XP Farming: The Challenge Within
In play-to-earn (P2E) games, maintaining fairness, balance, and economic sustainability is essential to ensuring a healthy gaming environment. Chain of Legends was designed with these principles in mind, allowing players to progress through strategic battles, troop management, and resource collection. However, an unintended loophole in the experience points (XP) system enabled players to exploit troops’ levels upgrading for excessive profit—a practice known as XP farming. While XP farming may seem legitimate in many traditional games, in the context of P2E, it often leads to exploitation of resources, devaluation of tokens, and an unbalanced economy. Additionally, it affects the game’s credibility by creating the image of an unstable and exploitable economy.
This issue arose due to the way XPs were distributed in Adventures. In Chain of Legends, players can send their troops on Adventures, such as Dungeon and Treasure Island, to battle for rewards. The intended mechanic worked as below:
✅ Winning battles grants players treasures (rewards).
✅ All participating troops gain XP, regardless of win or loss.
✅ Troops that accumulate enough XP will be upgraded to the next level automatically.
How XP Farming Became an Exploit
Savvy players identified a loophole that allowed them to misuse the XP system for financial gain. The process worked as follows:
Training or purchasing Level 1 troops, particularly high-value ones such as Captain Leroy, Catapult, etc.
Sending these Level 1 troops into multiple Adventures—typically 10 to 15 rounds—until they accumulated just enough XP to reach Level 2 in a short period.
Selling the newly upgraded Level 2 troops on the in-game marketplace.
Reinvesting the earnings back into buying new Level 1 troops and repeating the entire cycle indefinitely.
By repeatedly cycling through this method, players could generate large amounts of CLEG (the game’s native token) without engaging in meaningful gameplay. Because they were enjoying 2 supplies of money generating; being rewarded in adventures and profiting from selling the newly upgraded Level 2 troops.
This phenomena created a low-risk, high-reward strategy, where players were essentially printing money out of thin air through XP farming.
The Issue at Hand
This loophole disrupted the balance of Chain of Legends in several critical ways:
- Token Drain: Players withdrew significant amounts of tokens with minimal investment, depleting the economy.
- Economic Imbalance: Such activities devalue the in-game economy and disrupt token stability.
- Unfair Gameplay: Genuine players feel demotivated as the competition shifts from strategy and skill to exploitation.
Genuine players, who followed the natural progression system of the game, found themselves at a huge disadvantage against those who exploited XP farming. The game’s benefit system became imbalanced, shifting from skill-based play to exploitation of mechanics.
As this issue became widespread, it became clear that immediate action was needed to restore economic stability and fairness to Chain of Legends.
Addressing the Challenge
To tackle the rising issue of XP farming and its impact on the ecosystem, we conducted a vote to decide on necessary adjustments to the Troops XP System. This process allowed us to evaluate the community’s perspective while ensuring that the proposed changes are fair and effective.
The updated system is designed to maintain balance, protect the game’s economy, and create a more sustainable environment for all players. New players will also benefit from this update through Ember Rewards and Items, ensuring a welcoming and rewarding experience for everyone.
Proposed Changes
- Troops XP Refinement
- The XP system has been adjusted to align with the value and strategic importance of each troop. Higher-value troops now require proportionally more XP to level up, ensuring better balance across all levels of play. This adjustment not only reflects the strategic importance of troops but also preserves progress for existing players. For example, a Catapult at level 1 with 60/100 XP in the old system now adjusts to 240/400 XP, demonstrating how previous efforts are carried forward seamlessly.
- The XP system has been adjusted to align with the value and strategic importance of each troop. Higher-value troops now require proportionally more XP to level up, ensuring better balance across all levels of play. This adjustment not only reflects the strategic importance of troops but also preserves progress for existing players. For example, a Catapult at level 1 with 60/100 XP in the old system now adjusts to 240/400 XP, demonstrating how previous efforts are carried forward seamlessly.
| Troop | Old Base XP | New Base XP |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | 100 | 60 |
| Archer | 100 | 60 |
| Guardian | 100 | 100 |
| Knight | 100 | 150 |
| Mage | 100 | 100 |
| Catapult | 100 | 400 |
| Dragon | 100 | 300 |
| Goblin | 100 | 100 |
| Big Jack | 100 | 150 |
| Red Hunter | 100 | 200 |
| Captain Leroy | 100 | 700 |
| Raze | 100 | 300 |
| Lyra | 100 | 300 |
- Troops Burn System
- Players now have the option to burn unused troops, clearing space in their barracks and earning Ember in return. The Ember earned is calculated as Troop Value (CLEG) ÷ 2, providing a transparent and balanced system for managing surplus troops. Additionally, upgrading troops in Barracks now rewards Ember, providing players with more resources to enhance their armies strategically. Ember can then be used in the Ember Shop to purchase exclusive items and new troops, helping preserve troop value while managing resources effectively.
DAO Vote
The concern was announced during a YouTube livestream, with active participation from the community. The community’s involvement was integral to these changes. From November 10 to November 11, 2024, we conducted a DAO vote, ensuring transparency and inclusivity. The results:
- ✅ Troops XP System Update:
- Chosen by 605 players (76% of the vote points).
- ❌ Old Troops XP System:
- Chosen by 165 players (24% of the vote points).
Total Vote Points: 47,338
The overwhelming majority supported the updated XP system, highlighting the community’s desire for a balanced and sustainable ecosystem.
Why This Matters
By implementing these updates, Chain of Legends aims to:
- Preserve the value of in-game tokens and assets.
- Ensure fair gameplay for all players.
- Foster a sustainable and thriving ecosystem.
This change reflects our dedication to building a game where every player’s effort truly matters, and the economy stays strong and trustworthy for everyone.
Looking Ahead
The Troops XP System Update was implemented successfully, and we’re confident it helped restore balance and enhance the gaming experience for all. As always, we encourage you to stay connected with us for the latest updates and announcements:
🔹 Website
🔹 Telegram Channel
🔹 Discord Community
🔹 Twitter
🔹 YouTube
🔹 CoinMarketCap
Together, let’s shape the future of Chain of Legends and continue building a game we’re all proud to be part of. The Arena awaits—see you on the battlefield! 🛡️🔥
