As we are all aware, the exp gained from monsters is rather linear. In one region you get about 50 exp from a mob, while the next you get 70 exp. (Granted you get better equips, but that’s not the point here)
However ! The main difference is that you need double, or even tripple the auto attack hits to get that exp. Obviously, people make one conclusion from that: Go back to a much lower level area and grind there - the exp may be 35 per mob, but you kill everything in one hit, at worst two.
This is where Archers come in. They just stand there and shoot everything with their seeker bows. They only ever need to come back when they need to repair their weapons. On the other hand, as a swordman i need to actualy run to the enemy. At best, i’m a Peltast and gather them all up with swashbuckling. Same goes for the other classes. The Archers don’t even need a party, it would only slow them down in the grind. In the end, in a game of grind, their grind is the easiest and gives them quite an advantage.
If they had to fight equal leveled monsters to get optimum exp, this would occur less… if it weren’t for those archers grinding on the big kelpas near miners village for money, which is also a disadvantage for lower leveled players.
Ultimately, i don’t know how it is in the later levels. But is still felt it is something that needed to be point out.