Again, the Whm was 1k from leveling. That's 5 mobs w/o an exp ring, 3-4 mobs with it. So you are looking at the Whm hitting 29 ONE to TWO mobs sooner! XP is NOT affected anymore at 29.5 compared to 29.3, 29.2, etc. The point is that it is affected once the highest hits 29 and will stay at that base until the highest hits 30. Again, in this scenario, we are talking of getting to that point ONE or TWO mobs sooner. If I remember correctly, base xp at level 28 on Yhoater Mandies is 200. At 29, it falls to 192-200, which is not the end of the world. I will say it again, it affected xp no different if she got to 29.5 quicker than she normally would have.
If somebody lower is going to disband because the highest person leveled, the party probably wasn't all that good to begin with. Additionally, a half used dedication charge is better than not using it at all.
See my first response in the post. Your math is very fuzzy. The only scenario where your math begins to make sense is for a party that stays together for 4-5 levels, which is only going to happen in a good party and a good party will overcome this very easily. Additionally, you've already shown reason why this wasn't a good party to begin with.
Once again, this is a PICKUP PARTY, there isn't a long term ANYTHING. Call me myopic if you want, I'll call you thick-headed because you still aren't getting it. You seem like a reasonably intelligent guy, which make me think that you either are a friend of the OP or an enemy of this bekki person.
I'm actually arguing the point "in general" (or perhaps slightly more specifically, "in the jungles"). I'm not really too concerned with this specific situation, how soon they would've levelled anyway, whether it's a level gained that doesn't affect base exp (because you're overhunting anyway) or a level gained that does (because you're at the point of chaining really fast for okay exp, but one more level means you're chaining really fast for crap exp).
In other words, I'm arguing a general concept, not a specific situation, and not really *this* specific situation. If you have such a hard time separating the notion of talking about stuff in general rather than in specifics, within the same topic (and by the fact that I'm talking in general and you're acting as if I'm talking about these specific circumstances, apparently you *are* having trouble with that separation), I'd be happy to make a separate topic to discuss exp/hr mechanics in its own right.
Said concept applies to good parties and bad parties, it applies to pickups and statics. Exp per kill and exp per hour math is commonly known (though I do appreciate the demonstration for how it's not commonly *fully understood*), and any advice that stems from that math is good advice in general.
You can come up with plenty of exceptions: if a party's overhunting for 200 a kill, someone dings, and you're still getting 200 a kill, no harm done. (At least, not at the time. If the party stays together for a few more levels after that, *then* you'll see the effects.) The existence of exceptions when it doesn't matter, in no way invalidates what's good advice in general. The point you're making is fine and I'll grant it - in this particular case, it didn't amount to much. But you're citing an exception, and that doesn't counter the argument in general.
Oh and, as far as this topic goes: slimy to leave with no notice, shortsighted (whether it happened to matter at that level on those mobs at that time, or not) in general regarding exp ring timing, and unimpressive explanation of reasoning, are my opinions of Bekki.
More interesting to me, was that the flame gave me an opportunity to blather on, with some words of wisdom and common sense, about both gameplay mechanics and efficient use of time (both your own and, for those who aren't completely selfish dicks, that of party members as well).
