Well first let me say this is my first post after lurking for a while. I have one of each character at 50. I did it the old fashion way of playing through the PvE game and have to say that nothing quite prepares you to know the role and abilities of your character like leveling the way the game was designed.

I get frustrated sometimes when I play through a map in AO3 and have level 50 players that simply don't understand the dynamics of a party or the way the characters play off of one another. The only explanation seems to be that these players powerleveled to the cap without learning to really play the game.

I mean the game is suppose to be fun and challenging. It is only challenging if you play through the boards at the right level. I can run through the Dark Forest farming (don't ask me why in the world these low level items are worth so much) without even thinking about what I am doing. What is the fun in that? If your goal is to simply max out your character, why are you playing the game? Where is the challenge?

Now if you are leveling an alt, no big deal. That happens all the time and I don't have a problem with it. But if it is your first time through with a character, bear, bird, or elf, why cheat yourself of the fun and challenge of playing through the levels.

Just my two cents. Maybe I am just tired of the people that have no idea how to play as a party. It is cooperative play for a reason. It isn't suppose to be 5 players randomly hacking their way through a board. It is suppose to be a party playing as a group, each doing their roll, so that the boards can be fun and rewarding for everyone.

So personally, I think powerleveling your main characters hurts player development and cheats the person out of the experience and fun of the game.