WTF is going on with map sustain this league?

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abc1234df wrote:

I skip this league and only play in Standard. Also think there is issue with drop of red map. Most unexpected one is when I complete Zana daily, she didn't sell a single red map.

Or maybe not a bug, just some unnoticed changes?

Update: Right after this post, I found Zana in first map of today. She sells red map after that mission. So maybe previous daily was bad vendor roll, or wild Zana is now different, or something else..

What makes it worse is you cant lower your map pool to be just one map in a zone or Tier.

So you have to run all the crap layout maps :(

Ive given up for now, running crap maps just isnt fun.

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BL1P wrote:

What makes it worse is you cant lower your map pool to be just one map in a zone or Tier.

So you have to run all the crap layout maps :(

Ive given up for now, running crap maps just isnt fun.

You don't have to run bad layouts with the current Atlas. What I did after unlocking everything to just run the same T15 and T16 (and only drop those two maps when a T15/T16 map drops):

- Take out a watchstone from each region. Have 3 in each except for the one with Toxic Sewer T16. Keep 4 watchstones in that region. All other regions will have max T14 maps.

- Toxic Sewer T16 will be the only T16 map on the Atlas so it will always be the only one that drops. No need to set it to favourite.

- The only T15 options will be Rampart and Necropolis. Rampart layout is decent so I set it to favourite 3x. This makes it 30x more likely to drop than Necropolis. So Rampart will be your T15 drop nearly every single time.

- Run T15 Ramparts and T16 Toxic Sewers all day long without getting other bad layout T15/T16 map drops.


You can do this with any region that has only one T16 map with 4 watchstones.

Map sustain fixes itself alongside a high Awakening bonus level.

It's all quite simple if you stop for a moment, step back from this game, and look at PoE from GGG's view. GGG has one and only one game for which they financially live or die solely on cosmetics and supporter packs (let's not count the old custom item creation service because Chris said it cost them more than they charged for it). And of course stash tabs. Anyway, GGG has to stretch their "one trick pony" out for as long as possible. The most obvious answer is to feed the players as slowly as possible like an iv drip. Not too many yellow and red maps but not too few. The tight rope balancing act from GGG's perspective is how few can GGG get away with without a huge player revolt and mass exodus. A new challenge league every 3 months? Fantastic for awhile (some years)... but wait... the challenge league mechanics are mostly just more diversions (another few drips of the iv to feed the arpg hunger) on the road to level 100. The best at this game item release (drop rate) balancing act have studied human psychology or taken a page or two from the P.T. Barnum playbook on financial success.

I've used this picture in other posts but the message it says sums it up quite nicely. But this isn't just for GGG, this applies to all companies with "free to play" business models. GGG didn't invent this and any other f2p game company is in this same position.

I have absolute no problems with sustain of T15+ in ssf.

What? With the new atlas, abundance of horizon orbs and Zana missions map sustain is easier than ever. You don't need to trade for maps anymore a like at all - just build your map pool properly region by region.

Don't socket your watchstones into random citadels and expect good results...

I noticed that some of the challenges are based on actually using orbs on/with maps...sticking the maps in your garden and rolling them around in the petunias and bluebells gets you jack towards your league challenge, sadly

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SaiyanZ wrote:

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BL1P wrote:

What makes it worse is you cant lower your map pool to be just one map in a zone or Tier.

So you have to run all the crap layout maps :(

Ive given up for now, running crap maps just isnt fun.

You don't have to run bad layouts with the current Atlas. What I did after unlocking everything to just run the same T15 and T16 (and only drop those two maps when a T15/T16 map drops):

- Take out a watchstone from each region. Have 3 in each except for the one with Toxic Sewer T16. Keep 4 watchstones in that region. All other regions will have max T14 maps.

- Toxic Sewer T16 will be the only T16 map on the Atlas so it will always be the only one that drops. No need to set it to favourite.

- The only T15 options will be Rampart and Necropolis. Rampart layout is decent so I set it to favourite 3x. This makes it 30x more likely to drop than Necropolis. So Rampart will be your T15 drop nearly every single time.

- Run T15 Ramparts and T16 Toxic Sewers all day long without getting other bad layout T15/T16 map drops.


You can do this with any region that has only one T16 map with 4 watchstones.

Thats good to know thanks.
So as long as the league has an area with only 1 t16 and that t16 is not a crap layout, this is doable.

I suppose if an area has two t16s or two t15s you can just use a cartographers seal on one of the two as before ?

For example could you use a seal on all the t15s except burial in that region this league and only get that t15 ?

Anyway im done for this league spent too long getting to grips with the new atlas system.
Will try it again in 2 months or so.

Edit never mind just found out they removed the ability to remove maps.
Forcing us to run shit maps.

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BL1P wrote:

I suppose if an area has two t16s or two t15s you can just use a cartographers seal on one of the two as before ?

For example could you use a seal on all the t15s except burial in that region this league and only get that t15 ?

...

Edit never mind just found out they removed the ability to remove maps.
Forcing us to run shit maps.

Cartographers seal was replaced by the favorite map system + watchstone manipulation. The new system is IMO far superior to the old system. Just unawaken regions with maps you don't like, mark your favorite T14/15/16 and go on a mapping spree - the vast majority of your maps will be the ones you want.

The biggest bonus of the new system though is the flexibility. If you get tired of one set of favorites just reset your atlas watchstones/favorite maps (for free!) And run a new set of favorites. And you'll always be progressing conquerors and sirus.