Path of Exile is a MAJESTIC incline

[Stabwound]

I agree, the PoE devs seem to be real bros and not greedy fucks like Blizzard comes across like where every change seems to be calculated with the RMAH at the center of the game. The mini ladder contests and things like that are awesome, too.

I only hope that the free-to-play model doesn't turn into the typical "free-to-play" model of games where, sure, you can log in for free, but the game is pointless to play unless you shell out $$$$ for in-game shit. That's going to rely not only on the devs themselves but the willingness of the playerbase to shell out $$$$$ for non-essential in-game goods enough that the game turns a profit...

 

[Grunker]

D3 is more visually explosive and the raw explosive game play was more visceral and action packed.

Explosive as the new buzz-word for action RPGs anyone?

 

[Livonya]

D3 is more visually explosive and the raw explosive game play was more visceral and action packed.

Explosive as the new buzz-word for action RPGs anyone?

I have a feeling that in the time line of D3's creation as much effort was put into making the explosions more explosive as was also put into figuring out how to remove as much RPG elements as they possibly could.

The last 3 or 4 years of D3 development were literally more about removing RPG elements than anything else. I suspect the RPG elements were getting in the way of the explosions.

But as I said, I do think D3 is a great explosive action packed game (at least for the Barbarian - I tried the wizard and that was about as interesting as watching paint dry).

Anyway, not trying to turn this into a bash D3 thread.

I just wanted to point out that D3 and PoE both took a look at what made action RPGs fun to play.

D3 decided to remove all player agency and minimize thought or strategy and just go with a loud BOOM! Killing monsters is fun. BOOM! Action over RPG.
(players don't like to think, they just want to see monsters explode)

PoE decided to increase player agency by trying to maximize player choice and they decided to find new and interesting ways to add to the genera. RPG over action.
(players like to think, they enjoy experimenting, they are creative, and they like to see monsters explode)

I own both, but never play D3 anymore because action simply can't hold my attention long term.

Oddly, I only bought D3 because I started playing PoE and really enjoyed it, thus deluding my into believing that D3 might be fun. Luckily, I got a refund for D3 (though they never disabled my account and I can still play it if I wanted to). I then went back to PoE.

I am impressed with PoE.

 

[Stereotypical Villain]

Path of Exile looks like MAJESTIC decline. A free to play game with pay-to-win items and shit. How's that different from the real money AH? This shit is just as bad.

Hipster faggots are too blind to see the truth.

 

[Castanova]

I saw a video of high-level PoE gameplay and there was massive HP bloat which, to me, is the first sign of terrible design. Confirm/deny?

Also, my diarrhea is both explosive and immersive.

 

[Livonya]

Path of Exile looks like MAJESTIC decline. A free to play game with pay-to-win items and shit. How's that different from the real money AH? This shit is just as bad.

Hipster faggots are too blind to see the truth.

If you can name one pay to win item from PoE then you will be correct. But since you won't be able to name an item since there aren't any, then you are wrong.

Truth should be based on reality and not just some shit you pulled out of your ass.

 

[Grunker]

pay-to-win items

Where?

 

[RedScum]

He's trying to be super edgy.

 

[SerratedBiz]

How stereotypical of him.

 

[Stereotypical Villain]

Oh, they'll come... but by then you'll all be too indoctrinated to realize that you've become everything you've ever hated.

 

[hoverdog]

well, IF they come (which I think is highly unlikely based on how the devs look like now), it's really easy to give up on a game that's free, right? And till then, we can enjoy a good aRPG game that D3 could have been.

 

[Grunker]

Oh yeah, baby.

 

[Damned Registrations]

well, IF they come (which I think is highly unlikely based on how the devs look like now), it's really easy to give up on a game that's free, right? And till then, we can enjoy a good aRPG game that D3 could have been.

Thats not really true. Even if you haven't spent money on the game, you might have invested a lot of time into it, not just in terms of levelling characters and such, but in learning the game and meeting friends to play it with.

Then there's the whole issue of having payed for frivolous stuff to support the game and then having it turn to pay to win crap- then you've invested money and a lot of faith in the game on top of your time, but might not want to spend more money on it for pay to win shit.

 

[Father Walker]

Btw, I'm interested how their free2play model turns out. At this moment the only problem I see is that there just isn't enough things to buy. The game might die pretty quickly unless there is a group of people who are going to pay anyway and buy their 100th stash slot, etc.

 

[Aothan]

I saw a video of high-level PoE gameplay and there was massive HP bloat which, to me, is the first sign of terrible design. Confirm/deny?

That was probably a demonstration from a player gathering quasi-end game creatures into a cluster to show how effectively their area of effect build works come Maelstrom of Chaos. Speaking from my own experience and with a less than optimised assortment of skills there are not too many encounters that have a high amount of health as their salient strength. It is usually numbers and the sometimes drastic concentrations of damage which define challenge in the later stages of the game.

Anyway, looking forward to the forthcoming patch, although in reference to foregoing discussion and in mind of what changes are known to be occurring I would say there is some concern that the time frame for public released could leave a number of latent balance issues unresolved.

 

[Ulminati]

It looks pretty sweet. but I'll probably still end up waiting until Torchlight II is out and people figuring out WHICH IS BETTER AND WHY before splashing jewgoldz.

 

[lightbane]

So, does this game require you to pay real money to have any chance of winning? If it doesn't, then it's already better than Jewblio 3

 

[Grunker]

^ It's not like that topic has been answered 10 or 15 times in this thread.

It looks pretty sweet. but I'll probably still end up waiting until Torchlight II is out and people figuring out WHICH IS BETTER AND WHY before splashing jewgoldz.

so why splash jewgoldz exactly?

 

[Ulminati]

there's only room in my schedule for 1 hack&slasher atm. I'd like some sort of fair consensus on WHICH IS BETTER AND WHY before investing time ando/or jewgold in one of them. Especially it it turns out I have a lv 80 BROBARIAN in one game while all of codexia plays the other.

 

[Grunker]

I'll play both because I'm a lame geek

 

[Kane]

I'll play both because I'm a lame geek

That's unacceptable. You have to chose between one of them, otherwise the very fabric of codexia would implode.

 

[General Maxson]

I'm waiting for Grim Dawn.

 

[Ulminati]

I'll play both because I'm a lame geek

I'll go with whicever one lets me play the Morg™

 

[Stabwound]

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 11 April 2012 – Following a hugely popular public test weekend, the makers of Indie Action RPG Path of Exile, New Zealand-based Grinding Gear Games, have launched a ‘crowd-funding’ campaign where players can pre-purchase game currency and receive rewards such as Closed Beta Keys and exclusive in-game pets in return.
In first six days the free-to-play ‘ethical microtransaction’ funded action RPG has sold over USD$200,000 worth of supporter packs to 13,000 fans.

They made $200,000 in microtransactions in 6 days... when the game was in closed beta. That's pretty fucking insane if you ask me. On the other hand, 13 people bought in at the $1000 tier. That was in April and I think there are like 2-3x as many people in that bracket at this point.

Then again, this was when they opened up closed beta to people that donated $10 or more. Would that be such a benefit that people would spend money to play it? That would be 20,000 people at $10 a pop in 6 days, although obviously a lot of people spent a lot more than $10.

Damn, I just hope this works out for them. Imagine being in their shoes and how tempting it would be to slowly push the envelope with what "ethical F2P" means. Buying extra stash is already right on the borderline already, although there's nothing stopping you from creating a free account for more stash/mules, it's just less convenient.

They even give you something like 25-30 character slots per account to deter people from making multiple accounts so that they have more accurate metrics.

Their hearts seem to be in the right place but we'll really see what happens once the open beta is released, which is basically the full game, supposedly in August. I've been interested in this game since the day it was announced. The only thing that would sour me on it is if they started being stingy fucks with the microtransactions. Everything I've read about the game so far gives me a hard on other than the micropayment thing constantly looming above your head.

 

[Livonya]

Don't underestimate the power of aesthetics.

They will make bank on cosmetic micro-transactions.

Want your level 61 sword to look like the level 21 Cutlass? Micro-transaction. Etc, etc.

Dyes, cosmetic changes... blah, blah, blah... if they nail the game play then they can just ride the cash cow of cosmetic micro-transactions.

People love to show off, and they want to spend money on their hobbies. But in order for that to work there has to be a large player base.

The fundamental problem that Pay 2 Win games have is that they create a festering atmosphere of dislike between those that pay and those that don't, and that festering atmosphere doesn't help the game or the community.

I think what Grinding Gear Games has decided is that the standard Pay 2 Win model of trying to force money out of their player's pockets by abusing them, frustrating them, and antagonizing them ultimately hurts the games community and the way the players feel about the game.

I would even go so far as to say that when a player spends money to win it actually detracts from their own sense of accomplishment. At first they might be like "hell, yeah, I am powerful" but that sours into "I have to stop playing this game because I can't spend enough money to compete." Or it festers into guilt due to the constant abuse they receive from those that say that spending money on a game is cheating.

The community vibe is what keeps these games going. And the Pay 2 Win model is a death sentence for the community vibe.

The Pay 2 Win/Free 2 Play model is pretty gross right now, but sooner or later I think the model will get away from Pay to Win and just go with Free 2 Play and micro-transactions that don't give actual game play advantages.

But I obviously, am not privy to the private thoughts of anyone at GGG so maybe they will cave and start to add P2W elements. I don't think they need to, but that doesn't mean that they won't. I just hope not.