FATE experience rate comparison

[Gamemako]

I've seen a lot of fuzzy claims of late which amount to this-or-that is faster experience gain than FATEs, but there's never any data (or even rudimentary calculations) to back it up. Naturally, I decided to head out and test it myself. I ran two tests at the same level: WAR at level 46 in a Dzemael Darkhold and DRG at level 46 in Northern Thanalan. Because WAR was my highest-leveled battle class, I decided to simulate the +50% level bonus by having Rested EXP for the duration. This is identical in effect, offering +50% to all combat EXP and being additive with other bonuses (food, chain bonuses, etc). I ensured that there was no starting rested bonus for DRG.

Dzemael Darkhold:
Time elapsed: 43 minutes
Experience earned: 92641
Approximate XP rate: 2154/min
Starting screenshot:

Ending screenshot:

Northern Thanalan FATE party:
Time elapsed: 48 minutes
Experience earned: 348885
Approximate XP rate: 7268/min
Starting screenshot:

Ending screenshot:

Ratio of FATE XP rate to dungeon XP rate: 3.37:1

You can take this how you will. I aim only to enlighten the debate a bit with data rather than speculation. Feel free to repeat the test yourself. I do not know whether the ratio grows, shrinks, or remains constant with character level.

A few comments:
-The Dzemael Darkhold run was done with random players through the Duty Finder. It was one of the better parties I've led through the dungeon, though I can imagine a well-coordinated static group could complete it much more quickly. I do not believe that is a relevant consideration, however; static groups during leveling are fairly difficult to organize as players will out-level one another.
-I didn't think much of starting the test during the middle of Dark Devices, which spawns about every hour. I had intended to do a full hour to compare. Unfortunately, FATE experience gain was too great, and I had already leveled before the hour was up.
-I do have another screenshot taken 13 minutes after the FATE completion one. I decided not to use it due to being over the intended level 46 interval. In the intervening 13 minutes, I acquired an additional 84383 experience, for an experience gain rate of 6491. This would reinforce the previous findings, but it is not as reliable on its own and isn't apples-to-apples with the Dzemael Darkhold test.

[peaches]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. I leveled my first class entirely with dungeons and ended up farming places like Dzemael, Stone Vigil, Arum Vale 20 times each. Now leveling my second class (WHM, first was SCH), I was trying to level with dungeons again but for some reason I was getting 30m + queues so I decided to bite the bullet, and reduced myself to FATE grinding.

One dungeon gave me about 1/4 bar of exp after a 30m queue time plus 45m in the dungeon. About half an hour FATEing got me a full level. The difference is absolutely insane. If dungeon queues weren't crazy for me I'd still do them, this exp rate feels waay too fast, but it's really the only viable option for non tanks.

[DMCain]

From my experience, the early dungeons offer a much higher xp gain than the early fates. Sashasta, Tam Tara and Copperbell all give a full level when run at minimum level for entry. In the late teens, there is no faster way to level to 20 than these 3 dungeons (doody finder wait time not included).

Starting around the mid 20's (between Toto and Haukke) to mid 30's (Qarn) the XP gains are fairly close. Depending on where you farm the FATEs and which ones spawn, FATEs can have an edge over dungeons here.

Then around lvl 35-38 or so, FATE xp starts leaving dungeons in the dust with the XP gain. At this point FATE xp and the speed at which they are completed makes them much more lucrative for XP.

Again, I have no HARD data on this, these are simple observations from my experience.

[Gamemako]

From my experience, the early dungeons offer a much higher xp gain than the early fates.

This is certainly a possibility. Mob experience does not seem to scale in the same way that FATE experience does. I will try to test this some time soon.

[Calypsx]

I noticed this as well. I really wish people would stop saying dungeon exp gives more than fates so they can get some exp tweaks. I want to see more people using the duty finder, dungeons are a lot of fun.

[DMCain]

This is certainly a possibility. Mob experience does not seem to scale in the same way that FATE experience does. I will try to test this some time soon.

Real easy to test. Just grab any job and as soon as it hits 15, go into sastasha, you will leave at lvl 16. Then TT for 17 and Copperbell for 18. Then TT or CPB another 3x (maybe 4x) for 20. With a decent group, you can clear each dungeon in 30-40 minutes. Fates at that level do not give that kind of XP.

Mob XP in dungeons is fairly high. With rest, low- level bonus and food, you can get up to 103% bonus. IIRC, in TT, that would be 4-600 per kill.

On a side note, if you sync a dungeon with your highest class (if not yet 50), you get a bonus to XP also. NOT the full 50%, it's closer to a 25% bonus (again, observation, no hard data).

[Gamemako]

I tested running Copperbell Mines at level 18 -- I was healer, not tank, so I didn't control the run's pace but did push things along by repeatedly outstripping tank enmity (rawr, healer DPS). Not the fastest run, but no deaths or wipes. 38 minutes to complete. Depending on whether you include the first-completion bonus, I hit either 951 experience per minute or 856 experience per minute. I'll run FATEs near Aleport tomorrow.

[Gamemako]

FATE result (level 18 near Aleport, where FATEs are levels 10-18):

Time: 23 minutes
EXP: 49749
EXP/min: 2163

So at level 18, FATEs in Aleport are 2.27 to 2.53 times the experience rate of dungeons. That may be partly a question of the efficiency of the area, with fewer players, fewer FATEs, a larger area to cover, and being overleveled for most of the FATEs in the area. I can try again at level 20, with a fresh dungeon and fresh FATE area to compare, but I don't think it's going to get any more favorable for dungeons.

[Gamemako]

One final test: level 20 dungeons versus FATEs.

Level 20 dungeons: Halatali
Time: 39 minutes
EXP: 39344
Experience rate: 1009/min

Level 20 FATEs: South Shroud
Time: 22 minutes
EXP: 48972
Experience rate: 2226/min

That FATE-farming went exceedingly poorly. I died repeatedly and got no reward for two FATEs (including 10k from Coeurl King). Worth reproducing here even for that alone. Didn't turn out well at all, but it still beats the hell out of dungeons. I did another level in FATEs, which went much more smoothly:

Level 21 FATEs: South Shroud
Time: 18 minutes
EXP: 61405
Experience rate: 3411/min

That actually ended right before Coeurl King, so 2 minutes later, I had another 11000 EXP. Wouldn't be fair to include it, however. Regardless, just beating a dead horse.

[Squa]

This is an extreme flaw in the game, that the most rewarding/successful method of playing and gaining experience is to simple spam 1 skill BLM spam Blizzard 2, WHM spam Medica, etc...

I am shocked that they have left this in the game for so long now, and dungeon xp is so bad. SE seems very slow to react and change critical issues with the game.