25 orbs of fusing and still no 4L

Is this how it is supposed to work? With all the different orbs it looks as if you can craft your items, but my experience is that that is hardly the case. Yes, now everyone will tell me that it is completely random and that is good, but I think it would be better if using an orb would be a bit less random as the item drops.

If I use a fusing orb I do that because I want sockets linked together and not delinked. So, it would be logical if the orb would also give a slightly higher chance for more links than less links. The same can be done for other orbs, giving a feeling that you actually have a better chance using orbs than running around and waiting for that good drop. Because that is how I feel right now. Why use orbs? It is a very frustrating process.

The way the system works is that fusing orbs are for the rich, who can afford to waste hundreds of them trying to get links. Everyone else saves up fusings and sells them to the rich to get the items they need. If 25 fusings is all you have, you are simply not in the player segment which is intended to use orbs. That is only for people who spend many hours a day playing the game. Casual players are only supposed to spend alts, alchs and chaos orbs. Fusings, exalts and gcp are for trading because only the rich can afford to spend them.

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ptt_frmr wrote:

The way the system works is that fusing orbs are for the rich, who can afford to waste hundreds of them trying to get links. Everyone else saves up fusings and sells them to the rich to get the items they need. If 25 fusings is all you have, you are simply not in the player segment which is intended to use orbs. That is only for people who spend many hours a day playing the game. Casual players are only supposed to spend alts, alchs and chaos orbs. Fusings, exalts and gcp are for trading because only the rich can afford to spend them.

Mmmmmm, I read sarcasm and frustration in your post. But you are right. It feels that way. I am a casual player and cannot spend 4-8 hours a day or more, playing a game, but I still want to be able to achieve something.

In that way PoE has the same problem at this moment in beta, as D3. It didn't cost me a lot of time to reach the endgame. Once reached the endgame it is all about gear. The skilltree doesn't matter anymore, because leveling is very slow, but you want to optimize your gem-skills and your gear in order to be able to do that. As you say, that is only for the players who play a lot. So, pretty much game over for the casual player.

Yes, I know I can start another character, but knowing I will never be able to optimize that character too, because I will hit that same wall, makes it not very attractive.

It all depends on how GGG wants to make their money and what players they want to attract? The game needs some adjustments to make it interesting for the casual gamer. I wouldn't mind if it took more time to reach the endgame by adding more content. I had a lot of fun leveling and progressing through the skilltree.
Making crafting with orbs less random could also work very well.

I know ARPG's are all about grinding, but grinding too should lead to satisfaction for the casual player.

It isn't about some casual vs hardcore thing. It's about being screwed over by bad luck. Not being able to get a basic 4 link in 25 tries qualifies. It's why I recommended the system change so that you couldn't make negative progress so that if you had a pair and two singles (one link) and used a fusing you'd never get less than one link and had a non zero chance of more based on current links vs max and the degree of improvement, then if you did get more that became the new floor.

There's also been instances where I burned 30 jewelers trying to get > 4 sockets on an ilvl 60 item and not only did I not do this even once, most of the time I didn't even get 3 or 4 and I finished with 1.

No problem. Grind in the short amount of time you play and you will get the drops. That's fun, right? Making the game for casuals is what ruined big names already.

Even if i don't play many hours, the game should still be hard, in every aspect. If you can or cannot do it, it's up to you.

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MrSpaviel wrote:

No problem. Grind in the short amount of time you play and you will get the drops. That's fun, right? Making the game for casuals is what ruined big names already.

Even if i don't play many hours, the game should still be hard, in every aspect. If you can or cannot do it, it's up to you.

So, for you a hard game is not about skills, but about impossible odds and spending a great deal of time beating those odds.
In my opinion a good game should be able to please the casual and the hardcore gamer.

All I am saying is that I do not feel a reward for playing PoE anymore. I do not need ubergear after 1 month of play, but I want to feel I am progressing and get rewarded for the time spend in the game. This morning I threw away about 10 hours of gameplay trying to improve a single item in order to make better use of my gems. For me that is a weeks play.

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McHuberts wrote:

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MrSpaviel wrote:

No problem. Grind in the short amount of time you play and you will get the drops. That's fun, right? Making the game for casuals is what ruined big names already.

Even if i don't play many hours, the game should still be hard, in every aspect. If you can or cannot do it, it's up to you.

So, for you a hard game is not about skills, but about impossible odds and spending a great deal of time beating those odds.

But this is the whole problem with the self-called "Hardcore" community on these boards - they think that this type of thing makes a game hard, and makes them hardcore for playing such a game. You think it doesn't make sense to click orb, click item, click orb, click item 300 times in an afternoon? Well, you're obviously not hardcore. If all you can do is play the game well, but aren't interested in fighting the interface or pulling slot machine levers, then you're casual.

Unfortunately, they are an extremely loud component of the forum community.

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simnel wrote:

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McHuberts wrote:

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MrSpaviel wrote:

No problem. Grind in the short amount of time you play and you will get the drops. That's fun, right? Making the game for casuals is what ruined big names already.

Even if i don't play many hours, the game should still be hard, in every aspect. If you can or cannot do it, it's up to you.

So, for you a hard game is not about skills, but about impossible odds and spending a great deal of time beating those odds.

But this is the whole problem with the self-called "Hardcore" community on these boards - they think that this type of thing makes a game hard, and makes them hardcore for playing such a game. You think it doesn't make sense to click orb, click item, click orb, click item 300 times in an afternoon? Well, you're obviously not hardcore. If all you can do is play the game well, but aren't interested in fighting the interface or pulling slot machine levers, then you're casual.

Unfortunately, they are an extremely loud component of the forum community.

Yes and these same "hardcore" players do not want a game to be pay-to-win.......but wait a minute.......time is money.......so a game that is based on the more time you spend, the more you win is also pay-to-win.

As a casual player I do not care about winning, I care about progressing, about achieving personal goals. I like a play-to-progress game. :-)

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McHuberts wrote:

Yes and these same "hardcore" players do not want a game to be pay-to-win.......but wait a minute.......time is money.......so a game that is based on the more time you spend, the more you win is also pay-to-win.

As a casual player I do not care about winning, I care about progressing, about achieving personal goals. I like a play-to-progress game. :-)

This is a stretch, requiring large investments of time does not make a game pay to win. I am not a fan of the situation you describe in the OP either, but let's not exaggerate.

why should someone who plays a game 5 hours a week get the same rewards as one who plays 15+ hours a week?

Problem with casual players is your logic is totally flawed.

I have faith the boys at GGG won't buy into this silly casual gamer logic & alter game mechanics to suit the needs of casuals.

For the record, I'm an adult with a full time occupation. I probably don't play games more than 6 or so hours a week.

I understand I won't achieve as much in-game as those who play PoE 3..4..5x as much as I do.

I don't have a problem with this.

Mr. Wilson! Don't cater to the casuals Please! :)

p.s. I will say I agree with the point someone made that re-rolling items for sockets or links should not result in degrading those stats.