Companion Exp gains should scale with Mob difficulty

ArchMikem · February 2023

In an attempt to breathe new drive to log in again, I decided to start playing with Ember out, shopping spree'd her some better gear and began leveling her. I tried a 3 Dragon daily job and after a very prolonged fight due to a lack of available players, in the end she gets just 115xp. She needed 10,000+ to level up.

That's very unnecessary grinding time. Harder mobs should be worthwhile to her.

hrothbern · February 2023

AFAIK companions level up as % of the player combat XP gains (except bonus Enlightened).

Training traits, pots, events boosting that.

A good place to level up companions is Dragonstar Arena

SpacemanSpiff1 · February 2023

i wont defend the ridiculous xp grind to level companions, but you picked one of the worst activities to do so.

Araneae6537 · February 2023

What are the best ways to level companions? I’ve been rather perplexed myself. Dragons, apparently not. So far ogres have given the highest tick I’ve seen.

Dagoth_Rac · February 2023

The game has never given out XP based on mob difficulty. 100,000,000 HP trial bosses don't give much more XP than a 20,000 HP overland trash mob. Same with dragons. High health, long fight, not much more XP than anything else.

I am fine with this. I don't think gaining XP should require running in circles killing bosses. I like that you can level yourself up at a reasonable pace just going about your normal in-game business. What I don't like is how much the companion XP lags behind your own and what feels like an unreasonable time to level them up.

I would prefer an across-the-board flat increase to companion XP gain, not pigeon holing you into certain enemies and certain content to level them up in a reasonable time.

Necrotech_Master · February 2023

the companion xp curve could use some smoothing

level 1 to 2 is like what 10 xp, which is usually the first thing you end up killing

level 12-15 is where it slows down significantly and 15-20 can be a real grind (even using the DSA method with 150% xp scroll they only get about 1.5 levels per entire arena run in this level range)

ArchMikem · February 2023

SpacemanSpiff1 wrote: »

i wont defend the ridiculous xp grind to level companions, but you picked one of the worst activities to do so.

I did eventually take her into Skyreach Catacombs for a loop, but I've forgotten how to reset the place after a lap, it's been a while. Unless they've patched that and it's on a cooldown now.

Necrotech_Master · February 2023

ArchMikem wrote: »

SpacemanSpiff1 wrote: »

i wont defend the ridiculous xp grind to level companions, but you picked one of the worst activities to do so.

I did eventually take her into Skyreach Catacombs for a loop, but I've forgotten how to reset the place after a lap, it's been a while. Unless they've patched that and it's on a cooldown now.

you can only instantly reset instances while in a group, if your by yourself you have to wait out a timer

thats why in a lot of cases i see people doing skyreach runs with a partner, so they can instantly reset

SpacemanSpiff1 · February 2023

ArchMikem wrote: »

SpacemanSpiff1 wrote: »

i wont defend the ridiculous xp grind to level companions, but you picked one of the worst activities to do so.

I did eventually take her into Skyreach Catacombs for a loop, but I've forgotten how to reset the place after a lap, it's been a while. Unless they've patched that and it's on a cooldown now.

that's where i do mine. i usually have a friend lend me a character to group with so i can reset as needed.

phaneub17_ESO · February 2023

When new companions come out, I split them 6/12 then do dailies on every character. I'll grab Fighters, Mages, and Undaunted daily on everyone then run those to pass the time to level their skills and exp. Once the 12 pack has reached their companion to max, I swap everyone to the under one.

I can't endlessly grind mobs, I need another objective while doing it. The quests to do dolmens, delves, and public dungeons are a great excuse to mask the grinding of mobs and change scenery with each character.

BretonMage · February 2023

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

I would prefer an across-the-board flat increase to companion XP gain, not pigeon holing you into certain enemies and certain content to level them up in a reasonable time.

The way it is now, because companions only get a tiny amount of XP for each enemy killed, we're already pigeon-holed into the combat that gives the highest body count per unit of time. Which means only DSA or public dungeons. (I don't know why people keep talking about Skyreach catacombs? I tried it and it felt like a delve, very underwhelming). We need a better variety of activities which level our companions.

rpa · February 2023

Have the companion out all the time and every kill counts. If a companion is getting whiny from normal gameplay they can stay unlevelled forever.

deano469 · February 2023

I go to Spell Scar in Craglorn with plenty of xp scrolls to level companions. Tons of xp at a rapid rate. Works a treat.

bmnoble · February 2023

They just need to scrap the % of your kill XP approach and just make it one to one instead every point of XP you earn the companion gets as well.

As for making powerful enemies give more XP, even if you made the bosses give 10 times the XP it would still be faster just to wipe out a lot of regular mobs instead.

Luke_Flamesword · February 2023

I normally don't grind companions most of time, but when I do it (mainly for last 5-7 levels) I do it during double XP events, with XP scroll (the best one), because for me this is only reasonable speed of leveling. First stage of nBRP gives a lot of XP, but for me it's boring and exhausting for more than 20 minutes. nDSA is also boring, but at least you have feeling of achievieng something more than XP at the end. Also some public dungeons and other places with many, fast spawning eniemies are good enough in these conditions.

ArchMikem · February 2023

SpacemanSpiff1 wrote: »

ArchMikem wrote: »

SpacemanSpiff1 wrote: »

i wont defend the ridiculous xp grind to level companions, but you picked one of the worst activities to do so.

I did eventually take her into Skyreach Catacombs for a loop, but I've forgotten how to reset the place after a lap, it's been a while. Unless they've patched that and it's on a cooldown now.

that's where i do mine. i usually have a friend lend me a character to group with so i can reset as needed.

Discovered the other night that Spellscar mob pulls are pretty effective, and the respawn timers are pretty quick. Only problem is fighting with other players doing the same thing.

Cazador · February 2023

Normal dragonstar or blackrose prison are pretty good sources of xp if you're looking for companion levels.

gamergirldk · February 2023

Pop some xp scroll and grind delves and dungeons

rpa · February 2023

I've levelled Ember and recently Isobel by having em out all time when playing the game. No grind. (Not going to bother with Bastian and Mirri. I do not find getting annoyed immersive.)

Grizzbeorn · February 2023

Public dungeons are a good place for Companion XP.

Blood_again · February 2023

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

The game has never given out XP based on mob difficulty. 100,000,000 HP trial bosses don't give much more XP than a 20,000 HP overland trash mob. Same with dragons. High health, long fight, not much more XP than anything else.

Rex-Umbra · February 2023

Quests should give companion xp. I don't grind so none of my companions are max.