Feedback and Suggestions (Path of Exile 1) - The reason for the low level of active players in Path of Exile - Forum

" poeticheretick wrote: " Crackmonster wrote: So long as PoE remains as unrewarding as it is, it will not attract as many players as it could, simply because the gameplay is not fulfilling enough. Still a great game, but you need to go no-lifer just to get the very basic items required for a properly competitive build, and that is where many lose interest. It takes around 1.5k+++ hours before you have completed the circle of just feeling one character has reached near completion to the point you are satisfied and want to try something else because of that. Due to that raw time restriction, very few players get to experience more than a very few builds to a satisfying level of their potential, and so being restricted to a small part of the game's potential it is less interesting, in particular when it is a game focused around freedom of choice. Only flippers, people who do not care about constantly selling their items on all characters so that they can focus their entire wealth on one character while gaming nonstop, those who play in full organized groups and those who spend every waking hour of their time on poe get to experience the fullness of the game. That is why PoE has so low player numbers in a genre we know has potential for many times greater player bases. Here's the plain simple truth for Poes low player base : There are about a bazillion better games out there to play. well id like to hear what else could we play? D2? path of exile is like upgraded d2, after playing poe i cant look the same way at d2. sure it brings memories how good it was, but path of exile is superior, due to being newer. D3 pff, it feels i completed the game after playing it for 200h or so. Titan quest? i got bored of it after less than 100h. There simply arent that many good arpg in the market. Torchlight 2 is a good game but there isnt much to do in it, i completed NG+++++ a couple of times, but then it was starting to get boring due to me having the best gear there is with best socketables combination there is. Poe is superior in that direction, its a great time sink for me	Posted by Aetherium#6579 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:17:21 AM Quote this Post
" Crackmonster wrote: So long as PoE remains as unrewarding as it is, it will not attract as many players as it could, simply because the gameplay is not fulfilling enough. Still a great game, but you need to go no-lifer just to get the very basic items required for a properly competitive build, and that is where many lose interest. Fundamentally a very good game, but there are about 20 layers of RNG wrapped around the good parts. It's a game that rewards those who will play 16h a day every day or RMT, and punishes the rest. By the time you reach lvl 80, time to reroll your char or play another game. GGG need to help players with the end-game, it's not rewarding as it can be. 177 Last edited by toyotatundra#0800 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:20:43 AM	Posted by toyotatundra#0800 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:17:39 AM Quote this Post
" DarthSki44 wrote: If you look at the statistics and achievements on steam, you can see that most players don't get very far before quitting. I personally believe there are a couple of reasons for this. First, the game itself is pretty harsh towards new players. The skill tree is intimidating, the linking / skill gem system isn't easy to understand, and the combat/movement in the beginning is SO SLOW. On top of that, and my biggest gripe, is the balance around solo play. I think that the gap between the solo experience and the party experience is too large. I know GGG wanted to make a multiplayer game, but I think too much emphasis is placed in that direction. Most new players see the game, try it out solo, and get turned off right away. The sad thing is if they did stick around they would learn they have to trade and group just to progress anyways. Oh well, GGG doesn't really think it's an issue, or at least they haven't said as much, but eventually they will have to do something or it's a losing battle. It's a good thing they have a pretty solid player base that supports them right now. I can't see them retaining many new players the way it's constructed. looking at steam achievements isnt a good way to judge the game, heck i have over 100 of games on steam and i havent even touched some of them. As for retaining new players, do you believe poe needs that kind of casual gamers? they wouldnt have stayed for long either way.	Posted by Aetherium#6579 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:19:48 AM Quote this Post
The only reason there's a "low number of active players" is because we're in the last third of the 4-month leagues and people have realized Standard and Hardcore leagues are absolute shit to play in. Read my book! The world ending in every way anyone ever thought it might end, all at once. First few chapters are available online for free. http://www.amazon.com/The-End-World-Know-ebook/dp/B00CZ21JAQ	Posted by TheTenthDoc#6709 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:20:21 AM Quote this Post
" DarthSki44 wrote: If you look at the statistics and achievements on steam, you can see that most players don't get very far before quitting. I personally believe there are a couple of reasons for this. First, the game itself is pretty harsh towards new players. The skill tree is intimidating, the linking / skill gem system isn't easy to understand, and the combat/movement in the beginning is SO SLOW. On top of that, and my biggest gripe, is the balance around solo play. I think that the gap between the solo experience and the party experience is too large. I know GGG wanted to make a multiplayer game, but I think too much emphasis is placed in that direction. Most new players see the game, try it out solo, and get turned off right away. The sad thing is if they did stick around they would learn they have to trade and group just to progress anyways. Oh well, GGG doesn't really think it's an issue, or at least they haven't said as much, but eventually they will have to do something or it's a losing battle. It's a good thing they have a pretty solid player base that supports them right now. I can't see them retaining many new players the way it's constructed. I had no trouble at all as a new player and enjoyed the game immensely, this is playing 95% solo and self found, and also not looking up guides or builds on the forums b/c I would much rather make my own. If you're unsure if a "Increases lightning damage by 6%" node boosts your "arc" gem as a new player then it's better that you quit early than bitch on the forums a month later that drop rates are crap b/c you have a garbage build that NEEDS shav's etc just to be viable.	Posted by Cribstaxx#4323 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:24:22 AM Quote this Post
" TheTenthDoc wrote: The only reason there's a "low number of active players" is because we're in the last third of the 4-month leagues and people have realized Standard and Hardcore leagues are absolute shit to play in. This has almost as many layers of ignorance as PoE has layers of RNG.	Posted by Jojas#5551 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:32:32 AM Quote this Post
The problem is that once you build is +- in place you almost already finished the content and then end game is all about farmin and grinding, there is no fun in that especially when you are not garanteed any reward. Also there is a huge design flaw in this game with solo vs multiplayer... i find that except aura and some gimmick , there is no synergy between players thus most of them build their build around solo play i wish curse would stack up (one curse per player per mobs) , there is no incentive to bring support except maybe for MF.... I wish also there would be end game race you can run with your char. Timed boss run with rewards. More exile spawn the map system for me feel so incomplete and boring....	Posted by ffogell#6809 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:33:02 AM Quote this Post
500hrs played here, marauder lvl around 90, gear is much more than solid (11k on infernal blow, 74% block, 135-140+ @ res, 16k pdef, 4k hp 1800 es ). Where did you pull out that 1500 hours ?	Posted by xjej#0064 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:34:52 AM Quote this Post
Why does everyone think that a game has to be popular to be fun? So this game doesn't float your boat. Move on to one that does. Ask yourself... why did you post this? Is it to try to make people feel similarly to you? Is it in a vain hope that they completely remodel the game after what you think is fun? PoE is considered fun by enough people for it to exist. That's sufficient. It doesn't have to be the most popular game on the planet to be good.	Posted by Shagsbeard#3964 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:38:46 AM Quote this Post
" Where do you get your numbers from? How do you get the "1 500 hours"? I agree with tadl on this one, even after 1 500 hours you are still not guaranteed a viable character. Actually nothing is guaranteed. This makes player A happy since he had good RNG. And player B unhappy because he gets shit upon by RNG. This makes forum battles hilarious resulting in player A defending the game and player B flaming the design. The biggest sign that the system is flawed is that players result to NON-RNG determined assets of the game to progress (also known as trading and "the chaos recipe"). Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes Last edited by Boem#2861 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:41:03 AM	Posted by Boem#2861 on Jan 22, 2014, 11:39:56 AM On Probation Quote this Post