Why do you even play Path of Exile nowadays?

> No challenge at all -- Sure... maybe... if you play only the new Leagues OP meta skills, and never settle for less than perfect gear. If however, you make your own builds, actively seek underused skills, and ignore trade/play SSF... the game is much more fun and challenging, not to mention ENGAGING.

> All past goals are trivial and power creep is insane - lv37 uElder / lv 100 in 4 hours / HH is common etc -- Meh... this one has never concerned me. I refuse to pay for maps, and consequently have never had a full set of shaper frags, so there's that...

> Things "sound" special & unique but in practice are boring as shit -- No idea what you are referencing here, but if you mean there is not much in game to hang your E-peen on, then I agree, and laugh at you for wanting something like that.

> What a clusterfuck! You can barely understand what's on the screen -- hmmm... never encountered this particular scenario, are we playing the same game, or are you a flat vision person with color differential discernment myopia?

> GGG getting cockier with pushing lootboxes & monetization -- It's only buying things to make your character look better, skills more visually appealing, or to tone down the brightness of certain effects. It being a free-to-play game kinda sorta means they have to offer something for sale, and as these things go, loot boxes are purely a choice, never a necessity.

> 100% bonkers retarded balance & clueless design choices -- Think you are more than a little off-base here. No I don't think all of their decisions are good ones, but I do think they at least try to make decisions based on the game's wellness, more than players knee-jerk reactions (and sometimes fail, but it's ok).

> League content meaningless yet again -- Every League since Harbingers has been at minimum fun, and several times VERY fun, cool and engaging. This is my favourite league and League mechanics to date.

> BOTS crazier than ever 1:190 EX l0l -- True, but I don't really trade, or attempt to become rich, so it doesn't affect me. I actually spend my exalts crafting gear, and chaos spam leveling rares for fun :D

> Inventory & stash management / hideout / trading has been doubled the last 2 leagues alone. SO MUCH SHIT EVERYWHERE. -- All of which I really like. What planet were you born on, and how far is it from Cimmeria?

> League and items / mechanics have been made confusing to a level where it's unfun -- Sorry, you lost me on this one. There ARE new League mechanics to learn every League, this much is true, but that's kinda the point, innit?

> 0 Social factor aside from "wtb ur kaom 300 chaos offer 10c" -- Why you play solo game to find socialization?

> Just pull the slot machine without an actual reward aside from hearing your funny meme alert sound once an hour -- Ummmm... this IS an ARPG with random loot drops. Pray tell, what did you expect?

I play ever day, a few minutes, a few hours... whatever. It is a blast.

"

Phrazz wrote:

The game is challenging, because I limit myself. I usually make not-so-META builds, usually melee, and play more or less self found. I do trade a little bit, but I only sell (usually) - and use the currency I own to craft my own gear.

I never rush anything, and often stop and "smell the roses". I aim for fun, not achievement. I do what I want to do, not what GGG/Elites/The META tells me to do.

I understand completely that the game can be boring for those seeking the path of least resistance, making the META/Environment dictate their choices in terms of strategies, builds, gear, goals and so on. I also understand that a lot of people view that as "fun". For me, the basis of an RPG is always to make my own adventure, and don't give a rats ass what everyone else does, or what's the most "efficient" way to play.

Meaningless? When does a video game give meaning a side from entertainment? No challenges? For you maybe. There are tons of players struggling to beat act 10. Not unique? YOU don't find them unique, others do. League content meaningless? What previous league content gave meaning? 0 sicial factor? People wanting to socialize, do socialize. No "actual" reward? What's an "actual" reward?

You seem burnt out. It's OK. It's also OK to have "outgrown" the game. You've been playing for years, know everything, mastered everything. Of course everything will seem trivial to you.

I realized this recently and I can agree fully.
Previously I've done everything there is probably in the game. Played various playstyles, from full MF to tank it all, grinded, rushed, whatever... In the end you realize what Phrazz said.
Being "efficient", doing what you "should" be doing, what is YT and Reddit doing and so on, leads to burnouts and not having fun with the game in general.
When you get over it you are free of burden and the fun can rly start. :)

Man, you know what is one of the best moments in PoE for me? Waking up at the Twilight Strand with some white item next to you, not knowing where it will lead you and how it will turn out in the end.

I can agree with you about "clusterfuck" part. In Betrayal league there were many moments i could not see whatsoever wtf is going on on the screen while just holding the button and hoping ill get out of it alive lol.

Lootboxes (mtx), don't know why it's bothering you. Half of the league i wasn't even aware/cared about that at all. They need to make cash somehow. No one is forced to buy them. Sure mtx should be cheaper cuz not everyone has 50$ for a set like i don't. But when i do, i would prob want to get more for 50$ than just 1 set. Folks with more money would surely buy more anyway.

"

Kiss_Me_Quick wrote:

After not playing / browsing PoE at all for 3 months and being basically out of the game for almost half a year aside from forum, I gotta say that the game looks boring and meaningless as fuck compared to a year ago. It's like Runescape 3 vs Oldschool Runescape already.



> All past goals are trivial and power creep is insane - lv37 uElder / lv 100 in 4 hours / HH is common etc.



Legitimately curious.

This point is such a huge bullcrap, I do not even know how to reply in a sentence.

One guy did Uber elder at 37 with perfect gear and a specific combo. One other guy got to 100 in 4 hours having friends ready to help him and power-leveling him right after. Keep in mind, it took him longer than 4h since he logged off to conserve the time but nevertheless it was not a one person doing.

''HH is common'' really? I don't have an HH and no one I have on my friendlist has an HH, so I don't know if this is in the ''rich circle'' where ''everyone has an HH'' .

Now show me a guy that started the game with regular gear and killed red elder at 37 or a guy that started the game and got to lvl 100 in 4 hours and we can talk.

"

Kiss_Me_Quick wrote:

> BOTS crazier than ever 1:190 EX l0l

Standard players...

Bots or the fact chaos drop like crazy now?

I love ARPGs and haven't played much POE in the last year so it feels fresh ATM.

I like many other also don't have a phone.

Meta builds are easy difficulty setting.

@OP if it’s still a yawn-inducing breeze for you to make 100s of ex in the first week of the league with less popular (but still sensible) skills/gear, then contrats you’re amazing. But the game can’t be balanced around this incredibly rare level of skill and efficiency.

And if your response is that you shouldn’t have to gimp yourself to have fun, I totally agree. Your problem is therefore with the game’s terrible balance and lack of choice.

But yes, powercreep is very real too. I’ve become convinced most issues lie in new item affixes (shaper, elder, veiled). Worst kind of powercreep because it hits the wealthy players hardest but they’re often the ones who found all content easy anyway.

So many affixes that have been introduced since 2017 are totally broken and ruin the initial gearing structure the game was designed around. Try not using shaper/elder/veiled gear at all and PoE’s difficulty makes so much more sense!

Because WoW is dead

The current game definitely feels like Runescape 3. Cosmetics are ridiculous now, visual clutter and extra unwanted content feels insane. Bestiary league and above killed the gritty survival vibe of the game. I would only return to Path of Exile if they had a classic mode that kept it in the spirit of the game from say 2013-2015. No cosmetics, players are visually recognizable from what they actual have equipped (paid by subscription monthly if need be).

For now OSRS is what fits the bill. I do get nostalgic for Path of Exile, it's sad that there's no classic mode for it with a toaster-friendly client.

POE1 "scratches the itch" for ARPG gaming up until the endgame point when you have the realization again of "wait, every wearable drop I see is pointless garbo that I can ignore, this is just a currency simulator."

Imagine in an alternate POE1 reality in which youtube compilation videos showed streamers rejoicing of finding a good useable rare item OFF THE GROUND while running maps or bosses? Sounds crazy eh in an ARPG? Better to instead have 20 steps of gambling labeled as "crafting".

Other issues mentioned like MTX are largely irrelevant compared to the glaring issue that this D2-inspired ARPG has no endgame loot hunt. Even if all builds and passive nodes and gems were "perfectly balanced", I would still be wondering why I'm killing endgame stuff if there are no wearable rewards.

"

mnieradko#6070 wrote:

POE1 "scratches the itch" for ARPG gaming up until the endgame point when you have the realization again of "wait, every wearable drop I see is pointless garbo that I can ignore, this is just a currency simulator."

Imagine in an alternate POE1 reality in which youtube compilation videos showed streamers rejoicing of finding a good useable rare item OFF THE GROUND while running maps or bosses? Sounds crazy eh in an ARPG? Better to instead have 20 steps of gambling labeled as "crafting".

Other issues mentioned like MTX are largely irrelevant compared to the glaring issue that this D2-inspired ARPG has no endgame loot hunt. Even if all builds and passive nodes and gems were "perfectly balanced", I would still be wondering why I'm killing endgame stuff if there are no wearable rewards.

you can craft good items with rog and fracture bases with essence... or do some other mechanic that drops raw currency and trade for your item or buy the crafting materials to make one.(fracture+essence)

the thing with dropping excellent items on the ground it is going to completely nullify most crafting options. you cant have both crafting and really good items dropping on the ground.

edit: i do agree crafting is in a sad state currently and its possibly the main reason i have almost zero desire to play the game. just trying some stuff in std since there i have infinite crafting mats and i dont have to do the campaign.