This game

The last few patches have turned this game into an elitists play ground. After years of enjoyment now the casual player can't get to the end game except though endless grind and exorbitant cost. As one other put it, and I paraphrase, "I feel like I'm being punished for not being part of the moneyed elite."

Even the mid tier maps are a struggle now unless you have 20 or 30 exalts. why did monsters get a heath buff and we got a damage nerf? It's no fun dying and its no fun having to grind endlessly to keep up with streamers who seem to have an endless cash supply to fund their exorbitant builds.

In fact it now seems that if you don't have some expensive exotic build you're
without a snow flakes chance in hell of getting to the end game.

Enough.

[Removed by Support]

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Uncybob wrote:

The last few patches have turned this game into an elitists play ground. After years of enjoyment now the casual player can't get to the end game except though endless grind and exorbitant cost. As one other put it, and I paraphrase, "I feel like I'm being punished for not being part of the moneyed elite."

Even the mid tier maps are a struggle now unless you have 20 or 30 exalts. why did monsters get a heath buff and we got a damage nerf? It's no fun dying and its no fun having to grind endlessly to keep up with streamers who seem to have an endless cash supply to fund their exorbitant builds.

In fact it now seems that if you don't have some expensive exotic build you're
without a snow flakes chance in hell of getting to the end game.

Enough.

[Removed by Support]

I am not trying to be a jerk, so please take this constructively: But this might not be the right game for you. With that said, if you are drawn to action-rpg style games I would encourage you to go check out some of my favorites:

- Chronicon. I could spend days describing how much there is to do about this game and what's wonderful about it and all the features. Much like PoE, there is a small learning curve (the multiple skill trees are crazy!).. but this is in my top 5 favorite arpg games, if not the top.
- Last Epoch. Really coming along, one of the most visually well done in the genre so far and interesting build options
- Destiny 2. It's an arpg at it's heart, but its also an FPS.
- Remnant: From the Ashes. It's cool! Reminds me a bit of Hellgate (RIP). A shooter-arpg.
- Titan Quest. A classic now. Many elements of PoE were inspired by this game (CW has stated this several times)
- Minecraft Dungeons. It's nice. It hits all the basic dungeon/looting checkmarks. I have it on the Switch and every few months, will play it for a week or so. Kinda like PoE, Minecraft Dungeons gets new content and special events periodically to keep it interesting; and you dictate how difficult the game is.
- Lost Ark. Another visually pleasing game; ignore the echo chamber of haters. Its still a pretty well done arpg with a very satisfying variety of skills
- Grim Dawn. Give it a try. Some people don't care for it, and that's okay!
- Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor. Not as popular as some other titles out there, but this is a well done arpg.. just not a ton of replayability given a limited number of classes.


To your statements, as a person who strives to "go with their gut" when it comes to builds each league and generally doesn't follow the popular build trends: You do not need multiple exalts to get a build going. Look at how people playing SSF make do by using the different systems to acquire and craft gear.

I see from your account you have many characters in standard, but I don't see any in any of the Sentinel leagues? I also see you have 0 challenges completed, and based on any partial challenges I show you haven't actually played the current league, not even getting the basic "deployed a Sentinel" item.

Is this a troll post? If not, I'm sorry it wasn't fun, but if its not your thing: its okay! If this is a troll post, I don't know what to tell you other than: Yikes.

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TwentyFiveEX wrote:

I see from your account you have many characters in standard, but I don't see any in any of the Sentinel leagues? I also see you have 0 challenges completed, and based on any partial challenges I show you haven't actually played the current league, not even getting the basic "deployed a Sentinel" item.

Is this a troll post? If not, I'm sorry it wasn't fun, but if its not your thing: its okay! If this is a troll post, I don't know what to tell you other than: Yikes.

they have no challenges completed for the last 5 leagues (i didnt bother looking back farther). safe to say that theyre a pure standard player.

at this point, you should have plenty of gear already accumulated that is *MILES* better than what your dominating blow necro is wearing. also, you just might be having issues because you're playing DOMINATING BLOW.

yellow maps are still cakewalks. even for a skill as bad as dom blow...

OP you are right in your conclusion. Many people just leave without looking back, doesn't mean there aren't a whole lot of people who agree with you.

yep, better make sure you pob before you start a build otherwise it s yellow map hell :D.

I agree with the OP to some extent. In my opinion, the game has indeed been going downhill for awhile; the most egregious offenses being the 3.15 nerfs that almost nobody wanted and the Archnemesis mods that are even more hated.

That having been said, you're making it more dramatic than it is. If you struggle with yellow-tier maps unless you have 20-30 exalts, that's more a problem with your build than the game. Personally, I like creating my own builds and just seeing how far they can take me, but part of that is knowing that I probably won't get the results I could get from playing a meta build. Perhaps you are not yet at the place where you can make a good build on your own. Have you tried following a build guide?

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avenema80 wrote:

I agree with the OP to some extent. In my opinion, the game has indeed been going downhill for awhile; the most egregious offenses being the 3.15 nerfs that almost nobody wanted and the Archnemesis mods that are even more hated.

when ggg wants to make content for professional players they got 2 choices
* make the current game more challenging and have casuals struggle earlier
* copypasta the current uberuberboss into some überüberüberboss with some new content

both ways, non professionals will feel excluded. but if you don't give professionaly the toys and content to feel like professionals you will lose them sooner or later.

"

Uncybob wrote:

Even the mid tier maps are a struggle now unless you have 20 or 30 exalts.

lulz only if you don't know how to play. plenty of ways to clear red maps with items you find or for under 1 exalt.

"

avenema80 wrote:

That having been said, you're making it more dramatic than it is. If you struggle with yellow-tier maps unless you have 20-30 exalts, that's more a problem with your build than the game. Personally, I like creating my own builds and just seeing how far they can take me, but part of that is knowing that I probably won't get the results I could get from playing a meta build. Perhaps you are not yet at the place where you can make a good build on your own. Have you tried following a build guide?

this 100%

a lot of these angry rant posts are people that just want the game to hand them pixels for logging in. there is a challenge of grinding up gear and making a build that works and that is how the game works.

Yea if you have any experience with the game or know what you are doing. You can pretty much pick your nose with some fail build and do fine in maps.

I can see the OP's perspective coming from a new player or a build mistake though.