The Daily Grind: Does bonus XP draw you back?
Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind
It seems like many games are offering bonus experience weekends to draw people back in to their games. After all, it gives you a chance to level up far faster than you normally would, which is nice. The other side effect to these weekends is that it gets more people in-world, so someone thinking about resubscribing would look around and think "there are lots of people here, this place seems to be doing well" and maybe come back.
Personally, I played a bit during the recent Lord of the Rings Online bonus weekend, and will undoubtedly poke my head into EverQuest to enjoy some double experience as well. That said, the times I tend to stick around are when I have a friend who comes and plays with me, or if I find some new friends who don't mind my play being somewhat erratic due to work. With that said, do you tend to return for bonus experience? Does it ever get you to resubscribe? Or do you just show up for the bonus weekends and then head back to whatever game you normally play?
Personally, I played a bit during the recent Lord of the Rings Online bonus weekend, and will undoubtedly poke my head into EverQuest to enjoy some double experience as well. That said, the times I tend to stick around are when I have a friend who comes and plays with me, or if I find some new friends who don't mind my play being somewhat erratic due to work. With that said, do you tend to return for bonus experience? Does it ever get you to resubscribe? Or do you just show up for the bonus weekends and then head back to whatever game you normally play?




















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dein said on 8:57AM 5-23-2009
Double Xp alone would most likely never draw me back, however these events generally coincide with the "we have reactivated your account for the weekend" scheme.
Personally I believe it's a good way to draw back older players, as it really doesn't take much to reinstall and try playing again. Not to mention the world is generally inflated as you said.
That being said, it's also interesting to note that it seems a lot of subscribed players actually dislike these weekends, either because they think leveling is too fast as it is (here's looking at you Lotro) or because it crowds servers (personally I like the idea of bringing more interest to games I play).
Reply
mysecretid said on 9:41AM 5-23-2009
If I already like the game, but just haven't been playing it for a while, then yes double xp could inspire me to come back -- particularly if I left because I felt I wasn't advancing fast enough.
If I never liked a game, or if I was absolutely done with it, then no amount of xp would make me return.
Reply
Venekor said on 10:15AM 5-23-2009
No a good game does.
Reply
Myria said on 10:19AM 5-23-2009
Wouldn't even remotely peak my interest, I've never left a game because I couldn't get enough exp (let's face it, in most games you can level by facerolling anyway) and I'd certainly never bother returning to one just because they decided to hand out more.
Amusingly, between when I was playing last September and when I re-subbed last month LoTRO apparently changed the level curve. When I logged into my minstrel I got a notice that her exp/level would be 'adjusted' the next time she did something that yielded exp. Okay, go out and find something green to kill and suddenly I jump four or five levels -- not sure what the multiplier there is, but it's a lot more then double exp.
To be honest if I intended to stay with the game (I don't, the same things that made me quit pre-MoM are, sadly. there post-MoM) I would -- and I confess to finding this kind of odd myself -- kind of feel cheated out of those levels.
It's one thing to jump levels on an alt -- your second, third, or fifth time through -- but your first time through there's too much to learn and too much to see, if the game is at all done well you shouldn't particularly care about double exp or free levels. The journey should be fun enough, and the leveling curve well tuned enough, that they're anywhere from un-needed to unwelcome.
Reply
Amana said on 4:13PM 5-23-2009
"That's what she said."
..and I agree 101%. My thoughts precisely.^^
ReijMan said on 10:44AM 5-23-2009
Wouldnt personally draw me back.
But it a nice card to play when I try to draw friends back into the game.
I use these weekends to level my alts though, so try to schedule some extra online time.
Reply
Meanwhile said on 4:40PM 5-24-2009
Why would I be interested in a game that is bsically admitting that their low-level content is too dull to sit through?
I play for the journey, not the mythical destination of "endgame nirvana." I'm never in a hurry to level up, and if the developers want to foster the mindset that faster leveling = more fun, then I've got no use for them.
Reply