GGG should just make POE2 like D4 and be done with it.

The problem no one seems to realize in the POE2 player base is that while you all dump on D4 and say bad things, the people at blizzard that make the decisions consider D4 to be a RAGING PHENOMENOL success. I have worked for 2 big game companies before and only maybe 5% of their staff even plays any games and among decision maker execs only maybe 1% (and that is being generous) play ANY game, much less their own product. They don't care if the game is a total turd as long as it makes money and D4 has made a lot of money. Also these game companies don't care about retention, they will simply put out another version of the same game with minor changes and do the same dance next year. Only small independent game makers actually make games that gain long term success and name recognition. Destiny is a perfect proof of this. Before Activision took it over it was genius. Afterwards loot boxes were introduced because it made a ton of money. No one in the execs gave one ... duck ... as to whether the players liked it.

That is what the new player POE2 base is advocating for. Basically they want D4 done better. The POE2 gameplay has far more in common with D4 than POE1. Clearly Tencent has made a strategic decision that the recipe that made POE1 a success for a decade was not one they wanted. They wanted the drive-by crowd of toxic D4 players.

After playing Phrecia, even with the FUBAR decision on the atlas, I came back to try something in POE2 and realized that POE2 isn't a slower game, its a tedious game. It is devoid of fun, a full bore random number generator on steroids. So why bother trying to improve it POE1 style, just make it like D4. Because players that want the complex depth of POE1 will never play this ... thing.

So the only solution now is to pivot. Tencent gets their very transient burst of cash and will be delighted.

With any luck they will go back to maintaining POE1 and you all can have your POE-light-x-D4 cross and we will have the rich complexity of the masterpiece that is POE1.

I'm finding phrecia a painful slogfest after PoE2, I'm getting to 80 and quitting

If PoE1:

* Got rid of utility flasks and balanced game around not having them
* Sorted out its horrible controller support
* Improved the lighting so it doesn't look like everything's in permanent shadow
* Made all sockets white

Then it would be better than PoE2 is currently.

The endgame is much superior to PoE2 but the journey up to red maps is not enjoyable and the number of builds workable with controller is extremely limited (basically 1 button ranged combat)

Yeah, no.

We already have D4 in PoE and the sequel was meant to be a all around slower experience which they seem to have issues delivering post campaign so the last thing i want is more speed, especially with the hilarious lack of variety in build options right now.

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LordMordeth#6639 wrote:

Yeah, no.

We already have D4 in PoE and the sequel was meant to be a all around slower experience which they seem to have issues delivering post campaign so the last thing i want is more speed, especially with the hilarious lack of variety in build options right now.

+1

I wish they would reduce monster movement speed, increase monster defense and health, get rid of the one shots and damage spikes. You shouldn't be getting swarmed instantly all the time - it promotes braindead blow up the entire screen gameplay, because otherwise you die.

Also reduce player attack speed, give it diminishing returns. Reduce AoE damage, reduce damage in general. Nobody should be doing millions of damage. Ranged abilities in general shouldn't be doing as much damage as melee ones. They already have the advantage of being ranged. Ranged characters shouldn't as defensive than melee ones unless they're specifically built to be so.

Nobody is ever going to utilize blind, main, pins, dodges, active blocking, damage over time, etc. if blowing up the entire screen instantly is the only viable option.

"

SplashKing#6352 wrote:

"

LordMordeth#6639 wrote:

Yeah, no.

We already have D4 in PoE and the sequel was meant to be a all around slower experience which they seem to have issues delivering post campaign so the last thing i want is more speed, especially with the hilarious lack of variety in build options right now.

+1

I wish they would reduce monster movement speed, increase monster defense and health, get rid of the one shots and damage spikes. You shouldn't be getting swarmed instantly all the time - it promotes braindead blow up the entire screen gameplay, because otherwise you die.

Also reduce player attack speed, give it diminishing returns. Reduce AoE damage, reduce damage in general. Nobody should be doing millions of damage. Ranged abilities in general shouldn't be doing as much damage as melee ones. They already have the advantage of being ranged. Ranged characters shouldn't as defensive than melee ones unless they're specifically built to be so.

Nobody is ever going to utilize blind, main, pins, dodges, active blocking, damage over time, etc. if blowing up the entire screen instantly is the only viable option.

Let's not deceive ourselves. It is a RNG looting game after all. The problem for slow builds is not viability, but META itself. A faster build will always be better than a slow build, because it loots faster, being more rewarding. If you have to choose between defenses or fast clear, the answer is obvious. People will never be interested in playing a strategic slow style if it mean a slower clear speed, i.e. less rewards. Specially if they reduce monster movement speed and one-shots, which means even less reason to go the defensive strategic style.

The only way for a defensive startegic style to make more sense than a fast clear build is making death penalty more impactful, but seeing this forum lately, I doubt that it is what the community wants.

Personally I think they should just go whole force on the "slow game" thing. The quicker this fails financially the sooner we can get back to sanity. If its a financial success and they go back to supporting POE1, I will support POE1. POE2 are the "easy game" crowd. They want an "I Win" button with no complexity.