Why online-only DRM?

Why this good game has online only DRM? Yes, I read about "securing game economy".
1) Blizzard made same thing with D3, but they have RMAH. I'd even call D3 RMAHG (not ARPG). But this game has no RMAH -> no point for developers to "secure" economy (i.e. "secure" players' money).
2) This game could have modes like D2: offline + LAN + "open online" - insecure economy (or at least offline + LAN, no internet, for those who want to play offline) and "closed online-only" secure one (for those who need it). With these modes it would be great "buy to play" game (not a "pay to play", at "buy to play" player pays once only, and maybe once more for addon or addons). It looks like many people bought beta key, won't people buy game itself?
3) I can mention one game in same genre that won't have secure economy and strict DRM and still will hit: Torchlight 2.

This is a free to play game. As a free to play game, the develpoers need to make money on microtrandactions in order to survive from a economical standpoint.

Grinding Gear Games has said that they refuse to sell stuff that will effect the gameplay, but rather it will be cosmetical things, or stuff like extra stashttabs och char slots.

Because of these microtransactions, the game pretty much needs to be online only for two main reasons:

1. If you make an offline client of the game, people will easely be able too hack it in order to get the microtransaction stuff.

2. A big part (probably a vast majority, even) of the money made for PoE will be done through cosmetic purchases. If you have an offline game where noone except yourself can see your char, cosmetecs become useless, as you have noone to show off your cool looks to. You could make the argument that LAN play would alow you too show off your looks to your friends, but that's a cloesd group, and people want to show off thier stuff to the world.

So really, if this wasn't a f2p game, I'd agree with you, but how many f2p games has an offline mode?

And this is for the niche gamers that like competition, like it was on bnet in the old D2-days. So if this game are going to focus on that kind of gamers, it will have to be online :-)

SpellingPhailer:
That's my point: they could make it not a free-2-play, but buy-and-play. Why not? And microtransactions for online-only part can be implemented (but not necessary if game is already sold to player).

ongZ:
But in D2 there was battle.net for those who want competition and offline for those who want just play it solo.

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idarktemplar wrote:

SpellingPhailer:
That's my point: they could make it not a free-2-play, but buy-and-play. Why not? And microtransactions for online-only part can be implemented (but not necessary if game is already sold to player).

For that to work, I think they'd either have to make the offline-version dumb down (so that the majority of players would still use the online service), or they'd have to charge a more expensive price (so that most people will anyways use the online client) in order to make back the money lost on microtransactions.

Also, they've created this game from scratch too use the f2p model - Just creating an offline mode would take a lot of work and money.

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SpellingPhailer wrote:

For that to work, I think they'd either have to make the offline-version dumb down (so that the majority of players would still use the online service), or they'd have to charge a more expensive price (so that most people will anyways use the online client) in order to make back the money lost on microtransactions.

Also, they've created this game from scratch too use the f2p model - Just creating an offline mode would take a lot of work and money.

You think microtransactions in not a pay2win game would be so much profitable? And if profit is their goal, why not make RMAHG? If they want to make good game - online DRM is a game killer. For example, 5 (or 10 in VERY optimistic mode) years later they will close Path of Exile servers: game won't be profitable on microtransactions anymore. They will have to make pay2win to ressurect game, HUGE mechanics and content additions (AKA Path of Exile 2) or just drop game. And you won't be able to play it. But you still will be able to play Diablo 1/2 or Torchlight 1/2.

Edit:
My point is: it's not a MMORPG to be online-only, it's an ARPG, offline play is demanded for this genre. And online-only DRM is a cancer. Cure it or die from it.

Edit 2:
If players want to cheat, they will find a way to cheat. If game is so annoying that it's easier to cheat than to enjoy it - it's a bad game.
Players will recreate game servers if game will be popular (see battle.net, battle.net 2.0, even diablo 3 is being recreated right now, not fully, but work in progress). Why you think same thing won't happen to Path of Exile?
And those who don't want to cheat won't do it even with cheat list at main page of this site.

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idarktemplar wrote:

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SpellingPhailer wrote:

For that to work, I think they'd either have to make the offline-version dumb down (so that the majority of players would still use the online service), or they'd have to charge a more expensive price (so that most people will anyways use the online client) in order to make back the money lost on microtransactions.

Also, they've created this game from scratch too use the f2p model - Just creating an offline mode would take a lot of work and money.

You think microtransactions in not a pay2win game would be so much profitable? And if profit is their goal, why not make RMAHG? If they want to make good game - online DRM is a game killer. For example, 5 (or 10 in VERY optimistic mode) years later they will close Path of Exile servers: game won't be profitable on microtransactions anymore. They will have to make pay2win to ressurect game, HUGE mechanics and content additions (AKA Path of Exile 2) or just drop game. And you won't be able to play it. But you still will be able to play Diablo 1/2 or Torchlight 1/2.

Edit:
My point is: it's not a MMORPG to be online-only, it's an ARPG, offline play is demanded for this genre. And online-only DRM is a cancer. Cure it or die from it.

Edit 2:
If players want to cheat, they will find a way to cheat. If game is so annoying that it's easier to cheat than to enjoy it - it's a bad game.
Players will recreate game servers if game will be popular (see battle.net, battle.net 2.0, even diablo 3 is being recreated right now, not fully, but work in progress). Why you think same thing won't happen to Path of Exile?
And those who don't want to cheat won't do it even with cheat list at main page of this site.

Diablo 2 wouldn't have been the same game to me, if I hadn't played it online. I guess a lot of people feel the same way, and the fact that this game has many different leagues, it seems like, that is what this game's focus is about.

TL2 is a single/LAN-game mostly, which is just fine, but for a player like me, that isn't what I'm looking for. I love how PoE is functioning, and I guess this game just isn't for you then.

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idarktemplar wrote:

You think microtransactions in not a pay2win game would be so much profitable? And if profit is their goal, why not make RMAHG? If they want to make good game - online DRM is a game killer. For example, 5 (or 10 in VERY optimistic mode) years later they will close Path of Exile servers: game won't be profitable on microtransactions anymore. They will have to make pay2win to ressurect game, HUGE mechanics and content additions (AKA Path of Exile 2) or just drop game. And you won't be able to play it. But you still will be able to play Diablo 1/2 or Torchlight 1/2.

I highly doubt that profit is their main goal, they have been creating this game for many many years with only their life savings and currently have some investor but thats it.

If they wanted to "make profit" they would just make another "cheap buy for 40$ play once for 2 hours and get bored" and not this highly advanced game.

They also said they will support this game for something like 10 years if possible after release.

I LOVE offline single player games. Now that I have gotten that out of the way I want to comment on a few things I have read thus far in this thread.

Online DRM CAN be a game killer IF the game itself is subpar. Thus far, PoE is proving to be a worthy time killer or more specifically a devourer of time that could be used to do things like eat, write songs (I ama pro musician), and other more mundane concerns.

As to hacks in offline mode: no one forces the player to download these hacks and cheats so no one is to blame except the player who is seduced by said hacks. That said, I do hope GGG WILL be vigilant and succeed where Activision/Blizzard have failed. The economy in D3 is broken and the inflation rate is far worse than that of the Weimar Republic. I sense that even the bartering system invites hacking. A black market of Orbs of Transmutation would be a game breaker.

If PoE DOES shut down in a few years, what have you lost? If D3 shuts down, what have you lost? In the first scenario, you lost your characters. In the second scenario, you lose your money and you have a game that you can NEVER play. I will roll the dice and gamble with PoE.

It is unfair to compare PoE with TL2. The business models are different. I LIKE both approaches. TL2 allows me to play offline, to mod the game for ME, and if I choose I CAN play online. If Runic shuts down MP, I can still play TL2 forever - or at least until Micro$oft releases an OS that makes it unplayable. GGG has promised that we will NEVER have to buy ANYTHING to enjopy this game to completion and beyond to the rather tasty endgame. I think that the microtransactions are a stroke of genius in that PoE is so immersive and players want something UNIQUE in their look in this gritty virtual world of hopelessnes (a good thing BTW) that these transactions allow the player to go beyond in that a visual difference in characters emerges and the player becomes more invested in their character, i.e, the player's alter ego in another world.

Would I welcome an offline mode? You bet you level 25 Poison Arrow I would. But, I accept that such will not happen. It doesn't bother me however because I know that GGG will not demand more money from me. And the cool thing is I WANT to upgrade my support for this game. So it's a win-win for them and for me.

What say you?

Namaste,
Vlad

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idarktemplar wrote:

You think microtransactions in not a pay2win game would be so much profitable? And if profit is their goal, why not make RMAHG? If they want to make good game - online DRM is a game killer.

First, this is an online F2P game, they have a plan for micro transactions that I hope will work. I for one know I would NOT play a Pay2Win game aka Diablo 3. So no that would be the antithesis of profit where I am concerned as I would leave.

Second, the game IS good. You are confusing the misguided tactics of large corporations I.E. EA trying to lock down their products to fight piracy (pointlessly) with a company who is making an online focused game that is fighting piracy by making a good game and allowing anyone to play and support them IF they choose.

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idarktemplar wrote:

For example, 5 (or 10 in VERY optimistic mode) years later they will close Path of Exile servers: game won't be profitable on microtransactions anymore. They will have to make pay2win to ressurect game, HUGE mechanics and content additions (AKA Path of Exile 2) or just drop game. And you won't be able to play it. But you still will be able to play Diablo 1/2 or Torchlight 1/2.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/anxiety_self_help.htm

Take a slow deep breath. In 10 years if they are going to shut down the servers they can release the code to us so we can run it ourselves (those who are still playing that is). IF there is a PoE2 I will be moving to it as it would most likely only be a '2' with fundamental upgrades to the game engine that are not possible to patch into PoE1. I can still play Diablo1/2, true...but do I? no, no I do not.

Just calm down and have a cookie.