Isn't that what determines experience gain?

If you'd care to place a bet on that, I'd be happy to collect some credits.

The kings do relatively little damage. I kill them with their 2 Kephera guards, also without any real DMP. The only somewhat annoying part is the blackout they do.

Now that you're putting in your point, how exactly does this solution address points three and four? It doesn't. It also raises the challenge far more than its counterpoint (600 damage every time you attack PLUS their response every 4 seconds) is far more damage than an equivalent-level NPC would be doing. Without criticals being included in this suggestion.

I'm not sure if it does influence experience gain any more, since things like Avatars give lots more carrion and offered-essence than their 'equivalent'-level mobs, and it's the essence that is related to the experience they give. But apparently making a mob do less damage lowers the calculation for how much experience it's worth (see: Cave-fishers getting nerfed)

Anyway, I do think Influence generally needs work so that you CAN get the same reward per effort ratio at the higher levels and it is a valid alternative to bashing/aetherhunting. This 'feature' actually seems more like a bug to me, and the sooner it is fixed and the damage rescaled to offer a more reasonable level of challenge then the sooner other benefits can be put in place as well. I have bugged it in game, but I really think it is more likely a design decision than a timer error, unfortunately.

I agree that Influencing isn't as appealing as it could be, but I think the issues involved with the system are beyond a simple tweak here or there.

You guys DO know that influencing gives 1.5 times the xp, right?

Eh?

...what is so hard to understand from that question/statement?

That's why influencing is amazing. Influence mob. Kill mob. 2.5 times experience.
EDIT: I mean 2 times.

Sorry, I thought the confusion was implied.

What? That's odd Rika, I didn't know that influence gave 1.5x the experience, I thought it gave the same experience as a kill. Would you please explain what you mean by that question?

Start: 2181

After influencing harpy with paranoia: 2547 (+366)

After killing: 2673 (+126)

Got nearly 3x as much from influencing that harpy as killing it. Hmm.

When did this change go in? Why in gods name does something as easy as influence give twice the experience?

That's... weird. Xiel and I did some tests and they were always 1.5x the xp for us. You should always use two mobs which are exactly the same. Influencing them makes them give weird xp.

I wasn't aware that it gave this much more, either. That's a bit excessive.

Has anyone bugged that?

Start vs Aslaran Warrior: 2673

Influence with paranoia: 3353 (+680)

Killing the influenced Aslaran Warrior: 3589 (+236)

Killing an uninfluenced Aslaran Warrior: 3825 (+236)

Again, nearly 3x the experience.

(Wow, influence gives that much more? Yay Titanhood!)

Before, when mobs could walk away from you, they had a chance to get a word in when you chased after them. I thought mobs walking away from you was okay since we could also abruptly leave the room when we were losing.

Guess who's moving into the Illithoid prison!

Oh, I think I know what the issue is. It looks like I have someone following me around shrouded (and leeching half the experience from hunting). Let me fix that.

Killing an aslaran alone:

3825->4278. 453.

Multiply that by 1.5 and you get 680 (the amount from influencing).

Ah! Silly Xenthos, doubting my research.