Community smaller?

"

...I've switched to playing with no sound, just so I can keep going without so many crashes...

I remember someone in some game once complaining about a sound performance problem for a game being played on a PS4 vs the same game being played on XBox. The issue turned out to be differing performance characteristics between the two consoles and their hardware/firmware.

Xbox was, at least the original XBox One, optimized for streaming media. The intent was to turn it into the Living-room Entertainment Device To Rule Them All that console developers were so hungry for. So, Microsoft pushed the multi-media capabilities a bit harder than processing/gaming. The result? Better media and streaming capabilities in general on XBox, better game performance and a few other perks on PS4. (I have both and the PS4 game graphics are a tad better, IMO.)

The fix for this issue relied on the developer, I think. They had to change how their game used the differing bits of available firmware they had access to. There "could have" been an improvement that could be implemented console-side, but I don't know what it is. Likely, some sound toggles/compression/something..

Anyway - What I'm saying is that the issue does exist or has existed at least one other time in other games distributed across both platforms due to their difference in focus. :)

For XBox, at least in my experience in a few Leagues, the issue used to be hanging on loading, crashing on loading, or huge spikes/crashes during certain actions that put a ton of stuff on the screen and/or involve a communication during that time between server/client. ie: Opening a chest seems like it requires a handshake server-side. Accidentally activating anything that requires that used to end up challenging one's internet connection to the limits... PoE on XBox, at least, has gotten much better. But, it still takes a near-pristine internet connection to avoid certain issues.

"

Honestly, I'm not so sure I'm not. I could always go back to playing it on PC, but how console has been treated and knowing there's no possible way they could have tested it for console doesn't leave me with a good taste in my mouth.

I prefer PC gaming in general. But, for games like this I prefer a console rather than sitting at a desk or trying to set up a stream to my TV. (Steam Link, etc) However, AFAIK, there's no direct controller support for PoE on PC and never will be. That's kind of a deal-killer for me in terms of ARPG games, these days.

Note: On Player Populations - I sell... saleable stuffs during Early League. Things like four-socket items for a Fusing and leveling gear and the like for cheap. I've seen a decent number of small transactions over the past few days. It's not constant, but it's a decent number of transactions. That has me hoping that the player-base is still out there in some appreciable form.

In XBox Marketplace right now, for comparison: (ALL Sellers)

34 Watcher's Eyes
11 Kaom's
2 Starforges
37 Bellys
3 Inpulsa's (What's up with that? I know Arc was nerfed, but still...)
100 + Lifesprigs (Common Drop, vendored/collected/trashed usually unless one is leveling another character)

None of this accounts for drop rates. The only reasonable determiners for "activity" and "loot runs run" in this list are likely Watcher's Eye and Starforge. (Belly farming/div cards is a thing and Koam's has a wide variety of drop conditions. Inpulsa's is pretty common, or used to be. A couple of Leagues ago I had two or three drop for me and one that I chanced....)

PS - Btw, the "Official Path of Exile XBox Club" hasn't had an update/post in over a year. GG GGG's Marketing and XBox Community Support staff! WTG!

"

Morkonan wrote:

I prefer PC gaming in general. But, for games like this I prefer a console rather than sitting at a desk or trying to set up a stream to my TV. (Steam Link, etc) However, AFAIK, there's no direct controller support for PoE on PC and never will be. That's kind of a deal-killer for me in terms of ARPG games, these days.

Same; I prefer PC.

With code being implemented to interface with the existing xbox controller I'm surprised the option has never been added for PC. It does have handicaps (targeting specifically).

On the flip side though, I have friends who have found it easier to buy consoles every however many years than to keep up with PC purchases/upgrades. So I'm playing on console specifically because it's easier to bring other people in.

Really the big problem I'm seeing though is console has all sorts of ARGP-type games. With the number of crashes and abysmal performance with blights (on PS4 at least), it's all too easy to jump over to something else. I can't even tell my friend at this point his concerns are being addressed because although we know the issues are there, communication on upcoming fixes targeting console is usually pretty light. Acknowledgement and next steps would probably help keep.

"

..With code being implemented to interface with the existing xbox controller I'm surprised the option has never been added for PC. It does have handicaps (targeting specifically).

Targeting can be difficult, but it's not terrible. But, as console players, we're supposed to have "an advantage" because we have "direct control" of our characters...

"

...because it's easier to bring other people in.

^--- This. They don't have to leave their living room.

"

...I can't even tell my friend at this point his concerns are being addressed because although we know the issues are there, communication on upcoming fixes targeting console is usually pretty light. Acknowledgement and next steps would probably help keep.

There was a similar issue in Abyss League. The Abyssal Rifts would open and craw across the screen and fifty-eleven mobs would pop out and start screaming and throwing crap all over the place. The game would then slideshow itself until you got a dialogue option - "Resurrect in Town, Resurrect at Checkpoint."

The load is a bit higher in Blight, but they eventually fixed the Abyssal mechanic and now an Abyss opening up is relatively lightweight.

I think they will do what they can do. I don't know how much that will be, but the complaints about Blight Maps and technical issues are pretty much spread across the entire spectrum of platforms for this League.

PoE has "Dynamic Framerate." Basically, it will reduce itself when there's too much crap on the screen. THAT mechanic has been a bit troublesome on consoles. I haven't noted PoE's dynamic framerate kicking in as often as it used to, though. No changes on my end except I got my ISP to clean up my connection and give me a brand new Router. (Right out of the box from the factor, out of the technician's own "private stock" - BRAND NEW! Who'da thunk it?)

I can confirm that two weeks in and the game is pretty much dead. There is not a single +minion damage ring on the market and only like 10? drops from elder/shaper listed. Things like Kaom's are virtually non-existent. Other items that were much more common the last league like the queen's hunger or cinderswallow urn are effectively gone from the market.

Now talking about the lesser presence of players. Yes, I noticed this too, tho since the majority of the player base is playing Necros their "default" city is usually the ACT they summon their specters from, thus much fewer people visible in Oriath.

Act 1 is dead tho. It used to have at least one-two people any hour of the day. Now, not so much.

"

afewnameslater wrote:

I can confirm that two weeks in and the game is pretty much dead. There is not a single +minion damage ring on the market and only like 10? drops from elder/shaper listed. Things like Kaom's are virtually non-existent. Other items that were much more common the last league like the queen's hunger or cinderswallow urn are effectively gone from the market.

Popular items tend to get gobbled up quickly. We're still relatively early in the League for a lot of players. When they get their desired items and have enough dupes to start selling them instead of holding them for alternate characters, we might see greater quantities. Summoner/Necros are "The Build" that's all the rage right now.

"

Now talking about the lesser presence of players. Yes, I noticed this too, tho since the majority of the player base is playing Necros their "default" city is usually the ACT they summon their specters from, thus much fewer people visible in Oriath.

Act 1 is dead tho. It used to have at least one-two people any hour of the day. Now, not so much.

Instancing prevents us from being able to get a good idea on the number of total players.

But, all that being said, I wouldn't disagree that there is less of a playerbase for this League. :) Frankly... It's "uninteresting" to me, at least. The Oils are nice for amulets, though, but.. Yip? :)

And, Cassia can go die in a fire as far as I'm concerned. A Next-to-Zero interest in the current League mechanics on my end. I don't know how the whole community feels about it, though. (Some people love the heck out of it, but I think they're all going to be PC players that have no issues clicking on towers all over the screen.)

Smaller because its most crashing game and fps droping game on playstation , fallout 76 after pathes work brtter. But still players database on ps4 is still better than pc and xbox. Simply check ladders still more player than pc.

well, let's look at some of the underlying reasons:

1. on Xbox, GGG couldn't even get the league launched at the proper time.... this alone ruins the league for some people who like to race. Not to mention, it shows GGG's incompetence and complete disregard for console players. That would never fly on PC.

2. NON-STOP issues every league. Literally every league on console is like beta testing. GGG obviously does not properly QA/test league content before releasing it. Players are tired of it. Every league it's the same issues lasting for 1/3rd the entire league. People are fed up.

3. Instead of balancing skills, GGG nerfs them into the ground and makes some skills incredibly over powered (meta). It's like the division of the middle and upper class in America. there are skills that are just mediocre at best, and then a very select few of the skills every league are over powered, and then get nerfed into the ground the next league. GGG doesn't even attempt to balance, they just nerf popular skills into the ground and make new skills over powered every league. It gets old for build diversity. This league is minion builds. Not a whole lot of people enjoy the minion play style.

4. Performance issues. Even PC players are getting fed up with the performance issues that arise every league. The code needs to be optimized and made more efficient, for both console and PC.

"

LOLUBAD wrote:

well, let's look at some of the underlying reasons:

1. on Xbox, GGG couldn't even get the league launched at the proper time.... this alone ruins the league for some people who like to race. Not to mention, it shows GGG's incompetence and complete disregard for console players. That would never fly on PC.

2. NON-STOP issues every league. Literally every league on console is like beta testing. GGG obviously does not properly QA/test league content before releasing it. Players are tired of it. Every league it's the same issues lasting for 1/3rd the entire league. People are fed up.

3. Instead of balancing skills, GGG nerfs them into the ground and makes some skills incredibly over powered (meta). It's like the division of the middle and upper class in America. there are skills that are just mediocre at best, and then a very select few of the skills every league are over powered, and then get nerfed into the ground the next league. GGG doesn't even attempt to balance, they just nerf popular skills into the ground and make new skills over powered every league. It gets old for build diversity. This league is minion builds. Not a whole lot of people enjoy the minion play style.

4. Performance issues. Even PC players are getting fed up with the performance issues that arise every league. The code needs to be optimized and made more efficient, for both console and PC.

I think in its current state it shouldnt be on console. im playing console games for over 25 years now and Poe is the most unstable game ive ever seen.

All those other issues (1,2,3) can be addressed if the game runs stable. This should be Nr.1 priority.

I dont see any chance for that. Only change engine can handle this for ps4 and others