Scaling PPQ?

If there is another thread specifically about PPQ, or maybe PQs in general, you can lock this one and direction attention/discussion towards that one. I searched forums for "Pirate PQ" and didn't find anything on the first page specifically about PPQ so I figure it's up to me to make a post.

Is it possible to change the rates of EXP for PPQ to be individually scaling (based on the level of each entrant)?

The reason why I ask this is because I just went through 5 PPQs at level 59 - 60 and gained about 14% during each PQ at level 59 and only like 10% for the one at 60. Moreover, the very best run we had took about 11 minutes - and our party had MW20 and SE from FM, so we're fairly good for a party of 3 5Xs and 1 6X.

At this rate, it seems that PPQing at upper levels is completely nonviable as a way of leveling; hell, if I get 10% at 60 then even getting to mid 7x to 80 does not seem to be plausible via this PQ, meaning there is little reason to come. Sure, the hat is nice and so is the chair, but I'm not sure if that's enough incentive to keep PPQing after a while.

Perhaps, there could be a lowered level cap but increased EXP gains to give people more motivation, as for example PQs like KPQ and LPQ only have a 10-15 level difference as a limit before they cannot return?

But quite frankly, I'm not sure if the scaling I'm looking for is possible - I've been told that in the past, PPQ's exp depended on the average party level and scaled downwards (as higher levels = more skills/stats, esp considering the pq is 55-100), but I personally find the current state of PPQ to be a bit atrocious. Of course, if you take this as a complaint of making things to be easier rather than better, I totally understand because we don't need to improve this PQ, but I figure it wouldn't hurt to give it some thought.

 

But this size is one that I generally like ... and one I just realized could be used on these forums.

Side note: Does anyone know if you can set defaults?

 

Note that I said I liked the size in particular.

As for the scaling, yes, I agree; I just don't know why the PQ limit is 55-100 if there is no incentive for anyone above 70 to continue the PQ. It's not really so much about the EXP gains to make it easier but more or less my confusion about such an open-ended PQ level range without much incentive for people to do it.

Edit: from my understanding, the only other motivation could be the chair and the hat (and improving the hat) but with zhelms, the hat doesn't seem to be strong reason to go for the PQ, leaving only the chair - I don't know how good the odds are on chairs, but it just doesn't seem like there's a point in having the PQ be 55-100 if no one above 70 wants to actually do the PQ. When I mentioned limiting the PQ level, it gives people a much more narrow range of levels in which they must participate in the PQ in order to get the chair and/or hat.

I honestly could not care less about EXP as a means of actually making the game easier, but maybe something scaling better than what it is now, if it's left open til 100. Granberg my point about EXP, as I first mentioned, is that if I get 10% at around level 60, which is about 5 levels into the PQ's range, then I'm assuming the amount of % you get later on must be absurdly small meaning no one wants to do it later; thus, why have it open to that level?

 

According to what I've heard from someone else, that's the way GMS ran it -- I didn't know that about preBB, but I do know that it held true for postBB. If we're trying to still keep things "GMSlike," I suppose I can accept that reasoning but at the same time, I agree with your sentiments - we don't have any system implemented where people are punished for grinding on weaker mobs (e.g. grinding at GS from 7x-8x or higher despite most people going there at 5x or earlier) and in fact, that's all upper level Maplers do when their bosses are on "cooldown" so to speak (i.e. Zak 2x a day, Pap 2x a day, HT 2x a day).

As for the leeching thing and being carried, I don't know if I want a PQ to become sort of like leech - mostly because the point of a PQ is to get things done in groups. Admittedly, someone recently posted in the Accomplishment thread that he/she solo'd GPQ and PQ multiple times enough to garner 40k GPQ points and get the lv 90 version of the PPQ hat; while I actually admire the dedication and consistency to get all that done, I feel that there should be a lot of activity going (at the same time) on by all the individual characters involved. Again, the EXP portion imo should only be buffed because this PQ needs some serious incentive.

Like James M says, rewards in general are pretty garbage and it doesn't help that PPQ's exp is so bad that it requires major attention to even get it to be useful for lv 5x-6x characters... so idk what there could be, as he is also not wrong in saying that farming/training gets you better items (equips / etc drop / scrolls) and exp.

 

I should have been more specific in my first post. When I said that "I've been told that in the past, PPQ's exp depended on the average party level and scaled downwards" I meant that was how vanilla acted, but, from my memory, that was only postBB (never really got into PPQ preBB) so idk if that's true.

 

So does PreBB exp in comparison to postBB; what are you gonna do next, tell me to shut up and quit preBB servers cuz they're a waste of time too in terms of speed and achievable endgame? Grinding sucks and I know that too, and so should you - by your reasoning, maybe then you should stop playing this game because "it's a waste of time and boring as hell."

Also, whether it's boring or not depends on opinion - I actually enjoy its format, because I don't think it's too difficult and the set up is fairly easy, and I enjoy that there are quests embedded into the game that can be done only through PQs.

 

They do strive to keep things like that, yes, but they also do eventually change things. I don't know how much or where I can push, but I figure I can try. If nothing comes of it, at least I know that for sure.

I know that you've personally been pushing for mage changes, but some changes that have passed, which I'd like to note, small or big, that are definitely not GMS-like (according to v62) are: pretty sure ToT was not there v62 but I can check again, the Ellinia Dungeon entrance, Paladin buffs (particularly the OP Fire charge we now have) & other class changes that might have happened later, and some of the other areas like Shanghai & Nightmarket etc. (because if we're talking GMS-like, I'm pretty sure those were not there but I could be wrong), and even the Gachapon change is definitely not a GMS-like feature (though I do actually semi-enjoy the way it works here).

 

There's a thought we could work with; and actually, this should be thought about for all PQs, honestly... not saying we should give out a whole variety of OP scrolls but maybe PPQ could be set up in a way KPQ sort of it where individuals get rewards at the end (rather than the boss dropping a bunch) with better selection. Highly doubt the aforementioned would pass, yet I think it's food for thought to see if maybe the overall quality of scrolls was changed in PPQ to be useful (e.g. OA INT 60/70, GFA 60/70, etc. but not too keen on throwing in 30s into PQs except maybe like GPQ).