Please expand Leveling Pacts

The 5th Column is a bad Council clone, scrap it!

Wait, no, wrong line. Um, let me try again.

Down with the 95% tohit cap!

Nope, not it. Hang on.

Fix +1 spawns!

Okay, I give up. Let me focus on what I wanted to go on, that is:

Leveling Pacts Are Awesome And I Want More

Seriously. I can't get enough of leveling pacts. They're the best thing since sliced cheese. Do you have any idea how many times I got onto That Other MMO and went "Hmm, I feel like playing this character -- oh wait, no, I can't, because then I'll outlevel my duo partner. Dammit." Well, let me tell you, a lot. Unfortunately, the same happens in City. I have this awesome duo of Spine/Elec scrappers who are unfortunately not level pacted (we missed the 5-level window), and have that same problem. And that problem is one half of what I want to address.

In brief, I'd like to see three major... changes, extensions maybe made to the awesome system level pacts:

Change One: Establishing Pacts Past Level Five

I don't want to change how they're established at low levels. I'm happy with that. But I'm also aware of what the Devs want to avoid. Thus, here's how this'd work:

First: The inviter and the invitee must be the same level. No exceptions, except if both are five or under.
Second: Once the level pact invitation is accepted... nothing happens. The characters are considered pacted, but gain no benefits from the pact.
Third: The characters cannot level up. They will stop gaining XP 1 point from the next level.
Fourth: Once all pacted characters are 1 XP from leveling up, they all level up and start behaving like a normal leveling pact.

Yes, this results in lost XP, but it is lost XP that is given up entirely voluntarily to establish the pact. A price for the later convenience. More importantly, it's impossible to power level a different character using this.

Change Two: Leveling Pacts Larger Than Two

Now, I'm not one to speculate how big the maximum size should be. That's the Devs' decision. Me, I just want to suggest how to make it work.

Okay, so. There are two important things to note. First. Level Pacts are not teams. They're (ideally) made up of people who know and trust each other. Second, Level Pacts have no leader. Everybody is equal in one. So, how would it work?

How to set up a multiplayer Leveling Pact? Simple. Have two characters level pact as normal, then invite the others.

How to invite more characters into a Leveling Pact? Less simple. You do it by group consensus. First, each and every member must agree to send the invite. This is done as follows.

The Leveling Pact tab on the Friends list gains a new entry: "Currently Inviting: None". When a member of the Pact clicks "invite to Leveling Pact" on someone who's eligible (not in a pact, the right level), two things happen. First off, the "Currently Inviting" changes to the just invited person. Second, there is a tick mark added to show that the inviting character has voted "yes".

Now, the others have a choice. They can either vote "yes" by right clicking the prospective pactee and clicking "invite to Leveling Pact", or they can click the red "Veto" button next to the name on the Leveling Pact tab (and the confirmation window). All invites must be unanimous.

Once all members have voted "yes", the invitee receives the invitation and may accept or reject as normal.

Only one character may be under voting at a time. To invite another, that one must be accepted or vetoed. Trying to invite another character will give a box saying just that.

All changes in voting should be reported in /lp ("X has invited Y, Z has seconded Y's invitation, Q has vetoed Y's invitation"), preferably also while offline.

How to remove players from the leveling pact? Deceptively Simple. You don't. You either ask them to quit, or you all quit yourself and reform. Since you were a leveling pact until not long ago, you should all be the same level and eligible to form a new one.

Change Three: Offline Leveling Pact Invites

This one is very personal in why would it be useful, and even if it didn't go through but #2 did, it could be worked around. It'd be just more convenient.

Now, why would you need this? The answer is simple. So you can level pact with yourself. Why would you do that? In brief, people who like having multiple versions of the same character. Two examples from my own stable:

I have a character who is made of flammable shadowstuff (DM/Nin stalker). If successfully set on fire, he can no longer dodge attacks by way of phasing through them, but instead the flames fuel him, turning him into an engine of destruction (DM/Fire brute).

Another of my characters is just branching out (forgive the pun) into a new type of magic - Plant Control/. I'd like to keep level the versions in which he combines it with his fire magic in offensive (/Fiery Assault) and defensive (/Thermal Radiation) ways.

As I said, very personal, but for me, very useful.

I'll take any improvements to leveling pacts, but I would really like to be able to make past lvl 5.

I'd be OK with most of what you have above. Putting on my devils advocate hat though I can't see the Dev's creating a way for you to level a toon offline that easily with the offline invites. While I see your point, and wouldn't care if they did it, I don't see it happening.

I know that you can currently do it now by having 2 accounts or a friend do it for you, but the ability to roll say a stone tank and then have it levelled to 32 to get granite before even playing it should be discouraged.

You don't lose XP unless the otehr player doesn't keep leveling up.

Unless something isn't right, the half you "lose" goes to your pact mate.