Are the Devs still making the game they want to play?

While discussing why GGG initially decided to go with FFA loot for PoE and why they eventually added "Loot Options" in April 2013 (0.11.0 patch) in the now removed development manifesto:

"

Chris wrote:

because all of our developers are ninja-looters and love extreme item tension, but after talking with a lot of players, we realised that many people would have a lot more fun if we offered these options.

I think it's fine that players who don't like "item tension" now have the ability to opt-out by choosing Permanent Allocation. (PA)

However, as we have discussed many times on the forums, there are nearly zero FFA or SA public games - particularly in HC four month leagues and in endgame maps:

* Almost all public games that are Short Allocation (SA) are either that way because the game host forgot to change the setting before opening it to the public (to the dismay of anyone joining thinking they were entering SA game) Or they become PA after anyone in the groups says "can we change it to Perm?" - Normally after the first wisdom scroll goes to the wrong person.

* The PA setting is easier from the standpoint of "less hassle" and from the "no need to move into danger to get loot" perspectives - There is simply nothing anyone can say in response to a request to change the setting to PA loot. "It’s more fun" does not cut it when everyone knows what setting is easier. (In HC preventing character death is #1 concern, because getting moved to Standard League will spoil any "more fun" you might have been having)

I have actually joined SA and FFA games where "SA" or "FFA" was directly in the name of the group where the setting was changed to PA after a few minutes when someone requests it. I have hosted such games as well and had people ask me to change the setting - and I will because I don’t want to argue or have players leave the group. Now, myself and many others I know that did appreciate "item tension" don’t even bother.

I do not think it’s okay that "permanent allocation" is the only used setting for public games.

The very intention of adding "loot options" was so that players could play what they preferred - this is SIMPLY NOT HAPPENING. These options were added without any factors to balance them whatsoever in terms of difficulty. It was obvious that players would choose to not have to fight over loot if they could avoid it - everyone who argued aginst loot options pointed this out, and it turns out they were right.

The only exceptions I am aware of are games where someone is selling rushes or boss kills for orbs/payment so they can collect all loot as they do it, or the games where someone is selling items. So, they were not actually public games anyhow.

While I'm honestly not always a fan of "extreme item tension" the way Chris puts it, (I am not a ninja looter, never was) I am very much in favor of dynamics that encourage players to share loot and work together, like we saw in the closed/open beta seasons.

Therefore, my question to the Developers of PoE is this:

If you “all LOVE extreme loot tension” and it is obvious that it is now COMPLETELY MISSING from the game – are you still making “the game you want to play”?

"

RulerofAsgard wrote:

Perhaps the Devs all party with each other and have SA or FFA on instead of PA; simply because there is a PA option does not mean you have to use it. If you want the cut-throat feel of item looting, don't change it to PA at the request of somebody else - leave it SA or FFA and you'll eventually attract a party that *wants* to play that way.

Well said. I only sometimes ask for PA when i get some dumb lag that gives me a weird delay when picking up items otherwise short allocation is perfectly fine and even FFA is ok.