GGG's sick sense of balance?

Having character capable of killing shaper's guardians (challenge complete), however wasn't able to kill red tier elder in incursion, I again want to point out clear observation - most game content is either trivial or frustrating from difficulty. There is rarely something in between. I don't differ here between mobs and bosses, because talking from more general perspective. Even map mods typically are like - almost don't see difference or unable to play.

Why there should be as little trivial content as possible?

Because there is already another game that has mostly trivial content - Diablo 3. POE is not meant to be a game for non demanding players.

So let's operate in moderately difficult to frustrating/masochostic scale. From human psychology perspective, the game will give most satisfaction and pleasure if the content is difficult, but not too difficult. So simply, please balance content more. There obviously can be some extremeness, but only if there is better balanced alternative.

Now into more details:

For example shaper guardian. You need to learn complex mechanics. But on the other hand one has six portals - mean someone can go back into fight 5 times, like having 6 lives. Why not make the mechanics a bit easier, but don't allow players to go back so many times into same area? Two deaths should probably shut down portals to any area. To solve in team - maybe portals should be per player.

This is also another topic - death penalty. Which is zero in softcore if you don't level. Another extremity - severe exp penalty or nothing. Talked about it a lot already.

Another idea would be also to try to make more content of the game meaningful. In softcore, non-SSF actually only endgame, like red tier+ maps content is meaningful. Rest is just rushing through excluding total newbie players. Typically prices of equipment in order to be able to handle like pre red tier content get so low after like 1-2 weeks of a league that everyone can easily rush to endgame content. Try to adjust game/introduce new game mode such that you will keep players longer in early (campaign) and mid game and then imporove gradual difficulty rise. SSF is not good enough, because it has serious cons - like you cannot go for a planned build, because you must adapt to what you find.

P.S.
Incursion temple is most close to be balanced, non trivial, non frustrating. But the problem is this is just one location and I got bored and having still 3 incursion specific challenges not done. Actually 17/22 still for a long time in e.g. 'upgrade all rooms'. Also in order to get balanced temple, one must play maps below capabilities - gets boring and trivial content.

I'll make it very simple - You just aren't good enough play better.

I hope I won't anger too many forum diehards by saying, that "no slope, sudden wall hitting" is something of a meme in PoE. I speculate, the nature of the game revolves soooo much around this concept that it may be too late to change it.

Right now, one known way around this is to always play meta (TM) characters, able to walk through all but the thickest walls (TM).

The thickest wall, of course, is the Great Wall of RNG. When used correctly (TM), it can hold player away from content or challenges for months, maybe years.

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This is also another topic - death penalty. Which is zero in softcore if you don't level. Another extremity - severe exp penalty or nothing. Talked about it a lot already.

This makes zero sense :) If you level the 10%xp penalty is way enough at higher lvls. If you don't you dont care for any penalty :) So whats the point of severe penalty then ;)

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So let's operate in moderately difficult to frustrating/masochostic scale. From human psychology perspective...

Just dont take the game too serious man, its a game, just have fun killing monsters, maybe try different game modes, characters, builds, and if you still feel annoyed and triggered by everything just take a break or play st else.

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Fnts7 wrote:

most game content is either trivial or frustrating from difficulty

You are both right and wrong. There line between "trivial" and "frustratingly difficult" content is drawn entirely by your DPS. You can kill the boss before it has a chance to use its custom mechanics? It is trivial. You can't? It is frustratingly difficult. You'll get a lot of "git gut" recommendations. For clarity, "git gut" means "play burst DPS meta."

People are actually complaining about encounters they obviously have to learn mechanics. Red Elder is easy. Shaper is easy. Not necessarily because they always were, but after you kill something 50 times, everything becomes easy.

So wtf are you even asking for? Dynamically scaling enounters that change daily?

easy? these are easy when you play op junk: arc, pp, bv etc

try to get jewel with Sweep on a red elder.. and tell me it is easy

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sidtherat wrote:

easy? these are easy when you play op junk: arc, pp, bv etc

try to get jewel with Sweep on a red elder.. and tell me it is easy

UH NUH MAH HEAVY STRIKE! So edgy.

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sidtherat wrote:

easy? these are easy when you play op junk: arc, pp, bv etc

try to get jewel with Sweep on a red elder.. and tell me it is easy

Here comes the whine brigade. Stop blaming it on the skill, maybe you will get better.

or maybe it is the other way around - some skill setups can carry anyone - poet's pen, indigon, arc traps, blade vortex, ele hit - these skills cannot be f.. up. anyone, any clay-fisted player can make them work. to the point it is like stat-padding in competitive games

people talking about others' skill - yet all they do is follow the no-skill lemming train meta