Experience Points

Experience Points, usually abbreviated as EXP, are a recurring feature in the Final Fantasy series. Like in almost all RPGs, characters are further enhanced by gaining Experience Points. However the method of gaining experience points can vary. Generally, experience is gained at the end of each battle.

Final Fantasy
Experience points make their first appearance in this game. By killing monsters, all members of the party will gain an equal amount of EXP, whether they made an action or not. Petrified and unconscious party members will not gain EXP.

Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II does not use the traditional experience and leveling system, instead having different rates for skill, HP, MP etc.

Final Fantasy III
EXP is gained the same way as in Final Fantasy.

This game also features AP which is gained the same way, but instead of leveling up the character it levels up the character's Job Level.

Final Fantasy IV
EXP is gained the same way as in most other games, by winning a battle while not being KO'd or Petrified.

In the DS version, equipping the Augment Level Lust, the EXP gained is doubled for that character as long as the Augment is equipped.

Final Fantasy V
EXP is gained by winning a battle while not being KO'd, Ejected or Petrified.

AP is gained the same way, but instead of leveling up the characters, it levels up their Job.

Final Fantasy VI
At the end of a battle, all available characters in the party are awarded AP and EXP.

AP, Instead of leveling up a character's Job, helps characters learn abilities from their Equipped Espers.

AP is not awarded until the first set of Espers are obtained at Zozo.

Equipping the Relic Experience Egg (known as the Growth Egg in the GBA release) will double experience gained.

Final Fantasy VII
Once a character is classed as a member of the player's party, they will gain experience from won battles, unless they are flagged as knocked out. If the character is a member of the active battle party they receive the full EXP. If they are knocked out, they receive no EXP at all. If they are outside of the battle party, they receive half as much EXP as the members in the active party. Experience is not divided among the party members, so the player is not penalised on the size of the party. If a party member leaves the party due to a story-related event such that they can no longer be chosen in the PHS menu, they will gain no experience until they rejoin.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
Zack levels up through the Digital Mind Wave, and while it may seem random, it, in fact, isn't. The game utilizes a hidden EXP system, where Zack gains Experience from slain enemies. After meeting certain invisible EXP thresholds, he is eligible for a level up.

Final Fantasy VIII
In Final Fantasy VIII the character who lands the killing blow gains the most experience from that particular enemy. Boss Battles do not give EXP. Also, the experience for the next level is always at 1000; enemies always give out the same amount of experience, no matter their level.

Final Fantasy IX
Experience is gained in a similar way to Final Fantasy III, the only difference being that AP is used to learn new abilities from equipped equipment.

Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X does not use regular Exp, rather only Ability Points (AP), which is used to gain Sphere Levels.

Sphere levels is equal to the amount of steps the character can take on the Sphere Grid, similar to classic board games. When steps are taken, Sphere Levels equal to the amount of steps taken is reduced from the character's current EXP. Characters that do nothing in battle gain no AP. Similarly, if one swaps characters out during a battle, all characters that did something, even skipped their turn by the press of the, will gain AP.

Certain equipment modifications can change the behavior of AP gain, such as Overdrive > AP which speeds up AP gain based on that character's Overdrive setting while reducing Overdrive gain to 0.

Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2 abandons the Sphere Grid and returns to the regular EXP routine, with the characters gaining EXP after battle.

Final Fantasy XI
Experience points are earned after an individual enemy is defeated, but is modified by its relative level, size of party, chains, and other factors, and will not be earned if a player is K.O.'d. EXP is earned and tallied separately for each job; further, limit points can be obtained in place of EXP at level 75 (automatically switched at maximum EXP) to gain Merit Points, though the current cap is now at level 80.

Special battles (e.g. battlefields, Dynamis, etc.) do not award experience points. However, some events such as Campaign will award EXP at its conclusion based on player's performance. Additionally, particular battlefields reward players with items that grant a random amount of EXP with a set cap, usually named as if it were a lost scroll, passage, or page ripped from an ancient text.

Furthermore, for the first time players are penalized EXP upon K.O. A player at Levels 1-3 will receive no penalty. From Levels 4-24 a player will lose 10% of the amount of EXP required to reach their next level. From Levels 25-67 the penalty is lowered to about an 8% EXP loss. And, after Level 68, the amount of EXP lost upon knockout is always 2400 EXP. Receiving any of the various Raise spells or Reraise effects will reduce these EXP loss penalties as follows after Level 50 has been obtained: If a player has just recently achieved a new level, then becomes knocked out, and the penalty incurred is greater than the amount of total EXP they've amassed for their new level, they will Level Down. Leveling Down can become a serious problem for players, as particular weaponry and armors require particular player Level to equip.
 * Raise or Reraise: EXP loss from K.O. is reduced by 50% upon revival
 * Raise II or Reraise II: EXP loss from K.O. is reduced by 75% upon revival
 * Raise III or Reraise III: EXP loss from K.O. is reduced by 90% upon revival

Final Fantasy XII
Experience and License Points are gained whenever an enemy is defeated. EXP is received by all characters in the current party not in KO, Stone or X-Zone status. LP are received by all six party members.

Exp gained can be doubled by equipping an Embroidered Tippet, and LP can be doubled by equipping a Golden Amulet.

''Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Revenant Wings is a unique game in the sense that even KOed characters receive EXP after battle as long as the player wins the battle. EXP isn't determined by the number of killed opponents, but is a fixed amount depending on the battle itself. Ashe's Embroidered Tippett accessory boosts the EXP received from battles for all party members.

Final Fantasy XIII
Experience points in Final Fantasy XIII take form as Crystogen Points which can be used on the Crystarium System, which can be considered a version of Final Fantasy X's Sphere Grid; however, every character has a different Crystarium for each role.

Obtaining the Growth Egg in Mission 55 will double any CP gained from enemies.

The equipment upgrade system utilizes Experience Points. EXP can be added to equipment via the upgrade menu accessed at save stations. Organic components add a multiplier, which can be boosted up to 3x to receive triple the regular EXP. Mechanic components add more EXP, but take the multiplier down when used.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
EXP is gained after all non-boss battles; however, unlike most Final Fantasy games, the level cap is 41.

Final Fantasy Tactics
EXP is gained by a character by using attacks, abilities or spells. It can be gained by doing anything to either friend, foe, or on itself. More EXP is gained when using abilities on higher level units. The ability EXP Boost increases the amount of EXP gained from any action. Another ability, Accrue EXP, allows the unit to gain EXP just by moving to another square.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
EXP is gained whenever a unit uses an ability. AP is gained after a battle is won and varies based on several factors.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2
EXP and AP is gained after every battle, in a way identical to the one used in Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
EXP is gained by Adventurers when they return from exploring a zone or fighting a boss. The player's character, King Leo, however, does not gain EXP. Instead he gains Elementite, which is collected by Adventurers, for use in building structures in the kingdom and paying for certain battles and events.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
EXP is gained by all party members every time an enemy is killed. The amount of EXP is dependent on the enemy. The equipment bonus "Smart Valor" increases the amount of EXP earned. The game gives no indication of how much EXP an enemy gives, nor the exact amount of EXP a character has, only what proportion of the EXP bar is filled towards the next level.