Solo Self-Found Support in 2.6.0

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azaExile wrote:

I have enjoyed this extraordinary game for more than 1400+ hours and did it 100% solo and self-found.

I have played it this way for almost three years, on- and off for months, mostly in challenge leagues, whenever my busy work and family life allowed it.
Should you be curious, it has actually not been a dogmatic decision, but probably the combination of having no RL-friends playing this game (a pity), playing irregularly but intensely, and having no interest in/patience for forums, chats, or trade systems happening out-of-game or requiring third-party tools and sites.

This is also my first post, because SSF happens to be my way of playing the game and you asked for feedback on this manifesto, so I take a few minutes to give some:

Although I applaud your wish to recognise players like me, and/or offer them something, I personally see no added benefit for me outlined in your plans: I could continue to play SSF in upcoming challenge leagues, soft- or hardcore, just as well as I did before, without it being a special league type, it having a ladder (for racing probably?), or something visual to brag about in the forums.

That being said, as has been suggested several times in this thread before:
The thing about SSF that could use the most help compared to playing in groups and/or with trading, especially in time-boxed challenge leagues, is that it is quite hard to play the specific build requiring specific items which you were keen to try out for that patch or league, if you are unlucky or simply do not have the time to invest during the three months to grind for it.
Sure, divination cards have helped, as does being flexible to adapt your build to drops etc, but even after all this time there are still some builds left for me to try for which I never found the item(s).

As my playing time and my playing methods are my personal decisions, I never dared bothered to complain about that fact or that I probably will never achieve everything in a three month league.

If you would keep the economies completely seperate, you could tinker the drop-rates of tier-1 or known build-enabling uniques, or offer some sort of Vendor recipe- or Master up-trading, or a quest to choose 1 of n of those items as reward, etc.
I would also have no problem to play such a tinkered challenge league, and afterwards not get merged back into standard, as I almost never play there, but just delete the chars of that league when the league ends.

If I think about it or you ask me, I could surely come up with more suggestions ;-)

Anyway, thanks for reading all of this and your continued work on this almost perfect game.

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azaExile wrote:

Although I applaud your wish to recognise players like me, and/or offer them something, I personally see no added benefit for me outlined in your plans: I could continue to play SSF in upcoming challenge leagues, soft- or hardcore, just as well as I did before, without it being a special league type, it having a ladder (for racing probably?), or something visual to brag about in the forums.

That being said, as has been suggested several times in this thread before:
The thing about SSF that could use the most help compared to playing in groups and/or with trading, especially in time-boxed challenge leagues, is that it is quite hard to play the specific build requiring specific items which you were keen to try out for that patch or league, if you are unlucky or simply do not have the time to invest during the three months to grind for it.
Sure, divination cards have helped, as does being flexible to adapt your build to drops etc, but even after all this time there are still some builds left for me to try for which I never found the item(s).

As my playing time and my playing methods are my personal decisions, I never dared bothered to complain about that fact or that I probably will never achieve everything in a three month league.

If you would keep the economies completely seperate, you could tinker the drop-rates of tier-1 or known build-enabling uniques, or offer some sort of Vendor recipe- or Master up-trading, or a quest to choose 1 of n of those items as reward, etc.
I would also have no problem to play such a tinkered challenge league, and afterwards not get merged back into standard, as I almost never play there, but just delete the chars of that league when the league ends.

If I think about it or you ask me, I could surely come up with more suggestions ;-)

Anyway, thanks for reading all of this and your continued work on this almost perfect game.

"

ghoulavenger wrote:

As far as the tinkering of the SSF league goes, I stand firmly opposed as long as the opt out exists. If the opt out gets taken away I'll probably be on the fence for a bit.