Campaign length: move 50% from the critical path to optional content

Maybe instead of endlessly arguing about how long the road is, we could also look at how we travel it.

One thing I keep coming back to is some kind of proper co-op scaling so you can actually play with higher level friends without everyone having to reroll together from scratch at the same pace. Guild Wars 2 has that dynamic level system where, when you go to a low level zone, your character gets downscaled and your stats go down with it. You are still stronger thanks to build and gear, but you are not one-shotting the air. Something along those lines would let you jump into early acts with a new friend and actually "play together" instead of roleplaying as a bored bodyguard.

I have no idea what the exact formula for that should be in PoE2, but that is kind of the point - this is the devs' job. They are the ones with the levers. We just get to say "it would be cool if I could help my friend in Act 2 without deleting my level 90".

On the campaign itself: I 100% get the "it's fine once, then it becomes homework" feeling. If I have already finished the campaign once on the account, why do I need to prove it again on every new character like some kind of annual tax audit? Just give me a way to start a new character as "campaign cleared" and go straight into whatever the next layer of content is. Call it a level-up consumable, a flag, whatever.

Guild Wars 2 again is a good example: they literally hand out items that boost a character from level 1 to level 80. You get them from events, birthdays, etc. The game does not explode, the server does not catch fire, and players just decide for themselves whether to use them or level that character "properly". It is their choice, not a moral failing.

So yeah, I am firmly in the camp of "shorten the mandatory path, not the game". Keep all the content, but make less of it required every single time. Let people who enjoy the full tour run it, and let the rest of us skip the tenth replay of the same corridor.

And absolutely, if that frees up space to add more genuinely optional side-quests with cool rewards and weird little stories, sign me up. I would much rather choose extra content because it looks fun than feel forced through it because my resistances and passive points are held hostage.

I'd be okay with this idea if they kept the bosses at the same level. So essentially the "optional" content is like, you need to do it in order to get to a level where you can reasonably complete the boss fight. So like, you might run straight to the boss, realize it's too hard, then come back again when you've leveled a bit.

To a large extent that's how endgame bosses work when you think about it; instead of defeating them so you can level up more you're leveling up so you can defeat them.

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Jyrlep#4788 wrote:

Maybe instead of endlessly arguing about how long the road is, we could also look at how we travel it.

Lol I have been playing PoE since 2013 5 hours daily minimum I don't need to learn anything from anyone. I need a button to skip and that's it. I don't enjoy campaign, I enjoy endgame just like many other players like me.

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Jyrlep#4788 wrote:

One thing I keep coming back to is some kind of proper co-op scaling so you can actually play with higher level friends without everyone having to reroll together from scratch at the same pace. Guild Wars 2 has that dynamic level system where, when you go to a low level zone, your character gets downscaled and your stats go down with it. You are still stronger thanks to build and gear, but you are not one-shotting the air. […]

I am firmly in the camp of "shorten the mandatory path, not the game". Keep all the content, but make less of it required every single time. Let people who enjoy the full tour run it, and let the rest of us skip the tenth replay of the same corridor.

And absolutely, if that frees up space to add more genuinely optional side-quests with cool rewards and weird little stories, sign me up. I would much rather choose extra content because it looks fun than feel forced through it because my resistances and passive points are held hostage.

They actually have that first part. But it doesn’t seem to work properly. Regardless of whether it’s turned on or off, I’ve not seen that high level characters actually obliterate the act bosses (even though they should be able to 1-shot them)

100% agreed with the second point. I love more content during the campaign, but only if it’s optional. If the critical path just becomes longer and longer that increases the “homework factor”.

Perhaps they need a KPI along the lines of “critical path content / (total campaign content)”.

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Kalistri#2788 wrote:

I'd be okay with this idea if they kept the bosses at the same level. So essentially the "optional" content is like, you need to do it in order to get to a level where you can reasonably complete the boss fight. So like, you might run straight to the boss, realize it's too hard, then come back again when you've leveled a bit.

Yes, 100% agreed. Similar to Elden Ring: if you’re able to kill the bosses with your starting gear, the campaign is actually very short. But if you are bad at the game, there is nearly unlimited content for you to find gear upgrades and level up

I started a new character in 0.4 and I believe this issue is getting more pressing than before. The amount of posts & comments that say a similar thing has gone exponential this league

I want act 5 and act6,

just add more quests in the large zones/maps with permanent rewards.

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Darosius#3984 wrote:

I want act 5 and act6,

just add more quests in the large zones/maps with permanent rewards.

I agree on wanting act 5 & 6, and I’d love more optional content.
All I’m suggesting is moving things from the required todo list to optional content.

I think they can even keep the mandatory content equally hard. That way, if you’re strong enough you can blast through it very quickly, but if you’re not strong then you will do the side content to get strong enough. This is a natural way to make the first playthrough long and with tonnes of content, but subsequent walkthroughs get shorter and shorter in a natural manner

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BlastYa#4875 wrote:

I think a lot of people only play for the campaign. Why there is a drop in player count after sometimes.
Thoose prob wont agree with you.

the campaign is great. The first time you play it, or twice, but after that? not really. Way too long. Would you play thru some other +-30h game every couple months? I don't think so. Optional skip campaign if you already finished it before sounds like a good idea. Obviously if they add new act, then you'll have to replay the campaign again, but if it stays the same, I don't see a reason to replay it in the next patch let alone in the same if you want multiple characters