Turning off XP is everything I thought it would be. It improves the game experience so much.
I started playing LOTRO after being told how great the writing is and while there are some serious broken world problems primarily due to the cash shop, the ability to turn off XP is so nice. I have been able to pretty much just do everything and slowly level up based on the world around me. I have been completing all the quests I can find in the zones, spend time crafting, slowly build factions, and talk to all the NPCs who have something to say. There are a few achievement like events to build up these little bonuses and I have been completing them all as well. Gaining stats for exploring and the like. Its so great to not be rushed along.
Any one else tired of forced levels removing all the content you have not experienced yet?
I am tired of fast leveling, I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "removing all the content you have not experienced yet." Most games I've played (lately) I end up outleveling an area before seeing or doing everything in it, but the content isn't removed.
I don't think I have a problem with the ability to turn off exp. If you want to do that so you can explore every nook and cranny and feel like it's "on level" that seems like a reasonable request. For a game like Pantheon I'm hoping that the world has many options for advancement, which to me means that I'm not expecting to see it all as I advance. My path can be unique. Maybe I meet someone else at level 15 and what we've seen in the world might be totally different. I like the idea that the world is bigger than me and I'm not expected to see it all.
Anyway, that was a round about way of saying I pretty much agree with you, haha.
I am entirely with Iksar on this one but having the option to turn off XP helps those that want it with no harm to anyone else.
While I too enjoy playing different zones or factions with alts, if I level up a halfling, I plan to see everything around the halfling city and starting area without being rushed out or going back to do grey quests. Its a laughable mechanic that in most MMOs you have to choose between crafting and exploration or questing and grouping. The forced march to max level is likely shortening the time I actually play the game.
I'm with Dorotea here. I personally wouldn't use it, but don't see any issues with others having the option.
My personal opinion is that LOTRO needs an incentive for higher lvl players to group with lower level players in group content. I love the slow leveling of the game, but having to do 90% of it solo isn't my jam.
It's nice to have options and in the past I have just played alts to do stuff I might have out-leveled, but I know a lot of folks don't like to do the alt thing and for them it's very frustrating to be effectively forced to skip stuff they've out-leveled.
In the past even though I know I will re-play a game, I've regularly been irritated when I out-level stuff and feel forced to move on or play with no challenge. It happens in single-player RPGs plenty as well as MMORPGs and of course then it's a complete re-play, not even an alt, that is your only recourse.
It is, of course, particularly bad in games that are, well, designed 'badly'. Some are especially bad, but it seems basically the modern MMORPG 'thing' is to design a themepark of quest hubs balanced at a low level of challenge even at 'appropriate' level, so even average players are often going to out-level much of the content.
In particularly badly designed games, you can't even skip stuff in order to maintain a good level of challenge as the story won't progress unless you do it all and you are doomed - especially if you like to do side-quests - to have an unchallenging experience.
Pantheon shouldn't suffer from this as much. I believe I'm right in saying that there won't *be* quest hubs and that quests generally won't award XP or certainly won't be a primary source. Also, you should be able to effectively take on as much challenge as you like, choosing whatever area and enemies you want at any time.
Hopefully VR will also balance the game at the target of a 'meaningful' challenge to a 'decent' group and not make the 'core' experience something new/inexperienced players can just roll through.
There should always be the option for inexperienced or frankly unskilled players to take on lesser challenges while they improve, but it would be a fundamental problem and I think a big mistake for the core game to be aimed at 'easy', leaving good groups and skilled players with few options for a challenging experience.
Having said all that, I really don't see the problem with turning off XP as an option. I just don't think should be provided as a workaround for not having good design and balance (and I think it is in other games).
I totally agree that outleveling the content in an area before I've explored it as far as I want and finished all the quests is very frustrating. I'd love to be able to turn off the xp when I get close to 'outleveling the locals'.
A separate benefit from this is that it would make it much easier for friends who want to play together but have differing amounts of available playtime to stay at the same level.
My opinion of slow leveling is biased because my first introduction to a "hard" , adult (not porn but sophisticated-what DnD has become), MMO had a Trivial loot code in effect. Being the budding Meta gamer, We didnt have the word then, I just wanted to do everything- to do all the quests. If I had newbie quests in my home town and got faction, I also wanted to do the newbie quests in all the other starting cities- just to start BEFORE I really got adventuring. that way I would be welcome everywhere, know languages for whomever I would meet and it would make starting the game proper and questing, easier. The only hang up would be getting to those other cities while still low enough to do the quests without getting too high that I would bork them by triggering the Trivial loot code and I could not do the newbie quests in other cities because the lore items would not drop because I was too high a level. So if I am desperate to get to Aryonais rest because I want to learn to swim well but there is a PuG wanting to go to goblin caves- decisions decisions- if the exp isn't too quick, I could explore with them. Maybe there is a quest in there or someone knows about I could start? I would want to get those goals out of the way before I shift into "important" things like serious adventuring where you and your group go off and camp out, outside in the wild, to log back in at roughly the same time and continue doing the things you planned, or hoped to plan. Then maybe join a guild after we are comfortable with our class, idk.
I might try turning off experience if leveling seems too fast. Although, I hope that VR makes leveling very slow. You can always add a few quests,events or increase xp later on if need be. Or even increase the XP if too many complain, but start off very slow.
I'm an explorer and want to enjoy the world 'at level.' I will also have alts becasue I want to try different classes. That will also slow my leveling down quite a bit. I usually stop with my main around the halfway point to try a new class. When my alts get close to my main's level then I will go back to my main and level to cap. ALL of the content and ALL of the levels matter to me and is vital to fully experiencing the world and game.
Zone design plays a huge part as well. If the zone is undead heavy, I want to stay there for weeks or months. I never wanted to leave Darkshire in WoW. It was gloomy and dangerous and filled with undead, My Paladin had Exorcism and made it an enjoyable experience. Even after doing all the quests, I stayed and spent weeks helping others until my level was too high. I liked playing there as long as the danger still existed. I left once it became trivial.
I did the same in the Wetlands with the Elite Dwarves. My Priest stayed long after completing all the quests becasue there was always a need for groups(healers in particular) to complete that questline.
looking to form similar memories in Pantheon.