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[Preview] Path of Exile: Dethroning Diablo?

24

Comments

  • derek39derek39 Member UncommonPosts: 265

    OH yea it is! I've been playing Diablo 3 since the night it came out. BOY was I blown away when I played POE today!

    Talk about the spiritual successor to D2. It's everything that D3 SHOULD have been. I'm totally impressed by GGG.

    Gonna go play now. (GF gonna be maaaad and IDGAF!) hahaha

    Monster Hunter since '04!
    Currently playing: MHW & MHGU

  • AlalalaAlalala Member UncommonPosts: 314

    Blizzard should take a long look at Path of Exile (PoE), and should come away deeply embarrassed and ashamed.

     

    Unlike Blizzard and Diablo 3, the Path of Exile game -

    • took less time to develop;
    • took less dollars, effort, and people to make (presumably);
    • has more innovation in its game mechanics;
    • is free to play;
    • stayed clear off pay-to-win PvP;
    • avoided alienating and angering members of its fan base during its development; and
    • enhanced its company’s image and community goodwill.

     

    As far as Blizzard, the Diablo 3 situation saddens me greatly.  Has a beloved gaming franchise ever been so mishandled?  Perhaps Final Fantasy XIV?  At least the president of Square Enix, Yoichi Wada, took responsibility and a new game will launch soon.  That’s the kind of adult behavior that can be redemptive and restore a community’s good will.  To compare, Blizzard’s Rob Pardo seems to have woken up from his 2 to 3 year coma, is now strongly defending Diablo 3, and unconvincingly describes the great, great fun he, his friends, and family having playing it.  It seems like Diablo 3 is heading more toward Star Wars NGE at this point.

     

    My trust in Blizzard is over.  Their “we release when it’s ready” gold standard is a farce. 

     

    Anyway, let’s all do what truly is fun right now, and not a promise to improve later in a $30 D3 expansion pack.  Having played in PoE’s closed and open beta, I strongly recommend this game to ARPG fans.

  • ZekiahZekiah Member UncommonPosts: 2,483
    Diablo 3 dethroned Diablo.

    "Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky

  • ibn_Cartwellibn_Cartwell Member Posts: 47
    Originally posted by Zekiah
    Diablo 3 dethroned Diablo.

     

  • PurutzilPurutzil Member UncommonPosts: 3,048

    Diablo 3 killed itself. Its pretty much got polish as its benefit. Take away the polish and its quite a mess, a very big mess at that.

    Path of exile isn't perfect by any means, Desync is quite an issue (particular masocists like me who do hardcore) which needs to be addressed still and there can be some issues in terms of stuff not balancing out right, but its likely only a matter of time for things to be fixed and even then your likely to see characters able to take stuff considered 'week' and suddenly make a build that works wonderfully with it.

    Just dismiss Diablo 3 if you want to compare to a good ARPG. Diablo 2 would be your best comparison and in that regards its a step up from it and games like titan quest that just wasn't able to match up in success. Being F2P will likely only boost the game more in popularity. 

  • RaagnarzRaagnarz Member RarePosts: 562
    Originally posted by Alalala

    Blizzard should take a long look at Path of Exile (PoE), and should come away deeply embarrassed and ashamed.

     

    Unlike Blizzard and Diablo 3, the Path of Exile game -

    • took less time to develop;
    • took less dollars, effort, and people to make (presumably);
    • has more innovation in its game mechanics;
    • is free to play;
    • stayed clear off pay-to-win PvP;
    • avoided alienating and angering members of its fan base during its development; and
    • enhanced its company’s image and community goodwill.

     

    As far as Blizzard, the Diablo 3 situation saddens me greatly.  Has a beloved gaming franchise ever been so mishandled?  Perhaps Final Fantasy XIV?  At least the president of Square Enix, Yoichi Wada, took responsibility and a new game will launch soon.  That’s the kind of adult behavior that can be redemptive and restore a community’s good will.  To compare, Blizzard’s Rob Pardo seems to have woken up from his 2 to 3 year coma, is now strongly defending Diablo 3, and unconvincingly describes the great, great fun he, his friends, and family having playing it.  It seems like Diablo 3 is heading more toward Star Wars NGE at this point.

     

    My trust in Blizzard is over.  Their “we release when it’s ready” gold standard is a farce. 

     

    Anyway, let’s all do what truly is fun right now, and not a promise to improve later in a $30 D3 expansion pack.  Having played in PoE’s closed and open beta, I strongly recommend this game to ARPG fans.

    Wholeheartedly agree man. This is a company I will be following for a long time regardless of what genre they make. The big guns when it comes to game companies/franchises have all failed and failed hard lately. Its the little guys my faith will be put in now.

     

    Who knows how much diablo 3 cost to make. Blizzard has what 5k people working for them (I have no exacxt figure). And does anything they spent actually show that they care in the least for any of their players?

     

    You mentioned goodwill. GGG has developed good will and word of mouth like I have seen very few companies do. Its deserving to say the least. What I know about POE is that is cost less than $4 million to make. They have at max 18 guys I believe on their dev team though it all started with 2 guys in a garage using their savings. $2.2 million was raised through their own presales and supports packs. For those who don't know those packs ranged anywhere from $10 to $1,000. As of two weeks ago they had sold 176 $1,000 supporter packs the vast majority were upgrades from other minor packs to get the beta to try the game out first. It speaks volumes to how the community feels about these guys, their vision, and their future.

  • PsychowPsychow Member Posts: 1,784
    I think whomever chose the title to this preview article should be demoted and not allowed to pick another again for 7 years.
  • LadyEupheiLadyEuphei Member UncommonPosts: 223
    The game hits Open beta on 1/23 same time as the last character wipe.

    image

  • Teh_AxiTeh_Axi Member UncommonPosts: 380

    PoE is a decent game but unfortunately it's a deceptively simple one. Ironically at its core is has the same issue D3 has, what I like to call "super character syndrome", the skill gem system even means you don't have to commit to anything at all just like D3. In the end its just another slot machine game, you punch mobs till the perfect super items fall out.

    That probably reads more negative than I intend, if you're a fan of ARPGs then PoE is definately worth a look.

  • Entropy14Entropy14 Member UncommonPosts: 675

    I agree with many here here, sadly big companies lately are more interested in just the $$$ and are not willing to take chances, they are too scared to lose on their $100 million dollar investment (and rightfully so I guess )

     

    so heres to all the guys making games for 1-10 million and williing to try something new ( such as POE and The Repopulation)

     

    Although not a true mmo for sure, for the price this game is sure a lot of fun.

  • FARGIN_WARFARGIN_WAR Member Posts: 166
    Originally posted by zymurgeist
    It's funny how everyone wants to talk about D3 when POE comes up. It's like the only reason they think it exists is to not be D3. When POE sells six million plus you can start the dethroning bandwagon. Until then do the world a favor and talk about POE when you're talking about POE.

    A tad harsh but well said.

    POE looks like the next evolution in hack n slash dungeon crawlers and to me that's great. But like Zymureist said, how about we start talking about it as its own game and stop continually placing it in the shadow of that "other game".

    The game is open beta tomorrow and I'll be playing it. I hope it will be a fun long term gaming experience. Beyond that I really don't give a shit.

    image

    If you don’t do stupid things while you’re young, you’ll have nothing to smile about when you’re old.

  • GraeyGraey Member UncommonPosts: 281

    I like the game. There are certain things in D3 I really enjoy as well. Only have two complaints or gripes as you will about D3. First it's the Auction House and secondly  randomization of levels. Other than that I really enjoyed the character classes. I would say between D3, TL2, and POE D3 has the better classes. However Who knows what might happen when they finally release the full TL2 mods. I know synergy has a necromancer and other very nice additions. I love TL2 because of the modding and might actually mod some things myself when the full tools come out.

     

    PoE I think is a pretty solid game. Love the atmosphere, music, etc. I don't really have any gripes with the game. You just have to take your time with it you know, because you can easily make a mistake and mess up your character. I personally enjoyed it a lot just did not like my character being wiped. So now that beta begins tomorrow I look forward to making a new one and seeing where it takes me.

     

    Currently waiting for the Marvel Arpg and Grim Dawn.

     

    Oh also I think PoE or any Arpg has a long way to go to unseat Diablo. Simply because it's Diablo. Nostalgia keeps people hoping and wishing for that game to be better than it is. If Blizzard actually made a great expansion I could see all past things being erased. Personally I don't see that happening.

  • RaysheRayshe Member UncommonPosts: 1,279

    The biggest turn off for me was in the beginning with the lack of a currency. however the more i play the more i like it. It basically means i wont be picking up every item and running back to town to sell everything. the more i play it the more i prefer it over D3 (kinda obvious really) my ranger is currently built to be the main tank of the group. This is why i love the game. you can generaly do anything with it.

     

    Ill be playing it, im even trying to get acouple friends to play with.

    Because i can.
    I'm Hopeful For Every Game, Until the Fan Boys Attack My Games. Then the Knives Come Out.
    Logic every gamers worst enemy.

  • KuinnKuinn Member UncommonPosts: 2,072

    Small studios wont "dethrone" anything made by bigger commercial burger studios, regardless of the quality of the product, that's just a fact.

     

    Blizzard can sell cans of toxic waste and 6 million people will run in and buy it with their mouths foaming, while some smaller studio can have the most delicious cake ever made in their hands, yet many people are not interested even if the cake was free.

  • TheocritusTheocritus Member LegendaryPosts: 9,737
    Originally posted by zymurgeist
    It's funny how everyone wants to talk about D3 when POE comes up. It's like the only reason they think it exists is to not be D3. When POE sells six million plus you can start the dethroning bandwagon. Until then do the world a favor and talk about POE when you're talking about POE.

     I dont put much weight into how many copies Blizzard games sell....The bnet kiddies basically think everything Blizzard does is gold and will buy anything with their name on it......PoE is a small company and in no way can compete with Blizzard's marketing.

  • SlyLoKSlyLoK Member RarePosts: 2,698
    PoE isnt going to dethrone anything.. Game is nearly unplayable with that camera angle especially for certain builds. And the game is void of any sort of character or ambiance.
  • RednecksithRednecksith Member Posts: 1,238
    Originally posted by Alalala

    Blizzard should take a long look at Path of Exile (PoE), and should come away deeply embarrassed and ashamed.

    Nope. Not even close.

     

    Unlike Blizzard and Diablo 3, the Path of Exile game -

    • took less time to develop;
    Yes, and the terrible art direction, bad animations, clunky combat, and general lack of polish overall definitely shows this. Also, they didn't have to scrap and completely rewrite the game halfway through.
    • took less dollars, effort, and people to make (presumably);
    And again, it shows.
    • has more innovation in its game mechanics;
    Not really. It does have the passive skill tree, materia... err I mean 'skill gems', and how flasks work, and that's about it. Other than that it's a carbon copy of D2. Diablo 3 has an entirely new skill system, health globes, companions, auction house,  (for good or ill), and later added monster power and paragon levels.
    • is free to play;
    Because although the game isn't bad, nobody in their right mind would pay $60 for it.
    • stayed clear off pay-to-win PvP;
    Sorry, no pay to win PvP in D3 either.
    • avoided alienating and angering members of its fan base during its development; and
    The only way Blizzard 'angered their fans' was by not making D3 = D2 with better graphics, and instead choosing to have a different team put their own spin on it. Not Blizzard's fault most D2 fans are whiny crybabies with double standards.
    • enhanced its company’s image and community goodwill.
    By doing what? Existing? Everyone knows that no matter what Blizzard does these days, they can do no right by anyone. They're damned if they do, and damned if they don't. Case in point: People whined that Inferno was too hard, so Blizzard nerfed it. Then people whined that Inferno was too easy, so Blizzard introduced monster power, so folks could choose their own difficulty. Now people are whining that they don't want to do that, and that all the best loot should drop on the easiest mode, etc. Blizzard can't win.

     

    As far as Blizzard, the Diablo 3 situation saddens me greatly.  Has a beloved gaming franchise ever been so mishandled?  Perhaps Final Fantasy XIV?  At least the president of Square Enix, Yoichi Wada, took responsibility and a new game will launch soon.  That’s the kind of adult behavior that can be redemptive and restore a community’s good will.  To compare, Blizzard’s Rob Pardo seems to have woken up from his 2 to 3 year coma, is now strongly defending Diablo 3, and unconvincingly describes the great, great fun he, his friends, and family having playing it.  It seems like Diablo 3 is heading more toward Star Wars NGE at this point.

    Blizzard owned up to what they did do wrong with D3, and have made great progress in changing things for the better. Rob Pardo has every right to be proud of the game, it is a fun, ARPG with polished combat.

     

    My trust in Blizzard is over.  Their “we release when it’s ready” gold standard is a farce. 

    I wouldn't go so far as that, but I will agree that Diablo 3 should have been delayed further.

     

    Anyway, let’s all do what truly is fun right now, and not a promise to improve later in a $30 D3 expansion pack.  Having played in PoE’s closed and open beta, I strongly recommend this game to ARPG fans.

    Again, they're improving things right now, at this very minute, FOR FREE.

    What I want to know, is, where is the outrage that Path of Exile is online only, hmm? No outcry about DRM here, no sir! Of course, if Blizzard does it people whine, cry, and stomp their feet like children who want a piece of candy they can't have.

    PoE's loot is randomly generated. This a great thing, it means loot shall abound! Yet Diablo 3's random loot is BAD, because... errr... I'll get back to you on that. Okay I'll grant you itemization was a bit screwy at first, but it's mostly fixed now.

    Grinding areas and / or bosses for gear in D3 is baaaaaaaad! But in PoE it's good because a few walls switched places! That makes it so much better right? Oh, and Baal runs by the hundreds were acceptable in D2 as well... but Azmodan / Izual / Diablo runs in D3 are TERRIBLE! How dare they want us to fight bosses over and over again!

    Double standards abound in ARPG land these days.

  • maddog15amaddog15a Member UncommonPosts: 83
    Originally posted by Teh_Axi

    PoE is a decent game but unfortunately it's a deceptively simple one. Ironically at its core is has the same issue D3 has, what I like to call "super character syndrome", the skill gem system even means you don't have to commit to anything at all just like D3. In the end its just another slot machine game, you punch mobs till the perfect super items fall out.

    That probably reads more negative than I intend, if you're a fan of ARPGs then PoE is definately worth a look.

    Well not completely true, at first it seems that way but your choices on your passives do somewhat restrict you to what skill you can use late game.

  • rwyanrwyan Member UncommonPosts: 468

    I'm not a fan of PoE but I have been fortunate enough to play the game and here are my thoughts....

     

    PoE is a game lovingly developed by a group of developers passionate about the action-rpg genre.  It is by all means more of a sequel to D2 than D3 was.

     

    The game isn't "perfect" by any means.  The visuals aren't as polished or fine tuned as those from a studio with more money behind it.

     

    But this is very much an ode to the action-rpg genre with some really nifty ideas.  I liked D3, but it was more "charming" than a Diablo game should be.  PoE has all the atmosphere, theorycrafting, and depth D3 wished it had albiet with its own set of flaws.

     

    "it's a deceptively simple one. Ironically at its core is has the same issue D3 has, what I like to call "super character syndrome", the skill gem system even means you don't have to commit to anything at all just like D3."

    This statement is both true in false.  No, you don't have to commit to any one "build".  However, you're skills level up just as your characters do.  By leveling your "skills" you are infact investing in them (i.e. committing to them).  If you wish to change it up, you will have to level up new skills.

     

    That and the passive skill tree will have a massive impact on as to which skills are more effective.

     

    I would say the system is deceptively simple, yet infinitely complex.

     
  • Dreamo84Dreamo84 Member UncommonPosts: 3,713
    Neither one are MMOs so they both have limited replayability in my opinion. Play it, beat it, move on. At least PoE I can play for free cause I doubt i'd give them money. Just doesn't look worth it.

    image
  • bbbb42bbbb42 Member UncommonPosts: 297
    this game will break under the huge ass server stress thats coming its way

    image
  • Badgered86Badgered86 Member UncommonPosts: 175
    No hype needed.  This game is fantastic.  I like PoE and TLII better than Diablo III (or Diablo II for that matter) for different reasons.  Both quality titles.
  • ereyethirnereyethirn Member Posts: 79
    Being a new Zealander myself, I'm really proud of this as it's awesome to see that people from a little country like NZ can make awesome impressve games like this!
  • tomato_kwantomato_kwan Member Posts: 44

     

    Originally posted by Teh_Axi

    PoE is a decent game but unfortunately it's a deceptively simple one. Ironically at its core is has the same issue D3 has, what I like to call "super character syndrome", the skill gem system even means you don't have to commit to anything at all just like D3. In the end its just another slot machine game, you punch mobs till the perfect super items fall out.

    That probably reads more negative than I intend, if you're a fan of ARPGs then PoE is definately worth a look.

    Unlike in D3, you have a HUGE passive skill map to "commit" to. Yes, minor respec is available but full respec is close to unrealistic (building a new one is easier/cheaper)

    The skill system means a versatile choice -- one of my friend has a simular build as one of mine. The difference is -- i choose to have mana leech on my main attack skill so it's basically mana free while his does like 50%more damage.

    Add that on top of the vast passive map choice(when I get a bit more damage from passives and he gets a bit more hp), the customization available is beyond imagination even back in D2 era.

    Which MMORPG(or online arpg) is not about gear?

     

    Originally posted by Rayshe

    The biggest turn off for me was in the beginning with the lack of a currency. however the more i play the more i like it. It basically means i wont be picking up every item and running back to town to sell everything. the more i play it the more i prefer it over D3 (kinda obvious really) my ranger is currently built to be the main tank of the group. This is why i love the game. you can generaly do anything with it.

     

    Ill be playing it, im even trying to get acouple friends to play with.

    You kidding me right? This game has the best currency system -- you can actually USE the currency; thus there is no need to come up with a(n extra) currency sink.

    It's very interesting to see the rate in SC differs a little bit from that in HC, and the currency ratio is VERY different in long races.

     

    Anyways.....It's gonna be F2P within 20hours -- it won't hurt anyone to try. It's worth trying even if it only means a few hours of free entertainment -- and most that have tried will probably end up liking it.

  • fivorothfivoroth Member UncommonPosts: 3,916
    Originally posted by ibn_Cartwell

    Diablo never really held the throne, unless you count D2 ladder, which was a pitiful throne indeed, consisting of 1) players using bots to farm for items, to sell to companies, to sell to players, 2) players using bots to macro baal runs.

     

    Only good thing about D2 was its mods, and dueling.

    Cool story bro. 

    I will give it a try today. Nothing to lose. I like the idea of having so many passive skills giving you tons of options. I hope it is as good as it sounds in reality.

    Mission in life: Vanquish all MMORPG.com trolls - especially TESO, WOW and GW2 trolls.

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