I just don't think the ability to click "accept" warrants a 5% XP bonus. Party leader means all of fuck and nothing. You either know what to do in a quest or you listen to the guy that does, "party leader" be damned. Party leader can't even override difficulty settings.

Seriously, giving whatever random guy happens to have the star an XP bonus isn't the WORST idea ever posted, but only because that title has a lot of competition, even if you exclude the enter motherboards.

noamineo wrote on Dec 9^th, 2015 at 4:45pm:


I don't agree with a party leader xp bonus because it will cause too many people to create LFM's vs. joining existing.  But I don't agree with you that the star has no meaning.  Technologically speaking, the only thing they can do is kick players when outside the quest and reset the quest instance.  But socially, when in a party, you should follow the leader's instructions and not act like a maverick douche bag. (Not saying that you do.  But people who join a group and then want to ignore the leader and do whatever they want should just solo the quest.  For everyone's sake.)

Asheras wrote on Dec 8^th, 2015 at 9:50am:


If they really thought this, they would hold a buddy event once a month, to promote it. Like, friday at 5pm to mon morn at 8am. Once a month. People would go batshit crazy. ALTS would be viable because it would be easier to get them a couple past lives. People would start playing their multiple shit loads of toons instead of sticking to their 1~3 mains.

In other words, it would breathe player life back into the game. People would start accepting random people. Vets would start teaching people who show some competence for the game...

Or, we would all be so fucking shocked Turbine did something in the interest of the player base and fucking die of shock... You know, whichever.

Epoch wrote on Dec 9^th, 2015 at 10:14pm:

Very good point.  Rather than surprising us each Thursday or so, why not publish a schedule in advance.  It's not like this stuff is hard to do or figure out.

OldCoaly wrote on Dec 10^th, 2015 at 1:22pm:


That's madness! No such sinister invention exists!

Illetirated wrote on Dec 10^th, 2015 at 5:56pm:


Your original, terrible idea:

Illetirated wrote on Dec 9^th, 2015 at 3:09pm:


That's 5% for the leader, 1% per person, or 11% for the leader on raids.

Let my paint you a word picture: I have done so far about 75 Von5/6 runs. I know exactly fuck-all about this quest. There's a ring? and a voice? And some forcfields and shit? There's parts of the dungeon I have literally never seen. I spend about 1/3rd standing in front of a locked door I know is going to open at some point. I let someone with a working microphone do count downs. I know to go and stand in front of some levers and shit and hit them when someone says go.

Of those 75 runs I had "led" 35 of them. So, do I deserve an extra 11% XP for having hit "create LFM" and clicked accept to the first 11 shlebs to join? My entire part in the quest is over 5 minutes after we step in, yet I get 11% more XP than anyone else? WTF?

Even if capped at 5, thats still a giant wtf? For click "accept" a few times?

noamineo wrote on Dec 10^th, 2015 at 6:13pm:


It's +5% of base XP, which translates to roughly +1% total XP. Just like Ransack, Conquest, BB, first Elite ...


5 Foot Step wrote on Dec 11^th, 2015 at 2:43am:

This.

Illetirated wrote on Dec 11^th, 2015 at 9:55am:


I once started a Von LFM where, after the group filled, I did nothing but pike at the entrance and make smart-ass commends. Oh, I also spent some time speculating on the penis size of the guy who was actually running the raid(enormous, since he was doing a bang-up job). I just walked in and stood next to the door for the end fight.

But yeah, I deserve extra XP for that.

Asheras wrote on Dec 11^th, 2015 at 10:50am:


Damn straight.

noamineo wrote on Dec 11^th, 2015 at 10:45am:

Yeah, because thanks to you, all these lazy players got their VON completion. Which they would never have gotten otherwise because they're too lazy to hit that "update LFM" button.

VON is 56k base XP on EE, so you get like 6k extra XP on top of the usual 150k (300+k if EE BB). That's not game breaking.

Also, I think this is the exception, I rarely see party leaders doing nothing. Usually they actually lead and contribute.

Translation:
If the bonuses were permanent we wouldn't be able to try and save this game from dying. This is our last chance before merging servers when WB finds out our increase in logins is not a full-time thing - he sez...

Revaulting wrote on Dec 12^th, 2015 at 6:26pm:


Sure, I'll take 5% free XP, why the fuck not?

Just about everyone Ninja'd my comments. 

Truthfully, Buddy Bonus was Teh Shizznit.

Gimps and n00bz and pikers... Oh My!

Loved it. Even the guy watching TV as a Soul Stone is contributing. I hadn't quested that drunk or high (or both) since our old Guild Leader quit.

It also helps the f2p/new people get through the game faster, which can bog down badly around level 9. Getting new(er) players into groups and contributing SOMETHING is a much better incentive to keep playing and spend money than making the bonus occasional. It gets them into higher levels, better gear, and more interesting quests which makes them keen to invest more into the game. Happy people in groups with no pressure makes a healthy and happy player base. Everyone wins.

The notion that making the group XP bonus into an event will somehow incentivize it is just fucking laughable. Apparently Turbine needs yet another round with Customer Service consultants and a refresher on the concept of "Loss Leaders"

Buddy Bonus should be permanently 5% per warm body and 10% for events. I'll gladly take all the XP I can muster to get off the TR hamster wheel or race through shitty PLs (or to quickly level builds that won't peak until epics.)

And I'd also like to feel like I'm contributing even while drunk and high and watching Ash vs. Evil Dead.