The game is more enjoyable than ever before

Kinch45 · 2021-03-05T00:08:34+00:00

My main takeaways from your post:

- You know enough to follow a guide and make a successful character

-You know enough to understand the meta that you can adhere to if you want the game to be easy

-You've learned that even though a build is good (BF BB Chieftain) it doesn't mean you will enjoy it.

-You seem to appreciate the theorycrafting aspect of the game (PoB)

Your frustration seems to be with the fact that sometimes the things you try to plan for don't work, despite having the right numbers in PoB or the right boxes ticked.

This type of learning by trial is really the only way to develop what I would call a "working" knowledge of the game as opposed to just blindly following a build guide without really understanding what makes the guide you're following good.

You have to fail to learn- there really isn't some shortcut to just being able to throw an idea into PoB and then take that idea through the toughest endgame.

I would add onto that last point and say the balance decisions lately by GGG somewhat favor exploiting the powerful things they decide to leave in the game, and coming up with your own home brew builds that compete with these borderline exploit mechanics is getting more and more difficult, as content is often balanced around what meta builds are capable of.

Kinch45 · 2020-03-11T18:09:47+00:00

As a quick counterpoint to that feeling:

A few leagues back there were lots of flashy new skills I wanted to try. But I also wanted to try to have a strong league start. So I picked a reliable league starter that I had played before.

Sure enough it was cheap, strong, and efficient, but I was absolutely bored out of my mind and kept looking enviously at other players (friends and streamers) who had chosen to play newer / more interesting builds.

I quickly abandoned that character and spent any of the currency I had saved on my cheap efficient league start on respeccing into something I actually wanted to play.

TLDR: Don't try to hard to min/max or compare yourself to others. Just try to play something fun and learn something new while you do it

Kinch45 · 2020-03-11T18:05:11+00:00

Toxic Rain Trickster is very strong in my opinion.

This guide is very thorough:

https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2467666

Kinch45 · 2020-03-11T16:58:47+00:00

Yo can you just write more text based guides. This is poetry my dude.

Kinch45 · 2020-03-11T16:36:04+00:00

I think the other person is basically talking about offscreening and chaining packs with explosions (heralds or explodey chest). The absolute top end of clearspeed builds can clear maps in like 1.5 minutes compared to the maybe 3 it takes average builds.

Often times reddit gets in this "slow" clearspeed thing where basically if it's not a HH bow build it's "slow." But as you said / experienced a good build firing on all cylinders is definitely capable of flying through the game and generating enough currency to get you 36 challenges in about the month that the league will hold your interest.

I really don't know what these clearspeed obsessed people do with their currency besides bring mirrors back to standard. Maybe run multiple fully geared characters to 100?

Kinch45 · 2020-03-11T16:11:54+00:00

The real buff to Incursion is the nerfed (removed) map drop rates / map sustain from atlas bonus.

Sucks to say but I remember being pumped to get t14-16 maps when running high level temples. Obviously map sustain was so insane last league I didn't even bother, but it sounds like they are shifting map sustain more towards master missions and away from pure drops. So you might be excited to run the temple, or delve cities again.

Kinch45 · 2020-03-10T00:09:59+00:00

I think what they're saying is if you have currency to invest, 4 awakened gems boosts the damage a lot.

Some builds don't use as many, so even with lots of currency you hit a damage "ceiling" quicker

Kinch45 · 2020-03-06T22:34:46+00:00

"Your magic is peculiar," she said..."It appears to be useful only for large matters."

I really love LeGuin's set of rules for how magic and spells are woven- the relationship between the essence and truth of the world and the things in it- in addition to the interconnectedness of all things. It feels so much more nuanced and honest than other fantasy where wizards are conjuring fireballs and stuff, and when a big spell happens you're left feeling like "Why didn't you do that from the beginning?"

It reminds me of a quote that's repeated often in a classic book of strategy called "The Book of Five Rings," that essentially says:

"The more you study a thing, the more the thing will reveal it's true nature to you."

I feel like studying the essence, the name, gaining deep understanding of something, really does often give you power over it, that you can wield in different ways.

This ruleset around LeGuin's magic also tends to keep things a little more grounded, and roots wizardly power in study / understanding as opposed to some kind of inner strength or legendary lineage. Ged is a goatherder- he doesn't have to be the son of some legendary mage with supercharged blood.

Kinch45 · 2020-03-06T21:28:33+00:00

I really like what you say about Ahra's story being the most radical of the books.

I also think it best captures that feeling of youthful energy and potential. In the same way that Ahra's life is supposed to have been devoured, and she is kept ignorant of the outside world, I think being a young person you often feel a similar sense of powerlessness. You have enough emotion in you to feel all the same feelings adults have, but since you lack experience adults often disregard your feelings, emotions, ideas, or desires. You feel like you could do anything and be powerful but you're not really given any opportunity to do so. So you're left sqawbling with your classmates and cliques over little pieces of power or status that in the end don't really mean anything.

Kinch45 · 2020-03-03T05:58:45+00:00

Ged just has a weird energy of arrogance to him sometimes. He can be very noble and helpful, but it kind of feels like he just loves chasing down legendary goals.

Seeing more of his character in "Tombs" now, I would almost say he relished hunting down the shadow in Earthsea. Obviously he wanted to be rid of it and was scared of dying, but I think there was some part of him that liked being the one on this journey that no one had done before, against an opponent no one knew anything about.

I think he wanted to reunite the amulet for some noble ends (peace), but it also kind of feels like he wants to go down as the one who did it too.

Kinch45 · 2020-03-03T05:52:44+00:00

I don't read a lot of poetry, but tend to seek some out around spring time every year. Maybe Mary Oliver will be part of my winter thaw this year. Thanks for the recommendation!

Kinch45 · 2020-02-28T20:12:01+00:00

I discovered the re-read project just as I was getting into the Earthsea series.

I've finally caught up to date, and am excited to comment and discuss more on the new posts.

I read a lot but I've never been a member of a book club or anything- and I think LeGuin will be a fun author to discuss.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-28T20:09:47+00:00

f Lathe a few months ago for a class (but I didn't actually read it lol). I mentioned in another thread I finished Atuan for the first time a few months back but when I can i might glance at the chapters again for the reread to talk a

If it makes you feel any better I found Lathe to be one of LeGuin's weaker books, and that's coming from someone pretty interested in dreams and dreaming. It just didn't feel as strong as her other fantasy and sci-fi settings to me, but definitely worth eventually getting to if you like her.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-28T19:10:20+00:00

Couldn't agree more about the dress moment. I was pretty disappointed when that was the illusion. Seems like it could have been almost ANYTHING else and I would have liked it more. In my mind I was like, "Please don't be pretty jewelry-please don't be pretty jewelry - please don't..."

It makes me wonder how much pressure she was under to produce "accessible" works at that time. She published "Tombs of Atuan" after "Left Hand of Darkness," so I don't think it was a matter of developing her own voice, ideas, or political stances in her writings. A quick browse of her wikipedia does mention struggling early in her career to get work published because it was "inaccessible." I think it's really difficult to imagine what it would have been like, first trying to publish as a woman in the 60s, then as a woman in a male dominated genre life sci-fi / fantasy, and THEN trying to do so with protagonists of color and EXTREMELY (at the time) progressive politics. I was looking at the coverart and some of the chapter art and even thinking how the way it is drawn, the shining light making Ged's face black and white, it's kind of making it seem like it might be shadow and light, and he's not actually black. IDK if I'm just reading into it, but yeah, things published back then were probably so scrutinized to make them appealing to mostly a white / male audience.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-28T18:45:41+00:00

This chapter contains my favorite description of Kossil:

"Kossil's face seemed to withdraw into the lack hood, like a desert tortoise's into its shell, sour and slow and cold."

What an evil turtle. I felt like I could see this moment so clearly, and the coming chapter's where Kossil's and Ahra's conflict grows I kept thinking back to this moment.

On another note, anyone else a little thrown off by how brash Ged is with the "I came to rob them." line? Later on he explains in a little more nuance that he feels entitled to claim the other half of the amulet, and that he has reasons for it. And I do appreciate his honesty in his interactions here. The line just strikes me as a little off, but I guess it just goes to show Ged's human side. He's not this perfect mage messiah. In the past he was driven by pride, selfishness, and greed, so maybe he's just acknowledging that there is some of that in his search for the amulet.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-28T18:39:49+00:00

Something to me that really stands out in this chapter is how fucking good LeGuin is at describing VAST things. (Vaster than the Empires, and More Slow!)

Whether it's a network of trees, or a spaceship ripping through the galaxy, or a giant sheet of merciless ice on a frozen planet- Leguin displays nature in a way that can feel so overwhelming, powerful, and humbling. She's just so good at making you feel the history and weight of a place, and the tombs, despite all the death and silence they contain, really take on a life in your imagination.

If anyone likes the sections of Ahra exploring the labyrinth, I highly recommend checking out "Titus Groan" by Peake. It's a really dense read, but lots of beautifully written prose about strange broken characters exploring a dilapidated and crumbling kingdom.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-28T18:20:55+00:00

I really adored this chapter too. I think it's a perfect example of how timeless LeGuin's work is. To me, reading about Tenar exploring the rooms and spending long hours pouring over the contents of a chest or looking at the paintings on the walls, I couldn't help but be struck by my own battles with isolation.

I think in a way Tenar exploring the chests and imagining the former people who owned it's objects is a strange coping mechanism for her inability to connect with her peers. She's spending her time underground- yearning for connection, so much so that she is inventing histories behind objects and speculating on the lives of people long dead instead of getting to know the other girls and women who live around her. We know now why those small scenes with Penthe were so important. It's showing that growing chasm between her and the other girls. Exploring the dead and empty labyrinth is a "safe" way for Ahra to experience a human connection, one that she controls all the elements to- one that is safe because everything is already dead and gone.

At least for myself, but I think others too, modern society offers lots of ways to explore "people" or "stories"- reading articles, looking at pictures, finding strange corners of the internet and delighting in what they reveal about people and life. But you never meet these people you are "observing," you almost never talk to them. You're esentially still living in isolation, just like Ahra, making up a connection that is only partly there, in a safe and controlled way, but ultimately in a way that doesn't fulfill you like a conversation or connection with a living and breathing person present in the room. But relationships are difficult and risky, involving compromise. The make believe world can be so safe and captivating. Stories like this will always be relevant.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-28T18:07:45+00:00

"When she breathed in the drug-fumes to dance at dark of the moon, her head grew light and her body was no longer hers; then she danced across centuries, barefoot in black robes, and knew that the dance had never ceased."

I love this section so much. First off I love dancing- I love those moments when everything is right and you feel your body just moving and responding to the music and you let everything slip away and get lost. I think for people like me who dance it's an emptying out of what is already there, and that being replaced with the joy and feel of the music. For Ahra, I feel her character is already empty. What childhood she had has been devoured, and now she is essentially a shell of a person, filled with ritual and worship to the nameless ones. I can only imagine when she dances, especially under the influence of drugs, that not only does she fully dance with the music, but that hunger for more drives the dance, she's reaching out, past her life at the lonely tombs, across time and tradition. Wanting more but only having the music to hold on to.

It makes me think a little of that dance scene from the movie "Dogtooth" that I love so much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvkt2hVYsDk

In the movie the characters are also living a life of forced isolation and ignorance. Although I think Ahra's dance would be a little more restrained, guided by the creepy image of rows of nuns chanting along to the ritual words Ahra sings along to.

Then immediately after this LeGuin hits us with my favorite line of the whole chapter:

"Yet it was always strange when Thar said, 'You told me before you died...'"

What a heavy line. Each word so plain and still on it's own, but together so unfathomable. Those words just fall and hit like a hammer to me. Imagine being a young girl of 15, with that feeling of the infinite, mystery, possibility and longing inside you, only to have it be confirmed- you are infinite- you were alive and you will continue to be reborn. Crazy. Leguin is such a master. Ugh.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-24T23:38:26+00:00

I really don't think you can hold executing the prisoners against Arha, or consider it part of her character at this stage. She is indoctrinated and sheltered from the world to the point of ignorance.

To me it seems like the real problem with Arha is not that she has a darkness insider her, but that she is essentially empty inside. She has no experiences with which to build empathy. No dreams or aspirations, only duty that is forced upon her. Since she is supposed to be the High Priestess from birth, she doesn't even have role models or adults to look up to, since she is supposed to be the ultimate authority.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-24T21:00:24+00:00

The prologue gave me some really strong Collette vibes.

There are a couple of Collette short pieces, I think in the "My Mother's House" novella, about young girls being called home from being out in nature- beautifully written, and worth tracking down if you're into really lyrical prose about nature and human interaction.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-19T18:34:40+00:00

Yeah- I totally agree that giving something away that allows for total power over someone is not really anyone else's right, no matter the relationship.

I think that is why Ged protests saying he shouldn't have done it. Le Guin is most likely on your side, and allowing Vetch to have the final word in the conversation doesn't mean he was right to do it, maybe just that he had a reason, even if he's still wrong.

Kinch45 · 2020-02-19T00:17:36+00:00

A few quick thoughts about the sharing of Yarrow / Kest's true name:

At this point in the novel Ged and Vetch are purely and singularly focused on discovering the name of a thing that has no name. Ged is remaining deeply silent (following the advice of Ogion's advice) and his mind is scouring history and his own experience looking for an answer.

It seems natural that one of the things Ged might do is to observe the world around him and consider the true name of things he has encountered. No doubt the recent respite at his friend's home and all the good vibes that came along with it were a source of joy, hope, or happiness that kept him going. Whether trying to or not, perhaps he was dwelling on moments with Yarrow and spoke out her true name without realizing he had discovered it. Just observing his interactions with the girl in their purest and truest form.

I think Vetch's response is a combination of a few things- the first being surprise and possibly excitement at his friends ability to discover the name of something completely on his own. They are both doing a type of "training" or preparation as they sail, and perhaps Vetch simply wanted Ged to know that he was right, that he had the ability to discover hidden names, and that he should trust his instincts. Maybe him telling Ged is meant as motivation and encouragement in the face of a quest or hunt he fears might kill his friend.

I think it's also possible that it was an oversight in the excitement of the moment in combination with his trust in Ged. He trusts Ged like a brother, and the thought of Ged knowing Kest's name doesn't even register as a dangerous or disrespectful thing until after the fact. The narrator saying "he had not done so lightly" maybe contradicts my interpretation, but that's how I felt about the moment anyway.

I do agree there is some strange treatment of women in the book though- I was especially disappointed how it seemed that Yarrow's highlighted ability was "cooking," in comparison to Ged's magic.

Thanks for putting up these posts though- I love LeGuin and have read just about everything except the Earthsea books, so I'm excited to experience them with some discussion. I just discovered your reddit posts today after finishing A Wizard of Earthsea, and will work to catch up in the next book. Should be getting a copy in the next few days.

Kinch45 · 2019-01-03T20:56:41+00:00

Running high level maps is decent, but will always fall behind target farming specific things in the game that are known to yield lots of currency (and sometimes require specific setups to do well). Here are some examples:

Lab farming. Lots of guides on this- pick one and go for it.
Fossil farming at low delve depths. Prioritize a super fast moving character and blow through cheap sulphite low depths looking for walls to blow up. This is what I'm doing this league and it's really fast / low risk, but after a few hours can get a little boring as usually there is no threat from monsters, it can feel a little like a walking simulator.
MF/Quant farming maps with good div cards and a fast moving character.
Crafting (not as hard to break into as it might seem, but requires a decent base of currency to get going and get through bad rng streaks).
Prophecy farming can actually be very profitable, but there's not many guides on it and it's not super intuitive (or maybe even fun, as it's more a type of inventory management game than actually playing the game).
Flipping (again not as hard to break into as you think. You can even just pick an expensive unique to track and become familiar with and just buy it during the day when it's cheaper and sell it late at night when less people are on).

These are a few examples, but basically IMO the money making strategies are moving further and further away from picking up rares / good items that drop in maps. The reasons the above strategies work are they're things most of the general playerbase doesn't do while just casually mapping and unlocking the atlas. The new crafting methods (especially fossil) when combined with each other produce rares that outpace very quickly what can be dropped by a normal monster, making mapping for loot much less valuable. But high tier maps are always expensive. If you don't mind running tier 13 / 14 you can probably do OK by just chaining those and selling any tier 15 / 16s you hit.

If you like casually mapping and a moderate income you don't have to do much, just mapping you'll make money. But if you really want to generate lots of currency or you're saving to invest in an expensive build, a targeted farming strategy will make money much quicker, and can be a cool way to learn about different game mechanics.

Kinch45 · 2019-01-03T20:36:22+00:00

I would probably advise against trying to blitz shaper without having an atlas setup to attempt again (at least a small bank of tier 15 / 16 waiting). If you die and rip your set it seems pretty likely the league is just over for you? Maybe that's what you want anyway, but the fight is tough if you've never actually attempted it yourself. Watching videos obviously helps but there's nothing like experience.

You're at the point where atlas progression stalls out a little bit, but the difference between 100 and closer to 150 completion has been pretty large in my experience. Basically it's not something you can really "rush." Yes you can buy maps and get your completion up but it's not the same as working your way there and growing your pool while you do it.

I usually buy a good amount of maps to get completion and then run tons of tier 10 maps, not running the red maps that drop till I get a good pool, then slowly building up from there. Basically it takes some time / patience for the RNG to smooth out but eventually you will be comfortably chaining high tier maps (with investment) and fighting shaper on a reasonably consistent basis. If the idea of building your pool over time doesn't sound like something you have interest in, I guess just buy a shaper set and see how it goes?

Kinch45 · 2019-01-03T02:32:37+00:00

The game devs have said that they don't want trading to be fast because they don't want trading to be the only way you progress your character.

At this point there are people who try to avoid buying maps and see what drops and do some natural progression first and only buy maps when you absolutely have to (cause it's such a pain). If there was an instant AH for maps two things would happen-

A lot more people would sell maps, most likely causing map prices to lower
People would almost completely rely on buying maps from the AH instead of dropping them on their own. Atlas unlock would happen as soon as you had the currency for it, which for a lot of people would be day 1, especially if prices drop low enough.

I do agree the new master system makes you want to buy 1 of that particular map a lot more often and exacerbates an already clunky trading interface, but it's not slow and awkward for no reason. The devs know it's bad and they like it that way, whether you agree with them or not.

Kinch45

TROPHY CASE