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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Originally posted by tomato_kwan

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)

No, most of the passives are just flat increase in damage, health or armor and its easy to get enough stats to use any skill on any character very early into the game. Even your example proves my point, all you have to do is swap out a gem and now you're toon is just like your friends. The differance between commiting to say an axe build vs a mace one is almost none exsistant. You just pick melee or archer or mage, from that point it hardly matters what you do.

Also my point was not about the importance of gear but about the gear itself. In games like PoE gear is so powerful it can have everything you could ever want on it, you dont really make decisions about how to gear your toons you just wear the items with the most stats.

You want an example of an ARPG with meaningful character building, checkout Demon Souls or Dark Souls.

Originally posted by Rthuth434

once again blizzard shows to be the master of inception. even with a 65% disappointment rate D3 fans swarm upon the PoE forums demanding they add a fucking auction house. sad shit. now it's just a major fucking idea seeded in the minds of ARPG players that the games need an auction house.

i wish blizzard had perfect retention for all their games so their fucking fans would leave other products alone.

Thats just wowtards wanting their insta gratification since they hate to work for anything, all blizzard game players are like that.

Anyway, I'll be honestly, I've played PoE and D3, is PoE is what D3 SHOULD have been, insted of the piece of shit it was. The problem was they had some asshat from high up in the wow dev chain making d3, that was their biggest mistake right there, then there was the fact the entire game of d3 was entirely setup to force everyone to use the rmt ah from the getgo, thats why the drop rate was so bad in the game. Then again a AH won't work in PoE due to the trading system it uses.

Im very curious about this title and im looking forward to todays open beta start.

There have been problems activating my account.

The support was superfriendly and fast, kudos there ^^

lol this game won't dethrone anything.....just stop....really, just stop.....

Originally posted by Psychow
This thread is giving me GW2 hype flashbacks! I hope PoE is good. I intend on giving it a go...but please stop with the Diablo killer (ala WoW killer) talk.

The major difference here is that wow is hugely successful with lots of people playing it. Diablo 3 isn't. Sure d1&2 were great games but that franchise is already dead due to d3 so its not really a diablo killer as much as it is a game to fill the gap d3 hs left everyone.

D3 dead? Dethroned?

Huh?

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.

 

You realise he was actually saying he liked the currency system right? He pretty much said he likes the currency system but found ot took a while to get used to then you replied with a comeback to them not liking it. People confuse me sometimes...