', but of they did I bet it would cause a firestorm of complaining.

The zem change to Kedge was a p99-specific deal...not sure exactly but I think it was a response to people being able to exploit charm and.or pbAOE or something and render the dungeon easy and yet still with a high zem.

IIRC we use the ZEMs currently in place because those are the last comprehensive ones we have. There are obviously references to certain zones here and there pre-this list of ZEMs, but I don't think there was ever a comprehensive one that they could locate so they use the comprehensive one that's available from as close to classic era as they can get.

[Frostback]

January 14, 2001

Zone Experience

The first and perhaps easiest to explain change that we are making to the experience system is the modification of what we call the "Zone Experience Multiplier", or 'ZEM'. Currently, every creature in game of a given level yields a fixed amount of "Base Experience" (experience before it is allocated to group members). That base experience is then multiplied by the ZEM which is set to a value in correlation with the risk in a particular zone compared with the reward; at least, that is the goal.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010609...rs_letter.html

[Bookie]

Originally Posted by Frostback [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

January 14, 2001

at least, that is the goal.

Northern Karana 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75
Oasis of Marr 75 75 75 75 75 75
Gorge of King Xorbb (Beholder's Maze) 75 75 75 75
Eastern Karana 75 75 75 75 75 75
Lavastorm Mountains 75 75 75 75 75 75
Ocean of Tears 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75
Highpass Hold 80 80 80
Runnyeye 100 100 100 100 100 100
Rathe Mountains 75 75 75 75 75
Lake Rathetear 75 75 75
Southern Karana 75 75 75 75 75
Permafrost 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90
Najena 130 130 130 130 130
High Keep 150 150 150
Splitpaw Lair 90 90 90 90 90
Cazic Thule 85 85 85 85 85
Solusek's Eye (Solusek A) 130 130 130 130 130
Lower Guk 80 80 80 80 80
Nagafen's Lair (Solusek B) 80 80 80