The Average PoE player.

While i haven't been playing much this league, i can't help but notice how every league people are getting faster and faster to 100 and clearing all the available content incredibly fast. Then there's the people with hundreds of exalted orbs and those who spend thousands of fusing orbs and don't get a 6L. I used to consider myself an average player, but now i feel like i'm a filthy casual since everywhere i look people are so much better and richer,even in leagues where i play a few hours each day.
So am i just crazy or is this how it's really happening?

Well, rich and fast players are the one who talk the most in forums, are listened and stuff, still I think there is a majority of silent people who just play casually the storyline and, for example, don't reach maps.

You're not looking at average... you're looking at outliers.

The average player has probably not made it to maps yet.

Oh man, yeah, this is not the exception but the rule.

You got the poop-sockers, the tag-teamers, and the group-jockeys all competing for that quickest to 100. No reasonable change to the game will ever prevent their race to 100 outdoing every expectation....and another modification by GGG to try and preserve the sanctity of Holy Level 100.

Then there are the market manipulators, the swappers, the price fixers, all working from the beginning of every league to margin their way to riches.

Both of these things have existed since the beginning of persistent online gaming. I sold my soul to the MMO Everquest in the mid-90's, and there were power levelers and poop sockers racing to end game then, as well as people sitting in set trade zones making margin trades from early levels and becoming rich without ever reaching mid levels.

It is called the internet. Sorry, it is glorious, it is all encompassing, and really sucks sometimes. There a lot of people out there with more time on their hands than you.

You're not crazy (well maybe you are since I don't know you) but several thoughts:

1. Power creep makes map running faster and faster.
2. Those players that GGG does not want us to refer to as no lifers but full time
    players are more knowledgeable with game mechanics and know precisely how to level
    in the fastest way possible.
3. We have Path of Building utility (and others) to be able to "what if I use..." to easily
    figure out the most powerful builds possible for every skill.
4. Players have leveraged legal and illegal scripts to the max.
5. Some players tag team on a single build to play it 24/7 to race it to 100.
6. Veteran players are savvy on what to do to generate wealth fast and can then buy high
    end gear to keep the xp/hour up for the level 90 to 100 grind.

 So us "filthy casuals" are not getting to level 100 in any short time frame (or at all) with daily grind burnout a real impediment as GGG continues nerfing 90 to 100 level xp. Even so these < 2 minute full clear map runners (skip boss after 1st kill) are still reaching level 100 in < 1 week easy. For Abyss it started on Friday and by next Monday many builds to 100 on the ladder. For the rest of us "average PoE Joe's" who still find fun in the plethora of builds available for which we haven't yet tried the 90 softcap is what we aim for. After that for me it's on to a new build and occasionally playing the level 90 build so next level is over a month of time for 91 and exponentially longer for subsequent levels and a complete build burnout well before 100. By that time GGG has released the next major patch which shifts the balance in some major ways so a full respec is done to continue using that exile. That's not a bad thing for me as now I have many 80 something builds of all classes I can respec with a new skill and not have to start over at square one except playing the challenge league. I also have a ton of uniques so the odds are very good after 5 years of casual playing that I have all or most of the uniques required for a new build that catches my fancy. Yes, yes, please don't troll back "but why play Standard League, it's dead" and all that BS I've already heard 101 times.

And then there are the "once in a blue moon" events to make "filthy casuals" very happy:

OMG! The RNG Gods just gave me a huge Christmas present

Last I checked the next blue moon month is January 2018 so I received a gift from RNGesus just in time for Christmas.

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to all...

Well, the question is, does it affect your enjoyment of the game? I consider myself as casual as it gets, playng mostly standard with cheap Af builds, and i can still see all content in the game. If i don't want to do what it takes to get massive currency, i had to get a good undersanding os mechanics and build...

But i understand where you're coming from. Back in the D2 days, i was probably one of the best PvP'ers in the Europe Realm. Was part of the old TAV and WEP clans, and people would just give me accounts to pay on, and fully gear my toons...so, we never know what is going on behind the scenes.

"

brekner wrote:

While i haven't been playing much this league, i can't help but notice how every league people are getting faster and faster to 100 and clearing all the available content incredibly fast. Then there's the people with hundreds of exalted orbs and those who spend thousands of fusing orbs and don't get a 6L. I used to consider myself an average player, but now i feel like i'm a filthy casual since everywhere i look people are so much better and richer,even in leagues where i play a few hours each day.
So am i just crazy or is this how it's really happening?

As in life, compare yourself to yourself and enjoy the game. There always be someone better/faster/stronger -
or what/whoever you want to call - than you.

Stay safe Exile.