A SSF mode that isn't mean to be difficult? Please GGG

I guess I just really like the idea of building up a character or set of characters for myself, and that trade takes away a lot of the progression because buying something off someone else is always easier than making it/finding it myself.

I'm just not ready to hop into a mode whose item drops are specifically balanced around the presence of trade, without trade.

I play the game since it begun, never traded once, never copied a build, and I think the game is so much better this way, but I also feel the pain in playing like this.

+100 to OP. The more options there are for the players, the better.

I see ur point, but I really think u're overthinking it a bit too much.

Look at most PoE HC Streamers nowadays, they all play SSF and they can attain crazy gear with their playtime. So I'd say u can still get 99% of the game if u put in 10000 hours in SSF. Maybe some drops are gated behind bad rng, but I'm sure if u r willing to commit, u can even farm Headhunter Divination Cards in SSF... it just takes forever :)

If I'd give u a suggestion, just start SSF for one league and see how u like it. If u don't, u can just convert ur progress to trade. That's what I did and I didn't go back to trade ever since.

I had the same mindset as u did before, where I really like making progress and trade takes a big part of that away. U're just chasing currency instead of items/fun.

I guess it's just tough because I can't see myself making any progress.

Like just think of 6 linking an item.

Statistically, 6 linking an item would require more orbs of fusing than I've collected in all my 550 hours of playtime. I don't mind spending 1000 hours for a headhunter, sure, I don't mind. But 1000 hours for a 6 link? That's discouraging on a whole other level.

Not to mention you're playing with an item that's probably your best item so for the whole process of farming/every time you don't hit you can't use it.

And just to be clear, a lot of this is coming from the fact that I will never have 10 000 hours to sink into the game.

Balancing around streamers or saying the streamers can get it is I think a flawed mentality because they can afford to spend literally 8 hours a day playing because it is their source of income.

I feel like GGG love the idea of POE being brutal and requiring extreme playtimes but for people who just can't match those quotas, it's a bit heartbreaking because I love the game's systems and extensive mechanics, and the fact that my playtime won't ever let me access them really sucks.

To return to my point, spending 1000 hours 6 linking an item is practically worse because the progress is so slow that you almost wouldn't feel it at all if you only play 1-2 hours a day.

Solo self found would be rough.

Might be worth it to farm an Oni-Garoshi so you have at least one solid six link to farm with. You might also consider target farming the 6-link armor cards, then chaos-spam craft it yourself or chance/scouring orb it to try for a unique you want.

Harvest and prophecies are a good way to get five links/sockets as well. I've noticed a lot of corrupted 6-links popping out of Heists and Vaal side areas too.

Hope this helps you some.

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GulpShitto wrote:

And just to be clear, a lot of this is coming from the fact that I will never have 10 000 hours to sink into the game.

Balancing around streamers or saying the streamers can get it is I think a flawed mentality because they can afford to spend literally 8 hours a day playing because it is their source of income.

I feel like GGG love the idea of POE being brutal and requiring extreme playtimes but for people who just can't match those quotas, it's a bit heartbreaking because I love the game's systems and extensive mechanics, and the fact that my playtime won't ever let me access them really sucks.

To return to my point, spending 1000 hours 6 linking an item is practically worse because the progress is so slow that you almost wouldn't feel it at all if you only play 1-2 hours a day.

Ok, I just used the hours because u said u want to be able to achieve things even if it means spending thousands of hours :D

Anyway the 6 link stuff isn't as bad as u think. It only is if u want to 6link a Unique Chest/weapon. Rare or white 6links are pretty common right now. U can either target farm them with divination cards, going for armour heists or like I did this league (without knowing) use the Atlas passives for Invasions Monsters to drop a high value item. They dropped me 3 6-linked items pretty early on in the league, 2 Chests and 1 Staff.
There's also many corrupted 6links u can get lucky with and use for a certain duration.
For influenced Chests I'd certainly try to get the div cards and then influence the 6l chest before rolling it. Thats much safer than the other way around.

The beauty of SSF for me is to be smart about all the tools GGG gives me as a player. 90% of those tools will never be used in trade league, so most ppl don't know about them.

This does help my knowledge, and I appreciate the advice.

However, my goal here is to address the underlying cause, not the symptom. It's not just 6 linking. It's everything about SSF that is naturally too rare, because the numbers in SSF are the same numbers as in normal softcore, except softcore has trade.

This makes SSF a brutal mode by default.
I think that GGG should have a mode for those not wanting a brutal experience.

alright I think u can see my point of view and I see urs.

I wouldn't be against better drop chances for SSF, but I think it would be detremental for trade league.

Anyway if GGG can figure out a way of doing the dance on knives edge, sure why not :D

e: now that I think about it, I'd actually think they could increase the droprate of crafting materials. It shouldn't change too much if u just get more Fossils, Chaos and Exalts (maybe Essences aswell). It doesn't affect anyone and u can just craft a little more often, having higher chances of a good item.

Def agree. They can't make SSF as easy as softcore, or no one would play softcore.

But CW recently gave a ballpark number that trade needs to make things 10x more rare. So if we could get a 4-5x multiplier to SSF loot that might be nice?

i think finding such a balance would only be beneficial for POE as a whole.

Stay sane exile :)