POE2 disrespecting our time (Post-0.4.0)
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Yeah, I'm with you on the campaign skip.
The first run is fine - new zones, new bosses, lore, whatever. The second and third time? It's not "replayability", it's like re-watching the same unskippable cutscene, except the cutscene is 30+ hours long and occasionally asks you to jog across an empty continent. And the "we're adding more Acts" thing isn't comforting. That's not more content, that's more runway before the plane even takes off. If the endgame is the meal, the campaign shouldn't be a 40-hour mandatory appetizer every season and for every alt. If GGG doesn't want a hard "skip to endgame" button, fine - give us a sane middle ground. Something like an "experienced exile" option after your first clear: - Big XP multiplier for repeat campaign runs (doesn't have to be literally 10x, but enough that you're not stuck overleveling by walking). - Boss/quest shortcuts so you can jump straight to the key fights and progression gates instead of doing every fetch quest and scenic hike again. - Keep the campaign as a fast onboarding run for a new character so you still learn the mechanics and actually play the build - just without the marathon. Let people who love the full campaign keep replaying it. The rest of us just want to roll alts without signing up for another month-long commute. |
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" That "Runway" analogy is absolute gold. You nailed it. Adding more Acts just extends the taxiing time before the plane can actually fly. And your "Middle Ground" suggestion is probably the most realistic path forward. We know GGG has a philosophical allergy to a hard "Adventure Mode" skip. But an "Accelerated Campaign" (checking off key quests only + XP boost) respects both their vision and our time. I love the campaign, but I love it once. Forcing me to eat a 40-hour appetizer every time I want to try a different main course (new build) just makes me want to leave the restaurant. |
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" Something I thought might be good would be if all WPs were unlocked as one progresses in the campaign quests if they have previously unlocked that WP; that is, if the area is accessible at all in that stage of the campaign, its WP would be unlocked. Another could be allowing to skip let's say, 2 quests per act. That would be really nice also in that on different playthroughs, you could choose to skip different quests, thus adding a bit of variety to your runs. I'd also fully agree that a complete campaign skip would not be a good idea. It could very well just lead to people burning out faster in mapping; and it could have a pretty bad effect on trade with much lower availability of low- and mid-tier gear, while all experienced players would feel that they must skip the campaign to better keep up with the economy. |
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" That "Shared Waypoints" idea is actually brilliant. It’s a simple, elegant solution that keeps the Campaign intact but removes the "Walking Simulator" aspect for Alts. If I've already explored the zone on my main, letting my Alt teleport straight to the objective would cut the runtime in half without needing a "Skip Button." However, I respectfully disagree on the Economy/Trade point. By Day 3 of a league, nobody is buying "low/mid-tier gear" dropped from the Campaign. Most players use Leveling Uniques (which drop anywhere) or craft their own basic gear. The rare items dropping in Act 4 are usually vendor trash anyway. So I don't think skipping the campaign would hurt the economy. If anything, it would help it by getting more players into Maps faster, where the actual valuable loot drops. But again, +1 for the Waypoint idea. That is a massive Quality of Life feature we need ASAP. |
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" I keep selling that gear daily even now. Granted I play on HC which is a bit different economy-wise. But yeah, the idea kind of being - newer players or players who specifically want to play the full campaign at league start, often do buy stuff. And if the majority of returning players did a full campaign skip, then the availability of that gear would be much lower. Partial skips or just lessening the walking would have smaller impact there. A good amount of the gear anyway comes from the bosses and if bosses are still done, no problem there. I'd be very happy if the campaign just took let's say, 1/3 less time than it does now. Esp since I play HC, I've played the campaign through like.. 20 times by now. And honestly, playing it even once every league seems like something that is eventually going to turn me off from starting in new leagues. |
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" I can only speak from my experience but with Atlas points invested into Essences, Ecological Shift for Random Extra content, Azmeri Spirits, and Rogue Exiles, I didn't have this phase of doing one mechanic at a time like you are suggesting. By the time I started reallocating Atlas points to target farm, I already had enough Catalysts to cap the quality of several rings and enough Liquid Emotions to instill some amulets. I unspecced from Rogue Exiles, Azmeri Spirits, and Essences once I had obtained what I wanted and invested into rares, pack size, and waystone mods. Then, I ran Delirium to juice waystones and to get 2 uniques from Xesht for alts. The omens I got from Rituals and Abysses were enough to let me craft gear with T1-T3 affixes without ever using multiple tablets of the same type. I'd only consider doing that if I was playing trade league or was already essentially done with my character. I only play SSF and it is my duty as one to inform you of my status. Last edited by SoFaux#7759 on Jan 11, 2026, 4:11:58 AM
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" Ah, the Hardcore context explains everything. In HC, the economy is circular because items (and characters) leave the league constantly. Low-level gear retains value because people are constantly ripping and restarting. But in Softcore (which is the vast majority of the player base), that gear is mathematically obsolete by Day 3 because items accumulate forever. We shouldn't hold back a massive QoL feature for the 90% (SC players) just to protect the early-game economy of the 10% (HC players). But truthfully, your own experience proves my point: You've run it 20 times. You are selling the gear, yet you admit that the repetition is pushing you to quit. If even the guy profiting from the campaign is burning out, imagine how the rest of us feel! If a full skip is too radical for the economy, then the "Shared Waypoints" idea is the perfect middle ground. It keeps us in the zones (so drops happen), but cuts the travel time. We need that compromise before the player count falls off a cliff. |
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" That sounds like a very smooth run, and I'm glad the RNG favored you. However, you are describing Generic Accumulation, whereas I am talking about Specific Targeting. Generic Loot (Catalysts/Omens): Yes, you can accumulate these passively by playing random content. If your build is flexible, this feels fine. Gated Loot (Boss Uniques): This is where the "Passive Play" strategy dies. If my build requires Xoph's Blood (or its PoE 2 equivalent), I cannot just "play randomly." I must farm Breach. If I need a specific Helmet from Delirium, I must farm Delirium. You cannot "passively accumulate" specific boss drops. And regarding "T1-T3 affixes being enough": That largely depends on the build. Meta skills can function on trash gear. But if you are trying to make a struggling off-meta skill work in Red Maps, "good enough" gear often isn't enough. You need the T1s just to survive. Your strategy works great for Consumables, but it falls apart the moment you need a Specific Unique to enable your build. |
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Making more acts for the campaign is just exhibiting a complete inability to read the room. The excessively long campaign is easily in the top 3 complaints about the game, and instead of addressing the problem they are doubling down on it!
It is becoming increasingly clear that this is not a game designed for PoE fans, or even Western arpg fans.. it is made for the Chinese audience who traditionally love excessive grinds and slogfests with minimal rewards. |
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" I couldn't agree more on the "Read the Room" part. Doubling down on campaign length when "Campaign Fatigue" is the #1 complaint is genuinely baffling. It feels like telling a customer who complained about their soup being cold: "Don't worry, we're bringing you a bigger bowl of cold soup." However, I disagree that this is designed for a specific "Eastern Audience." Asian ARPGs/MMOs are often grindy, yes, but they are usually Fast and Flashy. PoE 2 is Slow and Methodical. This doesn't feel like market pandering; it feels like pure Developer Stubbornness (aka "The Vision"). The devs are obsessed with this "Dark Souls-like" pacing and friction. They aren't making this game for China or the West; they are making it for themselves, and they seem genuinely surprised that the average player doesn't enjoy suffering as much as they do. |
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