Power-leveling is absolutely BROKEN

[LeoDeSol]

[dev1132] Several adjustments have been made to overall experience point rewards and the current party bonus algorithm.

The following are used to calculate experience point rewards:

Level-based EXP
The general rule for calculating experience point awards is to divide the amount of experience needed to level up by the number of encounters the current level* is intended to last. The amount of EXP yielded increases proportional to character level.
* The level used in this calculation is either the player's or the enemy's, whichever is lower.
Difference Between Player and Enemy Levels
Higher level enemies will yield more EXP, while lower level enemies will yield less. This revision will not greatly affect the amount of EXP obtainable. However, a cap will be imposed upon the bonus awarded to players for defeating higher level enemies.
Party Size
Each additional member in the party reduces the amount of experience points yielded. Although the reduction is greater than before, it will be offset by the bonuses granted by EXP chains and linking.
Enemy Type
As the variance in strength between enemies has been reduced (see below), enemy type will not influence EXP yield.
* The exception to the above is those enemies deemed extremely weak or strong.
Link Bonus (see below)
Experience point bonuses are now rewarded for defeating enemies which appear together with the initial target.
EXP Chain (see below)
Defeating enemies in quick succession will now earn players experience point bonuses.
Guardian's Aspect
Invoking Guardian's Aspect when activating a levequest will grant players an experience point bonus upon quest completion.
Gear
There are several pieces of low-level gear which grant their wearers experience point bonuses.

It does not matter if you support or do not support power leveling like this, or if you think it will or will not hurt the game.

Based on the patch notes, this is clearly broken. There is suppose to be a cap on experience granted for defeating higher level enemies from you. As part of this calculation, the total XP amount you get is suppose to be based on either the enemy level or your level, whichever is lower. The basic of this is that if a level 40 player kills a level 40 monster, he gets more XP because of the curve (see first bullet in patch notes above XP needed to level devided by the number of total encounters the devs feel that level should last). If a level 20 where to somehow kill that same level 40 mob solo, they would get the XP award for Level 20 based on the curve, not level 40 because they are lower level than the mob, however, higher levels do give more (as stated above) with a cap (also stated above). Meaning, killing level 40 is better XP than killing that even match level 20, but your general XP reward is based on being level 20. Killing that same level 40 mob 10 levels later will likely net you much more than it did when you took it out at 20.

There is clearly a error in the system right now in that the lower level members in these PL parties are getting the higher end of the curve based on the higher level members. Basically, what the patch notes say is suppose to happen, is not happening and this is broken and unintentional, plain and simple.

If my impressions of what SEs intentions where with the change quoted above are correct, the idea was that a level 48 and a level 36 could have played together like we all wanted, but it would have been balanced. If tha level 36 and 48 duo killed a level 50, the level 48 would have gotten more XP than the 36, but what the level 36 gained in XP would be semi-proportional to what the level 48 gets in terms of XP needed to level.

It will be a cool and novel idea to balance IMO, once it is fixed. Most games inflict such severe penaties on XP for either the high or low level player, you need to be close to make it worth while to XP together at all. If the patch where working as intended, players could level with friends much more freely and each get a balanced and proportional benefit out of it if they pick the proper targets. Not too high that the level 36 cant contribute and is leaching, but not too low that the 48 gets zip out of it.

Even if you do not interpret this patch note the same as I do. It is clear they state there is suppose to be a cap on XP gained for beating a higher level monster. It is also clear that people are getting more XP for a monster in group with a higher level than they would if they soloed and hit that said cap. This can be tested by fighting something 12-15 above you with some out of party healing, potions, whatever it takes, then have someone higher level join with you and kill something that same level again....

Right, wrong, big consequences, small consequences, no consequences, it matters not at all. This is unintentional. Maybe SE will fix it, maybe not, maybe they will roll back people, maybe not. It is a bug, leveling this way could probably be considered a exploit by most common uses of that word in MMORPGs.

SE has a lot of issues with FFXIV, but they clear do not intend for people to level this fast, and even the 1.19 patch notes confirmed this. If they truly intended it, they would not have tried to put a cap on XP for killing higher level monsters at all.