Question about level scaling and DE rewards

[Vengfulr3ap3r]

Alrighty, So I just wanted to clarify something. So far I am absolutely loving the game. I'm loving the way you get down scaled so you can't 1 shot enemies and all that. But last night while I was running around with my friend, of lower level, I noticed something.

Are you supposed to get less rewards for doing things with friend's, or perhaps even get rewards only for the zones lvl and not at YOUR level? Is that intended? The reason I ask is because at my level in a level appropriate zone I get 3400 exp and 2s10c from completing a heart, But while I was helping a friend last night I was getting less then a fourth of the exp (983~) And only half the reward in coin, i'd get 1s20c for completing a heart where as I get 2s10c from my level zones and Yes I did test this two or three times.

Is that normal? Considering you're down scaled to the content it's self so you don't out level it, and it's almost just as hard as if you were that level, isn't it kinda defeating the entire purpose of going to a lower leveled zone to help a friend if you get less then a third of the exp you would get doing things in your zone, and less then half the coin as well? I noticed this in dynamic event's as well. We would get the same exp, the same karma, Both of which are at the level of the zone and i'd get half the coin she was getting for completing the DE together, Both of us getting "gold" for our level of participation. She'd get 98c and i'd get 44 and yes, it was both our first time completing it.

So my question is, shouldn't you be getting exp, coin and karma rewards at YOUR level and not the level of the zone? Or are you supposed to only get exp, karma and coin at the level of the zone you're playing in. Because if it's the latter the entire concept of "play where you want" and "help friends with no consequence no matter the level" completely goes out the window doesn't it? At least that is how I have always read the system's would work.

Do you think maybe they did this because of the bot's, or that my character is bugged? Have any of you had similar experiences? If this IS as intended, then what point exactly would a lvl 80 have to go to any lower leveled zone to help a friend if they get punished in exp, karma and coin gain, vs just doing stuff in there zones. It's basically the same work with less reward. Anyways, Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere I honestly haven't seen anything pertaining to it since release neither here, reddit, or gamefaqs. So I just thought i'd get the rest of the communities perspective on this and please no flaming in the thread, i'd like to keep this constructive because if this is an issue it needs to be brought to arenanet's attention.

[madethisfor1post]

I think the rewards are scaled to what you get at that level and not to your level.

Did you expect to get lvl 80 rewards in a lvl 10 zone?

[Dodrin]

Yes, all rewards are scaled back. It's still most efficient (when leveling) to do level appropriate zones, but you still get rewards for doing zones you far out leveled. For instance, I am 80 and just not going back to starter zones to get map completion, but I am getting ~240 karma per DE, whereas I get about ~120-140 more karma from DEs in Orr. Now it's obviously better to do DEs in Orr for karma, but I can go back and do something I want to do without being penalized much.

Also, the mob drops I find do seem to vary. In a 55-60 zone, I received a few 55ish drops, and a few 75+ drops. In starter zones I still get level 1 drops. And of course crafting mats drops are tied to level of the mob.

[Deleted]

Well the system is there to let you play with your friend effectively. Not to level to 80 in a level 10 zone effectively.
If you would get your level rewards, you would have almost no intention to go to higher areas. And your friend would never be able to catch up to you while playing with you. I think it's working as intended.

[Leben]

ive had level 50 items drop in 1-15 zones so it does happen, but no youre not going to get top level rewards from just doing the DE's and renown hearts. The exception would possibly be with the big world bosses (eg. the fire elemental in Metrica Province) when you loot the chest, but I havent tested that theory yet so cannot say for sure.

[Vengfulr3ap3r]

Well the system is there to let you play with your friend effectively. Not to level to 80 in a level 10 zone effectively.
If you would get your level rewards, you would have almost no intention to go to higher areas. And your friend would never be able to catch up to you while playing with you. I think it's working as intended.

I think the rewards are scaled to what you get at that level and not to your level.

Did you expect to get lvl 80 rewards in a lvl 10 zone?

You two misunderstand, I'm not complaining about wanting to get to lvl 80 camping a DE in wayfarer foothills or something, Not at all. When I noticed it last night, I was thinking more along the lines of, "Well if this area's capped to only get x amount of karma, coin and exp.. then i'm being punished for helping a friend." Which also means that if it did in fact work that way It would indeed trivialize all lower level content to any player above that level. That's assuming the system worked in that manner. Because then all that time and effort to make the lower level's viable to all players, would have been a complete and utter waste and thus rendered pointless.

Which is what I was posting to clarify about. If that was in fact how the zones were working. eg you only get X karma, exp and coin in a lvl 35-45 area and you get Y at lvl 45-55. Then it would have all these systems to make content relevant to higher leveled players, but there would be no actual incentive or point to going back to those level's to help a friend. It would be the same exact thing as it is in wow, rift or swtor. Where you CAN go to that 15-20 zone, but there isn't any point because you'd get more money (for example) from getting vendor trash than you would from completing those lower leveled quests. If It did work that way, it would be the same work for less rewards as as thus, be no different from any other game in the genre.

Personally I am absolutely loving the game, Every single aspect of it, minus of course the bugs and what not which is too be expected, I was just slightly panic'd to think i'd have no reason to do the lower level content. That it would be like every other mmo out there. That I would only ever get 1k experience from doing a DE with a friend because they wanted help where as I'd make 3x that amount doing my own thing. I personally want the whole world to be viable, and that's part of what attracted me to the game.

If it works the way Dodrin said, and you just basically take a cut for going to a lower level to help a friend vs it being capped at x or y amount per zone, then i'm completely fine with that. I'm fine with taking a little less exp, karma and coin for running with a friend. Then the system isn't punishing in anyway and just logical. So long as it's not capped, I'm fine. Which is why I asked to see what the rest of the community had to say about it.