Mercenaries need to go core!

"

Raycheetah#7060 wrote:

I seem to recall that Kingsmarch "wasn't ever going core," either. =^[.]^=

Exactly this.

Many players have voiced support for bringing this mechanic into the core game, with only a very small number opposed. As with past cases, it's the same familiar faces pushing back against new features that could bring long-term improvements.

Meanwhile, a large portion of the community feels positive about the current league mechanic, and for good reason. Hopefully, GGG sees the value here and chooses to make this wonderful mechanic core going forward.

And as we've seen in most cases, GGG tends to know better than the loud vocal minority that's consistently opposed to change, improvement, and fresh additions to the game.

:D
Guys, even if mercs added (which I hope won't happen) GGG at least remove their invulnerability. Without it they will die left and right, like AG without investment. I also have doubt that free 50% aura survive.

So don't expect same Doryani mercs in core. And i think a lot of so called "fun" disappears (especially for new players, who killed ubers with them). At best you get free AG clones with moderate damage.

"

Raycheetah#7060 wrote:

I seem to recall that Kingsmarch "wasn't ever going core," either. =^[.]^=

And the obvious MASSIVE difference there is that Kingsmarch didn't have nearly even a tenth of the power creep. Plus, the mechanics could very easily be tweaked, as they were, since it was 99% just more rewards rather than power. But notice that they DID gut the power too, even the small bit it offered with weapon enchants.

Bringing up kingsmarch is comparing apples to oranges: the argument against mercenaries is the sheer power. Kingsmarch argument was never about power, or even the rewards: it was about having a passive system within the game economy. And even THAT came back in a less than appealing way for many Kingsmarch fans.

Two completely different arguments when it comes to the details. But who can be bothered with those right?

Also....there is ALWAYS an argument for/against new content being added to core. Always. The argument substance is what matters, yet you completely leave it out to try and put a "gotcha" in here. Not a single league in the last few years has escaped the "should it or will it go core" forum wars.



I would still argue that Kingsmarch adds nothing to the game and shouldn't exist. But at least it also doesn't actively damage the game in any way. Same cannot be said of mercenaries, no matter what form they take.

"

cowmoo275#3095 wrote:

Bringing up kingsmarch is comparing apples to oranges

Despite what some might argue, we actually do have a valid apples-to-apples comparison here. We’ve seen league mechanics with real depth before, ones that GGG managed to balance and tune effectively, despite their inherent complexity. Mercenaries follow a similar pattern, another layered system that, with proper tuning, could be integrated into the core game without causing major issues.

GGG has repeatedly demonstrated that they can adjust, rebalance, and rework numbers on the fly, depth is not a blocker when the developers are both willing and capable.

Take Kingsmarch as an example. The original, untouched version of that mechanic would’ve been a poor fit for the core game in its initial form. It was clearly overtuned, highly rewarding, arguably too easily rewarding. But GGG recognized that and made substantial nerfs for good reason. Even now, it remains powerful, but it’s in a healthier spot. That exact same philosophy can be applied to Mercenaries, tweak the numbers, scale back the extremes, and you have a viable core feature.

It’s not any more difficult for the dev team to fine-tune Mercs just because of what they're called. Adjusting their defenses, lowering aura levels, changing scaling, this is standard balancing work. The core framework is already solid and can absolutely be iterated on and shaped to fit the long-term game environment.

So let’s not pretend Mercenaries are some radical departure from precedent. As with many other mechanics, the key lies in thoughtful integration and balancing. Community feedback has already outlined multiple viable paths forward. When properly tuned, Mercenaries could easily become a positive long-term addition to the game.

Unless, of course, you’re one of those FOMO-fueled purists who can’t see past Doryani’s Prototype, because that’s the one lens where your fear of missing out still thrives and trickles into every argument.

Agree with thread topic. I will miss mercs in core game. They should be a part of poe by default. Like diablo it has. They could be reworked and balanced, but i hope they bring them to the core game. Im a soloplayer, but i love it to feel a part of party gameplay. We have AI party member, who dont do a smoke break or has no time when you do.

Bump for mercenaries to go core!

"

cowmoo275#3095 wrote:

You are wrong that we are *overdue*, based on all the numbers YOU just wrote out. We were told by GGG 2 weeks ago that the next league is coming out "End of October". There are only two possible dates for that: the 24th or far more likely the 31st. The 17th isn't....anywhere near the end of October, that is the middle. Even by the examples you outlined, the HIGHEST amount of time before league release would STILL be looking at the end of THIS week as the first announcement or teaser at the earliest.

For you mathematical folks...October 24th, the earliest likely date possible, is still over 3 weeks away. October 31st, my prediction, even more than that. As I said earlier, the EXPECTATION of long-term PoE players who have ever remotely paid attention to dates would be NEXT WEEK. And the first gut reaction wouldn't be we are being ignored, because you shouldn't even be expecting ANYTHING before next week. Or perhaps at the EARLIEST, this Friday.

Hey.....just like to point out how poorly the arguments against this aged...

It's like...gasp...they followed the plan of release that they have ALWAYS followed, exactly as described. And exactly within the dates THEY told us at the beginning of september.

gotta love it. two full pages of just being...wrong. While I get personally attacked because I actually paid attention for the last decade.

"

cowmoo275#3095 wrote:

gotta love it. two full pages of just being...wrong. While I get personally attacked because I actually paid attention for the last decade.

I think this really shows how off your take on GGG’s communication was, they’ve clearly gone back to their original announcement schedule, giving us an announcement of the announcement nearly a full month ahead of time instead of the last-minute updates we saw in recent leagues.

Huge props to GGG for returning to their earlier communication style, this kind of advance notice feels like the classic days of Path of Exile.

With 3.27 about three weeks away, it’s the perfect time to push balance changes and make Mercs go core. Three weeks is plenty of room to smooth out the known issues in the current league mechanic and really polish it up.

From the pre-announcement for the new league:

https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3865111

"

The Mercenaries league will end on the 27th of October (PDT). We'll let you know what will be happening to our Trarthan friends (and enemies) closer to the end of the league.

That particular verbiage, that word choice, doesn't sound to me like GGG plans to give Mercs the axe. =0[.]o=

"

VoidWhisperer42#5989 wrote:

I think this really shows how off your take on GGG’s communication was, they’ve clearly gone back to their original announcement schedule, giving us an announcement of the announcement nearly a full month ahead of time instead of the last-minute updates we saw in recent leagues.

This literally.....was never true.

Not for 3.26, 3.25, 3.24, 3.23, or any number of previous leagues.


"last minute updates we saw in recent leagues".....what in the world are you talking about?

I listed the last two leagues and their corresponding announcements as a reference, the very ones you and that other guy said BROKE the standard...which they didn't. You yourself listed a ton of the earlier leagues which didn't break the standard. I already verified that the same is true of every league back to 3.19, at which point I got bored.


What "reality" are you living in? Where are these last minute league release announcements? At what point did GGG EVER break their "announcement of announcement", teasers, title, etc. pattern that has consistently occurred 3-4 weeks before the new league gets released over the entire lifetime of this game? Literally one example please.

You are demanding and feeling abandoned over something that has never once been true.



You seem to just be extending your feelings about the extended 3.25 and delayed 3.26 to........anything it'll stick to.