Should the game assign a fixed xp amount to every mob that doesn't vary with difference in player level like dungeons and dragons? So a level 1 boar would always give 2xp no matter what level you are, and the XP requred per level scales up?
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Should XP per level be relatively flat where a same-level mob will always give 5xp (for example) and +/- 1xp for each level higher or lower the player is compared to the mob?
I see benefits to having the xp vary based on level difference. So in a solo encounter (to keep it simple) if I am level 1 and kill a level 1 enemy I may get 5 points. But if I kill the same enemy when I am level 3 I may get 3 points. If I am level 5 I may get nothing at all.
Two reasons and both seem significant. Firstly, it makes sense to have reward relate to risk.
Secondly, it is good for the game to strongly discourage higher levels coming in to areas designed for lower levels and rapidly clearing them out so that the people who belong there can't do their questing or camping. Griefing cannot be prevented other than by punishment for bad behavior but VR can and should avoid making this kind of behavior rewarding. If I get no xp and no drops in an area I am not likely to "steal" all the mobs from people that actually need them.
I believe there will be a fairly large variety of mobs at any level, and those mobs will vary in their difficulty and danger. From all of the traits and dispositions we've heard about, there may be a wider range of variation than many other games. The XP for them should therefore vary as well, based on risk=reward.
I'm also pretty sure that as a player outlevels a mob by an increasing number of levels, the XP the player receives will go down until it hits zero.
Isn't it already (planned) to be like EQ, meaning exp earned is based on /con-level (not mob-level)? So you would get normal exp for a white mob, a little less for blue, even less for light blue and green, nothing for grey? And a bonus for yellow or red cons? I always thought this was a given, and I like this system.
Items should however drop regardless of level difference. It should be my choice if I want to quickly kill 50 spiderlings for their silk, or buy the silk from someone else. The game should not prevent one way only because I have out-leveled the mobs in question!
I'm a fan of diminishing returns. XP, non-trash drops and crafting mats.
I am not sure about the spider silks example:
Sarim: It should be my choice if I want to quickly kill 50 spiderlings for their silk, or buy the silk from someone else.
If a higher level farms low level mobs, then their actions can (and do) impact on the adventurers that the mobs are intended for. A much better solution would be that the silk is on spiders of all levels and you hunt at a level intended for you and reduce the drop rate for "grey" mobs. Reducing the silk drops would also help to reduce the flooding of crafting mats on the market and gives everyone the incentive to hunt at an appropriate level. Actually, I think it should totally stop dropping crafting mats on grey mobs once the level gap is too great.
Just because it is convenient for you to hunt grey mobs for crafting mats does not mean your actions are convenient for others or is even good for the game as a whole.
There are two ways to deminish returns. One is to have complicated calculations that change the xp value of mobs relative to your level. The other way is to increase the xp needed to level up. So if you need 100xp to get to level 2 that would be 50 boars. If you need 10,000xp for level 10 it would be 5000 boars.