The Gauntlet event keeps evolving, but is it at a sufficient pace?

After Ben (Darkee) finished the last Gauntlet within few days Zizaran made an effort with the latest Gauntlet to make it more challenging, especially since GGG introduced more buffs, and was lacking the will to introduce needed nerfs in 3.17.


The success of this and next Gauntlet event can be attributed to three factors:

1) GGG ability in maintaining the game to remain a highly competitive and fair experience, where it consistently challenges the best to display their skills, and be rewarded for their victory, as well as to deliver overall a superior product that will perform better to its competition in the foreseeable future.

2) The organizers (promoters) to ensure the event structure and prize distribution is appealing for many to want to continue competing, supporting, and overall to feel like they're getting value from choosing to play this game.

3) The winners that expose best what they have to do to win what kind of a prize, how they're finding the success, where ultimately the majority will either support or not that concept.


Darkee (Ben) did what he needed to do to win the 20% of the prize pool on top of collecting some extra bounties on the way. I'm sure many have an issue how Darkee (Ben) won the biggest prize, while their own preferred class, and select ascendancy couldn't come close to the Witch (Necromancer), classes they've enjoyed playing and improving through multiple leagues, which comes to my point...

GGG and Zizaran can do better and they need to do better, because the next winner hopefully will encourage more to want to support the company, its organizers, and the event to compete, and not to feel discouraged. The prize pool is already pathetic considering the amount of participants the game still receives, which is surprisingly high given how Ben displays what one has to do to win the biggest prize, which was sadly exploiting to get a significant advantage in terms of damage, and on top the 3.17 buff fest to casters only contributed further to that build.


3.17 for many was a disappointment and the highly anticipated event (The Gauntlet) despite being far more challenging it was still yet again nearly completed, again by the same individual within five days or less with only the final objective left as he RIP'ed to a boss mechanic. As long as GGG continues to struggle with making most of its classes highly competitive for the top spot, and allowing game breaking exploits to not be patched in a timely manner, where in this case Darkee was doing significant more damage (over 50% more that GGG did not intend) Zizaran alongside the few other successful PoE streamers need to continue adapting to meet the demand of tomorrow, and it starts by re-examining the prize distribution, as well as doing some restrictions when necessary to known exploits. I would like all who enjoy playing this game and more important that enjoy playing their class to feel like they can win the biggest prize, and the Gauntlet, especially when playing it better than their class competition.

There's currently seven classes, which means for Zizaran to reduce the Darkee (Ben) negative impact for the rest of the participants he needs to evenly redistribute the prize that goes to the 1st to 2nd or 3rd at each class, or reward the 1st or 1st to 2nd place of each ascendancy. I understand why Zizaran insists the prize to remain big and appealing, considering the small prize pool with the amount of participants. Ultimately it's us the community that bring value to this product and its events, and it's on GGG alongside its most popular (successful) Twitch organizers/promoters to continue seeking ways to encourage support.

As always all of us who remain being part of this product support it in whatever way we want, and currently and for a very long time this is my way of how I've been giving that support. Now, it does sucks that there's no hotfix patch today with upcoming Gauntlet this Friday or "normal mode", but luckily for me I don't ever put myself in a place where I am waiting on a certain game or event to arrive, because that's the worst exp.

When I've consumed more entertainment than most over the past month and a half I find myself playing a card game that's been around for over a century, because sadly it's a card game that's significantly more rewarding for me than some online ARPG, and if the experience is not that superior in an age where the cost of living (gap between wages and home prices grows larger) gaming solely for "fun" will continue to become a bigger luxury that more can't afford to enjoy.

I still have a room to improve, compete, as well as feel excitement from the experience that comes from a card game. In an ideal world I would rather see myself spending my life playing a different game given the current tech and tools available, which is why today more than ever the industry needs more than just individuals with a knowledge in C++ (software engineers) developing their products in their garage for few years with the help of some backers/donors to find success later on in retaining the attention from the ads/marketing they've used, and "F2P" it's just another version of a paid advertising/marketing. The rise of censorship in privately owned, popular social platforms has made it more challenging to obtain a good, valuable info. The paid info that gets the exposure, being on the front, on the top, everything else gets censored in the process.

Thankfully, old school forums like these still exist, but for how long? I am not using Reddit to socialize with the PoE community for obvious reasons, and there can be many reasons why these forum have been more "radio" silent recently, and the fact they're privately owned with its own rules that's costing the company to enforce it's one of those reasons.

Tldr: I'm playing Texas Hold'em now, until GGG pays me.

TLDR: Kopogero didn't get past Hillock.....

I thought you said you'd leave the forums for good this month.

This gauntlet felt like an experiment and I am the lab rat.

I've played poker myself longer than you've been alive. Texas Holdem isn't 100 years old. That variation wasn't even popular in the 1970s. It was all low-ball draw then. Holdem became popular with tournament play. It was faster. It was less about bluffing and overpowering your opponent. Stack size didn't matter as much. I'd put it at 40 years instead of 100.

"

imanubcake wrote:

I thought you said you'd leave the forums for good this month.

Yeah, he has 'promised' that before :)

You're right Texas Holdem isnt 100 years old, it's more like 120. It started in Texas(shock), in Robstown, in the early 1900's.

You have no idea how old I am, or how long I've been playing poker myself.

Also, have a wonderful day.

I'm sorry but what success has this Gauntlet seen? If anything I'm seeing more negative feedback about this Gauntlet than any other, rightfully so; and not just from casuals who are giving the glove a try but also from some of the top performers from previous gauntlets. A year ago Gauntlet was quite a fun event, but has imho gradually became worse ever since due to Ziz really pushing it with the mods which wouldn't be as big of a problem if GGG wasn't following up with horrid balancing (nuking gauntlet top performing builds, 3.15, new rippy mechanics etc.)

I do agree with a lot of what you've wrote in the 2nd half of your dissertation though.