Yeah, we know. But if Asmoth empowered the demons before he killed them, he'd add power to Mag before taking it away.

Could that be a part of the Celest/Mag alliance?

If people actually fought each other on aetherspace, that might reduce the experience reduction it needs by a lot. Although it might also keep anyone below trans aethercraft out of aetherspace.

Can you seduce demons and angels?

I mean, sure, creepy. But hey, no power involved. Just creepiness.

Heh, I disagree. I'd say current rate is above a proficient ur'Bash by quite a bit, used to go on them quite a bit, even on Scorps or Obesefessors with a pure Demi group and me I never made this much exp.

I'm pretty sure there's a difference between what you're seeing and what Demigods are getting. At the current rate, I actually kind of agree with him that for Demi it feels like around the same essence as a really good Astral bash now, but it seems way better for people in the 90's.

Just leave it as it is...honestly, we've been complaining about XP being so terribly hard to get for years, they put something in that lets people get the rate of XP gain that they want, and all of a sudden everyone is complaining. Jeeze.

Complaining because its ridiculously high and ridiculously easy to automate. Admin were doing spot checks on people to make sure they weren't AFK earlier, I wonder how many people got caught out?

It skews pretty much everything relating to hunting. It needs to be reduced more, by a considerable amount for people in the 90-99 range at least, even if for no one else.

It also means that someone (not everyone) has to give money to IRE in order to get this amazing, no risk XP faucet. That wasn't the intent, and I don't mean to insinuate that our Admin ever thought that, but that's what it is now. Buy a bunch of credits, and you get access to this method of accelerated level gain. Like I said, it's not everyone (not everyone has to buy a ship to use one), but someone has to.

While Yes I have bought credits with money (360 with the past sale and another 100 plus the dings bats (of which I got about 250k for them plus I sold 50 of those 100 for more ship parts). So I I have probably have spent nearly 3million gold on my ship. This decision was not due to the XP change, although, but due to recent boredom (and partly losing GM to Crek...)

I personally don't see the problem with paying your way to a higher level, and I wish there was actually a way to flat out translate coin to xp through some process (obviously more than just buying credits and selling them) in IRE. Some people are good at bashing, so they get xp that way. Some people are good at influencing, so they get xp that way. Some people are good at PKing, so they get xp that way (albeit at a much lower number in lusty than in other IREs). Some people are good at questing, some at sweet-talking their way into an org's trust, and some rock at being shopkeepers or merchants. I enjoy the merchant role in other games and have felt no shame in spending lavish amounts of money hiring "bodyguards" to take my character on "large game hunts." I then sit back and emote watching the peons toil away (to earn me xp), and hey, it's fun.

Everyone says "paying for xp" like it's a terrible thing, without actually elaborating on what's so terrible about it. If someone wants to shell out the cash to get endgame - let em. It's not like there's an artifact for competence or a skill you can learn to get trans in "awesome". Money can only get you so far.

The inherent problem is that the highest levels in IRE have always required such an incredible investment in time and effort that creating an easy-mode for it invalidates the efforts of those who've made it, or tried very hard for it.

I remember when the Azdun dungeon and the Shastaan village were pretty much the only regularly bashed places. Experience has gotten much, much, much easier to get since then. Aetherbashing makes it too easy.

I graduated from university a few years ago. To get the diploma in the program I was in required a variety of tasks, such as carrying out a senior project, defending a thesis, sitting through an academic review board, etc.

The class after mine merely had to meet required units and have a chat with the program's director. And the necessary units they had to complete was lowered.

We both have diplomas. Somehow, I feel like mine's worth just a tad bit more in the post-grad job market.

Plus, I did it uphill, both ways, in the snow.

Except to compare it fairly in this case, you would need to have had your eyes gouged out with your own severed fingers during the first class, and had an MP3 player surgically grafted to your head so you can listen to the Numa Numa song on a loop.

While now, you only need three easy payments of $39.95 to get your diploma, and they give out free nachos so you don't get hungry waiting in line.

What YOU are describing is what happened when they got the first ten dozen low-difficulty high-xp/gold bashing areas done.


Edit: Sad part is I imagine everyone will be thinking this is over-exaggeration. Any other old-guard out there to back me up?

My point is that I got my diploma, regardless of how devalued the diploma (and the diploma process) is for later classes. Employers take the diploma as the first, most basic entry requirement at a job interview - obviously far more is needed than just having one.

Extending the metaphor outwards, great, people have gotten to demi and have met an entry level requirement for upper tier combat and participation. And? That doesn't mean they suddenly know a vast amount of knowledge if they never did before.

To clarify, though, my question was more regarding why a gold cost equates to bad, not the high xp gain. Being a successful merchant is a difficult and challenging task in its own right, if you take that route.

However, I'll admit my bias. I happily bounce between 75-85 in Aetolia, and don't feel like I'm lacking because I'm not endgame. In Lusty, I feel like I'm subpar.

Hehe. One, I'm not connecting level to anything, much less combat. Just talking about that lone achievement.

Two, I was mainly just answering you when you asked why people weren't giving any real reason for all the whining. Hardly anyone can scream "BUT ITS NOT FAIR" as an actual reason without feeling like a whining two-year-old, so they avoid it.

Edit: I'm with you on not seeing the need to 'endgame' it. I've never gone beyond 95, and never really tried all that hard to get even that far. I've had plenty of fun doing other things. Besides, I've sworn off aetherbashing after just a couple trips, because it felt like cheating. Obviously I don't care THAT much.

About the buying your way to the top:

If you buy your way to the top using gold, through a shop, or by writing a system that people want to buy, or by whoring yourself out to Magnagora's dirty beggars, etc., that's fine. You've done some work in the game and are getting a game reward.

What I have a problem with, and I realize I should have been more specific, is that you can take your RL money, charge your credit card to IRE and now you have access to lvl 100 in just a few short days. That, I believe, is wrong.

Why, in theory, is this any different from making credits available for RL cash, vs leveling your way up and getting the lessons, or doing bardic contests, or being a guide etc?

Why is lvl 100 less cash worthy than PK skills?

Let us not forget that you CAN pay for combat excellence, by buying a good system. A demigod with quality curing is not likely to die any time soon, unless they're making blatant mistakes (which should be learned from fast). Depending on the class, offense can be pretty darn simple at that point.

Also, nobody will take me aetherhunting!