FFF - Friction beFore Fun

I have been playing PoE1 since the early Alpha days and PoE2 since launch. I rarely post on forums as I find forum politics to be a minefield that I personally don't enjoy. Right now I feel like something needs to be said though.

As the title states, in one simple line, this almost perfectly describes what PoE2 feels like to me.

There seems to be this overarching ever growing sense that friction hides behind every corner. There is no prize without penalty, no dopamine without pain. I understand why games need friction and I completely agree with it when balanced correctly against the player power fantasy but this game seems to have forgotten what it is that makes us avid ARPG fans want to play.

I know this has been said before and will continue to be said but It feels a like the fun always has to go hand in hand with friction at every turn.

Of course no one wants there to be extreme outliers that make a mockery of the game destroying the hardest content before it even appears on screen, there also always needs to be something to strive for always. However this interpretation of an ARPG and most importantly its ability to empower the player power fantasy has hit a new low and makes me personally feel like this direction goes against everything I want to feel when playing these games.

Yes of course it is early access and there is plenty of time to steer the ship in a better direction but honestly it seems that GGG have become somewhat set on this type of methodology and I doubt we will see it change back to what most players ultimately want and enjoy.

FFF!

Fun First b4 Friction!