Hall of Grandmasters legit suggestions (not complaints!)

While I'm sure I'm about to invite a bunch of ire from the community at large (it seems this is a very touchy subject), I experienced the Hall of Grandmasters today for the first time, and I have a few thoughts on how to keep this content in the game so as not to short-change folks who paid good money to show off their characters, but tweak it so that it's a little more accessible.

First, despite logging multiple hundreds of hours, I'm a fairly casual player. I prefer playing around with my own buildcrafting, rather than looking up optimal solutions, and I always play SSF because I prefer making the best of the RNG to cherry picking really impressive gear that OTHER people have found. The balance falls apart a little for my play style in the mid to late post-game, but I'm still generally having a good time. That said, it seems like the builds in the Hall were not created under the same restrictions. Could they then be filtered into leagues (SSF/HC) like the PCs are? Maybe it's still possible to make a build in the same league that I'm in that kicks my butt up and down, but if I knew we were playing by the same rules, it would feel a little more fair.


Secondly, I'm no completionist, but since this content is part of the Atlas, it means that it's very difficult for us casuals to check it off. Could it be opt-in? For example: could I travel to silly build showcase land from the PVP arena or something like that rather than have it part of what is repeatedly reiterated to be the de facto end-game content? Alternatively, what if I could complete the map without defeating boatloads of the NPCs? They could still be there, but as optional content - guarding the chests as they are now, but maybe I can just run through, or fight my way through a smaller gauntlet to get the checkmark.

Anyway, Thanks for listening GGG. I've had a ton of fun with your game, and I continue to be blown away by the staggering amount of content you guys keep releasing (as a professional game dev myself, I have an extra appreciation for the amount of effort that takes).

And to try to stave it off from the community a little bit: yes yes, I know. I should git gud, and I'm playing the game wrong, etc. etc. Feel free to tell me all that, but know that I don't think it particularly adds to the discussion. If you enjoy being the be all and end all of PoE build masters, you go do you! But at the end of the day we all play to have fun, and that's just not what I enjoy about the game.

I think the idea of opt-in for Hall Of Grandmasters was presented multiple times before, and I agree.
It doesn't really belong as a unique map on the Atlas and should not count towards Atlas completion, in my opinion.

Although I was able to complete it multiple times, and even farm it and "carry" others at some point - it is clear the map can only be done by a specific handful of builds.
Elitists/dwellers will come here and say "yeah the good builds can do it, and the bad ones can't".
"Git gud", right?
No.
There are certain builds like my Trapper, and certain PvP-oriented builds like Scorching Ray, that can literally cheese through. Others will have a hard time, require obscene gear, or both.

The reason is, it's both PvP-scaled (which alone is something not all players know), and most importantly - while some characters inside are meant mostly to show off shiny expensive Rolls Royce tier MTX, others are purpose-built and purpose-geared for PvP, and out for blood.
Heck some are made by former PvP champions, or at least designed by them.
There are also several "troll builds" in there designed to break PvP game mechanics to be unkillable, unless your character can counter-break them. Which of course requires beyond basic PvP knowledge.

So it needs to be opt-in, for people who know and are prepared.

What are you guys talking about, it IS opt-in. You literally never have to run it, HOGM is one of the main reasons why the complete unique maps challenge in EVERY SINGLE LEAGUE only requires a majority of the maps completed.

Seriously, though. What are you talking about?

Well if you consider that maybe I'm playing a little differently than you. I don't really engage with, nor am I even strongly aware of the challenges. Mostly, I want to fill in the dot on my atlas, and I want the extra % improved map drop. As a SSF player who shies away from farming behavior, which I find particularly dull, the chance that I'm going to see every map is very slim, so when I do find one that's unique, I'm kind of bummed if I can't complete it (without a specialized build, or whatever).

This atlas obsession is really really weird considering it reset every league now. Why the fuck do you need to complete it.

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Head_Less wrote:

This atlas obsession is really really weird considering it reset every league now. Why the fuck do you need to complete it.

If we are talking about standard then:
Unique maps stay completed
Running any map from previous series will complete every single map below tier of map you are running. So in theory getting full atlas completion back is just run 4 guardian maps (at least 1 from previous series) and shaper set.

"

KawaiiPandaX wrote:

Well if you consider that maybe I'm playing a little differently than you. I don't really engage with, nor am I even strongly aware of the challenges. Mostly, I want to fill in the dot on my atlas, and I want the extra % improved map drop. As a SSF player who shies away from farming behavior, which I find particularly dull, the chance that I'm going to see every map is very slim, so when I do find one that's unique, I'm kind of bummed if I can't complete it (without a specialized build, or whatever).

This is incoherent NONSENSE.

If GGG took HOGM off of the Atlas, completing it would STILL give you +1% chance for a map to roll up (just like a few leagues back when Perandus Manor wasn't actually on the Atlas). Removing it changes NOTHING.

NOBODY is forcing you to engage with this content. It doesn't unlock anything, it's not a requirement for anything, it literally doesn't matter to anyone on the entire planet if you complete HOGM or not.

So I ask you again: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Absolutely none of your arguments make any logical sense, so it sounds like you're just crying because something deliberately designed to be difficult ended up not being easy, and now you're asking for a Participation Trophy to reward you for failure.

Disgusting.

Wow, you're right. That was a totally appropriate and rational response. The namecalling is especially apt. It has been a treat interacting with you. Boy this game community sure will thrive with friendly and welcoming folks like yourself.

I probably won't return to this thread, but food for thought: how does the change I'm proposing detract from YOUR experience? People are complex, and I like what I like. Can't it be fun for both of us? If the key to your enjoyment of PoE is that bits of it are extremely exclusive, that's fine. But it seems misaligned with the design philosophy of the Atlas (which I may misunderstand, because as I've said many times, I'm kind of a casual player). And if the key to your enjoyment is shouting people down on the forums: well, good job, you. You did it!

Seriously: take a breath. Enjoy your day. It's just a game. Please don't have an aneurysm because an internet rando expressed an opinion that's different than yours.

If it is a dot to be filled in the Atlas, which provides completion bonus, then it's not opt-in in my opinion.

Opt-in is an area you must enter specifically, like Atziri for example, or a Breach Realm.
Hall Of Grandmasters should be like that: a PvP area you choose to attempt, primarily for the challenge and secondary for loot.
Which isn't great to be honest. My combined loot from about a dozen runs, doesn't compare to Breach or Atziri runs. Certainly not to my single successful Uber Atziri attempt.
Yes I am aware "the card" can drop there - but chances of finding it seem as likely, as finding the thing this card gives.
Map drops for example are downright insulting: you get maps based on the tier of HoGM. You know, like you didn't just beat a bunch of level 100 PvP arena-god avatars, plus Gubben trolls and Demi's troll queen. Here's a tier 6 for ya. Good job.