Blizzard answers dungeon XP complaints in the Podcast Episode 3 thread: fixing a bug that based XP on the highest level in the group

What the reply was about

Aggrend's reply was not a new announcement but the 20th post in the thread for the official podcast's third episode, on dungeons, posted by community manager Kaivax. In the podcast the developers said dungeon mob kill XP will rise by 20%, and that "we don't want dungeons to be one and done." The thread reacted like this:

• Those who said 20% isn't enough: it only takes a level 20 elite in a dungeon from 30 XP to 36, so dungeons will still be one and done; the developers keep repeating that dungeons are the optimal way to level, which isn't true; in the open world most people decline group invites to quest solo, and even when a group forms, layering splits it up.
• Those who welcomed it: discouraging people from sitting in dungeons all day from 1 to 60 is the right call, and the podcasts are great for hearing from the team.

Aggrend's reply

WoW game developer Aggrend announced a bug fix the podcast left out and explained why dungeon XP won't go back to what it was in Era.

Hi All,

One thing I did want to make sure we mentioned that did NOT get mentioned in the podcast is that we are also fixing a bug with XP in dungeons.

In previous beta builds, the XP earned per kill was awarded based on the highest level person in the group. If you are running, say, Deadmines with 4 level 20s and 1 level 25, the amount of XP you get as a level 20 is extremely low per kill. With this fix, you should now receive XP based on your level relative to the mobs,as intended.

This fix combined with the 20% increase to base kills in dungeons should make it feel better and more even.

XP gain is not going to be what it was in era, but it should feel significantly better now. We understand that some of you want to dungeon cleave to 60, but this is another one of those things that has to pass muster with our core pillars. That playstyle being the optimal way to level does not pass that muster and we need to hold firm on these balance adjustments.

As it stands now after the adjustments, with perfect xp/hr play, the leveling rates in dungeons will be very close, if not equal to the speed you can level with optimal questing play. That illustrates how much better it was to level in dungeons in Era.

Maintaining a healthy balance here is vital to our “World is the Main Character” and “Nurture and Protect Social Experiences” pillars together. Once the scales tip and dungeons become the clear winner, it has a cascading effect on player behavior and we have to consider that impact holistically.

What changes

• Mixed-level groups: until now, a single higher-level player in the group meant everyone got the low XP calculated for that player. After the fix each player's XP uses their own level, so running a dungeon with a higher-level friend no longer cuts your XP.
• Base kill XP for dungeon mobs goes up 20%, as announced in the podcast. The reply doesn't say when either change reaches the beta.
• The developers aim to keep dungeon and questing leveling speeds about even, and said dungeon XP won't be returned to Era levels.

Reactions after the reply

• One player quoted "That illustrates how much better it was to level in dungeons in Era" and thanked Aggrend for stating it, since many had claimed questing was faster. Another post hoped the podcasts continue after the beta.