Time to rethink the vision?

I started typing this and and structured it in a way to support a number of reasoned points about the game.

I wanted to make some balanced points about how the current vision bears no resemblance to the game, how GGG lie about buffs which are actually nerfs and how trade actually undermines the good work the designers do by enabling price fixing which ensures the majority of players are denied access to items such as Mageblood.

Then I realised I just don't care enough to bother. So I will just do another shitpost and go and do something more interesting instead.

we cant do anyth... bots will rule game soon if not alrdy

I must be alone in thinking the game is in a really good state.

Just so much to do and loads of variety...

Sure, it would be nice if some skills were more viable, but every skill has it's place, and yes, it does change every league. This doesn't make it bad. It encourages variety.

It's all mindset.

"

brunowa wrote:

I must be alone in thinking the game is in a really good state.

Just so much to do and loads of variety...

Sure, it would be nice if some skills were more viable, but every skill has it's place, and yes, it does change every league. This doesn't make it bad. It encourages variety.

It's all mindset.

You’re not alone. I feel the same way.

"

brunowa wrote:

I must be alone in thinking the game is in a really good state.

Just so much to do and loads of variety...

Sure, it would be nice if some skills were more viable, but every skill has it's place, and yes, it does change every league. This doesn't make it bad. It encourages variety.

It's all mindset.

I will very respectfully disagree.

Most skills do not seem have a place. Chain hook? Firestorm? Blast rain? Shrapnel ballista? Pestilent strike? Siphoning trap?

Variety, on a "What skills can I make work?" level, reached a peak with Ritual due to Harvest. Ever since then, the nerfs collapse what viable builds are out there.

The 'harder' the game is (in quotes because building TR champ is not hard), the fewer pathways become viable. Yes, you can mirror gear any skills and beat the game, but thats not viable for most of the players.

"

trixxar wrote:

reached a peak with Ritual due to Harvest.

I agree; Harvest did make certain skills playable by overcompensating with gear. Though, this is not a case of "we need Harvest", this is a case of "those skills should've been buffed a long time ago".

I do however, enjoy the state of the game. The balance between defenses and offenses has never been better, and you can actually put meaningful points into defenses that let you survive long enough to not being forced to oneshot every screen.

There are of course too many skills that need buffing and/or a rework, and I really hope they'll put a strong focus on those next league, but we all know they won't.

And, yes - certain skills haven't really kept up with the game at all. But that is bound to happen with hundred of skills. Should they remove some of them? Maybe, but that would upset than on guy that likes to play them. Letting them linger doesn't really hurt anyone, except those that like to bring them up on the forums to highlight a problem.

I think it's too late.

They are committed, fail or succeed. I don't know if its hubris or stubbornness, but it's clear to me now that the toothpaste is out of the tube, and there is no going back.

If I was pressed to predict what will happen, I would say that the player divide will continue to fester. This casual vs elite battle of conflicting interests, both in design concept and player expectations, will be the limiting factor of the game.

I cant prove it, but I have this gut feeling, that many players simply deal with PoE because there is little else to play in the genre. They are starving for something else, its just not here yet.

So when a new league concept comes out, there is this brief flash of hype, or hope, but the reality sinks in QUICKLY at launch. Players think "oh yeah, that's why I don't really enjoy PoE".

There are other things like legaue to league balance swings, QoL opportunities, loot being dismal, game bloat, 3rd party tools, lack of monster balance, and more that hurt the game, which are "vision adjacent"

Overall this contempt for, and alienation of, the average player, is just disastrous imo. I totally disagree with this design philosophy, but it's their game.

"

Phrazz wrote:

this is not a case of "we need Harvest", this is a case of "those skills should've been buffed a long time ago".

I do however, enjoy the state of the game. The balance between defenses and offenses has never been better, and you can actually put meaningful points into defenses that let you survive long enough to not being forced to oneshot every screen.

Good points, and I do enjoy the ability to meaningfully invest in defense again.

However, for me it was more fun to have to build good gear with a deterministic method, to make even mediocre skills work (cobra lash!). Rather than the alternative, get some life and resists, and the skill is strong enough to play itself (FR totems last league, TR champ now).

No, the game is fine.

(Though I wouldn't mind if GGG paid more attention to SSF.)

"

Phrazz wrote:

I agree; Harvest did make certain skills playable by overcompensating with gear. Though, this is not a case of "we need Harvest", this is a case of "those skills should've been buffed a long time ago".

I do however, enjoy the state of the game. The balance between defenses and offenses has never been better, and you can actually put meaningful points into defenses that let you survive long enough to not being forced to oneshot every screen.

There are of course too many skills that need buffing and/or a rework, and I really hope they'll put a strong focus on those next league, but we all know they won't.

And, yes - certain skills haven't really kept up with the game at all. But that is bound to happen with hundred of skills. Should they remove some of them? Maybe, but that would upset than on guy that likes to play them. Letting them linger doesn't really hurt anyone, except those that like to bring them up on the forums to highlight a problem.

I disagree on several points, harvest allowed people to play the game as-is with trade as something there if you wished to engage with. As the game is now, trade is something you're routinely forced to engage with as you're not feasibly going to get an upgrade on your own.

As for balance, at the very top end in "aspirational content", there's far more pigeonholing than before. They've slapped in the new elemental ailments, and there's no way of cleansing them outside of a few builds that can include purity of elements or reach 100% elemental avoidance or dodge for that matter. The flask affixes don't affect them at all.