So, what's with the Co-Op Xp Penalty? (Early game)

[Marbles]

Earlier this evening, my friends and I started playing Borderlands 3player Co-op.
By the time we got to Bone-Head, we had done ever primary and 2ndary quest we could, the entire quest book completed.
All the missions for TK Baha done, and etc.. yet we were all sitting between levels 7-8 and the quest is level 10, and boss himself level 12.

Someone said we had to grind the rest of the XP out, but that didn't seem right, especially with how low of XP we get per kill.

We eventually got past the part, and found ourselves 3-4 levels below the recommended for the quests we were on, and just quit for the evening.

I later (just now) went back solo, and did all the quests again, and found I was always at the recommended level. By the time, I got to Bonehead, I was level 10. I did all the same quests that we did with the group, but was getting far more XP from the kills (apparently, the person who makes the killing blow gets more XP than the rest of the group, according to reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/Borderlands/comments/12gnse/questions_about_multiplayer_xp_playing/
"level 1
arkon420
3 points ·
6 years ago

Killing an enemy yields more EXP than when one of the other players kills an enemy. to make it simple: a varkid pops 110~ EXP when you kill it, but your friend will only get 58~ EXP from the kill. in MP there is a higher spawn rate for enemy's... more enemy's = more EXP.

you get the same amount of EXP from missions / Quests no matter what level you are, but i don't know how MP effects the rewards.

as an online player who like efficient gaming (fast kills, fast quests ect) i would say ask the person in the game if its a good idea for you to stay... sometimes a lower level is a good distraction on aggravating missions ;)

level 2
[deleted]
5 points ·
6 years ago

so if someone is pumping an enemy and does 99% of the damage but then I come in and snipe the last of its health and get the kill I get more XP than he does?

level 3
flesh_crayon
4 points ·
6 years ago

Correct.""

Why such penalties to multiplayer?
Do they even out later in the game?

Does it matter who turns in the quest, or how far the people are apart when turning in the quest?
There were a few times one of us went to turn in a quest in Fyrestone, while the others were at TK/Catch a Ride or further out still killing and I wonder if they got full XP.

I've honestly, only played the game in MP from the beginning (With my now ex) and never gotten past Haven, usually always feeling overwhelmed and under powered and I wonder if this is the reason why such things happen, or is there other balance issues?

I just want to finally beat this game, I've wanted to personally see it to the end, but it's always felt like a slog and I wonder if it's because of these initial impression.

Thank You.

[Greevir]

One of the reasons for this is challenges. You get a lot of xp from challenges and trying to complete those challenges in a group tends to take longer. (things like kill 50 skags or something) Only the kills you specifically make count for those challenges. Not your teammates kills. So it tends to cause a group of players to fall behind a bit on xp (especially so when you have that one player in the group who just wrecks everything and is completing challenges left and right). Thats why in solo you're leveling up just right, because you are doing EVERYTTHING yourself, causing challenges to complete quicker.

[Dolgren]

That's the reason why i'll stop playing this game. I don't want to farm 2 hours to continue the soryline. I'm lvl 7 and i have to face lvl 10 12 ennemies... they kill me with two shots.

[Sombrero]

The first game always was very strange with XP. It was made during another era when grinding was the norm.

The game is not really meant to be played in one sitting zipping from point A to B all the time. It's more meant to be played by wandering around and killing enemy camps that are not necessary for a quest from time to time. The XP part of the game is quite close to more old school MMOs where in-between quest you farm for XP.

Also there's the fact that you very regularly have access to side quest much higher level than you quite early on and need to wait to do them later on. Because level difference is just really strong and mess you up a lot.

It's not the end of the world, just use that as an excuse to explore more the world and find hidden stuff, do your challenges and so on.

[Dolgren]

But i've nothing more to explore for the moment (i'm in the first newbie zone). Those enemies i've to kill for the quest will give me the car to go on another zone. I really think there is a real problem here with xp. No problem i'll try Borderlands 2. ;)

[Spooky]

Uh. No grind, when you shoot all living stuff anyway. The seeds around LvL9 are a bit harsh (the changed the adult doggies more aggro, imho) - but with movement, no problem (Siren ofc).

[Marbles]

Originally posted by Sombrero:

The first game always was very strange with XP. It was made during another era when grinding was the norm.

The game is not really meant to be played in one sitting zipping from point A to B all the time. It's more meant to be played by wandering around and killing enemy camps that are not necessary for a quest from time to time. The XP part of the game is quite close to more old school MMOs where in-between quest you farm for XP.

Also there's the fact that you very regularly have access to side quest much higher level than you quite early on and need to wait to do them later on. Because level difference is just really strong and mess you up a lot.

It's not the end of the world, just use that as an excuse to explore more the world and find hidden stuff, do your challenges and so on.

The problem for me, and many others... there are no side quests being offered.
We did EVERYTHING in Multiplayer and were only level 7-8 trying to take on level 10-12 elites on the Bone Head mission.

The XP penalties to MP are BS.

I think this was fixed by the 2nd game, since I was able to beat it co-op all the way through without much issue.

Pre-Sequel however felt a bit off, like co-op or solo, I always felt under leveled.. maybe I was missing something. I think I was trying to critical path(main objective only) to often, instead of doing side missions.