Whose vision are we playing - EA Feedback

Hello, dear community,

I’ve been playing Path of Exile on and off since 2013—sometimes more intensively, other times less so. While my voice might not carry more or less weight because of that, I wanted to provide context to make my perspective clearer.

Since I can remember, many of the decisions and changes communicated by Grinding Gear Game have been backed by data. This was particularly evident during the days of Baeclast, where developers—or even Chris Wilson himself—would often provide data-driven insights in their discussions.

We’ve often been told that decisions are heavily influenced by data, such as adjustments to Mayhem events or mechanics and loot distribution. The reasoning behind these changes has frequently been to prevent excessive loot or power creep, which could lead to faster burnout among players.

This brings me to the core of my constructive criticism and a key question: whose vision are we playing?

Even though it has been repeatedly stated that PoE1 and PoE2 are separate experiences, I struggle to understand how PoE2 ended up the way it is. We cannot overlook the existence of the first game, nor can we ignore the data that reveals what players want—or don’t want.

Let me be clear: I’m not saying PoE2 is a bad game—it certainly isn’t. However, in some fundamental aspects, it feels like a step back compared to PoE1. Despite the statement that PoE2 isn’t supposed to be PoE1, the contrast is striking.

If PoE1 didn’t exist in its current state, I doubt there would be the same level of hype around PoE2. I could understand if PoE2 had been developed without PoE1 as a reference point—then we’d simply be playing GGG’s vision, with no prior data to guide them.

It’s often said in the gaming industry that players don’t always know what they want. While that might be true to some extent, it’s hard to justify ignoring feedback and data from PoE1 entirely in favor of pursuing a singular vision. I personally think that’s a significant mistake.

Players shouldn’t always get exactly what they ask for, but there needs to be a healthy balance. I’m convinced that GGG, using the data from PoE1 combined with their vision, could strike that balance effectively.

At this point, I see two possible scenarios:

GGG takes a “slow build” approach, evolving the game over time to align more closely with PoE1.

They remain steadfast in their vision, and we players must adapt.

Both approaches have their merits. It makes sense that we can’t immediately match the power and speed of PoE1—players always expect more and faster. If we started at the same baseline as PoE1, we might find ourselves blazing through PoE2 in just two days.

Personally, I wouldn’t need drastic changes to feel more at home in PoE2. A little more movement speed, additional crafting options, more flask charges, and maybe some oldschool movement skills.

Currently, with the right build and gear, PoE2 can play somewhat similarly to PoE1—but reaching that point not only takes unnecessarily long, it’s also padded with tedious tasks that seem designed solely to extend playtime. This doesn’t make the game harder, just more time-consuming.

Thank you, GGG, for your hard work, and thank you for taking the time to read this.

The more I play, the more I think we're in Karl Ruprect Kroenen's vision... cause this game is masochistic as eff...

No true PoE fan would be on board with this direction. It’s as close to Ruthless 2.0 as you can get, and that mode was hated by the masses. But instead of learning from that, they doubled down and turned PoE 2 into a full embodiment of what made Ruthless so despised.

On top of that, they’ve gone overboard with after-death ground effects. Sorry, but these lame mechanics don’t make the game harder—they just make it annoying. You beat the enemy, but then you’re forced to either risk dying to some lingering ground effect while trying to grab loot or stand around waiting for it to clear. It’s a tedious, unnecessary addition that adds nothing but frustration.

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leroy989#0002 wrote:

No true PoE fan would be on board with this direction. It’s as close to Ruthless 2.0 as you can get, and that mode was hated by the masses. But instead of learning from that, they doubled down and turned PoE 2 into a full embodiment of what made Ruthless so despised.

On top of that, they’ve gone overboard with after-death ground effects. Sorry, but these lame mechanics don’t make the game harder—they just make it annoying. You beat the enemy, but then you’re forced to either risk dying to some lingering ground effect while trying to grab loot or stand around waiting for it to clear. It’s a tedious, unnecessary addition that adds nothing but frustration.

PREACH! +1000000 ^.^

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They remain steadfast in their vision, and we players must adapt.

True we must, and we will, but will it be in the way GGG hope, by saying "oh well, I don't like it but I'm gonna play it every 3 months and keep giving it money" or "oh well, I don't like it but hey 2025 is filled with awesome new games I will like more".

It's not rocket science. The current dark souls fans will be off on their next adventure soon, not grinding the same 40 hour campaign out 10 times a year. GGG will be left having alienated the players who have been financing their company for the last decade.

The basic idea that it's ok to take our money and direct it away from the game we play and into a new project that doesn't meet our needs is wrong. It's a disrespect to the player base. It will not be forgotten.

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RickyMarten#4003 wrote:

Even though it has been repeatedly stated that PoE1 and PoE2 are separate experiences, I struggle to understand how PoE2 ended up the way it is. We cannot overlook the existence of the first game, nor can we ignore the data that reveals what players want—or don’t want.

You cannot get data about a system or even if said system do not exist. That implies that the fact that POE1 players are happy with POE1 means NOTHING , ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on the prospect of POE2 players.

In fact GGG probably has data showing that the retention numbers of POE1 are LOW, so that is why they decided to try to have a second product that can widen the funnel of client capture.

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XeonPOE#7768 wrote:

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They remain steadfast in their vision, and we players must adapt.

It's a disrespect to the player base. It will not be forgotten.

If someone is upset with the studio and/or the game they can always uninstall and stop supporting them. Maybe in a few months or year(s) it will be their cup of tea.

But I'm willing to bet most of the people freaking out on the forums are still actively playing the game. I'd be curious to see how many "up in arms" gamers are also throwing money at MTX and all the other shit.

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But I'm willing to bet most of the people freaking out on the forums are still actively playing the game. I'd be curious to see how many "up in arms" gamers are also throwing money at MTX and all the other shit.

I've stopped playing and having spent 4 figures on MTX over the last decade I'll not purchase any more if this is the future of the game. But I will of course check in because I've seen GGG do this before, and realise their mistake.

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Urza_Mechwalker#7393 wrote:

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RickyMarten#4003 wrote:

Even though it has been repeatedly stated that PoE1 and PoE2 are separate experiences, I struggle to understand how PoE2 ended up the way it is. We cannot overlook the existence of the first game, nor can we ignore the data that reveals what players want—or don’t want.

You cannot get data about a system or even if said system do not exist. That implies that the fact that POE1 players are happy with POE1 means NOTHING , ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on the prospect of POE2 players.

In fact GGG probably has data showing that the retention numbers of POE1 are LOW, so that is why they decided to try to have a second product that can widen the funnel of client capture.

I don’t mean to be rude, but what you’re saying isn’t accurate. There’s plenty of data and metrics available that could be applied to PoE2 as well.

Even we, as players, can observe and analyze certain data—especially the numbers of returning players. While we might not have precise figures down to the individual player, there’s enough to see that PoE1 is growing, and its player numbers are far from "small," especially within the context of PoE1’s ecosystem.

That’s why I believe there’s plenty to learn here about how to make PoE2 more appealing to the broader audience, based on the available data.

Your way of thinking isn’t creative enough—it’s not about copying a function or mechanic 1:1, but rather understanding what the function achieves, the impact it has, and the emotions it triggers in players. GGG has always excelled at analyzing and interpreting these dynamics.

With PoE2, however, it feels like this data has been ignored or simply left out of the equation in favor of pursuing a specific vision.

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slobdog#2920 wrote:

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XeonPOE#7768 wrote:

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They remain steadfast in their vision, and we players must adapt.

It's a disrespect to the player base. It will not be forgotten.

If someone is upset with the studio and/or the game they can always uninstall and stop supporting them. Maybe in a few months or year(s) it will be their cup of tea.

But I'm willing to bet most of the people freaking out on the forums are still actively playing the game. I'd be curious to see how many "up in arms" gamers are also throwing money at MTX and all the other shit.

That’s the current problem—everything is viewed in black and white. Either the game is bad, or the game is good.

I’ve intentionally thrown out a few ideas and changes as examples because I believe you don’t need to change the core of the game to achieve a positive outcome for the community. There’s plenty of room to accommodate both GGG’s vision and the players’ enjoyment.