09-09-2004, 03:49 PM
Keep in mind that either you or your merc must make the kill for the merc to gain experience. While your character gains experience from party kills, your merc does not. So if your character is mostly leeching in experience runs, and your merc isn't killing anything either, then your merc will fall behind. If, on the other hand, you're running solo or at least doing a good chunk of the killing, your merc will gain experience nicely.
On the question of the validity of the XP-guide:
For calculation purposes it's assumed that on each level/act there is only one monster of every kind that is possible to meet on this level. (quote taken directly from introduction to that table)
Use it as a guide and it works well. Keep in mind, however, that it's a very simplified overview of the actual monster levels in each act/difficulty. Also keep in mind that your killing speed and safety are at least as important as the MLVL/CLVL comparisons. Killing 10x faster with not a single death in an area where you receive 50% less experience than the 'optimal' area will still result in a faster experience gain. Pick the area closest to your own clvl where you can still kill quickly and safely for best results.
gekko
On the question of the validity of the XP-guide:
For calculation purposes it's assumed that on each level/act there is only one monster of every kind that is possible to meet on this level. (quote taken directly from introduction to that table)
Use it as a guide and it works well. Keep in mind, however, that it's a very simplified overview of the actual monster levels in each act/difficulty. Also keep in mind that your killing speed and safety are at least as important as the MLVL/CLVL comparisons. Killing 10x faster with not a single death in an area where you receive 50% less experience than the 'optimal' area will still result in a faster experience gain. Pick the area closest to your own clvl where you can still kill quickly and safely for best results.
gekko
"Life is sacred and you are not its steward. You have stewardship over it but you don't own it. You're making a choice to go through this, it's not just happening to you. You're inviting it, and in some ways delighting in it. It's not accidental or coincidental. You're choosing it. You have to realize you've made choices."
-Michael Ventura, "Letters@3AM"
-Michael Ventura, "Letters@3AM"