Question about level scaling and random loot

freston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ue4rzbJPuY

In that video totalbiscuit is playing a level 30 thief, downscaled to level 11 because of the zone hes playing at. Yet, some of the mobs he kills drop random loot tailored to his real level ( some level 26 shoulders among other things) which is a  nice touch imo, as it gives a reason to go back to lower level.

Yet i remember distintcly the devs saying that the rewards youd get from playing at lower level zones wouldnt be as good as the ones youd get at playing at zones your own level.Does anyone know wht they meant by this? Were they referring exclusvively to karma, experience and gold from random events? In that case, am i going to get the same karma as a level 5 by playing as a level 40 (i think karma costs scales with item levels, correct me if im wrong). The whole replayability philsophy could hang in this details.

If people perceive the lower level zones as significantly less productive, theyll end up avoiding them, which would be a shame, imo.

Connmacart

You basically answered your own question already. He was level 30 downscaled to level 11 and yet het received loot that was near his own level. So he got a reward that was close to his level by doing lower level stuff. Killing same level mobs would yield the better items sure, but it's not without rewards going to lower areas.

Dunno about karma and such things.

Naqaj

Originally posted by freston

If people perceive the lower level zones as significantly less productive, theyll end up avoiding them, which would be a shame, imo.

Keep in mid that once you've made it to level 80 and reached the gear plateau, productivity is no longer an issue. At that point, going back to lower level regions is done simply for variety and fun, not for a material benefit. This is another aspect where GW2 is fundamentally different in design than other MMOs. 

 

fiontar

Gold and loot is based on your true level. However, it may be more difficult, or even impossible, to obtain the rarest items on the loot table if you have been significantly scaled down*. So, you may earn close to the same amount of gold per hour doing lower level content and you may still get some good quality gear, but you probably won't get a random level 30 Rare item while doing level 15 content.

From what I can gather, GW2 uses this rarity grading:

White (Common)

Blue (Fine)

Green (Masterwork)

Gold (Rare)

Not sure if there are higher grades. So, you may still be able to get up to Masterwork doing level 15 content at level 30, but not Rare, however the item level would always be based on your true level.

*Based on developer comments during a Q&A session at a convention in 2H 2011. No, I don't have a link, but I remember the information. Subject to change, of course.