Harbinger Content Integration

Most played ever...doesnt add anything from it... adds the one shit item no one wants (well i dont and i only used one i think since it can ruin a perfectly good item... also why i dont vaal things i want/have 2+ of)


ok...?

Perhaps no one will read this, as I waited longer than an hour or two to respond to the post . . . but this feels like a slap in the face.

I think it's one thing to eliminate extraneous currency sub-denominations, or currencies that are sort of just an altered version of what already exists (binding orbs) . . . but to give us a REAL tool for experiencing the endgame and then spuriously take it away? Pretty awful, honestly.

The commentary on making "jumping up in map tiers too easy" would be understandable, if you always kept league-based mechanics and items at the exact same frequency after they were rolled in the core game. Practically speaking, harbinger or horizon orbs would likely change very little about Atlas progression. Saying otherwise seems like a shallow assessment that is very unlike GGG. Here's why.

If you don't want to run a map or add the succeeding maps to your Atlas, you're not going to run it. That is, unless you're trying to just run ANYTHING, just to try and sustain. Leading players on a forced march through content they don't want to play doesn't seem like the "experiencing the Atlas" that I believe was intended. On the other hand, the average player wouldn't be able to just skip most of the Atlas, either, to progress. I feel like this response by GGG is symptomatic of having one's eye on the "top 1%" of the player base, around whom I would say balancing is almost ALWAYS a bad idea.

On the other hand, as a primarily SSF player (I play default SC league because I give items to my best friend, who is always poor), this was the first time I've been able to even fight the Shaper since Atlas dropped. Usually I'll get a couple t16 maps on a couple guardians, and it'll take most of the league.

If you want to focus on experiencing the Atlas, then why wouldn't the focus be on actually being ABLE to fully experience it? Why is it that "experiencing the Atlas" seems to equate to "experiencing the grind trying to progress long after you've hit endgame?" Having horizon and harbinger orbs present in the proportion they usually would be once being rolled into the game would be nothing but a boon to Atlas progression! In practice, they wouldn't just be used to jump over every tier. In smaller amounts, they would be saved until endgame . . . for those points where you've unlocked a Guardian or two, and those t16's just REFUSE to drop. Or maybe even that ONE Guardian's t16 NEVER drops, even though it's available.

From what I've seen, these aren't problems inherent to SSF play, either . . . but honestly, does it seem wrong to be able to make it to THE current endgame boss on your own? Should general endgame be gated to most players who don't trade significantly to get there? We're not talking Uber Atziri here (whom I've priorly been able to fight, unlike the actual end-boss of the game).

Harbinger and horizon orbs resolve this, and map progression stagnation in general, and in smaller amounts would by no means break the system. Introducing an element in-game that resolves major issues then opting out of it simply isn't sound reasoning.

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DawidFriebe wrote:

Well the league is great. Otherwise the only thing which thickles me, is why at lvl 7 zana, we unlock nemesis mode, for 5c! Not sure that anyone even used this... The thing which missing here most is in my opinion an essence. I think at lvl 7 a quaranteed one essence on map might be a lot better choice. Especially if u want to complete essence challange. For these days i was looking for essences for corrupting and with regular modes i haven't claimed any of these essence. The only way which I'm considering now is to just buy from other player who made essence hysteria, delirium etc on map, which is kinda sad to me... what if i'd play SSF? Probably would never finish it... Or if i would like to make it complete i would probably spend whole days playing, which i do not have time for it so... ;x

Nemesis is possibly the most used rolled zana mod because it lets you get Headhunter in that mod.

This is the best new ever! Seriously, so glad you are removing Horizon and Harbinger orbs!!! Thank you!

I've got to chime in as well on the orb of binding. I'm on Xbox so this was my first league. Obviously I ended up rolling a hand full of characters trying to get a handle on the game. I loved orbs of bindings while leveling, as I could have my linked sockets without cutting into my fuses and jeweler's orbs that I'd prefer to save for end game.

I'm confused as to where GGG got the impression that they are not well-liked.

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Shaboom wrote:

So is Beachhead going away?

I hope so!

It sounded like it to me while reading the changes for obtaining the Tempest Binding and such.

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Qarl wrote:

...While they provided players a lot of flexibility in mapping, we felt it took a lot away from unlocking the Atlas, and made jumping up map tiers too easy. They also do not fit well with content coming in 3.1.0...

Sounds to me like we will get additional content regarding the Atlas ;-) (additional endgame stuff)

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LoloTwingo wrote:

Considering i played one char to llv71 in harbinger, and only found 16 annulment shards and 0 annulment orb, i'll probably come back to harbinger a few time in hope to find 4 annul shards, as it seems that annulment orb drops as often as divine ord (ie. nearly never) ...

NONE of these new orbs drop as a whole actually, only in shards from the Harbingers. (what dont exclude the chance of getting enough shards for a full orb from one occurence)

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Milchut wrote:

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Qarl wrote:

The Orb of Binding and the Engineer's Orb did not resonate with players, and do not fill great enough need to be added to the core game at this stage.

Maybe we've been too quiet about them, but I absolutely loved Orbs of Binding.

What did we had to speak about? It's SO obvious it dont need words...
And its not only while leveling: even the highest bases on head, hands and feet are 4-link only ;) That you 'may' (or should) have the 'regular' orbs to socket and link them doesnt mean that an easier/cheaper way cant be prefered... Jeweller and Fusing do fine to be spared for the body and/or weapon (read: >4 links)

..and I still have NO idea about the 'purpose' of such a Harbinger mod at Zana, while basically all of its inherent specifics (currencies/uniques) is gone?!
Sounds to me the same as an imagination of a Perandus map mod without his coins... :D