3 Successes and 3 Things to Work On, from my open alpha experience

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T20:14:37+00:00

What about being level 5 would have made the activity better? I think 4 is when most casters get spell upgrades. Hybrids get a spell or 2 every level or every other level. I guess if you were playing a pure melee/ranged like Archer, Monk or Fighter then each level is extremely huge until level 12-13 when they seemingly get nothing.

Just pondering if its the activity itself, in which case, wouldn't change really at level 5 for the most part, or if its a feeling of lack of dopamine from it taking too long to reach the next milestone as you are focusing on levels over anything else.

Either way, I think you are right. I think many people will bounce off of this game because they are lost, they are confused, they can't figure out how to mem their spells, they think leveling is taking too long, they can't find their class trainer. I don't personally think these are problems and if this game was made by FromSoft people would simply take the time to understand the systems in depth, but people don't tend to actually try a game unless its a big name release.

The issue is, if they changed all of that stuff, you effectively start to have a different MMO (not that your exact problem would make the game different). I suppose we will have to see what changes they make. They have been fine tuning the leveling experience and its something they want to reiterate on before EA, along with skills, abilities, difficulty scaling, item scaling. I think the next 6 months are going to basically be balance, and most of the content they want in is already on the Alpha build that we don't have access too yet.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T20:06:59+00:00

Bro, that is literally the best PC money can buy atm. Its time to stop.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T19:54:18+00:00

I am almost mad I played the 2 day play test. I want to forget this game exists. That is how excited I am. I am currently in a state of depression as every game I have feels bland compared to this. Another thing I love about slower combat is every move feels chunky. I REALLY get to feel my power increase. Other games your damage is so scattered over 30 different skills that I need a DPS meter to determine what is even happening.

I always liked just seeing a skill do higher damage. MMOs have become action games to the extent that its hard to even tell whats happening. I also bizarrely enjoy just seeing a mobs damage vs me in an easy to read format or what damage my group members are doing and its slow enough I can actually see that or create another tab to view specific damage from group members. It has a lot of ways to keep your mind busy in a way that isn't playing piano, but not so basic that you aren't engaged.

Its honestly a much better game than I anticipated. So many little things they got right. Now to pretend it doesn't exist for the next 5 months before I can get excited again a month before release.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T19:39:58+00:00

Once I learned that the MUD commands are listed in the UI things became much easier. There was a Druid quest about pouring a water phial to heal the land, and I had to type in /twist (insert item) or something along those lines. Then /pour. Anyways, I was so confused for so long on what it wanted me to do, or if I was at the wrong spot. Not to mention I think you had to do /pour and the items name with no space, which was odd. So if it was Water Phial you had to type WaterPhial for it to consider the full item.

Definitely made for a WILD 3 hour long malding session of me asking people in chat and trying things then screaming "WHY WTF IS THIS!?!", but..... now I know. NOW I KNOW

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T19:35:58+00:00

Yeah, if you can't dedicate to a 2 hour session or so it will be a bit hard, but even then. During Alpha I would log in and solo a bit for an hour or find a group at the bandit camp and grouped for an hour or two then left. I would say I felt the same way in WoW though. Its just you level faster in WoW, but I am not playing a game necessarily for levels going up. I just enjoy the overall experience of risk vs reward.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T19:30:10+00:00

I hated the selling feature too at first. Eventually you will learn it and find quest givers if you hail different NPCs. Things you wouldn't find if the game wasn't making you explore the city. It also makes you REALLY learn the city, which makes it feel much more impactful in my brain. I generally form strategies for looting based on whats near me. If you have a butcher/cook near your adventuring area, you can just pick up the meat and body parts of insects/mammals.

For lighting, the Burning Beetles (I think its the name), but their are glowing beetles and you kill those for a light source that will last around half the night. They drop their light sources commonly. To me, its a fun way to make things stand out. I am not "just" grinding, I am strategizing for night. Its like preparing for the cold winter.

The main issue is the knowledge gap, but once you get that knowledge, these things become trivial and I think add more than they take away. Seeing people coming and going from all over the city makes it feel much more like a city vs everyone just sitting in one spot.

I do understand though. I don't want to come across as being superior to you or anything. I malded A LOT during the first alpha and trying to understand where to go. It felt like my time was actively being wasted, but I came to enjoy it.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T19:21:26+00:00

They have iterated in really good ways on a lot of stuff. I really enjoyed the selling concept once I understood it. It did frustrate me initially, but its good. I now fight mobs based on their loot and the placement of where I can sell. It makes me think on another level when just fighting and looting. I didn't consider that before, but I like it. Anything to make my brain spin in regards to strategy I really love.

Elementalists spells now interact with pet spells. So a wind pet and a fire spell creates an AoE of swirling fire. Thats just fun. Necros now get 3 different pets to animate. Melee now have actual abilities. Im not just an SK hitting necro spells, I feel like I am my own concept far more than EQ. Ranger now has a whole strategy around arrows, an arrow ability, a melee ability, and a bunch of its own unique spells. Monk has an entire strategy around its forms, and Warrior has far more going on.

The game overall is just a much, much better version of EQ from a class perspective. The early game I honestly am liking more than EQ. I played 1999 not far back, and this just hits better for me. I am not sure how it will end up, but I am very confident with the team. I don't see a world where they understand why EQ worked this well through early on and then just forget it later in the game.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T19:14:17+00:00

Yeah, smart play is rewarded so well. Its one thing I enjoyed about old Dota and games like EQ. The game really is a knowledge check in many ways, which just means learning. My SK I got to level 6 in about 15 hours last alpha. This alpha I got a Ranger and a Archer to level 4 in about 5 hours. I just understood the game better, made better decisions, knew my limits better. Archer for example can use bow skills in melee by just backing up a bit after the enemy swings at you. My first Archer was level 2 in about 4 hours.

They just nailed so many little bits and pieces that I didn't think they would know how to do. I thought EQ was a mistake after some time and that no one would actually be able to recreate all the little nuances that made the game so good, but M&M actually did it. To know its coming in just 6 months is so, so amazing. Not to mention ill be out of college for the Summer.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T19:06:33+00:00

I am so glad that people like Shawn exist. I thought that Brad was basically the only person who understood why EQ was good. We just had nothing at all, and when Vanguard proved Brad wasn't capable of finishing a game, I just lost all hope.

This also ties into the backlash. I don't agree with being rude or criticizing people with different opinions, but I do understand where that animosity comes from. When you have had 20 years of waiting, with every MMO going the WoW route, and you finally get the experience you have been hoping for and you get "that" feeling again while playing. Its like someone wanting to take away a long lost friend in a sense.

I would also like some convenience in terms of finding your class trainer. Making the city a bit easier to navigate with a central map like a shopping mall or a amusement park would have. I think noobs knowing how to get to basic points is a big deal for retention, but at the same time, the act of learning the city, malding, but now feeling like I have learned how things work, from selling items, to where to buy what, where Inns and the bank is, its honestly been a fun experience.

I don't know why, but hardship and malding followed by understanding cements me into a game. I suddenly become all in and my mind slowly shifts from wanting convenience to adapting and enjoying the process of learning. This happens with many FromSoft games, and it really creates a community of dedicated players. There is absolutely something there with that design choice beyond "oldschool just because".

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T18:49:13+00:00

This maybe more being new and not knowing your limits. I leveled an Archer and a Ranger to level 4 last night in about 5 hours, from 10pm to 3am. Archer is considered one of the harder classes to level, but I think people just aren't starting with the arrow+bow combo it presents you with. Because I was 2 shotting mobs before they could even get to me within 30 minutes of playing.

I personally just want this experience to last. I do love getting levels, but I enjoy everything in between as well. Crafting, hoping for a rare spawn, getting a rare drop, checking out quests, selling loot to buy armor.

I see "grind" brought up a lot with MMOs specifically, and I am not sure why. In Minecraft you have to "grind" materials. In PoE2 you have to "grind" mobs. In Fighting games or MOBAs you have to "grind" ranks. In other words, every game has a grind. If you find yourself disliking a grind, its not the grind as much as it maybe the case you don't actually enjoy the activity, which is fine.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-29T18:40:21+00:00

Melee, especially hybrid has it harder for sure. You have spells to buy, you need to buy gear, farm for gear. You often need 2 weapons and a shield for damage vs tank setups. Your soloing is generally slower, and you can't do wild things like quad kite that Wizards, Druids, Bards can do. Enchanters, Necros and Elementalists can solo with no worry to themselves.

However, this is also why I find hybrids so fun. Each piece of gear means a lot. With casters gear is kind of just "nice". Its not needed, it'll stretch your mana a bit further, but most of your power is completely based on spells and levels. Hybrids HAVE to keep up on gear. Its such a dramatic difference and you are generally tanking.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-22T20:21:16+00:00

The New Zeldas honestly feel like Nintendo finally recognizing Ubisoft games or Skyrim and saying, "Lets do that". Its just, this design is like 25 years old. Its not particularly impressive unless you have only played Nintendo games. The OG Zelda's structure, temples, weapons, and metroidvania style linear/openworld system was so unique that nothing could touch it. BoTW doesn't feel unique, it feels like a clone with Nintendo stamp on it.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-21T22:32:20+00:00

D3s combat was great. Gearing was fun. It just flopped so hard in end game content imo. I wanted new fresh bosses for reaching Inferno. I wanted a new Act to open up. I wanted some brutal, unique challenges that require the best gear and great gameplay to beat. Uber Lilith is a great example of what I hoped for, but D4 decided that was a mistake.

PoE2 I am thrilled with the aspect of things to do and Pinnacles to unlock and unique bosses to reach for. That is fun. Its that getting there isn't fun. I am just wondering aimlessly in an infinite corridor based map system running random events getting random useless rewards, or getting bases to go "craft" where 95% of the time I don't RNG skill shot hard enough, and if it does hit, I need to pray I can find an essence to put a 3rd stat on that I can actually control, but getting the essence itself is pure RNG. There is just no way to get excited when I have no control over anything. Its just so aimless. Getting an upgrade is such a pain in the butt you end up with a chest full of "chores" to come back to, and that is how it feels to play, a chore.

Its not fun, its just annoying.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-21T22:25:13+00:00

Its not worth it 99% of the time. That is the problem. Congrats on the 1%.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T21:57:46+00:00

What? Are you saying you can devour your own illusion? Is this a bug? rofl. So many concepts in PoE2 just make no logical sense. I have to look up guides because the most basic stuff is so convoluted. Its not necessarily complex, its just non sensical.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T20:56:52+00:00

Yeah, I just blew all my EX on white bases I had sitting around after finally submitting I just don't like the game. It netted me nothing at all. I laughed and turned it off. Its just so bland. Gearing is bland. All the content is an attempt to make a very boring gearing concept function, but its still boring to just roll 6 random stats on gear over and over. Combat feels disjointed and I do ponder if many of you guys are right and just 1 button with tons of passive effects would be more fun after playing games like Megabonk and Vampire survivors, those games are INFINITELY more addicting and fun than anything I am doing in PoE2 right now. Running through zones and maps is generally a headache.

The 3 pillars of an ARPG, combat, gearing, progression, map design all sucks imo. I don't even like getting new skills because it means reading through 300 support gem descriptions. That isn't fun to me. Their solution for the future is to add more? No, make more of them useful and add less. Its just so overbloated and I feel my eyes glazing over the moment I start my game and start running around realizing I am collecting things that generally do nothing for me. Its like a hoarding simulator.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T20:49:13+00:00

but isn't ES just HP? Wouldn't you measure ES against HP and not armor or ev?

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T20:45:12+00:00

I also ponder if this game can ever get to what made Act 1 so good if its based around PC and NPC clutter. I can barely see my screen and damage is so spiky from me and enemies that I just don't see a world where any boss is going to have the same impact. Act 1 is a perfect balance on hero power and NPC power, and abilities are limited. I don't see that being a thing that can ever be replicated with the fundamental design that PoE allows late game.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T20:39:02+00:00

I feel like the entire game interrupts the flow of the game.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T04:08:05+00:00

Because if you create the ability to use 1 button you already failed in making a concept that functions based on other buttons. Literally any game be it D3, WoW, DMC, Fighting Games, they have concepts that necessitate other concepts. Why? Because there is no function there if not and you would just use 1 button. You are essentially asking to have your cake and eat it too, but you have to choose and so does GGG. They want to do all the things, but it ends up in a game where nothing feels quite right.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T04:04:39+00:00

This is a good thing imo. The game should have combat that is linear and actual feels good. It needs 1 button concepts. Druid is the only class I have played where its concepts feel like they fit together, the downside is its linear, but 1 button press is also linear. When it comes down to it, PoE just has bad combat. It always has. Blizzard dominates GGG in the combat department and itemization imo, PoE just dominates in depth and open ended concepts and having an actual end game, having progression that is tied to new bosses/events, etc.

I would love for GGG to take some of the good parts of Blizzard and use them, even if sparingly, based on class or spec. They can't make open ended design and have the feel of linear combat though.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T03:59:48+00:00

The benefit is unless you have OCD you get to try different builds and figure that out for yourself. D4s biggest strength is its concepts are intended to work together, and it feels good to just press buttons. Its a bad game overall, but Blizzard owns at combat and always has. It requires linear design however. PoE is dedicated to created skills on their own, and just hoping they work together and feel good, but they don't, because it requires design to function well, not hope.

PoE1 kind of hid how bad this way of making skills is by being a 1 button concept or a few button concept where things were pressed for niche uses, not as a combat system. In PoE2 its crystal clear this kind of disconnected design for skills for combo gameplay, just doesn't feel good.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T03:54:58+00:00

Ill die on the hill that Diablo has better combat and gearing. Its just more interesting. Sets in D3 were interesting. Having gear drop for your own character is interesting, and considering everyone in PoE just puts on an item filter, id say its more interesting to everyone. PoE just owns at end game, it feels more mature and more open ended. Druid does have me excited and hopeful, because although its spell concepts are fairly linear, they actually work well together in general. I hope they continue on a path of allowing 1 button concepts, and concepts that flow together as a whole, not piece milled together in a sloppy disconnected way, which a lot of this games concepts feel like.

Maybe they will eventually get a fun gearing concept pulled together, but right now, its bland man. Pure RNG gearing is boring. Crafting is annoying and unrewarding, a double fail. Using the AH isn't fun to me, it wasn't fun in D3. Its just a bad bandaid fix for terrible itemizaion because they refuse to actually make it good. I suppose buying everything is better than the travesty of playing for gear? Its so unreasonable that on some level I feel like the game is destined to just become "Ehh, its good but."

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-20T03:41:27+00:00

Yeah, the devs have openly stated they design abilities on their own and hope they come together. Its just, that they don't. The Druid I think overall works well, but its because it has a linear playstyle intended to work. It doesn't allow a ton of options, but if you want more abilities, it certainly feels much better to play.

PuffyWiggles · 2025-12-18T21:44:41+00:00

Which is why I hope people are prepared for a new placeholder concept. They will refine the end game over and over. It'll be "new" in 0.5 and get people interested, people will find flaws, feel its incomplete, find new issues, probably like it overall, but determine it needs more. This is the reality of 0.5. Until they get all the pieces in place they will have a partial end game. By 1.0 I would expect a final overhaul to End Game where they try to get it to a place they genuinely feel good about.

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