Level Scaling

Update 12, Epic Battles, introduces a new feature called Level Scaling also called Character Upscaling.

• When you join an instance in the Battle for Helm’s Deep your character’s stats and skills are scaled up to level 100.

With everyone now being scaled to the same level, 100, groups can be assembled from anyone on the server available to play.

While an upscaled 100 will be less powerful than a true 100, through the Medals system they will still be able to meaningfully contribute to Epic Battles.

They will likely be better at support style roles, but nothing prevents them from stepping out onto the front line. The Promotions advancement system is level agnostic, so they’re free to rank up and get better at the various roles as they improve and level.

Their gear will also be brought up, with level differential maintained. From there, they are free to engage in combat or utilize any of the mechanics within.

• As of Update 13 level scaling allows VIP characters level 10 or higher to be scaled to level 100 to partake in Monster Play (PvMP) as Freeps.

F2P and Premium characters will be able to purchase this ability temporarily in exchange for Mithril Coins.

• Equipment is scaled as well, with the level differential between the characters original level and their equipment's "item level" being maintained through the upscaling.
• Characters "upscaled" will be brought up to level 100 in stats.

Item Level defined

From "Q&A Hobbits to Isengard - Bullroarer" [1]

Q.46 - What are the item level numbers on equipment used for? Is it a future development thing?

Quick Answer: Items - like characters - have levels. A level 10 character can use class allowed equipment items of level 10 or less: but the same character will first need to level up to use (for example) a level 20 item. This is the general rule: but there are exceptions (see below).

More Detail: – The item level gives them a way of differentiating the potency of an item when compared with another item. For example if you are level 85 and can wield an item that is in the low hundreds, there may be many items in that range that you can wield. This gives you another way to compare them to decide which will be better for you. Item level tells you how much juice the devs put into a particular item. It’s not a future development thing so much as just another way of differentiating items. As part of getting difficulty level on track they need a broader variety of items available than simple equip level and rarity could provide.

Level Differential

Equipment "stats" are "banded by level", determined by their Item Level.

These "bands" are most easily seen in crafted armour and weapons.

Each different tier of crafting has equipment which can be crafted to suite a particular "level" of character.

For example, a Tailor can craft Light and Medium Armour suitable for use by Characters of level: 7 / 10 / 12 / 15 / 18 / 20 / 22 / 25 / 28 / 30 / 32 / 35 / 38 / 40 / 42 / 45 / 48 / 50 / 51 / 54 / 56 / 58 / 60 / 66 /68 / 72 / 80 / 85 / 90.

• Level 10 and 11 characters both will use the same armour. However, a level 12 character CAN upgrade, but they can also continue to wear the same level 10 armour they had been wearing!

Especially at lower levels, this "failure to upgrade" happens frequently, simply because the time need to "level" is very short, and players do not realize that they are "under-equipped" until they are being defeated frequently, and look for ways to prevent that happening!

Therefore, A level 14 character still wearing level 10 armour would have their armour treated as a 5 level differential! (i.e. they did not upgrade armour at level 12, and were not yet eligible for level 15 armour.)

• This level 14 character "upscaled" to Level 100 with a 5 level differential -- would find that their Armour is only level 95.

And remember, each piece of Armour, Jewellery and Weaponry has its own "item level" and therefore its own Level Differential. It is not unusual for a character to have multiple "item levels" for their Armour, Jewellery, and Weapons.

Determining Item Level

When you are "level scaled" a number of items will happen and be visible immediately:

• you will find 3 messages in your Chat window (in the default colour of blue):

A character portrait upscaled to level 100

Level Scaling you to level 100

Scaling up your equipment

Scaling your virtues up to at least rank 14 (needs verification)

• The level displayed under your character portrait will show "+100"
• Your Morale and Power bars will reflect your "upscaled" stats.

• The icons and will appear under your Character portrait.

Depending upon your class, mousing-over those icons will display tool-tips stating:

Sets Level Scaling to 100

Sets Attunement Initial out of Combat Change Delay to 8

+50% all Currency Earnings

+5% Morale and Power

When you visit your Character page (the default is to type C):

• As you mouse-over each equipped item, the tool-tip will display an "Item Level."

The "Item Level" will display a number in Green which represents the "upscaled" level; and a number in white in parenthesis which represents the original item level.

An example for a level 48 Hunter upscaled to level 95.

  Edhelharloch will display: Item Level:   176     (50) 

  Mugwort's Dulled Earring will display: Item Level:   72     (25) 

• If you examine your "stats on the right-hand side of the Character Panel, you will see the "modified" stats your character now has.