Is Ascendancy going D3?
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If we divide the player-base in two groups
1) sub-optimal players 2) optimal players then ascendancy changes nothing. The sub-optimal player will still be able to make sub-optimal and quirky builds but have a greater tool-box to dictate just how sub-optimal their character will be! = Excellent. The optimal player, who never gave a shit about his actual character, will still strive for the best min-max number route and will be locked in his characters just as he is currently locked in the meta. More tools, same stuff. Peace, -Boem- Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes
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Optimal and viable are two misunderstood and misused words on this forum :)
(Not a dig at you, Boem!) | |
" It all depends on the way you play the game and your goals in game . R.I.P 4.B.
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" this ^ /give Boem cookies I dont see any any key!
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Ascendency increases build diversity!
I feel like I have more choices for the builds I still haven't tried out. Even the ones I've got now have more options. For my Disfavour Cyclone, do I go trickster for the "free" blood magic gem, attack speed and defense ... or do I go Gladiator for the blood explosions (but still path into shadow to scale the phys damage of the explosion to over 40% of monster hp) ? Currently, I have marauder doing this build - not after ascendancy :^) For that melee-witch I've always wanted to do: necromancer looks great! Self-buff from offerings & phys damage reduction with zombies all goes nicely in there. Path of Exile is a sandbox game. Ascendency classes only add more options and creative builds. If you want one character to do everything, D3 might be a better choice. In PoE, you are kinda supposed to roll a bunch of them. But really. do what you want and have fun. ***Assuming no/few "balance" nerfs to offset the addition of the extra nodes/"keystones" |
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" That's the key. But I think this assumption must be incorrect. My assumption is that they will instead choose to rebalance, quite substantially. Logic:
Spoiler
If they basically leave skills and tree as-is, then all characters will be vastly more powerful in one way or another. --> the game will be substantially easier to characters with Ascendant nodes, compared to before. GGG don't seem to like this. --> to prevent this, GGG must rebalance the competition. And some of those ascendant nodes are huge, so what kind of "balancing" will be necessary to cope... So either power-up the monsters in each act after a labyrinth to counteract the Ascendants, or "balance" (nerf) skills at higher levels to counter the increased Ascendant powers, or nerf what is still available on the tree, or some mixture of them all. --> the Ascendant power level will be needed to cope with the more powerful mobs. --> selecting an "optimal" build will be as important as ever for any player not wanting to really struggle to progress. I think the net effect will be that a few "best" builds will again emerge and advantage players willing/able to use them, in that they will progress faster and more easily, and be better able to clear all parts of the game [given sufficient player skill and more importantly dedication]. Hopefully the gating will be at least be on build and ascendant tree rather than just possession of particular rare uniques. One other forecast, what I hope doesn't happen.
Spoiler
Of course they could choose to balance by gear: hit drop rates and/or item affix levels/powers, so that more powerful items drop more slowly, rarely and later. Let's hope they don't balance by further drop starvation.
I'll hope and assume they don't. Making drop rates even worse would probaly drive away too many players. In temp leagues the game is hard enough as it is... making it even less rewarding would simply make for a worse game. It would restrict builds to those not item-dependent at all, so lower diversity and still slower progression except for those willing to level multiple characters each league, with the first one being a grinding MF caster with no item requirements, to give any chance of running anything else. And self-found, with worse drops, who'd want to grind that? Meanwhile HC would be almost empty. Plus fewer drops = fewer trades = worse for traders, and less currency drops = no one able to pay higher prices = no ability to raise prices to compensate for lower trade levels. So don't think that item scarcity would especially benefit traders. Minimal effect on std of course, except for new players, who would be locked out of trade even more than now by lack of currency. Looking for a mature guild to play with? http://www.guildmedieval.com Courtesy, Integrity, Fair Play. I understand this is a role playing game, but I don't think the best role to play should be shopkeeper. - AlteraxPoe Last edited by Varana on Feb 10, 2016, 2:53:01 PM
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" Actually everyone is assuming it will be easy enough to get the Ascendency nodes. What if each run is harder than Uber Atziri? Then the bonuses wouldn't need some offset nerf. The traps and maze may take a long enough time that most players/builds don't do it. We just don't know yet. What if part of the maze, or Izaro completely wrecks ranged builds and you can't do it until level 90? People just assume its going to be part of their builds but who knows. *Most* of us don't plan on having 120 skill points at the end of our build. Why are we so certain we'll have all 6 ascendancy points? I heard the maze takes over 45 minutes with no portals allowed and reenter means restart, that could be pretty tough to complete. |
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Last edited by Entropic_Fire on Oct 26, 2016, 5:32:44 PM
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" On this gameplay (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpaSC9LTuXE) they said they cleared the labyrinth in normal with a level 35 char. Level 35 is more or less what you normally are on Act 3 Normal. So expect that if you can kill Dominus merciless, you can clear Labyrinth merciless. Not every build can finish merciless... but often because it's a very experimental one or from a new player. Personally, I would like that merciless labyrinth to be an alternative to mid tier maps. | |
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Ascendancy is nothing more than the "Devotion" system introduced by Grim Dawn 3 months ago.
It's the exact same thing, just different names. Short answer to your question; PoE has really big build diversity, especially if you want to try things out and have fun with "wacky chars". Guess what? Those will be even stronger with Ascendancy. "Wealth in a game is measured by the amount of fun, joy and entertainment you can get out of it".
-Mythabril |
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