An open letter to everyone participating in EA - Feedback Etiquette!

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CoopSterner#0617 wrote:

GGG stopped interacting with the community over 2 years ago. Arguably even over 7 years ago. They literally gave up. You're on a one-sided journey.

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Gimatria#7361 wrote:

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CoopSterner#0617 wrote:

GGG stopped interacting with the community over 2 years ago. Arguably even over 7 years ago. They literally gave up. You're on a one-sided journey.

They had 2 big patches in these past 3 weeks adressing the major concerns of the community. It's unbelievable how irrational people are to be honest.

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CoopSterner#0617 wrote:

Currently it looks like they thrust their leadership into Stone Age along with the game.

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PrimordialDarkness#3913 wrote:

The problem is mainly that threads which try to provide feedback constructively, even when you try your best to phrase them nicely within your frustration, get no traction.

You know which threads seem to gain traction? The ones where newbies stuck in act 2 normal after almost three weeks are saying the game is fine and vets (who are in t15+) are just entitled babies with low skill who find the game too hard.

There is a veritable army of hype bandwagoners who will never play the game or buy another pack again in these forums, making sure that the only visible feedback is "vets bad, vet feedback bad". And it became frustrating, and therefore the level of vitriol rose from every side.

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AceNightfire#0980 wrote:

Here we are, diving into the next chapter from GGG, a game proudly bearing the name of its very successful predecessor, Path of Exile. It’s safe to say that a significant portion - probably 90% - of the active community here has roots in PoE1. These players, like me, want to be part of this next step in the evolution of the ARPG genre. I believe GGG is deeply appreciative of this overwhelming participation. After all, we’re not just playing; we’ve also chosen to support them financially by purchasing EA, providing GGG with the resources to keep development moving forward, even though Path of Exile 2 will be free-to-play.

However, as with the launch of any new game - especially one in EA - there are bound to be challenges and consequences. The internet, with its power to instantly connect us and amplify our voices, is a double-edged sword. It allows us to share feedback from anywhere, at any time, under the veil of anonymity. While this anonymity offers certain advantages, it also carries significant responsibilities: to use this power thoughtfully and not abuse it.

It’s essential to remember that real people - dedicated developers who’ve poured years of their lives into PoE2 - are reading the words we post here. Some players provide honest, constructive feedback, often with carefully considered suggestions to improve the game. But others... don’t. They vent frustration, insult the developers, or resort to name-calling, often without offering any useful feedback at all. These posts aren’t about improvement; they’re an outlet for anger, because the game is not (yet) what they expected it to be.

Unfortunately, this negativity doesn’t just vanish into the ether. It affects everyone who reads it, including other players. Personally, I’ve noticed that the more I encounter provocative or non-constructive posts, the harder it becomes to remain rational - even for me. This kind of environment can quickly spiral into something unhealthy, detracting from the meaningful discussions we could and should be having in order to help this game reaching its full potential.

GGG needs us. They wouldn’t have launched PoE2 in EA if they didn’t care about their players’ feedback. But for them to succeed in shaping the game into something that aligns with their vision - while incorporating our input - we, as players, need to step up. That starts with how we engage: with each other and with GGG.

To those reading this: how can we truly help GGG? I think the first step is refusing to be drawn into unnecessary conflict. If someone posts provocatively or without constructive intent, we should resist the urge to respond emotionally. Sometimes, the best course of action is no reaction at all. These provocative topics will vanish fast, if no one reacts. Instead, focus on meaningful conversations, even if others aren’t doing the same.

GGG is giving us the chance to shape PoE2 into something extraordinary. Let’s honor that opportunity by fostering a community that’s thoughtful, constructive, and supportive - not just for GGG but for each other. Together, we can make this journey better for everyone involved.

And I'll be honest enough: I wrote a text and ChatGPT gave it an overhaul. But the text definitely delivers what I'm trying to say. I hope you don't mind.

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AceNightfire#0980 wrote:

Here we are, diving into the next chapter from GGG, a game proudly bearing the name of its very successful predecessor, Path of Exile. It’s safe to say that a significant portion - probably 90% - of the active community here has roots in PoE1. These players, like me, want to be part of this next step in the evolution of the ARPG genre. I believe GGG is deeply appreciative of this overwhelming participation. After all, we’re not just playing; we’ve also chosen to support them financially by purchasing EA, providing GGG with the resources to keep development moving forward, even though Path of Exile 2 will be free-to-play.

However, as with the launch of any new game - especially one in EA - there are bound to be challenges and consequences. The internet, with its power to instantly connect us and amplify our voices, is a double-edged sword. It allows us to share feedback from anywhere, at any time, under the veil of anonymity. While this anonymity offers certain advantages, it also carries significant responsibilities: to use this power thoughtfully and not abuse it.

It’s essential to remember that real people - dedicated developers who’ve poured years of their lives into PoE2 - are reading the words we post here. Some players provide honest, constructive feedback, often with carefully considered suggestions to improve the game. But others... don’t. They vent frustration, insult the developers, or resort to name-calling, often without offering any useful feedback at all. These posts aren’t about improvement; they’re an outlet for anger, because the game is not (yet) what they expected it to be.

Unfortunately, this negativity doesn’t just vanish into the ether. It affects everyone who reads it, including other players. Personally, I’ve noticed that the more I encounter provocative or non-constructive posts, the harder it becomes to remain rational - even for me. This kind of environment can quickly spiral into something unhealthy, detracting from the meaningful discussions we could and should be having in order to help this game reaching its full potential.

GGG needs us. They wouldn’t have launched PoE2 in EA if they didn’t care about their players’ feedback. But for them to succeed in shaping the game into something that aligns with their vision - while incorporating our input - we, as players, need to step up. That starts with how we engage: with each other and with GGG.

To those reading this: how can we truly help GGG? I think the first step is refusing to be drawn into unnecessary conflict. If someone posts provocatively or without constructive intent, we should resist the urge to respond emotionally. Sometimes, the best course of action is no reaction at all. These provocative topics will vanish fast, if no one reacts. Instead, focus on meaningful conversations, even if others aren’t doing the same.

GGG is giving us the chance to shape PoE2 into something extraordinary. Let’s honor that opportunity by fostering a community that’s thoughtful, constructive, and supportive - not just for GGG but for each other. Together, we can make this journey better for everyone involved.

And I'll be honest enough: I wrote a text and ChatGPT gave it an overhaul. But the text definitely delivers what I'm trying to say. I hope you don't mind.

"

AceNightfire#0980 wrote:

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Valsacar#0268 wrote:

You're right, but here's the problem. If you don't confront the stupid, it becomes a giant echo chamber which serves the opposite of what your goals are.

This only works if people actually provide feedback (not rants, not bitching, not doomsaying). You can already see, the few posts that actually give good feedback die because people are more interested in bitching that the game isn't POE1.

From my perspective, these threads that have like over 20 pages are a result of people trying to "fight" the players that just want to rant. And as soon as you try to confront them, you give them room to rant more.

In my early days, there was a saying: Don't feed the troll. And I think that happens here quite too often, haha.