Power-leveling is absolutely BROKEN

[Travesty]

Since people don't understand how game balance works here you go:

reasons why Abrupt leveling kills MMOs:

1: Economy: This hugely affects the economy because PLing your classes will not require you to gear your self until late game. So what happens to all the gear LV1-40 in the markets? It sits right there. Crafters and people who farm mats for gils will definitely feel the backlash from this. If you have any sense of analytical and observation skills you can look into the future of what downward spiral the economy will go into if the PL scenario worsens.

2: Server Character Level Distribution: New players will later find it hard to make and find group later down the line when people start to have multiple 50s and start the ever popular end game grind for gear. The content created by the devs for LV1-40 will be completely destroyed like it was in FFXI in Abyssea (might not be correct spelling) and will turn this game into another type of grindfest... the endgame grindfest.

3. Promotion of the lack of In-Game knowledge: This sounds fun doesn't it?! Lets not have no clue what we are doing, let alone what types of abilities are viable in class builds and end-game setups. Why can't these things be taught through player experiences and strife? That is the true way to stimulate sense of accomplishment!

4. Veteran Buzz-Kill = Loss players: Lets observe a real-life scenario. Let's say you worked intensely hard at a job and finally earned a promotion after 12 years of dedicated service. Then next week a new hire is suddenly jolted to your rank after 3 months. We saw this in FFXI and no one can't argue that the server population didn't suffer from it. Come on SE! don't you learn your lesson!? How would the current vets feel about this nonsense? Think before you post, please...

Yaaay, more people in the thread who get it.

[Issac]

It seems there are now two threads, an unofficial "vote" with "thumps-up" counts. I don't think this is a good way to select majority opinion, as not everyone comes to the forums. It's not even good as a statistical sample from the population because there's no controls. However, it's something that does get the attention of reps.

Therefore, if you have not already hit that button, and you agree with the OP, please do so now. Thanks. =]

[Vahzl]

We power levelled pretty much all day yesterday, taking it in turns to be the PL - Farmed up a TONNE of stuff for the LS, got everyones subs nice and comfortably levelled, and had a laugh doing it.

I see no downside here.

[Zenaku]

We power levelled pretty much all day yesterday, taking it in turns to be the PL - Farmed up a TONNE of stuff for the LS, got everyones subs nice and comfortably levelled, and had a laugh doing it.

I see no downside here.

Everyone would get 50 and the game is not really p2p yet this could be a issue for SE down the road. Stop saying there no downside there is that why a lot of games have big time sink even wow is not easy to level like ffxiv.

[Vahzl]

Everyone would get 50 and the game is not really p2p yet this could be a issue for SE down the road. Stop saying there no downside there is that why a lot of games have big time sink even wow is not easy to level like ffxiv.

Again, so? We had a lot of fun, enjoyed the game, and worked as a group towards a great goal.

[Zenaku]

Again, so?

That the downside most people enjoy level up and find that the best part of the MMO and seeing how a lot agree with this. Top of that there a time sink so it give SE more time to make more stuff for us to do. Now if they make finding party,level up and grinding fun i don't see it being a issue but making it so you just powerlevel is the dumbest way to do this.

Once again that the downside and it going to be a issue down the road.

[Issac]

Again, so?

That's not a MMORPG to me. Let me bold, to me. Is this really the new generation of MMORPGs?

[Vahzl]

That's not a MMORPG to me. Let me bold, to me. Is this really the new generation of MMORPGs?

An MMO is not a korean grindfest, it is about working with friends to overcome goals and obstacles, the levelling is really kind of irrelevant as to how it is done. You can argue as much as you like but the basic point is this:

- Those with friends and a good LS will always do better in these games
- Those without are playing the wrong game
- Stop worrying so much about what other people are doing and just get on with your life, if people want to do it, it is their choice and not yours.

[Betelgeuzah]

That's not a MMORPG to me. Let me bold, to me. Is this really the new generation of MMORPGs?

Yes. Demanding Dedication is seen as a negative aspect (using terms with negative ring to them like "grind" when talking about this subject). Demanding Skill has become the be-all, end-all goal to strive towards in the modern MMO scene (using terms with positive ring to them like "challenge").

That said, to create contents that require Skill the developers are faced with the problem of balance vs. freedom. More variables means less balance and more freedom, which in turn means less developers have less control over all the variables, which in turn means developers have a much harder time to create balanced contents that require Skill.

The most significant variable developers have no control over in this context is the variable of individual player competency. Leveling up is the core progression system in any MMORPG and, since developers have no way of dividing the playerbase according to their competency level (no control over the variable), the content needs to be created with the lowest common denominator in mind.

That said, in this scenario only the lowest common denominator may require Skill to level. For the rest of the playerbase the content requires no Skill, and logically there is only one way to make the content worth the while for these people; requiring Dedication instead.

But Dedication these days is a taboo word, since the trend is to try to get rid of any and all kind of activities requiring it, in favor of having all activities to require Skill instead. That said, when it comes to leveling in an MMORPG, which takes no Skill, that developers still try to remove all the Dedication required anyway. Because it's "bad".

What we are left with is an activity that requires no Skill and less and less Dedication. In the end there is no reason to keep the activity in the game anymore. May as well start from level 50.

[Vahzl]

Easily revealing the reasons why people aren't willing to play with you guys. I already don't think I would gel with you ingame. You both come across as LS drama causing, whiny little children, and it seems very clear why you are upset about a system that requires other people to like you.