Fix Power Creep

Now that endgame difficulty has been brought down so heavily, and with player power continuing to climb through the new Bloodline classes, it feels like the perfect moment to finally address the long-standing issue of power creep head-on.

With farming methods, loot, and the endgame ceiling all being lowered significantly, the next logical step should be a proper rebalancing of player power, something reminiscent of the sweeping adjustments we saw during Expedition League.

Back in that patch, there was genuine care for player balance, and the changes were big, massive, and clearly aimed at curbing the relentless growth of player power. Since then, nothing nearly as drastic has been done, except the continuous introduction of more and more power, even while this league pushes the endgame ceiling down. If player power continues trivializing content so easily, it’s long past time to pull the lever and implement sweeping adjustments, just like in Expedition. Major changes across all areas are needed, not small tweaks here and there, including adjustments to enemy health and difficulty, exactly as was done back then.

Right now, the difficulty ceiling is lower than it has been in years, yet player power continues to grow exponentially. That combination will only make the imbalance more pronounced in the upcoming league. Bringing power levels back in check, in an Expedition league style fashion, would not only restore the feeling of meaningful progression, but also re-establish the challenge and sense of accomplishment that many players, especially those who enjoy min-maxing and theorycrafting will miss with the upcoming league due to the lower endgame ceiling, which was already misaligned with player power prior to the new changes.

The upcoming league has shown that drastic changes are still possible and being considered. Now, for 3.28, it’s time to apply the same approach to player power before it’s too late. 3.28 could not only serve as a massive lever-pulling adjustment, similar to how endgame was reined in this patch, but it could also nostalgically bring an Expedition-style rework, just as Breach League is being overhauled this upcoming league.

Expedition is one of the older mechanics that could greatly benefit from a modern rework, and imagine the nostalgia of bringing it back with the same carefully crafted, well balanced changes designed to curb power creep, just like during the original release. Such an update could be a true game changer, positively impacting all aspects of progression, balance, and long term engagement.

Now is the perfect moment for actions, GGG, to set the game on the right path before things spiral further out of control.

+1.

It's so bizarre to me that GGG lowers the ceiling for high-end endgame this much while also introducing significant amounts powercreep in the same patch.

Bloodlines will give birth to new builds across all classes but other than existing and new Ubers, where else am I supposed to take these new powerful toys?

Risk stacking is gone and most other strats got triple tapped in the usual, good old GGG fashion. Personally I don't see myself going back to Harbingers, Harvest, Essences or Expedition. They're boring and have such a low ceiling, there's literally no reason to fully min-max a build for those.

I guess Delve is a thing but I'd rather watch paint dry before I'm grinding the mines for weeks or months on end.

That's a lot of compromising just to have asynchronous trade in the game, all while throwing the fomo-driven vocal minority literal bones. One after another.

This game is in desperate need of another patch 3.15. But this time without the damage control and heavy back pedaling. While you're at it rework challenges already - because endgame farming got stripped of most challenge already.

How some players are still getting farmed by pixel after this patch is beyond me. Watch and wait, the upcoming threads are inevitable.

As for GGG: Pick one demographic you're balancing your game for. You can't have both and eat the cake, too. A game for everyone is a game for no one.

"Hey guys we released this cool new league that we want you to play."

"Our selling point for this league is that everything will feel terrible and weak compared to what you previously played."

Not very good marketing buddy

"

Pick one demographic you're balancing your game for. You can't have both and eat the cake, too. A game for everyone is a game for no one.

Wow, I didn't realize that we were already playing D4. Thanks for letting us know. Both POEs are still firmly in "play all day and maybe you will get something" territory. Every new streamer compilation videos creates further implications of streamer clients existing, and so on.

Thought experiment: imagine if the devs imposed a daily total playtime limit for POE1 players. Let's say 3 hours within a 24 hour period and then you are locked out. I'm sure GGG could do some dev magic to further ensure that separate accounts or other shenanigans wouldn't get around this limit.

Now you have your daily time allotment to use efficiently and show off your "skill" instead of sitting at your computer until your eyeballs fall out.

But hey, if Fubgun and friends can't destroy the economy by day 3 (actual day 3), then the POE world ends right?

*Puts on flame suit*

"

mnieradko#6070 wrote:

"Hey guys we released this cool new league that we want you to play."

"Our selling point for this league is that everything will feel terrible and weak compared to what you previously played."

Not very good marketing buddy

"

Pick one demographic you're balancing your game for. You can't have both and eat the cake, too. A game for everyone is a game for no one.

Wow, I didn't realize that we were already playing D4. Thanks for letting us know. Both POEs are still firmly in "play all day and maybe you will get something" territory. Every new streamer compilation videos creates further implications of streamer clients existing, and so on.

Thought experiment: imagine if the devs imposed a daily total playtime limit for POE1 players. Let's say 3 hours within a 24 hour period and then you are locked out. I'm sure GGG could do some dev magic to further ensure that separate accounts or other shenanigans wouldn't get around this limit.

Now you have your daily time allotment to use efficiently and show off your "skill" instead of sitting at your computer until your eyeballs fall out.

But hey, if Fubgun and friends can't destroy the economy by day 3 (actual day 3), then the POE world ends right?

*Puts on flame suit*

You are part of the problem. Congratulations.