Earlier today a group of us went into DMS to test vary cl drop ratios. Here is what we found after about an hour of doing yellow rooms.
(
Crew members: Lux Fortuna, Shinju_hashimfo, Brooklyn Rage Mage, Memory Haunts You, parf, azphyxxxiate)
CL 10.8 received 61 Shadow Orbs
CL 10.9 received 55 Shadow Orbs
CL 11.0 received 54 Shadow Orbs
CL 11.1 received 56 Shadow Orbs
CL 11.2 received 52 Shadow Orbs
CL 11.4 received 49 Shadow Orbs
Notes on the study:
*Anomalies: After the fact I realized that our 10.8 player did not have a major luck boost. This does not contradict the data, though, because she in fact received the -most- drops. The only way this would negatively affect the data would be if there is an inherent glitch in the luck system and there is no reason to believe that this is the case.
*Weaknesses of the Study:
-Very small sample size
-Short period of time
-Possibility that varying cl's within a group affect orb drop-rates (however unlikely the possibility for this is).
Conclusions:
While I realize that this is a small sample size over a short duration of time the data can still be open to offer guiding advice.
-While the cl 10.8 received significantly more orbs than anyone else in the crew, it was expected that the 10.9 would exhibit similar results, however she suffered from 10% less drops than the cl 10.8 and her orb drops were practically identical to the 11.0, 11.1, and 11.2. I mostly attribute this to the small sample size and short duration, though.
-There seemed to be no significant difference between cl's 10.9-11.2.
-The cl 11.4 received the least amount of drops but this could have been a result of the short period of time. More research would be necessary in order to reach a stronger conclusion.
The numbers suggest that the optimal range for reaping maximum drops per kill is cl 10.8 from this (small) study. However, it is my contention that a team of 11.4's would move much more quickly than a team of 10.8's and would also undergo much less pressure. Coupled with the ease and respectable orb drops it seems to be in the best interest of the team to play at cl 11.4 for the fastest run while still receiving a good orb-drop ratio.
Follow-up Study:
-Compare the orb drop difference between cl 11.4's and 11.5's