After playing for quite a while, I think I have a good grasp of the pros and cons of the XP system. I think that it is a good system for new players to get the bonus they need to pass level 100, especially since their first and second runs they will be exploring the game for several hours. I also think it's a good balance for the early reset runs, maybe up til the 10th run. XP acts like this bar you should try to avoid by resetting in under 5 hours, but should you go past it, you are basically guaranteed an instant reset due to the XP boost. Finally, once you get a reset time of an hour and enter the endgame, XP gives quite a bit of a boost to your Idol-boosted Crusaders. All of this makes a good balance to the game.

However, my major problem is that, if you use XP too much, you defeat the purpose of formation editing. I went away for a whole weekend, and came back to 10+ XP on my active 10. I decided to push to level 200, my current campaign. But I soon realized, I was STUCK with those 10. I couldn't use any of the other Crusaders, because without that XP boost, they were trash in comparison. My buddies wanted me to try two different formations, but my DPS was only around 10%-20% of my XP party, so I couldn't provide accurate results.

It's quite possible that those formations are much better for me, but I simply cannot edit my formation at all. I have no way of testing whether a formation is "better" because the XP is skewing my DPS readout. And I can't test this early game, because of how the game shifts once you start buying the 25-level x4 boosts. Emo sucks until that point, but that point takes too long to reach. I've heard that Emo and Hermit get massive potential, but I wouldn't know because my other characters tend to have 3 XP by the time I can get accurate numbers.

I think that ultimately, XP is hurting this game's core mechanic. If someone asks our chat for a good formation, we may not be able to advise properly if they are 10 hours into their run. Our suggestions will be better, but that person may not understand and may stick with a bad formation because the numbers say differently. Similarly, XP is encouraging you to know your endgame formation from the beginning and just use that straight until the end. The 5-hour timeframe is too much to replicate (I'm not going away for another weekend on this run), so you better make sure your boost goes to the right Crusaders!

Sure, it can be argued that I shouldn't have gone away for a weekend, but I still wouldn't have known to test a new formation beyond the five-hour mark. Why would I, if my formation works quite well up to the switching point? I think many others do the same, which makes it so that the "unique formation mechanic" isn't being used uniquely at all. The fact that XP can outmatch epic equips is more proof that XP needs to be reworked.

I don't have a perfect solution, this is just highlighting a problem. I would think that adjusting the time and value of XP would be best. For example change it to a 50% boost and scale it from 1 hour with 30 minute increases: You'd have 50% at +1h, 100% at +1.5h (2.5 total), 150% at +2h (4.5 total)... You'd get to 400% at 21.5 hours, which overlaps pretty close with what we have now, and it would get farther and harder to increase after that. This would create a pseudo-cap on XP, making it less overwhelming, and also make it easier to bring in unused Crusaders. It's a bit of a nerf with these numbers, so some adjustments can be made... but right now, I think it does create a problem in this game.

My understanding:
Part of the strategy for formations is balancing early game speed with potential late game gains. I try something, decide to keep the characters, and get their xp up in preparation for later in the game. That is part of the strategy that makes the game different from every other idle. If not you just freely always use the accepted "best" loadout with small exceptions for if you got lucky with gear. I find investing in a strategy and coming back 5 - 10 hours later after school or sleeping and seeing it work rewarding. If it turns out terrible, I reset get some idols and try something else.

If you can get to the later stages in under 5 hours anyways, it's easy enough to try something different and then let that sit overnight or something.
XP helps reward people that aren't using the clicker, and aren't playing and spending constantly keeping their gold/damage ratios constantly optimized. Otherwise they will likely just hit a wall where theres no point continuing playing the game since they barely make any progress. Especially with how rubies are right now.

If it takes you 50 hours to reach 200, then yes you struggled. You are clearly needing to reset more often to gain more idols/chests so you can do it faster.

I think this thread is nonsense tbh. You're saying that because you use this formation for 50 hours, you can't test other formations during this run?

Just bloody reset, compare builds, see if one works better, note the DPS...

Before you leave for the day, have a set formation you plan to use so they all gain XP and this way only the Crusaders you use will be stronger.