Endgame trials/lab and HC

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And1111 wrote:

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kaarelo wrote:

Isn't that what HC is all about?

no

Actually yes it is. the fact you play hardcore says your a cut above par. you can survive where softcore players cannot. your builds are all built tankier with more survivability. you play tactically and analyze situations before charging in. the day we beg GGG to lighten up because its too hard for hardcore players is the day you should switch to softcore =o

The new trials are hilariously easy, i done the 3 ive found soo far with complete ease as CI.

Finally, a thread about Lab runs for Ascendancy subclass points where no one has troll posted that the points are "optional" and you can skip it. I always thought that was a bullshit argument. I have a very nice incinerator caster Hierophant Magma Orb build that would be nowhere near as endgame viable or fun to play without 3 flame totems. My build is super fun to play and I cast 3 flame totems as a shield against all charging mobs and then flood the area from behind with MO+GMP. If anything survives that I can single target it with a super fast freeze pulse. The aspect of this that is most fun is that it requires skillful placement of the 3 totems to get the mobs blocked out (never boring). Loads of fun and not fun without Ritual of Awakening.

So it seems that map trials and endgame last 2 subclass points have us killing an uber Izaro. That just sounds like GGG and their "working as intended" policy of starting out with over the top uber hard content and then after they see how many make it through and how many die in HC and SC, waiting for the inevitable "shitstorm" of QQ and rage posts from uber Izaro deaths, and then re-evaluate the difficulty of him and decide if a nerf is needed. GGG has done that with Malachai and now Cruel Izaro so they're following their own design guidelines as normal.

Chris stated in one of the "State of Exile" podcasts that it's always easier to start out new content with over tough challenges and then tune them down than starting out too weak and then dialing up the difficulty. While I'm not liking that policy it does make complete sense and I'm in agreement that dialing down content difficulty (nerfing) is always better than an "uh oh Izaro is a faceroll for too many players" and then have to dial up the difficulty. Nerfing a boss instead of buffing will always elicit fewer QQ and rage posts.