Guild Wars 2

I’ve seen questions pop up here and there in the game about what the best way to level is. As anyone would answer, doing everything gets you experience such as gathering, crafting, killing mobs, doing events, doing dailies / monthlies, etc etc.

Today, I was out in a dead zone and it seemed like no one had been around for ages. It was quiet, not a soul around (except for the mobs). This reminded me about a random map chat person who asks, “Is this area always empty?”

The first thought that pops into my mind is "These mobs have probably been standing here for a long while where I’m at. I would so take advantage of the ‘empty’ situation.

In the attachment provided, I will show you the difference from a dead zone and one where mobs have just recently spawned.

From top left – top right – bottom left as follows:
1. Found a jellyfish I’d kill to see if anyone has been to this area recently.

2. Killed the jellyfish and received a nice hefty bonus experience with it, clarifying that it has been alive for a long time. (Source: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Experience – “An exploration bonus is earned based on how long a creature has been alive in the world.”)

3. This is an enemy that just spawned and I killed it quickly, resulting in NO bonus experience due to it not being alive in the world long enough.

In conclusion, for those of you who did not know about the bonus killing experience – I would like to just let you know that this is a great option if you like to grind alot to gain your levels. Heck, hit an area full of mobs that no one has touched and watch that exp bar rack up nicely. Couple this with the killing booster from the gem shop and it is a grinder’s pleasure!

P.S. I know there are other ways of leveling, but this is my most used method when not doing events.

thats not a bad bonus for 1 kill! lure 3 and aoe them for a nice free 1k exp:)

+1 for the extra reminder so newbies also know the trick^^

nightly.2761:

thats not a bad bonus for 1 kill! lure 3 and aoe them for a nice free 1k exp:)

+1 for the extra reminder so newbies also know the trick^^

Exactly! Yeah, one by one might seem boring, but you get a group that hasn’t been touched for a long time and kill them all at the same time is purely amazing on your exp bar!

Thanks for the update, I’ve always wondered about that bonus xp but never bothered to lookup why I was getting it.

There are lots of mobs in frostgorge that do not usually drop anything of value, such as drakes, deer, eagles, and more. No one is hunting them so they give very high xp bonus’s.

Also, anywhere underwater (away from quests and resource nodes), is a good place to hunt mobs for bonus xp.

ty for the info, I’ve been playing months and never knew that’s what the bonus exp was (assumed it was rng)
question: is there a cap on how much bonus exp the mob can give? Like if a grub hidden in a crevice that no one walks by is not killed for 2 weeks, would it give 100 exp + 10,000 bonus exp?

I think the cap for xp growth is 2 hours.

And that’s why I’ve gotten into the habit of occasionally attacking some random deer/moa/dolyak when I’m in a quiet spot. (Don’t look at me like that! I need something to cook for dinner anyway. :P)

I do that too at times Zaxares I would like to use your comment to encourage all new players to not worry about using a few seconds of their time to take out a group of random mobs on the way to their destination… you never know if you’ll get that extra exp boost or not! Plus the loot that you get will scale to your level (or the level of the area, it depends on what the Random Number Generator -RNG feels like giving you lol)

Wow, thanks a ton I never realized this

I always thought ArenaNet liked me so they gave me bonus exp.
However thanks for clearing this up, I never knew why I was getting bonus exp for killing things at random xD

Millionaires.4201:

I always thought ArenaNet liked me so they gave me bonus exp.
However thanks for clearing this up, I never knew why I was getting bonus exp for killing things at random xD

Yeah, me too! Until it got so annoying that I had to look it up, lol. After reading that it was an Exploration Bonus, it made sense. ANet likes you to explore, and for those that explore those ‘odds and ends’ of Tyria that no one else bothers to, killing in those areas nets a nice exp bonus. Then that’s where they get ya, no more exp bonus since you wiped the area “Ok, shows over, move along!” lol.

Kidding aside, ANet has a nice way to grind here.

P.S. I’ll go post this in the “OMG…” sticky thread for new players to be added on the list