Squad Leader Archive

From the Dev responsible for changing the code:

Ok, after extensively looking at the old code and the new I think I know where the breakdown occured and how to fix it... however things aren't jibing with how you reported the XP used to work. So before I make any further changes I'd like to get a very clear picture of how they used to work (perception vs code) and where the right place to take it is.

In your post in the SL forums outlining the old method, new a possible proposed changes (which was excellent btw :smileywink you mentioned that Squad Leader XP was based purely on the CombatXP earned by the SL. Are you positive on that? From looking at the code it was actually pased on the total XP earned including all combat related XP as well as all non-combat actions that can contribute to Combat XP.

I think this is where the disconnect occured. The new system is completely based on Combat XP earned by all group members. The group size modifier was slightly reduced due to the fact that your XP earning calculations are now based on the XP earned by all group members. I can easily change the system back to using total XP earned. But I want to make sure that I don't overcompensate.

What is the exact discrepency you are currently seeing? How much lower is the XP now than it was originally? Half? Factor of 10? Less, more, what? Let's get this fixed ASAP, but let's get it right this time.

Please reply to this and I will compile a formal response to give him.

Well, for a single Kamariuth on Dathomir with a group of 5, I'd get roughly 2k-4k SL exp for killing the creature, now im lucky to get 200-400 EXP. It reduced by a factor of 10 for me. I noticed that if I don't fight I get near 400 XP compared if I do I get about 200ish.

AWE HELL YEAH!!!

Thank you devs/vem

Don't have the time right now, but will post later. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Ya I would say I'm getting roughly 1/10th of what I used to get for squadleader xp...

here is a post I made late last week on it... please double check that my formula for the OLD calc is correct with what yall had experienced before the changes. All of these numbers were gathered out of the game under an ideal hypethetical situation... my in-game experience over the weekend showed that my calculations for the new system were GENEROUS (meaning I wasn't getting as much xp as is theorized here)

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ok let's work this out...

for these samples, I'm going to assume that in the given fight, each PC earned 100 combat xp. A nice easy number that might be a little too high... but let's run with it.

notation:

M = me

PC = player character in the group

P = pet (pet's don't get combat xp)

here's the formula as figured by the poster above (which may or may not be true)

SL xp = (group combat xp / 4) * # of group members

ok... so here we go... I will assume that MY combat exp counts towards the total of group combat cp

******group makeup: M, P

(100 / 4) * 2 = 50 sl xp

former total would have been 400 since (100 * 2) * 2 = 400

******group makeup: M, PC

(200 / 4) * 2 = 100 sl xp

former = 400

******group makeup: M, PC, P, P

(200 / 4) *4 = 200 sl xp

former = 800

******group makeup: M, PC, PC, PC

(400 / 4) *4 = 400 sl xp

former = 800

******group makeup: M, PC, PC, PC, P, P, P, P

(400 / 4) *8 = 800 sl xp

former = 1600

In my experience, THIS is a normal sized group... and we get HALF as much xp as we used to (again, I think this is generous, in-game I am seeing far less than half what I used to get)

******group makeup: M, PC, PC, PC, PC, P, P, P, P, P

(500 / 4) *10 = 1250 sl xp

former = 2000

******group makeup: M, PC, PC, PC, PC, PC, PC, PC, P, P, P, P, P, P, P

(800 / 4) *15 = 3000 sl xp

former = 3000

AHA!!! the magic number! get 7 pcs and 7 pets in your group, ASSUME the pets don't soak up too much combat xp, and you MIGHT get as much SL xp as you used to! Oh and don't even think about fighting something small... remember, you've got to find something big enough to give 8 players 100 combat xp. sigh... let's continue to 20 in a group

******group makeup: M, PC, PC, PC, PC, PC, PC, PC, P, P, P, P, P, P, P, P, P, P, P, P

(800 / 4) * 20 = 4000 sl xp

former = 4000

******group makeup: M, PC x 19 (total of 20 pcs including you)

(2000 / 4) * 20 = 10000 sl xp

former = 4000

again... I challenge you to find a group of 20 pcs... and then go fight some monster that will give ALL of you 100 combat xp (krayts maybe? and we know how COMMON they are... pffft) and you'll LOVE this new formula! lol

So Cap'n V was right... unless you're in a huge group with not a lot of pets, this formula is da bunk. Again... this seems to only be theory as of now... and frankly, I think this formula is too high compared to what I was seeing in game last night. In other words, I think I was getting less xp than what this formula states.

oh and I think we can all attest that the old old formula had NOTHING to do with group xp... it was DEFINATELY dependent on the damage you did as the SL. To hear that that fact is a surprise to the dev is a little disheartening, BUT at least he's trying to work it out with us now

ALOT less more than half Id dare to say 10% of what we used to get, yes.

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Flookmastah wrote:
oh and I think we can all attest that the old old formula had NOTHING to do with group xp... it was DEFINATELY dependent on the damage you did as the SL. To hear that that fact is a surprise to the dev is a little disheartening, BUT at least he's trying to work it out with us now

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amen to that, and yes it was based only on our own damage not that of a combat group.

Also I agree with that exp is like 80-90% lower than in the past.

Yeah, I would say that the new xp earned is roughly 1/10 of the xp earned before the patch. I have a few concerns though.

1) Why is dev asking us what we think the formula is?

2)Why is the dev failing to see the difference of how greatly reduced it is?

I think as a developer of a game this grand, I would want to see first hand how my programming works in the game. Just ask this guy to play a SL character one week with decent sized groups and see how far he fills up just one skillbox. Its really an eye opener.

But I am happy to hear that it is being looked into.

Agree 10% for sure or maybe 15% .... I was killing Bolma with 2 other ppls (one combat-medic and one pistoleer) and I as a Riflemen(and Squad Leader) I had 3.5k-4k per bolma now with the same senario I get 300 if I'm lucky 400.

oh and I forgot to say that now I like the faq that the group give you Exp not just you , becuase it happen that there alot of target and you didn't have the chance to attack them all to have the Exp you would got from them but now I like the fac that we get Exp of the group peformance. I got use , kinda , to the new "formula" ... it's just that you have to get at least 15 ppls in your group and hunt Rancor or stuff like that you have 5k max per rancor. Not alot of ppls know 15ppls that they can group with I am lucky that we are 4 guild in our "alliance" so we can have some preparation to get 15 ppls at one place at a certain time.

Like I said I like the new formula when I'm with a large group but we all know that we can't always have a large group around.

Flookmastah wrote:
oh and I think we can all attest that the old old formula had NOTHING to do with group xp... it was DEFINATELY dependent on the damage you did as the SL. To hear that that fact is a surprise to the dev is a little disheartening, BUT at least he's trying to work it out with us now

This is true.

I don't know how bad the new xp system is because i stopped trying after the patch.

its almost excatly 1/10th the amount it was before..... thanks for addressing this issue!