Invasion: Bring it In As a Core Game Property [Strawpoll results inside]

So, as part of my feedback on the one-month event solicitation thread, I said this:

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For my personal enjoyment, I really don't think Invasion has enough of a presence in the core game of Path of Exile. I would like to see Invasion present throughout the entire 1-month event in order to solicit feedback from the community now that there is a wealth of new players to see the invaders and some veterans who might have a different opinion now that they're more experienced (I think Malachai and the general adjustments to the game regarding damage and defensive mechanics in 2.0 warrant seeing how players have developed against a more routinely difficult experience). I think it's a bit unintuitive that Zana sells a map with the Invasion affix rolled, but it's not part of the core affix pool for maps. This event would provide a great platform to help decide whether or not that should be changed.

ADDENDUM: I think the philosophy behind the changes to map drop rates (rewarding a more challenging map roll) dovetails perfectly with the Invasion mechanic. It's difficult, and the IIQ/IIR rolls and their influence on map drops should affect it accordingly. People can always skip the mod, or the Invaders, if they so choose.

Yesterday, on reddit, I said this

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Invasion is easily one of the best things to happen to this game. I'm really hoping they finally get put into the core game next patch. Obviously not EVERY zone, but at the very least as a core map affix and maybe a similar random chance to spawn as exiles.

Now I'm not saying that it's received wholesale massive community support, but at the time of this post that comment has 78 and the overwhelming amount of feedback in general on the parent thread seems to indicate that most players enjoy Invasion now and would love to see it introduced into the core game similar to that of the chance of exiles spawning, and to have it as a rollable core affix outside of just being a purchase-able map mod from Zana.

So, consider this something of an informal petition, but mostly it's about soliciting feedback from the community to see where we stand as a whole, and maybe help the developers make a decision on this. With that in mind:

I've also created a strawpoll to solicit feedback on the question.

The Strawpoll : Should Invasion bosses be introduced into the core game?

Your options are:

Yes, both as a map affix and part of the core game.
Yes, but core game only (not rollable on maps)
Yes, but map affix only (not core spawn chance)
Not at all, but thanks for asking.

http://strawpoll.me/5662157


If you're interested in cross-posting your feedback, you can go to the reddit thread I created for the strawpoll.


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Results

982 total votes

* Yes (core and map affix) - 418 votes (43%)
* Yes (map affix only) - 371 votes (38%)
* Yes (core only, no affix) - 53 votes (5%)
* Nope - 140 votes (14%)

So not the largest sample size BUT:

86% of people are in favour of some form of implementation of Invasion bosses into the game (as other than just vaal side area bosses).

It's interesting to note, since about vote 150-200 or so, the percentages have stayed pretty much equal to the above percentages.

* The variance between all three forms of yes versus no has been either 86/14% or 87/13%
* Yes (core) has ranged 43-44%
* Yes (map only) has ranged 37-38%
* Yes (core only) has stayed fixed at 5%
* No has ranged 13-14%

"

BerMalBerIst1 wrote:

Invasion is my second most hated mod next to beyond, so there you have it.

Agree.

Petition not signed, his and my apologies

No need to apologize. =) Hope you voted no on the strawpoll to count your feedback there, too!

The only downside I see is: the signature mod of Zana gets... ummm... not-so-useful-anymore.

Still... I'm in. I want to kill those Invasion-bosses without creating a new character for one month, probably reaching level 40. MAX!

"

SuperMotte wrote:

The only downside I see is: the signature mod of Zana gets... ummm... not-so-useful-anymore.

Still... I'm in. I want to kill those Invasion-bosses without creating a new character for one month, probably reaching level 40. MAX!

Easy fix, just allow an additional invasion mob with the Zana mod. MOAR INVASION!

I'm in as well.

"

Shovelcut wrote:

"

SuperMotte wrote:

The only downside I see is: the signature mod of Zana gets... ummm... not-so-useful-anymore.

Still... I'm in. I want to kill those Invasion-bosses without creating a new character for one month, probably reaching level 40. MAX!

Easy fix, just allow an additional invasion mob with the Zana mod. MOAR INVASION!

I'm in as well.

3 (4) Invasion Bosses at once, Zana Signature, the new map affix(, random encounter in every area) and Zanas Map Device. FFFFFFF... YEAH 8)

Now we're talking. Path of Exile: Now with 4x more "oh shit" moments!

"

Shovelcut wrote:

Now we're talking. Path of Exile: Now with 4x more "oh shit" moments!

:D
This or one giant "oh shit"-gasm when they all appear at once.

Now I want it even more. Can I vote 2 times?

People complained that more diverse mobs in areas are immersion breaking. Invasion bosses are worse. I like diverse mobs because they make replaying more interesting and aren't breaking any zone theme.

People vote yes for making it map affix. Vaal bosses are fun becasue they are random and you can't opt out. If u make them map mod you remove part of fun.

I am against invasion in core game.


Istead of random bosses GGG should make standard bosses harder. Bosses in crossroad, sarn city, mud flats, battlefront and some other areas are joke, there is no boss in many zones. Buffing them in Cruel and Merciless would make also replaying less boring.
Also many bosses in maps aren't difficult even after buff. Adding another boss will not fix it and will just make map bosses that should be special for each zones less special.



OFC then we will get people moaning that bosses are too hard (a4 over again). Also vaal bosses will became less interesting because they will feel more like normal bosses.

Many people vote yes because of recently fun and don't think about how it would work in long run (or even short term).

Player choice is and should remain a strong focus for GGG when continuing to branch out the game experience.

This has happened with all the core mods that eventually make their way into the game experience.

So while i absolutely love invasion and i think its a blast to play i have respect for the people that do not and sign "NO" to implementing them into the core experience.

However, the current implementation of invasion is incredibly lack-luster.

1) the price of the maps is stupid to say the least
2) one then has to craft the map upwards with augs/regals and god forbid exalts(lel?)
3) the map ranges provided by zana are lackluster "all round"

Note : the current implementation is elegant in that it similarly offers a player choice to participate and locks it away in the end-game. Thus people can and probably will actively avoid participating in that content.

Suggestions =>

- make the zana invasion maps have invasion as an implicit map roll

This allows players to craft these maps as they would otherwise, with alchs and chaos if desired. This might in fact justify the map price if a good roll is attained (challenge/fun/loot from an extra unique boss)

- Allow vaal orbs to put this same invasion implicit on maps

All other rules apply to the vaaling process, so it can go up a tier, roll with 8 modifiers etc but a chance is added that it gets an implicit "map occupied by invasion boss" modifier.
Again, this allows a player to participate in such a map or not(this should not spawn on "unid" maps) and if they don't desire to i am sure they will find players willing to buy "invasion maps".

- Allow invasion on the map device

Yes this allows double invasion rolls (implicit + zana device) but at a high cost since a map either has to be bought from zana(low level oriented) or vaaled, requiring vaal orbs for the mod to be applied.

All in all i am for players being allowed to experience this content more often IF desired. People that choose not to should be allowed the same courtesy.

Peace,

-Boem-