Changes to AA Experience

Earlier this week EverQuest Designer Nodyin made a post on SOE's forums about upcoming changes to the way AA experience is gained:

One of the most common topics of discussion on these boards has to do with AAs - gaining them, using them and how many you "need" to be viable in a group or raid setting. As time passes and expansions are released the total number of AAs that are available to each class grows, as does the number of AAs that are considered "core" by each class. Anyone who has played EverQuest for very long can realize how important a few hundred well-spent AA can be for any player of sufficient level. As great as the AA system is, however, it presents an ever growing barrier to new players or current players who might like to try a new class for a different experience or perspective. The hill, to put it simply, is simply too high to climb for many people.
 
To address this we're going to introduce the same type of experience scaling in the AA system that exists with levels. Just like level 1 is a lot easier to get than level 80 is we're going to change how AA experience works so that the first AAs you earn will come faster than the last AA you earn to reach the cap. This change should make it a lot easier for players climbing the levels to gain key AAs and advance to the point that they can interact with friends (new or old) that have more established characters.
 
What we've done is put together a very flexible, data-driven system that we can adjust as expansions are released or in response to changing circumstances. The way the system works is that we'll be able to create point ranges (with a minimum number of AAs earned and a maximum number) that will have a multiplier assigned to it. So you'll get the amount of experience you would have gotten prior to this change, but then that experience is increased by this multiplier.
 
So for AA #XYZ your multiplier might be 2.0. Before the change you would have gotten 500 experience. After the change it would be 500 x 2, or 1000 experience. Simple, right?
 
The higher you go in AA totals the lower the multiplier will be until eventually it will reach the 1.0 mark and AA experience will return to "normal". AA experience is already normalized by level to be equal to the same number of even-con kills no matter what your level is and this system will work with that. No matter where you are in terms of level you'll see the same bonus based on your AA count.
 
Based on the data we collected a few months ago and looking at where we're putting the 1.0 mark the vast majority of players will see a boost in the rate that they earn AAs with those at the low end of the AA count seeing the largest boost. As I mentioned above we're able to nimbly change the shape of the curve and as we release new expansions that push forward the total number of AAs that exist we will be changing the shape of the curve, including the point where AA experience returns to normal. So we'll be attempting to continue to support new players and returning veterans going forward with the AA system.

Comments

Root Thread
Great Idea!!!!
# Feb 15 2008 at 6:36 PM Rating: Good
6 posts
Seems to me some people like to look at things at a perspective of high end raiding peep that grinded to whatever level. They have been that level and progress to the next lvl cap as each exp is released!!!

That is fine but not all of us has 4-10 hours of grind time a day, but also wants to have some way to achieve higher lvls, and we all know that aa's damn sure help the grind of xp..

I love the way I should feel bad because I want to play the same game you do. I spend the same money you do but I am lacking time! Granted its my fault that I dont have time but if I look at this from a business prospective.

1. if I dont make it fun for all the subscribers then I will loose subscriptions
2. I loose subscriptions I loose R&D money.
3. Equals sub-par expantions and or no exspantions.
4. Death of EQ.

I guess it realy comes to the point that some people live with blinders on.
Seeing only the things they want without being able to look at both sides of the coin.

High end people this isnt about you!! Your hooked your going to play! I hate to say it your easy money.

Its about new blood new money! You know those low level noobs that some of the highend peeps cant stand cause their new. Yes those people! If your a high end player you should want to share your love for a game you have poured a great amount of time and effort into, so it might keep the game going for another 9 years.... WOW what a concept.

Keep the content tough I am truly for that Its the life blood of this game.
But make it palletable for the next generation of peeps that did'nt subcribe when kunark hit the seen. To adventure and progress and maybe just maybe get things a little easier than you did..

P.S. Hug A Noob Today......

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