How do you like the direction POE took since the investment of Tencent?

Game developers generally know when they will be outcompeted as new games with better engines and graphics comes out, the only advantage they have are content and gameplay design.

Slouching onto Tencent is 100% choice by POE, so they have at least a plan B of financial income. Blaming POE's downhill on Tencent is just obnoxiously trying to find a scapegoat.

We got more zoom zoom and we can pretty much do whatever content we want (not just ignoring the rest but actually blocking it and making content we want more fun).
I see it as absolute win.

Did u work better when u get every $ of income or when u get 10c from every $?
Thats ggg current situation.
so its nothing strange that leagues start looks worse and worse

It went to shit when they started adding life, armor, resistance to mobs somewhere after legacy league I think.

As others point out its probably not Tencent fault but was the original wish of Chris and other key GGG members, they just got the cash from Tencent as backup plan and started doing the "vision" instead of what players enjoy.

Less players being able to stomach the game is also good from server cost perspective. The whales will keep whaling no matter what, throw in some casuals that are willing to endure whatever cause they are broke jobless or something so can play as much as whales do so "economy" does not die and whales are not bored and GGG is perfectly happy with the result.

They know a self respecting casuals respect themselves and their money enough not to part with it for what this game offers to them (read: more frustration than power fantasy) so this current squeezing of such players out from the game is perfect outcome for them.

Do not expect anything to get better soon or ever.

We will wait PoE 2 for this. PoE is in good state but obviously old game with old problematic engine.

I think everyone waitin for PoE 2 engine and new era of aRPG.

its downhill past ritual.

current state of the game is: unplayable.

"

esostaks wrote:

Is it really Tencent though? Doubt that Tencent as a share holder is interested in 50% player drop after the first week of a new league because of poor balance decisions. So I am afraid that Chris and his vision is in control of direction and not Tencent.



Funny how it all went downhill starting with Expedition, and everyone who has been playing for a longer time clearly knows why.

Expedition was 3.15, the great dying of many viable builds. The heavy nerfs to supports, abilities, etc.

If 3.19 does the same to the outliers those DD/Trap builds the game will shed another large share of its playerbase.

Seems like a great place for a "coincidence v. causality" lecture... but I'll let it pass.

"

Shagsbeard wrote:

Seems like a great place for a "coincidence v. causality" lecture... but I'll let it pass.

Don't. You make a bold statement, so back it up.

The state of PoE has nothing to do with Tencent.

Tencent is known for investing big chunks of money in companies that have a good return on investment but they don't take any part in the direction the game should take.

The state of PoE is GGG's and Chris Wilson's doings, nothing more.

The biggest problem will arise when the game starts going down in profits and Tencent is not pleased with that...