Feldon 
If you’ve been concerned about how much AA XP grinding you’ll have to run this upcoming Double XP weekend to prepare for Game Update 63, it looks we’re about to be graded on a curve.
As per a Test Update Note and discussion thread on In Testing Feedback, it looks like the AA Experience Curve is being flattened:
We have modified the AA XP tables reducing the amount of experience necessary for advancement levels 1 to 280. When you log in your character they will be converted from the old tables to the new tables this will cause most characters to get bonus advancement points. Enjoy!
EQ2 Lead Designer Lyndro had this to say:
Yes, the experience to reach 280 AA has been reduced. This change will go live with the game update. All existing players will have the AAs converted to the new tables, so you’ll probably be granted a few points when you first log in. Since the amount of experience it takes to earn a point is different depending on how many points you have, how many points you get will vary.
How Many Free AAs?
Senya and other players on Test reported receiving up to 33 AAs after the revised figures:
- 245 to 278
- 235 to 266
- 190 to 212
- 162 to 182
- 88 to 102
Commentary
Earning AAs in EQ2 has evolved from dungeon crawls, named hunts, and actually earning a decent XP split from running current tier dungeons to finding the most efficient dungeon or repeatable encounter that hasn’t been nerfed yet and grinding it ad nauseum. The whole process seems to have become analygous to grinding crafting levels. Neither challenging nor instructional about how the game is actually played.
With stat mudflation and mercenaries, level 1-80 content has all been completely trivialized. Making the AAs fly by at this point may be have been more merciful than disruptive.
Does the EQ2 team now have buyer’s remorse on the 280AA mandate before players can level up to 91 and beyond?
I know instead of grinding alts to 280 AAs for the upcoming Game Update 63, I’ll be taking them to about 248 AAs knowing that when they login on April 17th, they’ll ding 280 AA and be good-to-go.
lol, like I said, people complained the grinding AA’s are “too hard” so this is the quick fix Sony came up with.
Feldon said:
“If you’ve been concerned about how much AA XP grinding you’ll have to run this upcoming Double XP weekend to prepare for Game Update 63, those remaining AA points might not be quite so elusive.”
That’s not true. The AA curve change isn’t coming until GU63, so this weekend’s grind will be unchanged, correct? Or did I miss something?
Well based on the numbers being reported, instead of having to grind my alts to 280 AAs to be able to start playing the new Skyshrine content in GU63, now I only have to grind to about 248 AAs. As soon as I login, I’ll be dinged to 280 AA and off I go.
Right, ok thanks.
After some quick-and-dirty math, I’m going to estimate that a player with 283 AA’s will automatically ding 320 upon GU63 release. Don’t push past about 285 if you want to minimize “wasted” time leveling up. If you want those AA’s earlier rather than later, by all means, go for it.
Can I have those double xp days that I wasted earning my 320 back? No? How about credit for when you raise the cap again?
Didn’t think so!
LOL Karsten
They said they lowered the exp requied in 1-280，and I would guess they add them to 281-320.
So with 280 aa , you might only ding 281 or 282 on GU63.
I miss the grind of EQI. EQ2 has long since become a grindless game for casual players especially because SoE puts a big easy button on every aspect of the game. It’s thought of as nothing more than a cash cow and it has obliterated the integrity of a once very good mmo. Do they not see how many accounts they’ve lost in the last 2 years? and yet they continue to think the Free to play casual BS is the way to go. Is there anybody at the wheel of this mmo with the decernment to see how it’s fallen? If this cancer finds it’s way to EQ3, it will fail.
Entirely possible, Gorgon. It was, after all, an estimate =) For my part, I’m setting my sights at 285 for this weekend’s XP-fest.
As I see it: If my first post is correct, but I level to 320 anyway, then the time spent on those last 35 AA’s was wasted. On the other hand, if I was wrong, then I have to earn the last 35 points without double XP. Choose your risk and run with it.
@Mingler
You miss grind? Well… more power to you, because I won’t miss it at all. After grinding for tens of hours, if not more. I can say that I don’t ever want to grind the same content ever again.
Grind in a video game is suppose to grant a reward in the end. Using everquest2 as an example you grind to become more powerful, so you can defeat greater challenges, and discover this magical world. It’s too bad that eq2 has lost the magical world feeling a long time ago, and grinding has become a requirement rather then a reward. You have to have 280 aa or else you are useless at max level. You have to hit the same 5 spells over and over(questing), til you hit max level. The fastest way to make something not fun, is to make it a job. I believe that eq2 is treading that line…
/rant off
also on Test center, i advance from 300 to 320 with this change. Also its possible that karsten is right.
I guess that kind of makes up for things, at least getting all 6 of my toons there wont be as hard as I thought it would be. I still think adventure XP should be the only type of XP needed to level up though. Nobody will change my opinion on that no matter how much they flame me for expressing it.
By hard, I don’t mean difficult, I mean hard to stay awake.
Gorgonheart,
As per test…
If you currently have 248 AAs, you’ll be at 280 with this change.
If you currently have 284 AAs, you’ll go to cap of 320.
If you have 320, will they be dumping the spill into your adventure/prestiege levels? Doubtful.
Give the casual players free stuff, give the long time players nothing. Typical.
@ Techno
I’d rather earn it then be given it.
@andritron doesnt really matter took me 2.5 hours on test to get to 92. Not like you are earning much.
Talk about taking out the challenge! I would have thought it would take *longer* to get to 92 … at least a week or so? I just don’t understand this ezmode mindset of late.
Honestly this is just a segue to transition the vet community into accepting an AA awarding system in which when a character dings 90 they will be awarded the remaining AA neccesary to meet the leveling requirement.
I get annoyed by the thought that anti-grind = easy-button. It is wholly untrue. I would rather spend my time running difficult zones then humping dead content.
That’s ok Lakoda, I get annoyed by the thought that not getting it automatically = grind. I would rather have the accomplishment of obtaining something that is retardly hard than having it handed to everyone that manages to simply log in.
I’m getting ready for the /easymode command where anyone can just type that in and instantly have a 90/320 character entirely geared with Drunder Easy Mode gear – that seems to be where the game is currently heading.
I played eq1 about 10 years ago (when the lvl cap was 65 and when PoP just came out) and let me tell you, it was HARD to get levels. Took me probably about a week to go from 50-51 all while GRINDING the same mob over and over again, quests in eq1 weren’t readily accessible like they are in eq2…and when I started playing eq2 and I was lvl 20 in less than one day..I knew the entire game was smacked with an easy button…EQ is and always has been a grind, stop crying
Played eq1 lately??? There is very little grind left. And and grind is left is taken care of in plane of fire afk by Mercs. So always will be grind? Not so much
Yes there is…how do you suppose people get levels and AA? Do you think that people should log on and be 90/320 with HM raid gear? Wether you’re wanting levels, AA, or that last price of gear to complete your set, you will be doing a lot of the same stuff over and over…what was that called again? Oh, right, it’s GRINDING
Take a look at some of the quests that eq2 has to offer…most of which require killing several of the same mob…what was that called again?
Actually played EQ1 starting when velious was released. Mikes right, THAT was hard. Literally spend a week of heavy grinding for a single level, and then 1 death would wipe out a whole days exp. You could actually lose a level by dying.
Yeah, I know, this isn’t old EQ1 we are talking about. But the perspective these days on what constitutes ‘hard’ just blows me away. The ‘I should just get everything NOW’ mentality just completely devalues any sense of accomplishment, something that used to be what mmos were all about.
Its all just sad really.
Leveling 1-90: Just a matter of can you click through quest dialogue and kill mobs that are no match for stat inflation and mercs.
Grinding 320AAs: Just a matter of finding instances or dungeons where mobs can be rounded up and killed by the thousands.
Reaching 90/320 requires neither skill nor challenge, just reading comprehension and an unwillingness to leave your chair for extended periods of time. Adding an /easymode button would be rather redundant at this point. 😉
When I started playing about a month after Faydwer came out, there was still a ton of grouping from level 20-70. I don’t think people realize how destructive Kunark solo content was to this game.
To the people who want grinding(why you would want grinding, I don’t know.) would you prefer if the fast travel system was taken out of the game?
(If you don’t get the metaphor, fast travel cuts down on time wasted, grinding is time wasted.)
Truth is that there will always be some grinding. If some other part of the game is fun enough or engaging enough to warrant the grinding then it’s acceptable. But everquest2 is really boring to grind, In my opinion. Hence grinding should as painless as possible. (It has to be there by the design of the game, but it shouldn’t be something you dread.) The devs have to find ways to make the experience fun again. An easy example of this is double xp weekends, this gives people a huge clear goal that drives them through the grinding. Although double xp is a bit of a gimmick. I can’t say what they should do, but adding more grinding would without a doubt be the wrong direction.
Side note:(pulled from wikipedia)
Grinding is a term used in video gaming to describe the process of engaging in repetitive and/or boring tasks not pertaining to the story line of the game.
actually, yes I do think fast travel should be removed, or at least limited.
I also think kill exp should be cut by about 60% and quest exp doubled.
I think there should be a diminishing returns mechanism in place that slowly lowers the exp you get from killing a certain type mob, or even any mob from a particular zone.
I think every 10 levels (every 5 levels from 75 to 90, and every level from 90 to 92) should require you to complete a solo instance quest kill to ding that next level.
I think there should be more min aa requirements added.
I think slr should be eliminated.
Make it challenging again!
My question is, since I’m already 90/320 on several characters, once GU 63 hits and I can level past 90, is all MY exp that was converted from adventure exp to AA exp going to be converted back into adventure exp? OR, as I suspect . . . yet AGAIN . . . we’re all S.O.L., thanks for playing . . . and more importantly giving us your cash. Here’s $5.00 bucks back to show you how much we care (a la the 500 SC bonus).
@Rocky
I know just what you mean. Some people seem to love boring repetitive tasks that serve no purpose other then being a longer way to do something. Would you rather use a screwdriver to remove a screw or use your teeth to do it? Also just because a faster way comes along, doesn’t mean it’s easier. It just makes it less of a time waster or a chore. It could be harder. For example; you get a quest that gives you the option to either kill nine hundred billion mobs of even con, OR 1 boss who barely takes damage at all, has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, and can 1 shot you. I’d say defeating the boss would get done faster. I wouldn’t be spending a whole week of my life on it. So I’d go with that. Heck if it’s too hard, bring friends. The faster way can be more difficult if done right. After all video games aren’t supposed to feel like filling out office paperwork from 9-5. They’re supposed to be something to do to take a load off. I’ve played this game since beta, and played many other MMORPGs. So I’m not some newb when I say this.
I test copied my dirge over, with 284 AAs it put me at 319. I was only about 10% into 285th point, so perhaps being more than 50% in will give that extra nudge to hit 320…just my findings 😀
I don’t get why people think they should get xp bonus from the change to AA experience. As far as I know, you have been using those AA abilities for ages now (at least I have on all of my toons). Hell, those Aa’s allowed me to do things others couldn’t and get groups in zones that don’t suck the life out of you (TOFS…pick any one). You spent your time, you got your toys, you played with them…now others get them cheaper cause they are old toys. Live with it and stop being silly. *lol*
As for the “grind”, until they put a barrier to levelling that involves you solo killing some hard-as-hell mob (without a merc) and wearing some standard set of generic gear….then there will never be anything other than a mix of awsome and ‘tards playing at ANY level, max or otherwise. I played the early EQ1 and a few other stupidly brutal and time consuming games, and I stopped playing them because they felt like a JOB.
I have a job now, one that pays me rather than the other way around. When I log into a game at home, I don’t want to feel the same way I do when I have to go to work (and don’t want to). Do I think the whiny “gimme gimme” people who feel entitled to everything anyone else earned in game should STFU and go play SecondLife instead? OH YEA! But as long as they don’t want to leave I can ignore them and not play with them if that’s how I enjoy the game more. *shrug*
Earn your stuff how you want, and kill stuff that’s a challenge. If nothing is challenging for you (even at lower levels), then drop the merc, wear crappier armor, and don’t use AA abilities. No one forces you to twink your baby toons are use all of your AA’s…or buy a merc.
Sheesh…for people who play a fantasy game….no imagination, truly. I’m disappointed.
Most of these replies are just painful to read, I’ll try to set this out so it’s easy to understand.
1) This is a one time thing, mainly to catch people up for Skyshrine. Anyone who thinks having 320 AA is an achievement takes the name too seriously, for like 3 expansions it has been grinding. Very few people do groups below 90. No one wants to go through 90 zones with your pathetic AA. So grinding it is, reducing this is a godsend.
2) Following on, this will only increase the population available at 90/92. Why is everyone complaining about this, all it can do is make more players suitable for doing heroic zones and thus more interested in the game.
3) Stop bitching like little girls and complain about itemisation and meaningful content or something remotely useful.
@Charn
Honest to God… Why do you even care if you get any extra conversion at GU launch if you are maxed? It literally takes less than 3 hours (and that is taking your time) to get from 90 to 92 on test. If you are pissed over 3 hours and someone getting an “advantage” over you…seriously re-evaluate. The time that you have to put in to get to 92 is minimal at best.
Oh and personally I like the extra 500sc. Drops my sub cost down by $5.00 and every once in a while they have something cool on the marketplace.
Oh and IF they offered a SC option to purchase a 90/320 toon you can bet I would. How people define challenge from grinding meaningless levels is beyond me. I have 10 toons that are 90/320 why on earth would I want to do that again? Same monotonous clicking through quests and content I have seen through 10 previous toons.
And before the haters get all up in arms. I started with SoE during eq1 @ kunark launch and @ eq2 launch and still maintain my original toons at max level and max AA on both games. As such I am very acquainted with the terming “meaningless grind”.
Pyratt said:
So what were you doing for those less than 3 hours? Questing or grinding? Not trying to stir up anything, I’m honestly curious as to what I have in store for me once GU63 hits live. 🙂
Sorry if my post was abrupt and brass did not mean for it to be that way completly.
I did overland quests in both wither and sky for about 1.5hrs did a solo instance then moved to chrono grinding.
I would anticipate that if you follow all overland quest lines you will have little need to fill any xp in. I did not see what AA reward was for this because my /testcopy toon is 90/320 so I cannot address how quickly aa’s come through new overland content with reduced curve. I should also mention that my toon is a guardian that is x2/x4 EM geared. I did all content solo w/o aid of merc.
At launch I think I am going to just chrono to 80 and run *insert aa pharm zone* with some pots for a couple hours and be done.
The xp is terrible from doing Withered Lands content.
I welcome the change, though I hate how fast it is to level in EQ2. I’ve never liked the race to cap and the fact that so much great (but “useless”) content is ignored. But each to their own, I am able to level as slowly as I like while others can get to 90/320 in a day, that’s their choice.
Personally I hated how I’d already completed 2000 quests by the time AAs were introduced and never got any credit for them, for me AAs have been a grind ever since. I’m still far from cap, 90 with about 240 AA, and they don;t come fast for me. Got 2 for handing in about 7 collections, 3 or so from running RE: The Gathering for the first time. I could go and grind and grind to max AA, but since there are virtually no groups anyway I’d much rather be doing things in game that I enjoy, e.g. clearing out quests, exploring old dungeons I’ve missed.
I think of the change as maybe some credit for all those quests done before AA came along, and it brings the new goal post closer.
I think it’s terriffic that they just GAVE all the slackers a bunch of AA’s, that should really help people out…But just out of curiosity….How do you suppose that makes people feel who actually worked their butts off getting their toons to 320 aa….What did THOSE people get??? I’ll tell you what we got…we got NOTHING.
So you get rewarded for being a lazy slacker, and you get punished for working your Ass off. Good job SOE. That should give Blizzard another nice boost in their subscription portfolio.