XP Sharing

[bek]

I prefer #3, but maybe the player can choose in-game how to deal with unused/new companions. So say you want to recruit a companion significantly lower level than you are, you are presented with a dialogue option that says something like “I have no use for your skills right now, but let me show you a thing or two…” which raises the level of the companion within one or two of your own. And if you want to welcome the companion as-is, you have a dialogue option for that as well.

[qlum]

I vote for 1, the other options while sometimes compensated have the issue that you are guided towards sticking to your original pary formation, I rather have the freedom to swamp them out at any time, sure you may need to upgrade their weapons and armor but I don't like needing to level someone just because I didn't choose him before, even with a limit of x levels behind you still need to level him.

 

I would also want to suggest an alternative way: xp is obtained in one general stack and can be freely distributed amoung any character companion you would want including yourself, this xp should be possible to undo and respend at will as well, a bit like abilities but instead of just abilities xp as a whole, this way if you are with 1 person you may give him a ton of xp and when you are with 6 everyone gets quite a bit less but I think this would be my ideal system.

[Infinitron]

The fun thing about option 3 is that you get the opportunity to "power level" low-level companions by taking them on a hunt for monsters that would normally be far too difficult for them.

 

In other words meaningless grinding, killing random mobs for XP. Yep, fun, fun, fun.

 

Hey, you don't have to if you don't want to. Also, it doesn't have to be grinding, you can just take him with you on the main plot.

[IEfan]

Hey, I like option 3 but realistically speaking, your companion pool is limited like in BG2 and if you want to balance everyone out/make everyone useful/want to space them succesfully in the game, that is just not realistic... or at least it's tons of work, what with working out where you'd like to have your companies placed and who (since this system eventually leads to companion favoritism for XP amount). And remember that in BG1 the option 3 lead to (at least for min-maxers) that you obviously tried to play with the heroes you got from the very beginning of the game eg. friggin Imoen. The exp raise for the optional companions was in tresholds you see! So being lv 11 meant that companion is when met possibly lv 10 (possibly with profiencies you dislike/that don't have as much magical items as others). Or that you are lv11 but close to becoming lv 12-> still the companion is lv 10.

 

I think the fun in BG series with Option 3 is exclusive for that as it had tons of goofy companions and you really did have a lot of areas where to churn out exp for your party. So i don't know what to vote. LET OBSIDIAN FIGURE OUT.

 

EDIT: also you are bit mistaken! BG series had both Option 2 and 3. I'm talking about Option 2 above - which was only for when you met the companion for the first time (or let him join for the first time). Option 3 applied when you ditched the NPC and later re-recruited him.

 

EDIT also WHOA this is -totally- dependant on story structure - will the NPCs join one after another, are some NPC's optional/to be found somewhere in the world, will there be forced joins (even if temporary, like in NWN2). I have no idea... these amazing undercurrents, these outstanding engineer worlds...

Edited September 19, 2012 by IEfan

[incubus9]

What I liked about option 3 from the old IE games is that it made you really pick your companions. People you don't use for whatever reason don't level up. It gives a lot of variety on different play throughs when you are forced to play multiple games to see how each companion responds to different situations.

[Gibbscape_Torment]

I prefer shared XP for the party, and no XP or leveling for unused companions. But I don't mind unused companions leveling all that much, as long as I get to choose their abilities when I first acquire them(assuming we can choose their upgrade path when leveling up, if not then doesn't matter).

 

Option 1 or 2. Dear lord, having to grind up all my companions would be a complete nightmare.

 

I've never done any grinding in any Black Isle or Obsidian title before. Is there a reason you feel compelled to grind levels for unused companions?

 

Because you will have unused companions horrendously underlevelled? Having to constantly switch out companions instead of taking who i want based on their personality or personal stake in a particular quest is what i would classify as grinding.

[Badprenup]

I actually prefer a hybrid of 2 and 4. For the XP for individual characters I would want it solely based on what they do in a battle. However, they would always get some XP for each action, whether it be attacking, casting either positive or negative magic, using an item, or even simply guarding or waiting through your turn. Your individual character's XP is also dependant on other factors in the battle like getting bonus XP for critical hits, dodges, blocks, and killing an enemy (this stuff would be dependant on your stats compared to an enemy so you can't go to a low level area and power level by critting and one shotting the weakest monsters).

 

After each battle, the party gets a set amount of XP based on the difficulty of the fight. This XP is distributed throughout the entire party, giving enough to members not in the active party to keep them close to your level and giving more to the people who actually participated.

[Jozape]

I prefer shared XP for the party, and no XP or leveling for unused companions. But I don't mind unused companions leveling all that much, as long as I get to choose their abilities when I first acquire them(assuming we can choose their upgrade path when leveling up, if not then doesn't matter).

 

Option 1 or 2. Dear lord, having to grind up all my companions would be a complete nightmare.

 

I've never done any grinding in any Black Isle or Obsidian title before. Is there a reason you feel compelled to grind levels for unused companions?

 

Because you will have unused companions horrendously underlevelled? Having to constantly switch out companions instead of taking who i want based on their personality or personal stake in a particular quest is what i would classify as grinding.

 

How do you know they will be horrendously underleveled? Do you know what level each companion starts at? Do you know how many levels there are and can realistically be achieved? How much each level means in terms of each character's ability? How difficult it is to gain additional levels? And how many battles we will be forced to take?

 

Also to consider, is that the game can be completed without picking up any companions. Having a companion or two be temporarily weaker than the others might not be such a big deal. Of course, completing the game on your own could also be ruthlessly difficult. We don't know enough yet.

[Darji]

I am for option 1 or 2. Seriously I really do not want to power level anyone when I instead could do much more interesting things in this world. This is a "feature" that I do not want to see again.

[Blablachar]

I prefer shared XP for the party, and no XP or leveling for unused companions. But I don't mind unused companions leveling all that much, as long as I get to choose their abilities when I first acquire them(assuming we can choose their upgrade path when leveling up, if not then doesn't matter).

 

Option 1 or 2. Dear lord, having to grind up all my companions would be a complete nightmare.

 

I've never done any grinding in any Black Isle or Obsidian title before. Is there a reason you feel compelled to grind levels for unused companions?

 

Because you will have unused companions horrendously underlevelled? Having to constantly switch out companions instead of taking who i want based on their personality or personal stake in a particular quest is what i would classify as grinding.

 

So you do this different quest in the next playthrough, when you stick to this character till the end. I believe in good design, so if anyone wants to join us because of a particular mission, we do it early on (often quickly after meeting the fellow) and decide whether we keep him or not.