Inactive players discussion

At least for those who can or still choose to use these forums, PoE for me has a special place in my heart, especially when I haven't been playing or supporting any other game (both newly released and old) for many years now.

We've witnessed the game go through changes, and it's true sooner or later we are going to quit a game that we once enjoyed playing and supporting, but for me that does sucks a lot more when there hasn't been anything out there that I would sink my time, regardless if I would have to pay for it or not, and no I am not burned out of gaming, or have some unrealistic standard or expectations.

PoE came as an "online" ARPG, where during the early years the best experience for me was doing those Fellshrine and Docks party grinds with free for all loot, and competing with the rest (who's fastest) with whatever loot would drop, like an ALCHEMY ORB. Later on, it was the trading (economy), where I was improving my negotiating/bargaining skills while using the trade 1 to 10, or 20 channels that were available in the game.

The game had some ladder/competition early on, but later on realized how unfair it was for solo players compared to what it was back then "team etup", or other organized groups. As a someone who's been playing MMORPG's and many other group based games for decades, it also depends from the game design, and PoE isn't a traditional MMORPG with a virtual, persistent, and open world, where there's different ways/paths/goals for the player to engage, or play the game.

I'm happy the game is doing well after many years, where many are still having fun, and that will always exist for games that are reaching newer or bigger markets, and then there will be always younger or former players of X game coming here. Example, for many veterans PoE is still fun enough to play it, where they're farming currency, making new builds, playing in groups, trading, and completing challenges.

Affliction introduced some ascendanciez, a meta shift with many new, and changed skills, but the inconsistency or lack of rewarding competition, especially since it came as "online" ARPG, and to be more specific, the lack of opportunity to feel some type of reward for playing the game (and its objectives) better than most, it feels like it doesn't respect my time, and spent it elsewhere. For me Affliction was the least time I've spent on a league, which was only during the first weekend.

No boss kill event, decrease in performance, a ruthless mode that's there only to slow down, and not even be able to reach challenging content that there's not even a ladder that gives some recognition makes me feel disappointed. PoE is available to a big market now, (billions if I count China), and it's nice that there's PoE 2 on its way, and that PoE 1 will co-exist alongside, but where is the opportunity and rewarding prize, or just feel of some glory for many within the community to be motivated, interested to play, and learn/practice this particular game, to sink their time, and enjoy, have "fun" the process of getting better at it?

The lack of past Gauntlets, inconsistent boss kill events, and recent November events designed around logging endless hours without sleep for that rush to level 100 with a "soft" 50% EXP penalty on death, makes me wonder, will I even play both PoE 1 and 2 once there's some product out there that would succeed with what the tens of thousands developers have been failing consistently through over a decade now, which is to attract my attention and gain my support?

Instead, during most of December I found myself playing, and competing in a card game, and felt so much more rewarding, because I was gaining more than just pixels. My bank account end up with additional $6,000 USD, and for those who're also in a "relationship" or have their own "families", providing those gifts during the holiday season, and caring for your own family, money ends up being a significant factor how, or on what that time is spent on.

GGG is already successful, and it doesn't need me, or to be more specific individuals like me who're not playing this or the many other games, at least that's my opinion from the recent December league. There's countless other games that are also being produced, or maintained, and hundreds of millions like me, who aren't "supporters" supporting them, at least I have a vast gaming experience, and happened to be very good at gaming, perhaps thanks to having the opportunity to grow up during the golden age of gaming, where I bought my first console "Nintendo" at the age of 7 in 1992.

I was training, using my mind from early age to consistently think, solve problems/puzzles, overcoming challenges, and I spent a lot of money on all those consoles, games, and also by the hour when PC's were too expensive back in my country. January 11th 2024 marks 13 years where I've spent combined of $90 USD on all new products/games, $70 on PoE and $20 on Marvel Heroes Online. The PC that I built late 2012, still using the same RAM, and CPU.

Years back bought 128 GB SSD for $50, and last summer Radeon RX 570 XT for $150, which was sufficient to play PoE on 1080p with 60 FPS. The one advantage or benefit that comes from my vast gaming exp is the money I've saved by not "spending" on the many products I would've decades ago, and a lot more free time that it's been challenging to figure how to spend.

I can share one thing with the PoE community, no voting with our wallet makes little to no difference what's being "invested", and produced within this industry. It all depends on the individuals who exist out there, and what they choose to do/produce, what they see for themselves is "fun", or for the suits "profitable". Chris Wilson and his background story, building/coding this product from "garage" with some of his classmates is one great example.

Blizzard, World of Warcraft (the most profitable game of all time) and the Activision-Blizzard merge with the CEO behind tells another story, but this is already too long.

hoho hi Kopo.

Damn it has been too long since we had a Kopo diatribe, and shockingly not one mention of Delve.

Now, that you mentioned Delve, for a while it had a depth ladder, but then lost its appeal after the focus shifted toward boss kill events/ladders with the arrival of the Siege of the Atlas. Detonate Dead and the life scaling that was patched later on didn't receive the same fix from what I remember.

What's interesting to mention is what Activision-BLizzard did that may have been overlooked by GGG, which was an attempt to attract a portion of the POE "hardcore" community with its "hardcore" (permadeath) classic server, and it did work to some extent, because it was quite popular, at least based on twitch metrics.

Activision-BLizzard for a long time its been known for playing it safe, and copying proven (successful) formulas that are cost-effective, and their lack of risk taking after Star Craft, Diablo 2 and WOW it's why many are convinced the old/real Blizzard is no more after the merge.

It feels like companies these days are not patient, where they trust their vision, but just look at initial data, while missing out on other factors, and this may have been the case with GGG, when I mentioned how they may have overlooked the competition Activision-Blizzard brought with its WOW classic hardcore/permadeath progression server.

In the end things could always be worse, like no Gauntlet this league, no PoE2, like how WOW 2 never happened, and then many other companies who competed directly with WOW contributed to this MMORPG drought that GGG has benefited from for a while.

Hes back!

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Aynix wrote:

Hes back!

In 2 hours and 25 minutes Ziz about to announce the Gauntlet. Since it's been many leagues he hasn't done this I'm curious what he'll do differently to ensure PoE still has at least one consistent competitive event.

I'm glad that he mentioned to expect a "rippier" Gauntlet, because the last Gauntlets from what I recall were quite underwhelming. The Gauntlet already only happens once every league, where it lasts for ten days, and players "failing" to complete all the objectives does bring more interest and viewership throughout the entire event duration.

WORD WALL ALERT.

Dont like.
Dont play.

Who cares?

You should go back on Twitch and share you magnificent Gauntlet gameplay with the world.

Am I missing something? where is the inactive player thing?

"

CanelayAzucar wrote:

Am I missing something? where is the inactive player thing?

Thread discussion among/between inactive players. Ziz can always make the Gauntlet feel more "rewarding" for the community to want to participate, and a more rewarding Gauntlet means more appeal for the community to retain their interest toward this game, and also playing in the default league longer.

Examples, what Ziz can do is exclude Ben from winning monetary prizes, since now he's well established, averaging high twitch viewership numbers, and sponsorship deals. Whenever Ben is streaming PoE it's now a financial gain for him, and it's why he'll continue doing that, especially during events like the Gauntlet.

It's better more players to receive more prizes, and one way to accomplish that is narrow the gap between rank 1 and 2, because it's 2x from 8% to 4%, make it 6%, 4% and 2%, and for rank 1 and 2 overall instead of 12% and 4%, should be closer, like 6% + 4%, or 4% and 2%, which is already extra on top of winning the class prize.