----- Original Message -----
From: <chris.holden@...>
To: <eqbards@egroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 9:31 AM
Subject: [eqbards] Question on "Drafting"

>
>
> Greeting everyone I have a question on a technique called "Drafting". My
> regular group of friends I group with don't want me to fall to far behind
on xp
> while I am out for my son's impending birth (my wife would kill me if I
attempt
> to play for the first month).
>
> I was told that with the new xp changes that you can group with a higher
level
> player in my case a 53 shaman whose toons I group with would take my bard
and
> group. He would then procedd to solo mobs and let me get the xp.
>
> The figures I saw (in an email) says the lower level character could
"draft" or
> ride the xp off of the higher level shaman. They are estimating the lower
level
> would get about 40% of the xp from such a scenario.
>
> Opinions on powerleviling and recent discussion on mediocre players aside
(I
> have played EQ since it came out and have several characters in the 20's
and
> 30's) would this form of powerleveling be an option? Or is the math wrong?
>
> Thanks for any input.
>
> -Ranian
>
>
>

Since the exp needed to level goes up by the cube of the level,
but exp gained per mob is split linearly by level (in the new system)
then the lower level partner gets more exp *RELATIVE* to the
exp he needs to level than the higher level, thus "drafting" and
catching up. This also means that, although characters now have
to pay their own racial exp penalty, there is a limit to how far they
will fall behind a regular grouping partner

Unless I bungled the math it's something like
H = Human level
N = Non-Human level
R = Racial modifier for Non-Human

If H^2/N^2 >= R then the Non-Human
stops falling behind.

SDK