Let's talk about experience

Hi, I'm Moose. I've been playing since S5 and frequently complain about xp. Let's talk about why.

I will give my perspective as a jungle player and let more experienced laners talk about their POV in the discussion. Currently the meta is heavy gank, the top junglers being Lee, Elise, Kha. Why is this?

Well it started in Patch 7.4 with the introduction of catchup XP : "I’M STILL RELEVANT :: Earning a kill or assist while below your team’s average level now grants bonus experience"

And

When you’re lower level than your opponent.

SUBTLE STUFF :: Bonus experience for kills/assists on higher-level champions has been slightly increased.

Now fundamentally, this seems flawed. Putting yourself as a player behind shouldn't be rewarded, the punishment should be that the player stays behind as they have put themselves there until they find a way back in. Please do correct me if i'm wrong.

What does this mean for the jungle meta though?

It means that junglers can build low economy items (e.g. mobi boots) and spam ganks on lanes without having to worry about pathing at all. This is because their laners will level at the average rate while they slowly put themselves behind, all they have to do is enter a lane for an assist and the XP gap that they created for themselves will be greatly reduced.

Why is this unfair?

Think about the other jungler on the map, planning his route, making sure to counter jungle when appropriate, keeping up with his laners in XP, ganking when necessary. The advantage that he carved for himself is massively reduced once the enemy jungler gets a kill or assist, he could be a total of two levels up but because catchup XP makes that much of a difference the XP gap can close by a full level. How is that fair on the person that has put themselves ahead?

You could make the argument that they are getting ahead in gold, however 1 level is worth almost 1000g in base stats, and the heavy gank junglers are also pressuring enemy laners off gold from their lanes / getting more assists (sometimes). So the gold really is a nonfactor.

FINAL POINT There is meta for a reason, and this is the current meta. However, being inhibited to being able to play 5 champions within the jungle to put up a good fight is too far. If you play a more farm / clear oriented jungler, you're putting yourself at too SEVERE of a disadvantage compared to the top 5.

TLDR: Being behind isn't punishing enough / being ahead isn't quite as rewarding. Meta is too inhibiting of jungle styles / routes

I want jungle to be balanced. Not overtuned. Believe me.