So the base formula for experience in Fallen Enchantress is y = 2.1^x, where x is your champion's level, and y = the experience required for the next level.
Essentially this means that experience required increases by a little more than a factor of 2 every time you make a level.
So, it progresses something like this:
level 5: 41 xp needed
level 7: 180 xp needed
level 10: 1668 xp needed
level 15: 68,122 xp needed
level 17: 300,419 xp needed
level 20: 2,782,184 xp needed
level 21: 5,842,587 xp needed
As you can see... there quickly becomes a "glacial region" where the amount of experience that can be obtained in the game can no longer change your champion/sovereigns level.
That's where my discussion about +xp % gain abilities (Potential 1, 2 & 3, Knowledge) begins.
Any +xp percent gain will move you into the glacial region FASTER but it doesn't actually provide you with more levels total.
However, taking such abilities WILL use up one (or more) of your VERY finite ability progression slots.
Am I missing something here? Taking +xp bonuses actually weakens your champion / sovereign in the long term.
Developer folk... Is there any way to cap the maximum xp needed per level at some point, and perhaps add this variable to the ElementalDefs.xml file? There is already a multiplier variable for xp gained, but this has the same problem as the xp bonus abilities... it's a linear change being applied against an exponential function. i.e. it boosts the beginning (not desired as a baseline for balance purposes) and has no real effect on the end (the goal).
Or perhaps xp gain bonuses could apply their multiplier against the 2.1 number base instead of the experience gained. By changing the base (by even a small percentage) you would make the gains affect the exponential function in an exponential way and see a definitive advantage to living without abilities in the beginning of the game with the expectation that you might have more in the end (not counting xp gain abilities themselves).
Do any players have some feedback on this issue? Is getting to level 12 a few fights earlier a tradeoff worth giving up 1-4 abilities for you?
EDIT: Acknowledging that my formula for xp required per level in this original post was completely and utterly incorrect. Thank you to follow up posters for clarifying this in a useful way. A more accurate analysis follows below, but the bottom line remains the same.
