Gem availability sucks for self found

That's a section of my loot filter that styles gems I need for self sound. It makes them look and sound the same as uniques so I don't miss them. This is a lucky build, since the only gem my class doesn't get that I need is Increased Duration (running Blade Vortex, though damn near every build I run needs Increased Duration on 1-3 skills to not feel like shit).

I played a Lightning Arrow Scion recently that got insanely lucky and picked up a Lightning Arrow from cruel Hellrake. I have unpleasant memories of my Burning Arrow Shadow Flameblasting his way into maps, though (and straight into a reflect pack, which was a damn annoying way for my EV/dodge/Ondar's Burning Arrow guy to die). Finding the gem you need for a build feels like winning the lottery. You know you're an absolute fucking moron for playing, but it's nice when it works out (which it almost always doesn't).

I played a summoner recently that always had shitty duration on Bone Offering because I never got Increased Duration, even after running a bunch of maps. That's not unexpected, though, since I've seen exactly one Increased Duration since I added this to my filter. I've leveled quite a few characters to 80+ since then.

Not having the gems you need feels like absolute shit in POE. I'm not familiar with a single build that gets every gem it needs from quests and vendors. Don't get me started on the shitty feeling of needing a gem you didn't take from a quest reward, only to find out the fucking vendor doesn't actually sell that to you and you missed your only shot at it.

At the very least, let vendors in merciless sell every gem that's not drop-exclusive. This will not hurt new players. This will not kill build diversity. Whichever way you believe this will make the sky fall, it won't. Please let POE be a less shitty game for self found characters. Don't make us play with shitty Bone Offerings, Shitty Blade Vortexes, shitty Lightning Arrows that look suspiciously like Split Arrows, or shitty Burning Arrows that very much resemble Flameblasts.

Self found players have enough to deal with already. Please stop screwing us over with poor gem availability. The extra challenge of not having good gear is actual something fun that you can play around. The extra challenge of your skills not working because you don't have the gems you need is something unfun that makes the game suck.

Of course, this will actually make things better for non-self found players as well, since they won't have to deal with the annoyance of finding someone to sell them a Rallying Cry or whatever. Better gem availability will just make the game better.

You made a good start when you added gem vendors. Please take the next step.

For real. Shadow needs physical projectile attack damage.
Increased/reduced duration for everyone.

Gem availability sucks for self found.

Yes. Yes it does.

If you find it sucks too much, don't play self found.

I know that just sounds like "OP is butthurt, lolrofl QQ more." But it's not. You see, self found isn't supposed to be a play style where you follow a build religiously. You are supposed to make compromises. That's the entire point of SSF.

And then you got the gem vendor.

And so, good Solo self found player—which name I tender,
As dearly as my own—be satisfied.

"

scale_e wrote:

If you find it sucks too much, don't play self found.

[...]

be satisfied.

Sure, great, awesome, thanks! I'll hop right on that!

First, though, could you provide some arguments as to why the current poor gem availability is superior to good gem availability? If you don't believe that it is, I'm not sure what you're trying to argue here. Maybe you're arguing just for the sake of arguing?

Do you honestly not believe better gem availability is good for the game? If you don't, why? Please provide arguments supporting your position instead of simply saying "yeah, it's shitty. deal with it."

"

Jennik wrote:

"

scale_e wrote:

If you find it sucks too much, don't play self found.

[...]

be satisfied.

Sure, great, awesome, thanks! I'll hop right on that!

First, though, could you provide some arguments as to why the current poor gem availability is superior to good gem availability? If you don't believe that it is, I'm not sure what you're trying to argue here. Maybe you're arguing just for the sake of arguing?

Do you honestly not believe better gem availability is good for the game? If you don't, why? Please provide arguments supporting your position instead of simply saying "yeah, it's shitty. deal with it."

I'm not saying it's better for the game. You sir, are putting words in my mouth. All I did was address the topic at hand, namely that SSF is fine with limited gem availability. The entire point of SSF is that it's adds a layer of difficulty to the game ordinary players don't experience.

Furthermore, I never said it was shitty for the game, I said it sucks for self found. It's supposed to. Self found is supposed to feel that way. But it's a difficulty that is self-applied. If you don't want that difficulty, trade. Play "Solo self found, except for gems, which I'm going to trade for, because it's dumb not to." If that's how you want to play, go nuts. No one is stopping you.

Would better gem availability be better for the game as a whole? I don't know. That's a tough one. Before the gem vendors I'd have said no because not having the vendors forces the players to trade more and I beleive that more trade is, in general, better for the game. But since the gem vendors were introduced, I dunno. It's still good. You can't get everything. You still need trade. So... Yeah? I dunno? Still kinda 50/50 on the gem vendors I guess?

But for solo self found specifically. Duck no. Duck tales, no. Diddly-do-mcDee-duck tales, no. You're supposed to have to compromise and make do without. That's the entire point of SSF. It's hard.

What about Masters? Even if random, do enough dailies and you'll get the gem you want.

You probably have no idea how hard it was before the vendor starts to sell skill gems then, there was almost no way to get enough support gems to play any build with self found, at least now you got lots of alternatives.

"

Jennik wrote:

current poor gem availability

someone here didn't play the game before gem vendors existed, dundundunnnn

just be glad you don't need to buy your multistrikes or spell echoes for 5-10c



on the ssf thing in general

this is not the way the game is supposed to be played

if you gimp yourself intentionally

and play against the way is supposed to be played

don't come crying that the game needs to cater to your gimped play style

"

scale_e wrote:

You sir, are putting words in my mouth.

I'll stop you right there. When I explicitly ask you if you believe something because you never stated what you believe, that is not me putting words in your mouth. That's me asking you what you mean. Do you understand the difference between those two things?