Game is turning into a glass cannon only builds

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awesome999 wrote:

I believe they could. They make their hard game harder with ruthless mode. A game can be changed for individual players with game mode. They simply choose not to divert their resources for other purposes. They choose not to.

Doesn't work for the reason you've said they don't do it, supporting wildly divergent player groups is tantamount to running two games at once.

Now they could run two games if that is the level of solution you are trying to grasp at here - but one is enough work already frankly.

I cannot think of a single example of a game that simultaneously courts wildly different player groups and maintains them. I know you want to believe its possible but it isn't at least so far. If anyone has any good examples chip them in i've played alot of games over the year and forgotten half of them :p

Difficulty modes are not an answer, they exist to provide a little flexibility and freedom for the minimum expense/time that is their role and always has been. For example SSF probably took GGG all of a couple of hours to implement, disable trade/party interactions - done.

Couple of hours work, SSF players are happier. That isn't the same as getting a substantial number of casuals onboard not even close.

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Draegnarrr wrote:

Doesn't work for the reason you've said they don't do it, supporting wildly divergent player groups is tantamount to running two games at once.

Now they could run two games if that is the level of solution you are trying to grasp at here - but one is enough work already frankly.

I doubt it. It is probably similar to Elden Ring reasons. Easy mode contradict with its own fundamentals game design about challenge and perseverance. Their developers have stated that an easy mode would go against their vision for the game. People would be missing out on the true Dark Souls experience if you change the difficulty. Base on developer's own personal value and principles that it would "ruins" the game. They respectfully decline to implement an Easy mode. It isn't they couldn't, they don't want to.

My 2 cents on this topic is that difficulty shouldn't be confused with the learning curve transparency.

When you play Elden ring, you have no problems seeing all available tools on the table, and can combine/test those tools at will, with minimum time sink. When you die in Elden Ring, it is obvious what you should do next, without leaving the game: practice moving better, or go gain more levels/weapon upgrades if you see you are underleveled.

When you play poe, you (as an average player, not no-lifer with 8 years experience) have no idea what other tools are available, there are just too many gimmicks. And testing those gimmicks is grindy and expensive venture in itself. When you keep dying playing poe, you have only one idea about what to do next: quit the game, open POB, open wiki, open market, open craft of exile... Otherwise chances of average player figuring out the best and cheapest way to fix his build are small.

Players who take pride in their poe status would call the above "difficulty", "reasonable demand from the game to the player". I would call it unnecessary tedium and a mess. And I would prefer to download and complete another videogame in the time frame it would take to theorycraft and construct another viable poe build.

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Echothesis wrote:

Otherwise chances of average player figuring out the best and cheapest way to fix his build are small.

Here's the problem with your post though. Why do you expect them to immediately figure out the "best and cheapest way"? Why is that the gut instinct here? Isn't it far more reasonable to assume a player is going to make incremental steps towards improving their character and knowledge?

You talk as if the entire game is min/maxing at EVERY step: every failure, every upgrade HAS to be the best possible choice.....or its completely and utterly useless. That just isn't true. And its not true of most other games either.

This game offers you plenty of information when you die. It also offers you plenty of information as you play, and as you grow, and as you build your character. It's how many players learn the game, as long as they aren't told by folks like you that their only choices are "quit or download these 12 programs". There is an enormous amount of information BETWEEN those options that you simply ignore because maybe you are simply unable to personally handle a game like that. Maybe you need a nice big shiny green message saying "This item/choice gives you 10% more damage!" and if you don't get that, you curl up into the fetal position.

Min/maxing requires research and potentially 3rd party tools. But nearly everything else in the game? Nope.


I sincerely wish we as a playerbase could STOP telling newer players that there exists this false dichotomy within PoE....that there are only two options to every situation and you either HAVE to look it up / follow a build / watch youtube / spend 1000 hours / nolife the game, or else quit. This simply isn't the reality, and it never was.

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mefistozxz wrote:

This game offers you plenty of information when you die.

it offers two bits of information: respawn in town or hideout.

Does everyone just play this game with a blindfold on? Or do people just only play Zork text adventure games?

You don't need to be told that the sky is blue...you need only look up and see for yourself.

Short of the most uber juiced content with a million monsters on-screen, or uber bosses with their diahrrea ground effects, you can always tell what is going on while you are playing, before you die, directly leading up to your death, and even AFTER your death (yes, when those two options are on screen).

You can actually LOOK and make judgments without literal words flashing on the screen telling you what you need. Just like what I said about those gearing or stat choices....when did gamers become so incapable of the most basic skill of observation?

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mefistozxz wrote:

I sincerely wish we as a playerbase could STOP telling newer players that there exists this false dichotomy within PoE....that there are only two options to every situation and you either HAVE to look it up / follow a build / watch youtube / spend 1000 hours / nolife the game, or else quit. This simply isn't the reality, and it never was.

Just making sure they know what they are getting into. Surely we wouldn't want to confuse people that training for Mount Everest expedition is taking a walk in the park.

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awesome999 wrote:

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mefistozxz wrote:

Just making sure they know what they are getting into. Surely we wouldn't want to confuse people that training for Mount Everest expedition is taking a walk in the park.

And again.......there is a heck of a lot between those two options right there. Its straight up disinformation.

A better comparison, if you want PoE to remain Mt Everest: its like telling regular mountain climbers that PoE is like training for Mt. Everest. Because 99% of people that stop by PoE for a playthrough have played countless other arpgs. It's harder than other arpgs, but they already have the background knowledge and experience to get started that exists independently from PoE, and yet is incredibly useful throughout PoE. No one should expect to master PoE without ANY experience playing it...

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mefistozxz wrote:

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awesome999 wrote:

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mefistozxz wrote:

Just making sure they know what they are getting into. Surely we wouldn't want to confuse people that training for Mount Everest expedition is taking a walk in the park.

And again.......there is a heck of a lot between those two options right there. Its straight up disinformation.

A better comparison, if you want PoE to remain Mt Everest: its like telling regular mountain climbers that PoE is like training for Mt. Everest. Because 99% of people that stop by PoE for a playthrough have played countless other arpgs. It's harder than other arpgs, but they already have the background knowledge and experience to get started that exists independently from PoE, and yet is incredibly useful throughout PoE. No one should expect to master PoE without ANY experience playing it...

Contradictory to it, a lot of players suck at it or don't finish the climb. Antithetical to this is to believe players need to "git good", when a majority are not.

If it gave me a breakdown or a "TL:DR you were killed by majority fire damage" or something that'd be nice, gives me an idea what to build towards. but when your resistances are all capped and your phys damage reduction is 70% and you get 1 shot by TacticalTimmothy the Abhorrent, who is a grey mob with no damaging mods it leaves a lot to be desired.