Switching to softcore is what made me regain some love for the game!

Let me preface by saying I was one of those 100% Hardcore playing guys: "Softcore = scrub, hardcore for lyfe" and all that good stuff.

Until I got sick of the game. About 3 months ago, couldn't stand playing it anymore.

Now that I heard 1 month league will start, I started in HC, ripped to a random desync somewhere at level 17 or so and got totally sick of the game again. But then with a glimpse of inspiration, I rerolled in the softcore league. Started playing recklessly as fuck, skilling only damage and blasting monsters away.

For once I started having fun.

Here's what I noticed:
- 1200 hp in Cruel? No problem, spam harder
- Desync? no problem, replay it
- Low resists? no problem, dps harder
- Unlucky drops? no problem, farm harder
- Path of Life Nodes? no problem, dps harder
- Trade2win? Who cares about gear? Now I can play Solo Self Found with NO PROBLEM.

The lesson is: No Hardcore? No PROBLEM!

Let's face reality here: PoE isn't a Hardcore game, it cannot be. A hardcore game rewards skill and precision while making you feel that playing is a learning progress.
PoE isn't that. The only hardcore part is the theorycraft (which is optional), for the rest it is just a gear check from act 1 normal up until the end.

Giving up this false illusion that the game should be approached as a hardcore game, made me really enjoy it.

TL:DR: play the game like Diablo 3 (stack DPS, and blast things) and you'll have the time of your life in this game.

Wait until you reach maps, your glass cannon build will get nowhere. I made the same mistake when I first started playing softcore :D You need a balanced build in both modes.

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Xavderion wrote:

Wait until you reach maps, your glass cannon build will get nowhere. I made the same mistake when I first started playing softcore :D You need a balanced build in both modes.

Huh? I've facerolled all maps with chars around 2k life and literally no res.

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Xavderion wrote:

Wait until you reach maps, your glass cannon build will get nowhere. I made the same mistake when I first started playing softcore :D You need a balanced build in both modes.

I know very well how to build a viable character, as I have played a lot of hardcore viable ones. And if it doesnt work then I will simply reroll. who cares....

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Xavderion wrote:

Wait until you reach maps, your glass cannon build will get nowhere. I made the same mistake when I first started playing softcore :D You need a balanced build in both modes.

The "balance" is different in 4-month hardcore compared to what it is in softcore.

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Kranyum wrote:

Let's face reality here: PoE isn't a Hardcore game, it cannot be. A hardcore game rewards skill and precision while making you feel that playing is a learning progress.

Cant be a hardcore game with desync ON. the only reason i dont play HC

*Morpheus voice* "Welcome...to the real world."

But in all seriousness you will need to get your defenses up to snuff in merciless. The exp loss isn't an issue at low levels but mid 70s and beyond it starts to be an issue. Honestly having s single death (not desync related) after a build is complete shouldn't be a thing that is happening.

But when leveling up with out the keystones or other nodes I don't see anything wrong with dying repeatedly ;D Not having to do a bullshit leveling spec is just one of the many benefits of standard.

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Kandamo wrote:

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Kranyum wrote:

Let's face reality here: PoE isn't a Hardcore game, it cannot be. A hardcore game rewards skill and precision while making you feel that playing is a learning progress.

Cant be a hardcore game with desync ON. the only reason i dont play HC

Surprised there aren't whiteknight fanboys already saying how desync makes the game MORE hardcore.

To be fair, desync is the one and only that makes this game hardcore haha.

OP, have fun ;)

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terrex wrote:

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Xavderion wrote:

Wait until you reach maps, your glass cannon build will get nowhere. I made the same mistake when I first started playing softcore :D You need a balanced build in both modes.

Huh? I've facerolled all maps with chars around 2k life and literally no res.

lol how?