Why are some players against balancing the game around SSF?

Imagine you want to get are new rare item as an upgrade to your build. Which of these two options sounds more fun to you?

1. You spend X hours to farm currency to purchase the rare item.

2. You spend the same X hours to obtain the item yourself.

What's the lure that makes some people argue against balacing around SSF? Why is purchasing upgrades from other players (option 1) more enticing to them than option 2, given that it'd take the same amount of hours and "skill"?

Personally, I do finding (currency to craft my) items by interacting with the gameplay much more appealing than getting them from other players.

It doesnt matter what players say. GGG is against that and always was. SSF was added for all those snowflakes who wanted to flex that "they did this solo". You have the mode, so you can flex now. The game will never be balanced around you tho, no matter how many times you ask.

For the sake of example lets say it takes 10 hours to farm currency to purchase a shavs, and 1000 hours to farm the item itself. GGG decides to accept your idea to balance around SSF and make it only take 10 hours to farm a shavs yourself.

The result?

It now takes only 6 minutes to farm the currency to buy a shavs in trade league because there will be 100x more shavs on the market. In fact, it's even more extreme than that because there will not be 100x more players wanting to use a shavs.

Basically trade league items will cost about the same as what a vender will give you for them. Everyone would quickly have GG gear for pennies.

Being a game about gear progression (it is called grinding gear games after all), this would absolutely destroy trade league where the vast majority of players play.

"

PraceAce wrote:

Personally, I...

And you're allowed to your personal opinions. But the answer here, is simple; that's not the game GGG wants to make.

The reasons for them wanting to center the game around an economy, are many. They clearly want a game where efficiency matters. Where strategies matter. They clearly want a game where items hold value, where you can progress without finding an item that is perfect for your niche build. An economy gives choices, options, goals and longevity for a lot of players. An economy brings a certain depth to the game, at least for players wanting to benefit from it.

Would I play the game if it was being balanced around SSF? Sure. Would I enjoy it more than now? Arguably, yes. But do I think it's the right (read: Most healthy) direction for the game as a whole? Absolutely not.

A semi-deep economy draws in a certain hardcore crowd that will play the hell out of the game just to "get rich", be that to brag, to make content or just to measure their "success". I think the F2P model thrives off of that crowd. And that's where the balance needs to be, for that crowd to have some sort of challenge.

SSF is it's own entity. It was created that way. Try and think of it as a separate but similar game. If they change it they alienate everyone they created it for.

We don't need any special balancing and we are not snowflakes ffs.

I think the simple answer is that it would be impossible to balance around both SSF and trade. As trade is more popular it becomes the focus for balance.

Game is balanced for SSF. You were never here when we had to exalt maps to sustain and shavs costed 80ex because nothing dropped. Also - no master crafting, no cards, no nothing. Trade was basically mandatory. Now? SSFers beat traders on races to 100.

There is nothing you cant build SSF. Min maxing is an issue on a few items like watchers eyes or enchant or super rare jewels like natural instincts. other than that you're GTG.

It is easier with trade? Sure you probably have 50ex in inapplicable crap you coulda sold for 50ex in exactly what you needed - but eventually you'll get there.

Personally, I enjoy leaving Shavs on the ground.

"

SSFers beat traders on races to 100.

In case it is even true, the same players playing trade would beat ssf players on race to 100.

The best players play SSF because races like the gauntlet etc. are SSF.

"

Aim_Deep wrote:

You were never here when we had to exalt maps to sustain and shavs costed 80ex because nothing dropped.

in atziri patch it was 135ex unlinked