DiabloFans

Just wondering if anyone here has tried it, and if so, why are you not playing it? I personally have been playing PoE for over a year now and RoS just looks laughable. There is no way I would buy it. The developers are throwing bandaids on the loot system to try and make their endless farming model more tolerable. They are removing attack speed and more because "its too hard to think about, because math is too hard." I mean...really? I don't understand how you would want to keep playing that.

In two weeks, PoE will release its first 'mini-expansion' called Sacrifice of the Vaal. We will be seeing new content and a new "corrupted" mechanic that hasn't yet been fully revealed

Whats also interesting is all the debate in Diablo forums about BoA and the AH and drop rates. None of that ever gets mentioned in PoE because the entire system is so much better designed. Their orb/crafting system provides the right amount of currency sink that inflation doesn't really get too out of hand. Not to mention, they have 4 month leagues where most people play which is a complete reset of the economy.

They would never have to even consider drops being tailored for your class. Nobody complains about Unique drop rates, because uniques aren't the be-all-end-all items. Sure, some builds require certain uniques, but the prices are easy to find and trading is easy enough.

You are a troll trying to look serious.

When i wrote this post OP had only the first paragraph written so it was an obvious troll.

I can understand that viewpoint. But really I just don't get how someone could say D3 is a better game with a straight face. Path even has races which bring a fantastic competitive edge to the game.

I've played both. I stopped playing PoE about 6 months ago, I've got RoS DD on preorder.



PoE is good, I'm not saying it's not. But the level of polish on D3 is just SO much higher. Also, most of the reasons people gives for PoE being better I think fall fairly flat under observation...



The biggest one is Choice... They say "oh in D3 all Barbs are the same, but in PoE I can play my char however I want..." That's true, but mostly because you're not playing a character, you're playing a paper doll. The "character" you choose at the start is basically just a model, it bears no relation to anything in game, all it changes are your starting stats and position on the skill board. D3 however you're playing an Archtype, You're the mighty barbarian who crushes enemies with overwhelming force, or the wise wizard who strikes down the enemies with elemental fury.



Basically D3 is Dungeons and Dragons, you're playing a set character type and using the stats/skills attributed to that class. PoE is a MUD game or something like that, where characters have alot more freedom, but at the cost of identitiy.

First of all, I'll warn you that I don't think you'll be getting a very warm reception for a post like this. It just comes across as a thinly veiled "D3 sucks, POE rules" post. Especially if your understanding of D3's mechanics is so shallow that you don't understand why certain stats were tweaked.

But, I think it's interesting to talk about PoE, so I'll answer.

I played PoE for about 4 hours, so I imagine you'll tell me I didn't give it enough of a chance, but I stopped because it's boring. It reminds me a lot of Titan's Quest in terms of how it feels when I'm playing, which wasn't bad but wasn't exciting like D2. Similarly, the combat in D3 is just way more exciting that PoE. D3 Barb's Furious Charge, for example, feels way better than the Shield Charge gem I had.

Speaking of, I was immediately turned off by the fact that certain skills require certain weapons to work. It was frustrating to have to give up using a cool 2-handed club because the Cleave gem requires bladed weapons. I also hated the gem-skill system in general; having to re-gem my gear every time I put on a new item was a pain in the ass.

Having to chug potions again was also lame, although I thought it was cool that the potions could have stats.

And finally the skill tree system they have for passives is just a mess. I wasn't interested in sitting down and reading everything to try and actually plot a course so I just went step by step, not looking very far down the line. I didn't find anything especially cool, just +10% damage, +5% dual wield damage, etc. etc., and was turned off when I was getting to the point where I had these dual wield bonuses that were useless if I found a cool 2-hander.

Seems to me this is another D3 sucks thread. I think its easy to forget that there are multiple ARPG games that exist, and people find different reasons why they like one over another. I have tried POE, and MH. They are not bad just different and in some way better, but in some ways not as good as D3. But these are just my opinions. I look at this kind of thread this way, at least there will be one less person buying ROS so i can play on release day with out server issues.

Quote from Talyn_Rahl

I've played both. I stopped playing PoE about 6 months ago, I've got RoS DD on preorder.



PoE is good, I'm not saying it's not. But the level of polish on D3 is just SO much higher. Also, most of the reasons people gives for PoE being better I think fall fairly flat under observation...



The biggest one is Choice... They say "oh in D3 all Barbs are the same, but in PoE I can play my char however I want..." That's true, but mostly because you're not playing a character, you're playing a paper doll. The "character" you choose at the start is basically just a model, it bears no relation to anything in game, all it changes are your starting stats and position on the skill board. D3 however you're playing an Archtype, You're the mighty barbarian who crushes enemies with overwhelming force, or the wise wizard who strikes down the enemies with elemental fury.



Basically D3 is Dungeons and Dragons, you're playing a set character type and using the stats/skills attributed to that class. PoE is a MUD game or something like that, where characters have alot more freedom, but at the cost of identitiy.

Thanks for adding to the discussion, much appreciated.

I agree with everything you said. D3 has defined heroes, while PoE has clean slates that allow you to create your own character. I enjoy creating a character MUCH more than playing a pre-defined hero. I feel the replayability goes through the roof with "paper dolls" because it allows me to be creative.

I played a Barb and a Wizard in D3, but after maxing them out I just didn't want to farm any more. I could see the builds I would be playing if I made a DH or a WD or a monk, and just got too bored. I started playing PoE and never looked back.
Its funny, I have a friend that shares your opinion. He jokes about how I'm "all about builds". He liked a more predefined hero system, yet he didn't like Diablo 3 because my mage was wielding a 2H hammer and doing lots of spell damage haha.

You want to know why we play Diablo? Because we are Diablo Fans.

Ok, but PoE is much closer to the first two diablo games than d3 is.

Quote from daisychopper

First of all, I'll warn you that I don't think you'll be getting a very warm reception for a post like this. It just comes across as a thinly veiled "D3 sucks, POE rules" post. Especially if your understanding of D3's mechanics is so shallow that you don't understand why certain stats were tweaked.

But, I think it's interesting to talk about PoE, so I'll answer.

I played PoE for about 4 hours, so I imagine you'll tell me I didn't give it enough of a chance, but I stopped because it's boring. It reminds me a lot of Titan's Quest in terms of how it feels when I'm playing, which wasn't bad but wasn't exciting like D2. Similarly, the combat in D3 is just way more exciting that PoE. D3 Barb's Furious Charge, for example, feels way better than the Shield Charge gem I had.

Speaking of, I was immediately turned off by the fact that certain skills require certain weapons to work. It was frustrating to have to give up using a cool 2-handed club because the Cleave gem requires bladed weapons. I also hated the gem-skill system in general; having to re-gem my gear every time I put on a new item was a pain in the ass.

Having to chug potions again was also lame, although I thought it was cool that the potions could have stats.

And finally the skill tree system they have for passives is just a mess. I wasn't interested in sitting down and reading everything to try and actually plot a course so I just went step by step, not looking very far down the line. I didn't find anything especially cool, just +10% damage, +5% dual wield damage, etc. etc., and was turned off when I was getting to the point where I had these dual wield bonuses that were useless if I found a cool 2-hander.

Definitely a valid point that D3's combat feels a lot better. The graphics work very well in D3, and its definitely the game's strongest point.

I really like the flasks in PoE, there are so many different kinds with different bonuses that they can really change how your character plays. Like Granite flasks, for example, give 3000 armor for a short duration. These are great for squishy characters who don't have armor on their gear. Instead you give up a flask spot and now have a skill/timing based ability to give yourself armor in sketchy situations.



The passive tree is really overwhelming at first. But once you learn where all the big keystones are, it starts to make more sense. There is definitely a big learning curve there though that is unkind to new players.

I really like the skill gem and support gem combinations. It allows a lot of freedom in creating new abilities and changing how your character functions.

Quote from Seedersj

Quote from daisychopper

First of all, I'll warn you that I don't think you'll be getting a very warm reception for a post like this. It just comes across as a thinly veiled "D3 sucks, POE rules" post. Especially if your understanding of D3's mechanics is so shallow that you don't understand why certain stats were tweaked.

But, I think it's interesting to talk about PoE, so I'll answer.

I played PoE for about 4 hours, so I imagine you'll tell me I didn't give it enough of a chance, but I stopped because it's boring. It reminds me a lot of Titan's Quest in terms of how it feels when I'm playing, which wasn't bad but wasn't exciting like D2. Similarly, the combat in D3 is just way more exciting that PoE. D3 Barb's Furious Charge, for example, feels way better than the Shield Charge gem I had.

Speaking of, I was immediately turned off by the fact that certain skills require certain weapons to work. It was frustrating to have to give up using a cool 2-handed club because the Cleave gem requires bladed weapons. I also hated the gem-skill system in general; having to re-gem my gear every time I put on a new item was a pain in the ass.

Having to chug potions again was also lame, although I thought it was cool that the potions could have stats.

And finally the skill tree system they have for passives is just a mess. I wasn't interested in sitting down and reading everything to try and actually plot a course so I just went step by step, not looking very far down the line. I didn't find anything especially cool, just +10% damage, +5% dual wield damage, etc. etc., and was turned off when I was getting to the point where I had these dual wield bonuses that were useless if I found a cool 2-hander.

Definitely a valid point that D3's combat feels a lot better. The graphics work very well in D3, and its definitely the game's strongest point.

I really like the flasks in PoE, there are so many different kinds with different bonuses that they can really change how your character plays. Like Granite flasks, for example, give 3000 armor for a short duration. These are great for squishy characters who don't have armor on their gear. Instead you give up a flask spot and now have a skill/timing based ability to give yourself armor in sketchy situations.



The passive tree is really overwhelming at first. But once you learn where all the big keystones are, it starts to make more sense. There is definitely a big learning curve there though that is unkind to new players.

I really like the skill gem and support gem combinations. It allows a lot of freedom in creating new abilities and changing how your character functions.

but ultimately, every single character functions exactly the same. The only difference in the class you choose at the start of the game is what end of the tree you start at. the game still has cookie cutter setups, and anybody can reach the middle of the tree within their first 10-15 levels. the passive system is actually pretty shallow and for a game that is held up on a pedestal for being endlessly customizable in build/gear setup, the build/gear setup is actually the most restrictive part of the game!

And on the topic of it being a "true successor to D2" or whatever the PoE community thinks, its more of a dumbed down and refined version of some of the earlier final fantasy ARPGs than anything. just because a game has ladders and trading doesn't make it Diablo 2. Poe tries TOO hard to be vulgar, disgusting, and dark and doesn't succeed at anything but throwing sensory overloading amounts of gore at you, its not very horror-centric like Diablo 2 was. The storyline is forgettable and the atmosphere the game creates gets pretty bland after a couple hours of playing, particularly the whole "game is trying to be dark but goes too far into grimdark 40k levels of high fantasy", and that's coming from a huge 40k fan. Most importantly though, is that the world is nothing. I don't care about the world of PoE because its not worth exploring, its not rich in story/lore, and lacks in environmental creativity. Why should I ever even attempt to play the game if I really don't know/care why im there in the first place?

I have my own problems with Diablo 3, but I will go out on a limb to say its a great successor to the series even if I never liked Diablo 2 to begin with! I played it for years because all the neighborhood kids played it that I was friends with.

but ultimately, every single character functions exactly the same. The only difference in the class you choose at the start of the game is what end of the tree you start at. the game still has cookie cutter setups, and anybody can reach the middle of the tree within their first 10-15 levels. the passive system is actually pretty shallow and for a game that is held up on a pedestal for being endlessly customizable in build/gear setup, the build/gear setup is actually the most restrictive part of the game!

That difference is huge though. Anyone can reach the middle of the tree...but do you *want* to for your build? Is it worth the point investment to start in shadow where most of the crit is if you want to go Ancestral Bond (2 totems, no self cast damage)? Maybe...probably not.

The class you choose is very important to consider for any build. Skill points are very valuable, and if you are wasting 5-10 for no good reason, then you'll be gimped.

The passive tree is all passives that support the active skills you choose. You need to balance offense and defensive point allocations and try to be as efficient as possible.

You won't see any crit marauders out there, while in D3 everyone goes for pretty much the same stats.

I tried PoE for about 2 weeks. But didn't like the leveling in it (was leveling a HC summoner). No respec (big nono for me). Also their races had 0 appeal to me.

Also there was a LOT of micromanaging drops... something I dislike in D3 as well (which at least got a little bit better with Identify all some item changes).

It was fun to play for a bit, just cause it was different. Maybe it's good in it's endgame, but getting there with a summoner (the only thing that appealed to me in PoE) is just to much of a pain in the ass. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless they really like games like D3 and just want to try something different.

They actually just released a summoner patch that made leveling a lot better. Buffed the hell out of zombies in the earlier levels, plus added a bunch of new summoner abilities.

Raging spirits (little flying dudes that aren't targeted, you can have up to 50 of them at a time but they don't last long).
Desecrate (summons corpses that can be used for detonate dead/raise zombie/spectre in a cloud of chaos damage).
Bone Offering (consumes a corpse and buffs your minions resistance and armor)
Flesh Offering (consumes a corpse and buffs your minions movement and attack speed).

Also, there is definitely respec options in PoE. You get 15+ free respec points, plus orbs of regret are pretty cheap.

I tried POE and leveled a couple of classes to ~35 or so (the shadow and a witch). I liked:

1. The skill system (it was cool to have the skills level up based on being assigned to a slot, and that they were part of the item hunt)
2. The currency/crafting system
3. The potion system (it basically became the "defensive" ability alternate)

I, like others here have stated, just couldn't get past the combat mechanics. I had the same issue with TL2 and other similar ARPGs. For all of D3's faults, the combat system is really awesome, and it makes even constant farm grinding more tolerable than those found in POE.

The other thing that bothered me was the passive tree. I liked the concept for being able to really give choice in character development, but to me it was just too much. I don't mind taking a bit of time to plan out a character, doing a bit of research, but for me, the passive tree was just too much. I don't think this is a bad thing, since obviously other people really like that level of customization, and don't mind all the planning and number crunching involved. For people who enjoy that, POE wins big time. I'd like to see more character customization options in D3, but nothing quite as extravagant as that.

Long story, short -- POE just isn't for me. I've considered picking it up again a couple of times, but I just haven't followed through.

Strangely enough, I find D3 has a good (not perfect) mixture of freedom and limitation when it comes to the skill system. I like experimenting with new builds, and Diablo 3 gives me pleanty of opportunities. PoE on the other hand has practically no limitations, and experimenting is very tedious. One other thing I prefer about D3 is the immersive experience. Blizzard as always does a fantastic job at making player actions feel powerful and cool. After playing through the story in PoE my first time I had to ask myself why I killed the Endboss (I even forgot his name LoL). Diablo 3's story may have weak points, but at least it has a story to it.

„We deleted aps as an affix, because we did not want an affix that does the same as another affix, but you had to do math to see which one is better.”

“Along the same line, we don’t want people to have the feeling to be forced to do math to know what affix is good for them. If you like using this skill we want you to use the affix that enhances that skill. We don’t want you to automatically know whether this is an actual upgrade for you, when you lose dps but get that skill dmg for it. You should chose it because you like it. I am sure, that it is possible to have a real answer to whether it is better or not, but we dont want you to waste your time on it.”

This is just atrocious game philosophy for an ARPG imo. Its completely appalling.

“We feel we are in a good place. My Barb is going to feel different than another barb. I will have different items, that other barb cannot find the same items that I have found. Paragon is not meant to customize your character, legendary items are. Paragon is there so that, even when you do not find an upgrade, you will have that feeling of getting more powerful for the time you have spent in the game. ”

Character customization = RNG. This just isn't right. Hes saying his barb is different than other barbs because he has different items..... I mean...really?

Quote from Seedersj

Ok, but PoE is much closer to the first two diablo games than d3 is.

Just because we liked the original Diablo games doesn't mean we can't prefer the direction D3 has gone over PoE, it's been 14 years since D2 released, many, many, many things have changed in that time.

PoE is a great game in my opinion, but I do prefer D3, with all its flaws. Something about the atmosphere, the graphics, the sounds, the combat... it is just more appealing to me, and even though I won'tbe buying the expansion at launch, I will definitely play 2.0.1 a lot. If only PoE had the amount of polish D3 has, that game would kick some serious ass.

i agree with most of what's said here, I prefer D3 because the combat just feels so much better, etc. I did enjoy playing through POE, just not enjoyable enough to keep going longterm. I did want to pop in to say that although I didn't love the POE story, and it is overly dramatic as someone mentioned above, for some reason I thought the voice acting was phenomenal on a lot of the NPCs. just super quirky and interesting. It's weird that the story was subpar when a lot of the NPC's dialogue was so memorable. I'll probably pop back in for the new content, then not play again for 6 months.

PoE suffers from, in my opinion, too much RNG. Look at level 97 + hardcore deaths. Most of them died from things that were impossible to react to. We're talking about people with triple the survival of your average player(or more) in positions where your personal skill is irrelevant instantly dying. Killing a high health mob that summons mobs and when it dies rezzes everything around instantly crashing your game & killing you. Killing a high damage teleporting mob with fractured(summons like 8 mobs of the same type on top of you) <- couple this with multi projectiles on those stupid worms, it's not uncommon to instantly die.

Couple this with constant desync issues, imbalanced skills(to the point where there are dozens of skill gems that no one in their right mind uses - because they're 30-40% weaker than the prime skills with no benefit) and constant "balance" patches. The game has a lot of good, no question, and I've put a couple hundred hours into the game. However, these flaws made me ultimately stop playing. Desync in a ARPG is really big to me, and when most builds have to have some way to manage desync, there's an issue.