Newbie Questions on XP and Levelling

SwiftyRed · 02-22-2008, 08:40 AM

Hi all

I've noticed that I level far faster doing group dungeons such as Ruins of Varsoon than I do with individual quests (which although give coin and items, generally seem to give fairly poor xp?)

Is this the quickest way to level up?

I have very little time to play EQ2 do to work / family etc so my experience is always going to be on the light side, would like to advance my character up the levels though to enable me to see more of the environment / world.

Erithorn · 02-22-2008, 10:44 AM

SwiftyRed wrote:

Hi all
I've noticed that I level far faster doing group dungeons such as Ruins of Varsoon than I do with individual quests (which although give coin and items, generally seem to give fairly poor xp?)
Is this the quickest way to level up?
I have very little time to play EQ2 do to work / family etc so my experience is always going to be on the light side, would like to advance my character up the levels though to enable me to see more of the environment / world.

You have a bit of a conflict in your above statement...

If you wish is to level quickly, then grinding out experience in heroric dungeons with a group is definite the quickest wat to level .... up to Kunark (65) at least. The problem is that you will NOT see much of the world as you will spend endles days in the same dungeon , then move to another of the same. There is an EXP bonus for dungeon battles.

Questing will level you a little more slowly, but you will experience much more of the game in this manner. Plus you will have the emmersion of the story lines and the discovery of new places, etc. Achievement experience is best attained through travel and quest advancement.

Questing with a group seems to be the best balance of both for me Enjoy the ride, and do not worry about what level you attain. What is the advantage of reaching 80 quickly, unless you are wanting to be a full time raider??

Cheers...

Erithorn

gatrm · 02-22-2008, 11:18 AM

Agree with Erithorn. Another thing for you to consider is that you don't need to level up "...to see more of the environment / world", there is tons of content at every level and the majority of players skip over it and never really experience the game, because they want to race to level. I have always level locked toons in certain situations when I felt I was leveling too quickly, and even doing so, there is content I missed, or spent very little time in. Don't forget the journey in your race to the top.

Gnova · 02-22-2008, 11:21 AM

This used to be the best way to level for sure.

With the addition of AA's and their importance I now recommend that people only spend a limited time in each dungeon (enough to pull the named AAxp and do the quests) and then move on. Quests will give you the much needed AAxp and if you ignore this you may have trouble getting the AA's later in life.

After level 35ish questing starts providing you with close to equal XP per hour compared to group dungeon content. Especially if you consider all the time "picking your nose" at dungeon entrances waiting on members. Remember AAs are a "level" of sort as well.

Krystara · 02-22-2008, 11:42 AM

I definitely have to add my voice to those saying don't rush to top levels - the bulk of the game is for the levels below 80 with thousands of quests and loads of zones to visit. While I am sure there is still a lot to do at level 80, there is just *so* much to do before you get there.

Enjoy the trip - there are some neat questlines (and the ever loved AA points that go with them). I would suggest some time in dungeons as I know most people love them and the named and quests in them are also fun. But Norrath is a huge world and you should explore as much of it as you can along the way.

Deca · 02-23-2008, 03:29 AM

First Answer:

Grinding XP will be fastest. It will be even faster if you also have some type of XP bonus (potion or vitality bonus, mentored, etc...).

Best Answer:

I'd strongly recommend not going on a blitzkrieg to level 80 because XP comes fast enough even without purposely trying to grind it out. As soon as I hit level 10 (the level you can start to gaining AA), I've personally disabled my combat XP, and have been leveling strickly off Quests ever since that time. In fact, I've purposely not taken many L&L quests nor Language quests nor the FSRs (as well as many others) due to not wanting that extra & very easy XP. With the number of outdoor zones, dungeons, and instances for any given specific range, you will always have more stuff than you can ever possibly. Trust me when I say that it will quickly become grey before you have ever had a chance to complete it all. If you try to literally take and complete each quest you have for each zone in your level range, I can guarantee that you will not be able to complete them all before many grey out. To kill all of the Named MOBs and do all the quests, you will find yourself having to mentor DOWN to others because you have passed it up so fast.

You might want to honestly take a different approach. As many others have pointed out, AAs matter. For many classes, getting specific "key" AAs can make a huge difference (ie TH for Solo spec'd Necro's to name one). If you do the quests, go Named MOB hunting, complete HQs, L&Ls, pick up a trade, decorate your house, explore the zones (get EQ2 maps it's great), install a good UI, to help find things, harvest, hunt collectibles, etc....etc.... you will quickly realize that the journey is the meat of the game, not the destination.

Freydinessa · 02-24-2008, 09:40 PM

Lysari@Antonia Bayle wrote:

I definitely have to add my voice to those saying don't rush to top levels - the bulk of the game is for the levels below 80 with thousands of quests and loads of zones to visit. While I am sure there is still a lot to do at level 80, there is just *so* much to do before you get there.
Enjoy the trip - there are some neat questlines (and the ever loved AA points that go with them). I would suggest some time in dungeons as I know most people love them and the named and quests in them are also fun. But Norrath is a huge world and you should explore as much of it as you can along the way.

Amen to this. Exactly, It's not the destination, it's the journey. And the game really does reward the 'journeyists' SMILEY

Melodee · 02-24-2008, 09:50 PM

Also, please bear in mind that by leveling too fast, you don't get a chance to learn and enjoy your class. In order to fully enjoy yourself, you really need to know what you are capable of, and what others expect of you. Besides, racing to 80 defeats the whole point of playing everquest.................... after all is it not a game that is meant for enjoyment?

ke'la · 02-25-2008, 08:21 AM

While I agree with all the other posters here, don't worry about racing to level, enjoy the ride. However, I must put in that while the Quest XP in the old world is not that great compaired to dungons, with some exceptions like CT, wich has a HUGE XP bonus do to it's remotness, this is accually mainly do to the downtime involved with running back to the quest giver and the fact that alot of the old world quests are "Repeatables" and as such give a reduced amount of XP.

If you do the questlines in Faydwar instead you will see yourself leveling as fast as grinding in most dungons, because the Quest Givers generally are closer to the MoBs you need to kill, resulting in reduced Turn in time, and most of those quests are NOT repeatable, so the quests can give lots more XP.

StormCinder · 02-25-2008, 02:12 PM

Another "no rush to level" vote here.

What I have found is that while soloing, I get a chance to enjoy the environment of the game. Appreciate the artwork/music etc. Some of the solo questlines are interesting as well. However, leveling is fairly slow due to the distractions.

This weekend I went through Runnyeye (RE) with a PickUp Group (PUG) and dinged 2 levels in about an hour. BUT, the only thing I saw the whole time was 6 health bars and the backside of the Main Tank (I was healer.)

That's kinda the choice. I've not spent much time in TD, so can speak for the leveling rate there.

SC

02-22-2008, 10:44 AM	#2
Erithorn Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 255	SwiftyRed wrote: Hi all I've noticed that I level far faster doing group dungeons such as Ruins of Varsoon than I do with individual quests (which although give coin and items, generally seem to give fairly poor xp?) Is this the quickest way to level up? I have very little time to play EQ2 do to work / family etc so my experience is always going to be on the light side, would like to advance my character up the levels though to enable me to see more of the environment / world. You have a bit of a conflict in your above statement... If you wish is to level quickly, then grinding out experience in heroric dungeons with a group is definite the quickest wat to level .... up to Kunark (65) at least. The problem is that you will NOT see much of the world as you will spend endles days in the same dungeon , then move to another of the same. There is an EXP bonus for dungeon battles. Questing will level you a little more slowly, but you will experience much more of the game in this manner. Plus you will have the emmersion of the story lines and the discovery of new places, etc. Achievement experience is best attained through travel and quest advancement. Questing with a group seems to be the best balance of both for me Enjoy the ride, and do not worry about what level you attain. What is the advantage of reaching 80 quickly, unless you are wanting to be a full time raider?? Cheers... Erithorn

02-24-2008, 09:40 PM	#7
Freydinessa Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 271	Lysari@Antonia Bayle wrote: I definitely have to add my voice to those saying don't rush to top levels - the bulk of the game is for the levels below 80 with thousands of quests and loads of zones to visit. While I am sure there is still a lot to do at level 80, there is just so much to do before you get there. Enjoy the trip - there are some neat questlines (and the ever loved AA points that go with them). I would suggest some time in dungeons as I know most people love them and the named and quests in them are also fun. But Norrath is a huge world and you should explore as much of it as you can along the way. Amen to this. Exactly, It's not the destination, it's the journey. And the game really does reward the 'journeyists'

02-25-2008, 08:21 AM	#9
ke'la Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 5,445	While I agree with all the other posters here, don't worry about racing to level, enjoy the ride. However, I must put in that while the Quest XP in the old world is not that great compaired to dungons, with some exceptions like CT, wich has a HUGE XP bonus do to it's remotness, this is accually mainly do to the downtime involved with running back to the quest giver and the fact that alot of the old world quests are "Repeatables" and as such give a reduced amount of XP. If you do the questlines in Faydwar instead you will see yourself leveling as fast as grinding in most dungons, because the Quest Givers generally are closer to the MoBs you need to kill, resulting in reduced Turn in time, and most of those quests are NOT repeatable, so the quests can give lots more XP. __________________

02-25-2008, 02:12 PM	#10
StormCinder Loremaster Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,009	Another "no rush to level" vote here. What I have found is that while soloing, I get a chance to enjoy the environment of the game. Appreciate the artwork/music etc. Some of the solo questlines are interesting as well. However, leveling is fairly slow due to the distractions. This weekend I went through Runnyeye (RE) with a PickUp Group (PUG) and dinged 2 levels in about an hour. BUT, the only thing I saw the whole time was 6 health bars and the backside of the Main Tank (I was healer.) That's kinda the choice. I've not spent much time in TD, so can speak for the leveling rate there. SC __________________ ______________________________________________ Hostis Humani Generis curÂ·mudgÂ·eon (kr-mjn) n. An ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions.

02-22-2008, 08:40 AM	#1
SwiftyRed Lorekeeper Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 23	Hi all I've noticed that I level far faster doing group dungeons such as Ruins of Varsoon than I do with individual quests (which although give coin and items, generally seem to give fairly poor xp?) Is this the quickest way to level up? I have very little time to play EQ2 do to work / family etc so my experience is always going to be on the light side, would like to advance my character up the levels though to enable me to see more of the environment / world.

02-22-2008, 11:18 AM	#3
gatrm Loremaster Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 545	Agree with Erithorn. Another thing for you to consider is that you don't need to level up "...to see more of the environment / world", there is tons of content at every level and the majority of players skip over it and never really experience the game, because they want to race to level. I have always level locked toons in certain situations when I felt I was leveling too quickly, and even doing so, there is content I missed, or spent very little time in. Don't forget the journey in your race to the top.

02-22-2008, 11:21 AM	#4
Gnova Loremaster Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 60	This used to be the best way to level for sure. With the addition of AA's and their importance I now recommend that people only spend a limited time in each dungeon (enough to pull the named AAxp and do the quests) and then move on. Quests will give you the much needed AAxp and if you ignore this you may have trouble getting the AA's later in life. After level 35ish questing starts providing you with close to equal XP per hour compared to group dungeon content. Especially if you consider all the time "picking your nose" at dungeon entrances waiting on members. Remember AAs are a "level" of sort as well.

02-22-2008, 11:42 AM	#5
Krystara Loremaster Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 403	I definitely have to add my voice to those saying don't rush to top levels - the bulk of the game is for the levels below 80 with thousands of quests and loads of zones to visit. While I am sure there is still a lot to do at level 80, there is just so much to do before you get there. Enjoy the trip - there are some neat questlines (and the ever loved AA points that go with them). I would suggest some time in dungeons as I know most people love them and the named and quests in them are also fun. But Norrath is a huge world and you should explore as much of it as you can along the way.

02-23-2008, 03:29 AM	#6
Deca Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 31	First Answer: Grinding XP will be fastest. It will be even faster if you also have some type of XP bonus (potion or vitality bonus, mentored, etc...). Best Answer: I'd strongly recommend not going on a blitzkrieg to level 80 because XP comes fast enough even without purposely trying to grind it out. As soon as I hit level 10 (the level you can start to gaining AA), I've personally disabled my combat XP, and have been leveling strickly off Quests ever since that time. In fact, I've purposely not taken many L&L quests nor Language quests nor the FSRs (as well as many others) due to not wanting that extra & very easy XP. With the number of outdoor zones, dungeons, and instances for any given specific range, you will always have more stuff than you can ever possibly. Trust me when I say that it will quickly become grey before you have ever had a chance to complete it all. If you try to literally take and complete each quest you have for each zone in your level range, I can guarantee that you will not be able to complete them all before many grey out. To kill all of the Named MOBs and do all the quests, you will find yourself having to mentor DOWN to others because you have passed it up so fast. You might want to honestly take a different approach. As many others have pointed out, AAs matter. For many classes, getting specific "key" AAs can make a huge difference (ie TH for Solo spec'd Necro's to name one). If you do the quests, go Named MOB hunting, complete HQs, L&Ls, pick up a trade, decorate your house, explore the zones (get EQ2 maps it's great), install a good UI, to help find things, harvest, hunt collectibles, etc....etc.... you will quickly realize that the journey is the meat of the game, not the destination.

02-24-2008, 09:50 PM	#8
Melodee Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 285	Also, please bear in mind that by leveling too fast, you don't get a chance to learn and enjoy your class. In order to fully enjoy yourself, you really need to know what you are capable of, and what others expect of you. Besides, racing to 80 defeats the whole point of playing everquest.................... after all is it not a game that is meant for enjoyment?