SonOfAGreust's Gameplay Suggestions

Dear GGG,

Straight from the Fourth world wastes of South America: surrounded by cow farts and mud huts, I, your dedicated player (paying absolutely ZERO dollars in microtransactions, since the idea of having money IS COMPLETELY foreign down here...), am here to solve all your game design issues.

GGG: you obviously need help. After a decade of being the WORLD LEADER in action RPGS, you should know what the correct options and game design choices are... but you obviously don't!

When POE came out, I was a small lad surrounded by RPG-ing small lads... and I mean just under fifty people I knew who were into the genre and its many branches...

and NONE of them became Path of Exile mainstays. None. Not one. Well, I was the only one out of almost fifty RPGers and computer gamers...

Why?

1) Friend after friend and player after player hated the accuracy system in Path. Missing an attack, especially as a melee character, just feels awful (I understand this, don't you?). There is absolutely no need to make players experience this (zero damage when each attack matters). I suggest removing accuracy. If you want a different stat to replace it? Focus critical strikes for a smaller increase in damage that is below x2.

2) This point is vital - And I feel that this is THE most important note for you: - You can't one shot a Hardcore player and keep them as a customer.

It's not fair to the player. It's not good game design. It's lazy and disrespectful to your dedicated hardcore enthusiasts.

For all its issues, Diablo 3 kept Hardcore players in the running by mounting a growing challenge instead of suddenly bursting a player into oblivion. D3 also employed passives that prevented death, but that wasn't even necessary! The damage in the game was well measured, and the danger rose with the level of monsters you faced.

a) The health bar can yoyo up and down as a player gets chunked and drink pots
b) The health bar can suddenly and precipitously plunge...
c) BUT for a health bar to go from 100% to 0hp in the blink of an eye? That's not giving players any chance to react at all.

A good game offers players a chance to react, allowing THE most proficient and responsive players to excel. This gameplay style requires awareness and speed of eye-hand coordination, instead having no requirement whatsoever and deleting days of work within seconds...

What's more: you must make it clear to players WHAT killed them in the form of details listed in a tabbed window (the way World of Warcraft does), otherwise, you will get anger and frustration from your players.

These are all reasons why so many RPGers STILL, even now, refuse to play Path of Exile: Diablo players, World of Warcraft players, Tabletoppers, D&D gurus, computer gamers from across the entire spectrum of the industry...

The most prestigious and notable Action RPG on the planet (Path of Exile) must respect these facts. Period.

(Side note: 2 other reasons people don't want to play POE have been your graphics and the lack of ingame explanation and guidance in regards to its difficulty of management. - One of these issues has obviously been addressed in POE 2... but how about the other?)

Finally:

3) I'm glad to see you remove the Potion "piano key minigame" only for you to continue the mistake thru charms that auto proc. - Not good.

GGG: The player has to EARN increased resistances, immunity to ailments and any other bonuses thru paying attention and reacting to the fight in a timely manner... NOT thru killing minions for a small, random guarantee as a throw away reward.

Being able to respond to a sudden application of elements requires:

a) Tiny icons on the character or their interface, and / or

b) Audio prompts and / or

c) Extremely visible graphics that ALL have an effect in common that clearly define them as debuffs



-- In Conclusion --

It's up to you, GGG. - What I'm presenting here is simple common sense, but then again, common sense is severely lacking in our day and age.

I'm making this effort for you free of charge because I love your creation. If you ignore me, Path of Exile will continue to carry these long term issues that
have marred player count, player interest and revenue for your company. Once again, I'm making these facts clear and available to you at no personal compensation of my own. Earn it, please.

Sincerely,

This has been typed for me; I'm blind, deaf, wheelchaired, and don't read replies. Thanks.

Best wishes.