We NEED to talk about SSF.

I’d like to humbly share my opinion after playing PoE 2 in SSF mode with over 500 hours invested. And I have to say, SSF is completely unplayable right now. For a long time, even since PoE 1, I’ve avoided the Trade Site that the game keeps trying to force on you. In order to progress with your character, you basically have to use the trade system. In PoE 1, this is somewhat manageable since there are more crafting options and items actually drop. But in PoE 2? It’s a worse system than Ruthless. Seriously.

For example, one of the hardest bosses in the game, Jamanra, whether it’s Act 2, Act 5, or Citadel, this boss has a terrible loot pool, I’ve killed him so many times and he drops nothing, I don’t know his loot is bugged or something, but certainly need to fix that. It’s beyond frustrating. Even killing T15 map bosses doesn’t feel rewarding, they still drop mostly blue gear. SSF PLAYERS ARE PAINFULLY LACKING IN REGAL AND EXALTED ORBS.

Also, the RMT community of bots and currency sellers/buyers in PoE 2 is way worse than it ever was in PoE 1. Not to mention the extremely toxic community, my experience in the last league was awful. People trying to control prices, scamming on trades, trying to trick you into giving up your currency or item, or just straight-up ignoring your messages when you try to buy something. It’s disgusting. I don’t want to deal with that, which is why I choose SSF 100% of the time. It’s a much better experience.

That said, there are real problems with SSF in PoE 2, compared to PoE 1. In PoE 1, you had more crafting options and better loot drops. In PoE 2, with the complete lack of loot and absurd scarcity, I finished the campaign using BLUE GEAR. That’s just gross. And it’s something that could be easily fixed if you used the Trade Site, just buy one decent item with an exalted orb and your entire progression is smoother. An exalted orb in SSF is basically just another prefix/affix to an item, which in Standard mode if you use the Trade Site, it’s an entire perfectly crafted item.

What GGG could do is simple: remove the option to transfer SSF characters to Standard, and in return, increase the drop rate of loot, currencies, and good gear like uniques and rares in SSF. That way, people who choose SSF can actually progress with their character in a healthy, solo way, without contaminating the Standard market with extra loot bonuses. The vision that Jonathan has for this game, that you should progress naturally by playing, doesn’t hold up in practice. Especially in SSF, what actually happens is that you have to play 400 hours just to craft one decent item or get a good unique, IF you’re lucky. A game that’s supposed to be fun turns into an endless job. No wonder the Steam reviews are so low, the player is nerfed in this patch, and the loot doesn’t drop.

These issues are only relevant to SSF, in Standard, people are already buying Divine Orbs and Mirrors with real money and getting the best gear in the market. SSF doesn’t have that option, which I’m glad for, but there’s also no viable way to make progress with dignity. I’m running maps with trash gear, and I know there’s going to come a point where I hit a wall and simply can’t go further because of the lack of resources.

I really want to see improvements to SSF. Right now, it honestly feels like it was forgotten with patch 0.2.0. And frankly, if the only way to progress is switching to Standard, then I’d rather just not play the game. That mode is infested with bots and toxic players, I want no part of it. I just want to enjoy the game and progress in a fair way in SSF.

I hope this feedback is taken positively, because that’s the goal here. I love this game and want to see it grow, and I truly believe that improving the SSF experience would be a huge win for everyone who just wants to stay away from the Trade Site and Standard mode.

Thank you, GGG, for being supportive and listening to your community. I truly hope this feedback reaches you and helps make the game even better.

Edit: Wudijo, one of the most experienced ARPG players and one of the top on SSF's ladder right now, made a very good video about the current state of SSF, especially about crafting and progression and I think it’s super relevant to this discussion. GGG should definitely take his feedback into account.

Here’s the link of the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZgtKhgTfps

Keep grinding!

SSF will get easier organically when more crafting options are added. The same thing happened in POE1.

Right now you know what you're signing up for and you've made a deliberate choice to gimp yourself (so did I by the way). Either live with it and be prepared to grind for upgrades, or transfer to standard and blow through the entire game in one day.

The choice is there.

I dunno ssf seems fine for me

First campaign play through total

excludes trades/shards

The game is not designed for SSF. Drop rates are not balanced for SSF and they never will be. By choosing to play SSF, you are deliberately electing to play the game on a more difficult, punishing game mode in which you do not have access to trade but are subject to drop rates which assume trade is present.

It is unreasonable bordering on irrational for you to choose to play SSF, deliberately denying yourself access to trade, and then turn around and demand GGG balance drop rates to compensate for that lack of access.

If SSF is not fun because you don't have access to gear, the solution is right there in front of you. Don't play SSF.

This is the equivalent of stuffing hot coals down your pants and then loudly demanding GGG immediately deploy a squad to dump ice water on you to relieve your suffering when instead you could have just not stuffed those coals down your pants in the first place guy.

"

arandan#3174 wrote:

SSF will get easier organically when more crafting options are added. The same thing happened in POE1.

Right now you know what you're signing up for and you've made a deliberate choice to gimp yourself (so did I by the way). Either live with it and be prepared to grind for upgrades, or transfer to standard and blow through the entire game in one day.

The choice is there.

I know I have that option, but like I said in my post, if I have to choose to progress through Standard, I’d rather just not play at all. I’ll keep playing SSF this season until I burn out. I’m actually having fun with Huntress right now, but again, this is meant as feedback on something that’s clearly a problem. What could be an enjoyable progression experience ends up feeling more frustrating than fun because of the lack of resources. And once I hit a wall and feel there’s no more real progression, I’m out.

Now choosing Standard, a mode full of bots and currency sellers/buyers? No thanks, I’ll pass.

And just to reiterate, yeah, we had this issue back in PoE 1 too, but in PoE 2 it’s way worse. The game has way more visibility and reach now, and with that came a disgusting wave of bots.

"

luizdoc#0279 wrote:

I’d like to humbly share my opinion after playing PoE 2 in SSF mode with over 500 hours invested. And I have to say, SSF is completely unplayable right now. For a long time, even since PoE 1, I’ve avoided the Trade Site that the game keeps trying to force on you. In order to progress with your character, you basically have to use the trade system. In PoE 1, this is somewhat manageable since there are more crafting options and items actually drop. But in PoE 2? It’s a worse system than Ruthless. Seriously.

For example, one of the hardest bosses in the game, Jamanra, whether it’s Act 2, Act 5, or Citadel, this boss has a terrible loot pool, I’ve killed him so many times and he drops nothing, I don’t know his loot is bugged or something, but certainly need to fix that. It’s beyond frustrating. Even killing T15 map bosses doesn’t feel rewarding, they still drop mostly blue gear. SSF PLAYERS ARE PAINFULLY LACKING IN REGAL AND EXALTED ORBS.

Also, the RMT community of bots and currency sellers/buyers in PoE 2 is way worse than it ever was in PoE 1. Not to mention the extremely toxic community, my experience in the last league was awful. People trying to control prices, scamming on trades, trying to trick you into giving up your currency or item, or just straight-up ignoring your messages when you try to buy something. It’s disgusting. I don’t want to deal with that, which is why I choose SSF 100% of the time. It’s a much better experience.

That said, there are real problems with SSF in PoE 2, compared to PoE 1. In PoE 1, you had more crafting options and better loot drops. In PoE 2, with the complete lack of loot and absurd scarcity, I finished the campaign using BLUE GEAR. That’s just gross. And it’s something that could be easily fixed if you used the Trade Site, just buy one decent item with an exalted orb and your entire progression is smoother. An exalted orb in SSF is basically just another prefix/affix to an item, which in Standard mode if you use the Trade Site, it’s an entire perfectly crafted item.

What GGG could do is simple: remove the option to transfer SSF characters to Standard, and in return, increase the drop rate of loot, currencies, and good gear like uniques and rares in SSF. That way, people who choose SSF can actually progress with their character in a healthy, solo way, without contaminating the Standard market with extra loot bonuses. The vision that Jonathan has for this game, that you should progress naturally by playing, doesn’t hold up in practice. Especially in SSF, what actually happens is that you have to play 400 hours just to craft one decent item or get a good unique, IF you’re lucky. A game that’s supposed to be fun turns into an endless job. No wonder the Steam reviews are so low, the player is nerfed in this patch, and the loot doesn’t drop.

These issues are only relevant to SSF, in Standard, people are already buying Divine Orbs and Mirrors with real money and getting the best gear in the market. SSF doesn’t have that option, which I’m glad for, but there’s also no viable way to make progress with dignity. I’m running maps with trash gear, and I know there’s going to come a point where I hit a wall and simply can’t go further because of the lack of resources.

I really want to see improvements to SSF. Right now, it honestly feels like it was forgotten with patch 0.2.0. And frankly, if the only way to progress is switching to Standard, then I’d rather just not play the game. That mode is infested with bots and toxic players, I want no part of it. I just want to enjoy the game and progress in a fair way in SSF.

I hope this feedback is taken positively, because that’s the goal here. I love this game and want to see it grow, and I truly believe that improving the SSF experience would be a huge win for everyone who just wants to stay away from the Trade Site and Standard mode.

Thank you, GGG, for being supportive and listening to your community. I truly hope this feedback reaches you and helps make the game even better.

My POV: SSF is perfectly fine.

If you're struggling with gear or resources, have a read of this.

https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3755572

Just don't blame me if it ends up trivializing the campaign. 😅

NOTE: My comments and the link presented only apply to the campaign!

"

luizdoc#0279 wrote:

I know I have that option

Maybe I wasn't completely clear. You said "I really want to see improvements to SSF" and I just want you to know that it's just never going to happen.

GGG has made it clear that the game will always be designed with trade in mind. The entire point of SSF is that it's for people who want to punish themselves by denying themselves access to trade. You cannot reasonably make this decision and then expect GGG to balance SSF so you don't suffer the consequences of the decision you just got done making.

What you want SSF to be is "the same experience but I don't have to trade" and that's just never going to happen.

"

luizdoc#0279 wrote:

I know I have that option

Maybe I wasn't completely clear. You said "I really want to see improvements to SSF" and I just want you to know that it's just never going to happen.

GGG has made it clear that the game will always be designed with trade in mind. The entire point of SSF is that it's for people who want to punish themselves by denying themselves access to trade. You cannot reasonably make this decision and then expect GGG to balance SSF so you don't suffer the consequences of the decision you just got done making.

What you want SSF to be is "the same experience but I don't have to trade" and that's just never going to happen.

I want improvments to the game. SSF or otherwise.


What I dont want are improvements to SSF to make it as fast as trade.

Or improvements because there needs to be instant gratification.


The mode is created so things take more time. And wanting something to make that not the case, is against the heart of SSF. It takes more time.