We don't need slow leveling, just a way to ensure that novices actually know the basics. In MMO terms, how to swing a sword or cast a spell.
A new player can know perfectly when to use a spanner or mallet, even know the magic that is chem spray...
But if they don't understand the most commonly used roles (Engineer, Gunner, Gungineer) then the player will do things such as perfectly buff, and pre-buff the ship, but in mid-combat because they don't realise they're meant to be shooting, when asked to shoot, the most common.reply I've had is "Oh but I'm a mechanic I fix stuff I don't shoot stuff" even if I explained roles in the lobby before hand and they agreed...
Main Engineers who repair balloons, while the ship is under gatling fire, a problem for Pyramidions, Junkers, goldfish, the mobula hull side engineer...
Gunners who don't repair their gun gun and start shooting other guns because "I don't fix things, I shoot stuff brah"
All things I have seen in public matches and helped teach players to avoid..
The point though is, you can know how to swing a sword and cast a spell, but if you cast firebolt on your ally or swing your sword at the brick wall, you'll not be overly effective, this is the guns learning curve.