The "Solo" experience in PoE2, ideas to improve it

Hi there. You can skip this paragraph if you want but I'll start by giving context and saying I am not a PoE1 fan. I gave it 200 hours and it is absolutely not for me in so many ways. However, PoE2 is phenomenal already (despite EA kinks to be worked out), just because combat feels better than any ARPG in existence, though I feel Grim Dawn is the best overall ARPG ever made (I await your hatemail).

Main point: I will never trade in PoE or any ARPG. In all ARPG's it defeats the purpose and ruins the fun of the genre. I also don't follow other people's builds, but that's another topic. If GGG is willing to tweak SSF I think they can create a better experience for the many like me and retain those like me who will just stop playing once the game gets too tedious (by making it not tedious). There are many new people flocking to PoE2 and I think it would only be a benefit to GGG if they tapped the market of people who won't hold interest due to the extreme balancing of a trade based league.

"That's what SSF is for." <- You're missing the point. You probably haven't played SSF. I am fully willing to accept more grinding and lower results than a trade league, but to a point. The solo experience in PoE2 SSF stops being fun abruptly, because no amount of grinding can guarantee upgrades. This is because SSF is just copy paste trade league with no trade. Meaning astronomically low drop rates balanced around 500k people grinding maps, astronomically low rates to produce decent gear from craft gambling, and grinding for hundreds of hours at the chance to craft gamble more. I have a few different classes and 150 hours in PoE2 and am doing T13 maps and have never dropped or crafted a weapon with more than 2 meaningful affixes, even 2 low tier affixes, despite spending essences and all 150-200 exalts and 20-30 chaos that have dropped. This can easily be fixed with little to no impact on trade league.

Suggestion: Lock SSF league without the option to convert to trade league later, then allow deterministic crafting, or significantly increase drop rates. Last Epoch, for all it's many flaws, had some great ideas with deterministic crafting and a specific SSF way to play separate from trade. LE already laid a nice template, GGG wouldn't have to break any new ground.

I don't think anyone even needs this to be anywhere near perfect. I think everyone has accepted SSF being the abused step child at this point, we just want a little bit of love and small amount of attention. A blanket drop rate buff (say 300%?) and the removal of affix junk stuff like being able to roll +2-4 physical damage on a level 75+ weapon would go a long way for SSF. Would also like to see an option to target farm uniques to a small extent in locked SSF league.

Last point: Trade in PoE's is especially off-putting because it has no in game auction house system or tool and is done with manual trading after using an external website you have to sign up for that has been hacked. Numerous people's accounts are being robbed for engaging with trading, and GGG is notoriously bad at returning innocent people's digital stuff. I wouldn't engage with trade if it were easy, let alone with that floating over it.

I find it funny because this is an opinion that has been voiced for this game for a very very long time. Personally I'm all for it, I'd love to have something akin to last epoch's "ssf"(CoF) in poe2. Also Grim Dawn is an amazing game, you shouldn't be getting any hate for that opinion.