Variable leveling points? (possible minor spoilers)

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:39 am

Has anyone else noticed that the points you get for killing critters varies, apparantly depending on your race/class?

I noticed discrepancies some time ago, so I've been testing it out. For example, those beetles you and Bevil kill on the Ruins map, or those spiders you and Khelgar kill in the Swamp Cave map. The points you get for the spiders/beetles varies from 28 - 47, and the biggest giant spider nets either 63 or 120 points. I can only assume the points are race/class related - or there is quite an annoying bug in the game.
Anyone know which it is?

Crucis · Post by **Crucis** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:13 am

I've never seen any XP issues related to class and race. But you do know that XP varies by the average level of the party (IIRC), don't you?

Klorox · Post by **Klorox** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:02 pm

I think XP is related to party position. Character 1 will have more XP than character 2, and he more than Character 3, ect. It's not too much of a difference though.

Are you getting an XP penalty from multiclassing?

Crucis · Post by **Crucis** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:14 am

Klorox wrote:I think XP is related to party position. Character 1 will have more XP than character 2, and he more than Character 3, ect. It's not too much of a difference though.

Yes, I've seen this as well. My best guess is that what is happening is this...

Say that your 6 member party is awarded 7 XP. Obviously, each member gets 1 XP each, and there's one XP left over. I think that what happens then is that the first member of your party gets the extra XP. And if there's 3 extra XP for a 6 member party, I think that the first 3 members of the party get 1 XP each. Over the course of the game, the difference isn't enormous, but it is noticeable, particularly if you rarely adjust the order of your party roster.

Klorox · Post by **Klorox** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:50 pm

I agree with your reasoning. It was like that in IWD1 also.

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:59 pm

Only just re-found this thread...

Anyway, no, that isn't what I meant.

I mean if I go through, say, the swamp cave map with Khelgar (no-one else) the amount of XP we get for killing (for example - it applies to all other kills as well) the last giant spider VARIES. It can from 63 XP to 120 XP. I can see no reason for this other than my char's race or class.
It is the same when my char and Bevil go to the Ruins for the first shard. The amount of XP shown for killing (for example) the swamp beetles VARIES from 17 to 40something. Not from beetle to beetle, but from game to game. It is consistant within each game.
And it SEEMS dependant on either race or class, because nothing else is different in each game I play.

Unless it's a bug.

I've only really noticed this in the early game, because it seems to even out as you gain higher levels.

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:05 pm

Um. And I only just noticed this is in the wrong forum. It's no wonder I couldn't find it in the proper forum!

Could a Mod move it to NWN2 forum, please?

Klorox · Post by **Klorox** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:11 pm

Fljotsdale wrote:Um. And I only just noticed this is in the wrong forum. It's no wonder I couldn't find it in the proper forum!

Could a Mod move it to NWN2 forum, please?

LOL! No wonder we couldn't answer effectively!

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:28 pm

Indeed!

And thanks to the Mod who moved it.

And, er... anyone? Is it a bug in my game, or is it related to race/class as I'm thinking it may be?

Anyone... ??

Screaming Johny · Post by **Screaming Johny** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:37 pm

Effective Character Level (ECL)

This is part of the game. Experience for kiilling things is based on your Effective Character Level (or ECL). So for example you get more experience for killing the same thing if you have a lower ECL than you would if it were higher. E.g. An Effective level 10 character would only get a couple points for killing a regular zombie (because it is very easy at that level), while someone only effective level 1 might get something like 40 because it would be a real challenge for that character.

I don't know all what affects ECL in NWN2, but in NWN 1 ECL was affected by the number of companions (increased ECL by 1 for each companion) and by class at lower levels. E.g. Non-warriors had a lower ECL (giving more xp) than warriors at low levels (warriors base ECL equaled thier character level, but non-warriors did not until around level 8). So a level 5 mage might have a ECL of 2, while a level 5 warrior would have an ECL of 5. This was to balance the game as can you imagine a level 5 wizard against a swarm of zombies? They would kill a few and then be out of spells, while the warrior wouldn't have a problem. At higher levels I'd favour the mage, but NWN didn't change the ECL at higher levels.

So while I doubt ECL works exactly the same, I have already noticed that it is in play. I have killed the same zombies before and after leveling up and got less experience after leveling up. This is why it is a good idea to do the quests in roughly the order you get them. Doing an early Act I quest at the end of Act I would not only be very easy, you also likely would get very little experience.

Does this help?

darthelema0101 · Post by **darthelema0101** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:20 am

It also does not matter if you delay leveling up as I have noticed immediate drops in XP granted as soon as enough has been earned to get the next level.

I DID, however, try the swamp cave before and after picking up Neeshka and found that the lizardfolk were worth MORE with Neeshka in the party.

:speech:

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:27 am

Many thanks, Screaming Johny and darthelema0101.

I'm VERY pleased that you have given me some much desired understanding of how it works!