Experience: Standard rules

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TL;DR version: If your patience is so thin to need a TL;DR, you're not allowed to read this thread as it'll make your head explode. You HAVE been warned.

OK, I apparently fail at making rules that make sense. (See the other thread).

So...

How would a standardized ruleset on how to measure the player's ability to squeeze out experience points look like?

"Now, why would that be even necessary, as the game can be played through blind-folded and left-handed by most of us? Surely a few exp here and there won't change that?"

Well, having a high score in something is a badge of honor. Nothing more, nothing less. But as it is now, even such a straighforward and linear beast as IWD2 contains so many random variables that even KNOWING who has the high score is no small feat. Many would say impossible. Not to mention the crowd that plainly doesn't care as they're roleplayers/hate minmaxing/are playing it for the scenery, take your pick.

It's exact purpose is to be able to measure things. Ever since the idea about level-squatting came up - pre-historic times, folks - there's always been people that need more than just hand-waving and theorycraft. They need solid proof. In that case, it was straightforward to demonstrate how to get to levels way beyond normally possible, but a proof like that won't work on stuff that ain't as broke as level-squatting is. Hence, the need of a yard-stick. (Or, if you prefer, e-peen meter, but that doesn't sound nearly as lucrative.)

The easy ones are straightforward - no exploits such as squatting, no free extra starting exp for ECL races and so forth.

I don't THINK there's any reason to put any constraints on the party composition as the performance of the parties isn't a concern, just the amount of exp they get. THAT exact question is better answered by the various Ultimate Powergaming Party discussions.

Where it gets tricky is anything that is both random AND more or less unavoidable. Totally draconian rules ("No random wandering monsters, ever, anywhere, upon rest") do solve the standardization problem to a degree but can be a pain to adhere to. And even then there are hazy areas: Does the ambush by letting Pondmuk guard your rest at the Warrens count as a random encounter or no?

Another dilemma is the Worgen Drums issue. Considering they're clearly summoned monsters, they SHOULD NOT give any loot or exp as per the standard D&D rules. However, you'll get a war party on your hands pretty soon after you aggro the mob nearest to the drum in question, UNLESS you can spot and kill the drummer directly. While technically possible, it's both kludgey and hardly representative to the way people are expected to play through the area and you end up in a situation where the "perfect" High Score Run can be bested by a normal play-through.

Yes, time to stop rambling now before this gets any longer.

 

Maybe it's easier to ditch the rules about squatting, and just judge people based on who has the greatest tenacity to pull off the highest possible experience point total. If someone is willing to waste (err, I mean spend) 4 hours of their life fighting war drum spawns then... god bless them, I guess. Give them a cookie.

Otherwise, it seems possible to overthink this one into the ground.

 

should a few extra exp be the determining factor? what about no reloads or minimum time required to finish the game.

because the game is so "easy" you have to force artificial difficulties such as permanent level caps- reduced party sized- no armor no weapons etc type of challenges- you kind of have ignore the random variables.

 

I dont know about "so easy"

I play 2.01 at Insane mode with no mods attached and I say it can be quite difficult at time. Sure, the fodder mobs are no challenge (duh) but if you keep that loose attitude the few tough battles will knock you down.

For instance, I thought the Battle Square would be easy but Tier 7 still can press press sorely.

 

'No squatting' is a must-have rule, if you want to do any meaningful calculations.

'Yes squatting' probably squeezes out more XP though, so the rule undermines its own validity.

I've found Sir Rechet's most valuable insights to come from when he includes quest info into his pure math. There's an excellent guide to max out your XP gains by postponing quests and backtracking a lot. The way he mapped out which quests can still be taken at the Ice Fortress (gaining proportionally more value from quest XP when your high level reduces kill XP), just before you head off to Kuldahar, was pure gold.

 

Oh, I agree Coin. Me from 7 years ago was clearly a lunatic.

Wait. What are we evening talking about here?

 

Oh, I get what you mean, now. I commented on a resurrected thread. Sorry.