Looking for feedback on the current state of racing / Season 8

Hey everyone, I am planning to do a podcast topic on the current state of racing and season 8. I am looking for views, opinions, feedback and anything of the sort from all racers. Experience is not relevant as long as you are participating. Would love feedback from all perspectives and angles. If you wish to share it is very much appreciated. It can be to do with anything on the season, race changes, the schedule, past experiences as long as the changes are relative to the current state and how it has progressed and changed, whether or not for the better or worse.

There is a lot of great information already posted throughout the race feedback but this can be a bit more specific and precise, or directed at something not yet discussed on the forums.

Thanks for the read and hope to hear from some.

This is my third season racing, but my first season really participating for the higher end rewards. So far I am really liking this season especially the Decent Champion races.

There are a lot of topics complaining about the sword in the race, but I for one am happy they put it in there. I'm really not trying to sound like an ass, but it seems as though the people complaining the loudest are those that are "leet" at racing and are upset because it's not an "easy" win anymore. It actually comes down to a race between more than just the same 3 or 4 people and I really like that (even though I'm never near the top :) )

Having a job and a wife and kids at home I like that the main race is shorter because it allows me to race in more events without spending the entire night camping at my PC (I was also very excited to see the quantity of burst races included this season because they are easy to jump on my PC for 15 minutes and get a quick 2 points).

I wish there were a few more races between the hours of 10pm - 1am EST, but they seem to be increasing those each season, so hopefully that continues. All in all, this has been the most fun season for me yet!

Just gonna go straight to the point of this reply, the new Descent champion weapons made it so easy, even my 10 year old brother does "good". I feel its like as you said once and I quote
"they only made this season about flameblast/spell casters in Descent champions", removing any form of competitivity for other classes, this season its like go Witch/templar or go home....
As for the schedule I feel it got some times targeted at european players and sometimes at US etc.

This is just my point of view and opinion, feel free to reply if you disagree with anything :)
-Zeay

Personally, I wish that there were more races in the 75-90 minute range. These lengths, in my opinion, are the best length, as the racers who are best at progression get rewarded substantially. I dislike both 1 hours and the 2+ hour long races because it becomes 30+ minutes of farming one zone, whether it be Sins 1, Crypt 2, or Docks, which is pretty mind-numbing.

I understand that GGG has moved the average length time down to encourage more participation, but I also hope they lessen the number of burst races. Although they provide fairly easy points for the amount of time invested, I find them to be the least skill intensive race.

I'm also of the opinion that GGG should change its racing policy so that dying doesn't remove points earned. Racing is hard- having all your rewards vanish because you died in the last 10 minutes of a 3 hour is extremely punishing, and someone who's several levels ahead of the number 2 in class getting zero points is counter-intuitive to me. This is already present in Descent, D;C, and EL, and you tend to see increased participation in those events, which probably has some contribution to the more lenient death rules.

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ThePr0fess0r wrote:

It actually comes down to a race between more than just the same 3 or 4 people and I really like that (even though I'm never near the top :) )

Except it really isn't a race. Every single competitive witch/templar is full clearing the entirety of halls 1-3, so it's entirely pack rng.

they should make DC and EL give no points if you die

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janimauk wrote:

they should make DC and EL give no points if you die

so what you are saying is that they should just remove those 2 races. Im on board with that. Really though I feel like the shortening of the race to 40mins was dumb for dc. So was the fact that they didnt seem to test it at all and now there are these retarded swords that are stupid op. I think they should lessen the number of burst, descent, dc, and el races. I think there should be more 60+ min races. I think they should update the skill gems in dc and also remove some mainly from witch. I think they should nerf flameblast. I think that they should remove fracturing because lets be real no one enjoys it. I think they should add more exiles everywhere especially in a season were dc is the sig and there are a shitload of EL and burst races you need a few more fun races. I think they should remove ms boots from the vendor because that shit is just straight up stupid. End rant.

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renruB wrote:

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janimauk wrote:

they should make DC and EL give no points if you die

so what you are saying is that they should just remove those 2 races. Im on board with that. Really though I feel like the shortening of the race to 40mins was dumb for dc. So was the fact that they didnt seem to test it at all and now there are these retarded swords that are stupid op. I think they should lessen the number of burst, descent, dc, and el races. I think there should be more 60+ min races. I think they should update the skill gems in dc and also remove some mainly from witch. I think they should nerf flameblast. I think that they should remove fracturing because lets be real no one enjoys it. I think they should add more exiles everywhere especially in a season were dc is the sig and there are a shitload of EL and burst races you need a few more fun races. I think they should remove ms boots from the vendor because that shit is just straight up stupid. End rant.

i didnt mean remove, just give no points. the fact that this season has like 80+ races where you get points even if you die fucks up the season ladder. i agree with less EL and burst. EL has potential to be "fun" but its not, as for less descent i disagree. there are like 12 or so this season while theres 25+ el and 20+ bursts

I would say descent is fun but having to choose between mediums and qs is stupid and the statue zone kills my fun real quick.

At some point even vanilla race is just dumb rng like who's got ms earlier, whos got whetstone, whos got 2nd qs, who's got so much blue packs at crypt that they gave split that looks more like docks split.
And of course there is this rng piece of balance races like el, dc, descent and burst made for noobs to have fun. Carefully balanced gem rewards (like caster scion kills brute for 4 minutes at lvl < 12 and 2 min at lvl 12, vs any single target class kills it for 30 seconds), carefully balanced gems (999999999999 dps flameblast at lvl 1 vs 0 dps freeze pulse at lvl 9999 - u mad?), carefully balanced pack density like some guy get 0 blue packs vs some guy get 8 packs - oh, his 1st overall, definitely skill, carefully balanced enemies types at el, carefully balanced area levels at descent, brilliant balanced burst race - this is pure piece of balance forged in some developer's asshole.
Now its like 10 races in a row we have this 'fun' races, where any afk noob can beat you with his eyes closed, because this is fun, races is fun, poe is game about rng. Fuck this races then, what's the point of even playing them? Its same shit like competitive dice throwing.

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janimauk wrote:

they should make DC and EL give no points if you die

But but.... then those races become unpopular as BLAMT.