Skip Acts function for the second and subsequent characters in the league

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arkanie#2558 wrote:

I cant agree you more sir and I thank who ever say their point without wild attitude with valid logical reasons not matter this way or that way.

I have 1000+ hours sinked into this game, playing since Early Access launch in December 2024. Never played POE1. I have not recommended POE2 to anyone still to this day because I always have mixed feeling about it. Some things I like about the game, some things I don't.

On par of the Endgame, people still divisive about the campaign since EA launch. We had some changes but that is still not enough. If my memory doesnt trick me, in some of the recent interviews with GGG they said that they gonna bring some changes in 30 zones thru the campaign in 0.5(?) so we'll see. But I still don't believe that 15 hour mandatory campaign having much of staying power in the long term. All I hear is "No", "Go play D4", "Don't like it, quit the game" and all that defensive nonsense which really don't explain this defending position. That why we should keep those topics alive otherwise the will game will become a game for a niche audience. The game already have its reputation damaged because 0.1 and 0.2 was not good patches and so many of the new blood just quit the game maybe forever

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arkanie#2558 wrote:

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CyberData4#5867 wrote:

No. Go play D4 for the casual story skip experience.

Sir lets say you have an option to play again for your following characters, and you pick to play campaign, i pick to skip it.

we both dont lose or dont gain anything.

Why it doesnt work for you?

It's not us necessarily, it's the GGG philosophy (at least in 2025!)

Path of Exile 2 game director Jonathan Rogers said:

“As for skipping campaign, it just isn’t going to happen. I’ve actually talked about this quite a few times in the past, but it’s one of those things where there’s lots of downsides that we see to that, and we think that it overall will make the game worse. And I would even go so far as to say that action RPGs that do allow that, I believe ultimately will not have as much longevity as ones that don’t.

There’s a lot of reasons for that, but ultimately that is something that I think is a big mistake for action RPGs to do.”

https://www.kakuchopurei.com/2025/03/path-of-exile-2-director-jonathan-rogers-interview-march-2025/

"Campaign skip options are inherently bad for an ARPG long-term, Path of Exile 2 Director says"
https://www.sportskeeda.com/mmo/campaign-skip-options-inherently-bad-arpg-long-term-path-exile-2-director-says

Granted, the sources are "thin" .. read "OBSCURE" LOL ...but they do quote Jonathan directly.

I'm in favor a skip option with end game rewards / changes for people who play through campaign: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3927001

It's a good idea, but make it so that you have to complete the entire act with one character, but you can immediately transfer the other characters to the endgame with the same number of nodes and the same level.
With the ability to make choices about resistances or other items in the character's hideout (such as choosing medallions)

I would like to try different characters with different builds, but I don't have enough time. I get tired of completing acts over and over again. In the previous league, I completed three of my characters to the endgame, and I don't feel like doing anything else.

Yes, those who earn money by performing acts will be left without money, but I think there are many opportunities for farming in the game, and it's not a big loss.

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600lbpanther#3839 wrote:

Path of Exile 2 game director Jonathan Rogers said:

“As for skipping campaign, it just isn’t going to happen. I’ve actually talked about this quite a few times in the past, but it’s one of those things where there’s lots of downsides that we see to that, and we think that it overall will make the game worse. And I would even go so far as to say that action RPGs that do allow that, I believe ultimately will not have as much longevity as ones that don’t.

Yeah I remember about this one. But at the same time, this is a business. Maintaining two games at once cost more money. This sentence is crearly driven by Diablo 2 experience. But we are not in a year 2000 and players have more games to choose from now than before. Lesser and lesser players will bring less money. Tencent will pull a plug and it's over.

(Poe1 campaign is much shorter btw)

I for one am glad the devs understand campaign skip is a terrible idea

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default_mp3#9394 wrote:

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600lbpanther#3839 wrote:

Path of Exile 2 game director Jonathan Rogers said:

“As for skipping campaign, it just isn’t going to happen. I’ve actually talked about this quite a few times in the past, but it’s one of those things where there’s lots of downsides that we see to that, and we think that it overall will make the game worse. And I would even go so far as to say that action RPGs that do allow that, I believe ultimately will not have as much longevity as ones that don’t.

Yeah I remember about this one. But at the same time, this is a business. Maintaining two games at once cost more money. This sentence is crearly driven by Diablo 2 experience. But we are not in a year 2000 and players have more games to choose from now than before. Lesser and lesser players will bring less money. Tencent will pull a plug and it's over.

(Poe1 campaign is much shorter btw)

He is saying it is bad to add a skip because the forced campaign slog is a time inflater that makes metrics look better to them. There really is no other reason. Something like a D2 "cow level" for characters after first completion each season would be the best win win scenario. Campaign purists can run it non stop while those who hate it and speaking for myself here... is the single biggest reason I dont make more characters, would have an alternate path to leveling. Straight to killing monsters without the talk to this person to talk to that person to go here to click this to talk to this person to stop the caravan to talk to get back on the caravan crap. Then you add in the skill points/character rewards at specific level intervals up to 60. Then normal mapping begins or whatever. It is a win win that there is no real pro campaign argument that can be made outside trade which only shows the campaign purist values trade more than the campaign.

"

Soulsniper1313#7576 wrote:

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default_mp3#9394 wrote:

"

600lbpanther#3839 wrote:

Path of Exile 2 game director Jonathan Rogers said: “As for skipping campaign, it just isn’t going to happen. I’ve actually talked about this quite a few times in the past, but it’s one of those things where there’s lots of downsides that we see to that, and we think that it overall will make the game worse. And I would even go so far as to say that action RPGs that do allow that, I believe ultimately will not have as much longevity as ones that don’t.

Yeah I remember about this one. But at the same time, this is a business. Maintaining two games at once cost more money. This sentence is crearly driven by Diablo 2 experience. But we are not in a year 2000 and players have more games to choose from now than before. Lesser and lesser players will bring less money. Tencent will pull a plug and it's over.

(Poe1 campaign is much shorter btw)

He is saying it is bad to add a skip because the forced campaign slog is a time inflater that makes metrics look better to them. There really is no other reason. Something like a D2 "cow level" for characters after first completion each season would be the best win win scenario. Campaign purists can run it non stop while those who hate it and speaking for myself here... is the single biggest reason I dont make more characters, would have an alternate path to leveling. Straight to killing monsters without the talk to this person to talk to that person to go here to click this to talk to this person to stop the caravan to talk to get back on the caravan crap. Then you add in the skill points/character rewards at specific level intervals up to 60. Then normal mapping begins or whatever. It is a win win that there is no real pro campaign argument that can be made outside trade which only shows the campaign purist values trade more than the campaign.

I wanted to reply to both of you guys at the same time so I kept the entirety of the posts (did adjust spacing tho to condense it):

Anyway, all the information I can find from Jonathan states he is not in favor of skipping the campaign. I've always played POE as a HC SSF player (so I don't trade) and it's really frustrating to get to ACT 10 Kitava or Tier 1 Map and die in a stupid manner which for me as a HC player means: I start over immediately. So I do understand campaign fatigue or slog (even with POE1's shorter campaign).

GGG's perspective is that "The campaign must be played." However, the issue is that "The campaign must first be worth playing."

I love people telling other people how to play.

For all those who defend mandatory campaign playthroughs:

If you enjoy completing campaigns every time, that's great! There's no objection if you enjoy it - do it, I'm happy for you.

I enjoy the endgame of this game the most, when I can experiment, create my build, and have the choice of what I want to do in the game. I don't want to have to play through the campaign every time I want to create a new hero.

I want to play this game. I don't want to waste several hours of my life on completing the campaign—it's not interesting.

Now image the world where You can do campaign, get to level 65 and unlock end-game OR you can start mapping from level 1 and unlock end-game at level 65.

And you have a choice! That's awesome!

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600lbpanther#3839 wrote:

I wanted to reply to both of you guys at the same time so I kept the entirety of the posts (did adjust spacing tho to condense it):

Anyway, all the information I can find from Jonathan states he is not in favor of skipping the campaign. I've always played POE as a HC SSF player (so I don't trade) and it's really frustrating to get to ACT 10 Kitava or Tier 1 Map and die in a stupid manner which for me as a HC player means: I start over immediately. So I do understand campaign fatigue or slog (even with POE1's shorter campaign).

GGG's perspective is that "The campaign must be played." However, the issue is that "The campaign must first be worth playing."

Yes I know their perspective and it is wrong for the reasons they say which is why I believe it is purely about metrics. They know if they force this long slog of a campaign on people, they know they will put their heads down and do it because endgame is what they want. They gain an extra 20 hours per character from the start. That is why.

"The campaign must first be worth playing"

Yes this is correct but I don't care HOW good it is, eventually when you have played/seen it enough, you don't want to HAVE to do it EVERY time.

Think of your favorite movie, like you had that OMG this is amazing moment when you watched it. Now, was it that good 30 times later? Did you have the same reaction? Did you even watch it that many times?

That is the entire premise of it. "Cow Level" for leveling secondary characters every season would be the absolute best thing they can do to be a win win for everyone except the deceivers who claim to be campaign purists but actually care about trade more.

"

Soulsniper1313#7576 wrote:

"

600lbpanther#3839 wrote:

I wanted to reply to both of you guys at the same time so I kept the entirety of the posts (did adjust spacing tho to condense it):

Anyway, all the information I can find from Jonathan states he is not in favor of skipping the campaign. I've always played POE as a HC SSF player (so I don't trade) and it's really frustrating to get to ACT 10 Kitava or Tier 1 Map and die in a stupid manner which for me as a HC player means: I start over immediately. So I do understand campaign fatigue or slog (even with POE1's shorter campaign).

GGG's perspective is that "The campaign must be played." However, the issue is that "The campaign must first be worth playing."

Yes I know their perspective and it is wrong for the reasons they say which is why I believe it is purely about metrics. They know if they force this long slog of a campaign on people, they know they will put their heads down and do it because endgame is what they want. They gain an extra 20 hours per character from the start. That is why.

"The campaign must first be worth playing"

Yes this is correct but I don't care HOW good it is, eventually when you have played/seen it enough, you don't want to HAVE to do it EVERY time.

Think of your favorite movie, like you had that OMG this is amazing moment when you watched it. Now, was it that good 30 times later? Did you have the same reaction? Did you even watch it that many times?

That is the entire premise of it. "Cow Level" for leveling secondary characters every season would be the absolute best thing they can do to be a win win for everyone except the deceivers who claim to be campaign purists but actually care about trade more.

Do you like playing campaign every single league and every single new character?