Popular Opinion: In 3.28 League Challenges Should Require Solo Completion

If you worry about retention rate, having fun and engaging challenges that take more time would literally improve the situation, Toforto.

It's good to think about the implications of a change, but you have to think it through to the logical conclusion without blending out key details.

What we're asking for is a good thing for everyone while you fail to come up with anything substantive or even attempt to refute the underlying analysis. In fact, we seem to align on that part, which makes it all the more confusing why you so vehemently try to disrupt the thread by repeating the same cop-out over and over again.

"

Toforto#2372 wrote:

What keeps people coming back is the feeling when you hear the divine tink sound effect. Making a lot of currency easily, then throwing it all into a House of Mirrors/Apothecary/Nimis card and doing harvest gamba. If you win you keep playing and make some cool build or buy some expensive item. If you lose then league over and wait for next patch. That is your average player. That's what I do, after I'm done with the easy checklist and buying a few carries.

I see no problems with the challenges, they're fine. They don't need to be harder, in fact its going in the opposite direction. They are getting easier, and more passive. I like that. I love completing 20 of them without even trying. It feels good. And the other gamemodes exist solely for people to make the game harder. So maybe they need an ultra-HC-SSF super giga nightmare mode for the game or something I dunno.


I literally play every league specifically because doing this easy,fun checklist feels good. And getting free mtx is nice. There are thousands of others who do the same. Changing that would make GGG lose way too much revenue. It just doesn't make sense.


The challenge system would be absolutely perfect if they outright remove T17s and Uber Bosses from them. Aspirational content doesn't belong in them, its not fun and not every build can do it. That's how challenges should be improved. I should be able to casually breeze through 40/40 on any build I feel like playing, now that would be fun.

Correct.
More loot = more playtime since it's fun.

Slow and boring game = skip.
No one will force himself to play boring game for "challenges".
I literally didn't even install poe2 this season.

"

VoidWhisperer42#5989 wrote:

You're right; their primary goal is to encourage players to return. And what achieves that? Compelling content. The current ongoing league, for example, died so quickly because there was nothing meaningful to do in endgame. Engaged players have also voiced their dissatisfaction with the lack of difficulty and variety in endgame content.

Because there is nothing to farm with 3 mirror build.
It has nothing to do with challenges.
They decided to destroy mapping for some reason.

"

Hornsent#1110 wrote:

Correct.
More loot = more playtime since it's fun.

Slow and boring game = skip.
No one will force himself to play boring game for "challenges".
I literally didn't even install poe2 this season.

This thread isn't about loot

This thread is about challenge design

Please stick to the topic at hand and do not distract from what is actually being discussed.

"

Hornsent#1110 wrote:

It has nothing to do with challenges.
They decided to destroy mapping for some reason.

So basically what I was saying, thank you for confirming the reason this league died so quickly.

Aside from adding a whole lot of fresh build options with Bloodlines and Foulborn uniques, there wasn’t really any content to throw those cool characters at, so people naturally capped out fast.
The league mechanic was fun but ultimately underwhelming and undertuned, as even in endgame nothing really posed a threat, not even with mediocre gear

The lack of things to do in endgame is the main issue, so along with a better optimized endgame, an improved challenge system would help retain players and extend the league’s longevity.

"

VoidWhisperer42#5989 wrote:

an improved challenge system would help retain players and extend the league’s longevity.

players comes with a huge asterisk. its a group of players specifically. those who like doing challenges.

not everyone plays hardcore. not everyone plays ssf. not everyone clears 40/40 solo.

i used to be a standard player. there used to be much more standard players. but the numbers have spoken. league players are more beneficial to cater to.

ggg follows the money.

players that want actual hard challenges exist but the numbers are not as high. its not financially beneficial for ggg to create challenge rewards specific to these small group of players.

its much easier and cheaper to just make an event and give out cash prizes.

"

exsea#1724 wrote:

players comes with a huge asterisk. its a group of players specifically. those who like doing challenges.

not everyone plays hardcore. not everyone plays ssf. not everyone clears 40/40 solo.

i used to be a standard player. there used to be much more standard players. but the numbers have spoken. league players are more beneficial to cater to.

Of course, the number of players who desire this is greater than one might think. Leagues that offer little to engage with, or this particular league in particular, serve as prime examples. When players are given nothing to explore or no meaningful builds to pursue, burnout occurs faster than ever, even when numerous new features and flashy additions are introduced within the same patch. The truly engaged players are those who delve deeply into the game, who do not quit after a few days, and who do not vanish only to return sporadically in the next league.

What you mentioned about few players engaging with 40/40 content may or may not be entirely accurate. It is difficult to gauge, especially since forum activity does not represent the community as a whole. Yet even if only a small number participate, it seems only fair to provide those players with genuinely enjoyable content rather than a dull, sluggish checklist. Moreover, the rewards should be reserved for those who complete the challenges through their own effort, thereby preserving the value of the accomplishment. T
his principle holds even under the current system, where free carry services allow many to access content far beyond their personal capability.

Providing content that is both more engaging and more rewarding feels like a worthy investment for the players who actively immerse themselves in the game rather than abandoning it at the first hint of challenge or frustration. In short, depth, challenge, and meaningful reward are what cultivate a truly committed player base.

"

exsea#1724 wrote:

ggg follows the money.

The financial success of the game ultimately depends on keeping players engaged and interested in spending money. In this case, it is in GGG's best interest to provide meaningful content that keeps players invested, because investment comes from giving players reasons to stay involved, not from gradually stripping the game of its depth. If the game continues along its current path or deteriorates further, players will inevitably lose interest and turn to other games.

Many players have chosen to play Path of Exile for what it is, not to see it diluted into a shallow, flavorless experience with little to offer. Path of Exile has never been about making every aspect easy, simple, or instantly satisfying. It has always been designed for players who enjoy depth, complexity, and challenging content.

Difficulty, progression, and rewarding gameplay are what have defined Path of Exile and earned it a large, dedicated player base over time. Other action RPGs have often failed to achieve the same level of commitment because they have targeted a very different audience. Maintaining these core principles is essential both for keeping players engaged and for ensuring the long-term success of the game.

After all, Path of Exile mainly consists of players who have been around for a long time. Newer players are relatively rare, as they are more likely to pick up the newer, shinier alternatives. Given this type of player base, it is clear that meaningful improvements in the right direction need to happen regularly to keep the same crowd engaged. Strip away endgame content, as we saw in this league, and the community declines.
Keep doing that while failing to add anything new for players to throw themselves at, and simultaneously push power creep beyond the ceiling, and the game quickly becomes less appealing, losing more and more players over time.

It is therefore in GGG's best interest not only to address the current shortcomings of the endgame but also to revamp the challenge system entirely, ensuring that players remain consistently engaged.

"

VoidWhisperer42#5989 wrote:

The financial success of the game ultimately depends on keeping players engaged and interested in spending money. In this case, it is in GGG's best interest to provide meaningful content that keeps players invested, because investment comes from giving players reasons to stay involved, not from gradually stripping the game of its depth. If the game continues along its current path or deteriorates further, players will inevitably lose interest and turn to other games.

this is the key. keeping players invested.

and "majority" is one very important keyword word missing from this sentence.

when i mentioned how GGG does have events that cater to these players, i think you've played the game enough and paid enough attention to notice that in the recent years, whenever ggg does host any such events, the prizes are usually cash or purchasable mtx. never specific new mtx that is exclusive to these challenges that other players have no way to obtain.

this is very important.

if ggg wants to make this small group happy, they must make sure they do not make the majority unhappy.

i m all up for ggg making more solo challenges as long as it doesnt affect the enjoyment of the other players, and this comes at the price of not being able to make the prizes too exclusive.

i want and actually prefer if ggg did make more solo challenges and reward their most dedicated players but the rewards must never generate fomo for the rest of the playerbase. thus exclusive rewards are a no go.

and i think its something ggg themselves realize and are already implementing. they probably reached the same conclusion i have. which is, not to create too much fomo that it could upset the rest of the playerbase.

the rest of the playerbase are the majority. its in ggg's best interest to keep the majority happy or unaffected by such rewards.

"

exsea#1724 wrote:

its in ggg's best interest to keep the majority happy or unaffected by such rewards.

So basically, the goal is to keep invested players engaged, while those who are barely invested or not invested at all will ultimately be unaffected by positive changes meant to increase engagement.

Players who already don’t engage with the system or the endgame are ultimately unaffected by changes aimed at the majority. They can still play the game at their own pace and level of content, as nothing they currently play will suddenly disappear. In the end, overhauling the endgame and improving the lackluster challenge system would be a healthy change for the game, benefiting the majority of players and keeping them happy.

Giving the majority something to do doesn’t affect the minority at all, unless they feel FOMO, which is more of a personal issue about others having fun than a problem with the game itself.