What part about the game besides skill in when to dodge and when to be able to hit something, is not a slot machine at this point?
•How to build a character
•How to identify what is valuable and what is not each separate league
•Know what to stand in and what not to
•Know how to navigate sekhemas
•Crafting and knowing proper combinations and available options
•Knowing the balance between necessary and unnecessary defense/offense specific to you
Its pretty narrow minded, to think that the game is only skill based around the dodge button and its timing.
"
•How to build a character
Is RNG, since many things are still buggy, up to 0.2 we had the problem that poison builds don't provide loot or XP if enemy died with Energy shield up
It also depends highly on the gear you drop and the progress you can make in campaign
At the moment we have no effective way to actually build characters which come new to the game or haven't been tested to a certain extend, which is not building anything but mostly copying stuff people did already.
"
•How to identify what is valuable and what is not each separate league
There was close to no difference between leagues now, except for new items...
So getting to know what is worth it or not is also based on what streamers show. Which is RNG at this point. Cause you cannot tell that Fubgun will keep playing Pathfinder next league.
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•Know what to stand in and what not to
which is skill in terms of dodge and know when to hit something or not...
"
•Know how to navigate sekhemas
That is a mechanic in the game and it is mostly a RNG slot machine in terms of which areas spawn. Your knowledge is something that helps but doesn't prevent a run from bricking or not if you have bad luck. Except you run a temporalis build and can skip most of the rooms itself or make the rest of it trivial with a OP damage output.
"
•Crafting and knowing proper combinations and available options
Crafting is pure RNG and a completely based upon RNG... Knowing proper combinations and available options is part of it, but the process to get there is mostly RNG.
"
•Knowing the balance between necessary and unnecessary defense/offense specific to you
You mean like evasion and being RNG or block which is RNG and ES which is not? :,D
Last edited by Ondrugs#1147 on Feb 18, 2026, 9:10:48 PM
If you think building a character is pure RNG. Its just a rage bait response at this point.
Roll a dice, close your eyes and spec and succeed lmfao. These forums are just getting got themselves. Am I talking to Toffy? This is POE2 forums not POE1
Mash the clean
Last edited by Mashgesture#2912 on Feb 18, 2026, 9:14:14 PM
Just because something has RNG and probability sprinkled on it doesn't automatically make it "gambling".
Yes, RNG can be addictive. Yes, you can "pay" something to roll the dice, like burning currency on crafting. But if we're going to call that gambling, then cool - let's follow that logic all the way to the end and regulate it like gambling. Especially in the European Union, where lawmakers don't exactly treat "maybe you'll win" mechanics as a cute personality trait.
Most gameplay loot is just random drops. You're not staking money to participate, you're staking time. And sure, someone can argue that in endgame you "pay" waystones and tablets to access a slot machine of drops. But does that actually fit the gambling category, or is it just the normal "spend a resource to run content" loop every ARPG has had since forever? If we're calling that gambling, then basically the entire genre is a casino with extra steps.
Crafting is the one place where the comparison starts to smell less ridiculous. Personally, I hate how much of it is "invest a pile of stuff for the privilege of maybe getting something usable". So I mostly don't craft. I play in certainties, not possibilities. I'm casual. I don't want a second job where the paycheck is "oops, bricked again". The hardcore players will always get better results because they grind more, plan more, calculate more - like real life, except with more spreadsheets and fewer health benefits.
On loot clutter though, I'm fully on board. There's WAY too much junk on the ground and most of it is trash-tier, plus the whole unidentified thing is just busywork. If I can't see the stats, I can't make a meaningful decision. I want to see what an item is before I pick it up so I can build class-based loot filters and simply not interact with irrelevant drops. I don't want to roleplay as a professional base-hoarder who picks up every plate boot in a 3-kilometer radius and then RNGs the shit out of it.
So my recommendation is simple: drop items identified. Lose the identification step. Let filters work on actual item stats. If the goal is to reduce friction and loot spam, hiding the info until after pickup is doing the opposite.
Just because something has RNG and probability sprinkled on it doesn't automatically make it "gambling".
Yes, RNG can be addictive. Yes, you can "pay" something to roll the dice, like burning currency on crafting. But if we're going to call that gambling, then cool - let's follow that logic all the way to the end and regulate it like gambling. Especially in the European Union, where lawmakers don't exactly treat "maybe you'll win" mechanics as a cute personality trait.
Most gameplay loot is just random drops. You're not staking money to participate, you're staking time. And sure, someone can argue that in endgame you "pay" waystones and tablets to access a slot machine of drops. But does that actually fit the gambling category, or is it just the normal "spend a resource to run content" loop every ARPG has had since forever? If we're calling that gambling, then basically the entire genre is a casino with extra steps.
Crafting is the one place where the comparison starts to smell less ridiculous. Personally, I hate how much of it is "invest a pile of stuff for the privilege of maybe getting something usable". So I mostly don't craft. I play in certainties, not possibilities. I'm casual. I don't want a second job where the paycheck is "oops, bricked again". The hardcore players will always get better results because they grind more, plan more, calculate more - like real life, except with more spreadsheets and fewer health benefits.
On loot clutter though, I'm fully on board. There's WAY too much junk on the ground and most of it is trash-tier, plus the whole unidentified thing is just busywork. If I can't see the stats, I can't make a meaningful decision. I want to see what an item is before I pick it up so I can build class-based loot filters and simply not interact with irrelevant drops. I don't want to roleplay as a professional base-hoarder who picks up every plate boot in a 3-kilometer radius and then RNGs the shit out of it.
So my recommendation is simple: drop items identified. Lose the identification step. Let filters work on actual item stats. If the goal is to reduce friction and loot spam, hiding the info until after pickup is doing the opposite.
Exactly this. Respecting the player means removing the artificial barriers that don't add real difficulty. Dropping items identified isn't "making the game easier," it's making the decision-making process faster and more meaningful.
The "item weight" argument falls apart when 99% of that weight is just unidentified junk that clutters the screen and the mind. Transitioning from "picking up everything to check" to "filtering for what actually matters" is the evolution this genre needs.
It’s refreshing to see a take that balances the reality of RNG with the necessity of quality-of-life improvements. GGG should listen to the players who want to actually play the game rather than those who want to roleplay as an inventory manager. Supporting more clarity and less busywork is the only way to keep the endgame healthy for everyone, not just the 24/7 grinders.
Just because something has RNG and probability sprinkled on it doesn't automatically make it "gambling".
Yes, RNG can be addictive. Yes, you can "pay" something to roll the dice, like burning currency on crafting. But if we're going to call that gambling, then cool - let's follow that logic all the way to the end and regulate it like gambling. Especially in the European Union, where lawmakers don't exactly treat "maybe you'll win" mechanics as a cute personality trait.
Most gameplay loot is just random drops. You're not staking money to participate, you're staking time. And sure, someone can argue that in endgame you "pay" waystones and tablets to access a slot machine of drops. But does that actually fit the gambling category, or is it just the normal "spend a resource to run content" loop every ARPG has had since forever? If we're calling that gambling, then basically the entire genre is a casino with extra steps.
Crafting is the one place where the comparison starts to smell less ridiculous. Personally, I hate how much of it is "invest a pile of stuff for the privilege of maybe getting something usable". So I mostly don't craft. I play in certainties, not possibilities. I'm casual. I don't want a second job where the paycheck is "oops, bricked again". The hardcore players will always get better results because they grind more, plan more, calculate more - like real life, except with more spreadsheets and fewer health benefits.
On loot clutter though, I'm fully on board. There's WAY too much junk on the ground and most of it is trash-tier, plus the whole unidentified thing is just busywork. If I can't see the stats, I can't make a meaningful decision. I want to see what an item is before I pick it up so I can build class-based loot filters and simply not interact with irrelevant drops. I don't want to roleplay as a professional base-hoarder who picks up every plate boot in a 3-kilometer radius and then RNGs the shit out of it.
So my recommendation is simple: drop items identified. Lose the identification step. Let filters work on actual item stats. If the goal is to reduce friction and loot spam, hiding the info until after pickup is doing the opposite.
Exactly this. Respecting the player means removing the artificial barriers that don't add real difficulty. Dropping items identified isn't "making the game easier," it's making the decision-making process faster and more meaningful.
The "item weight" argument falls apart when 99% of that weight is just unidentified junk that clutters the screen and the mind. Transitioning from "picking up everything to check" to "filtering for what actually matters" is the evolution this genre needs.
It’s refreshing to see a take that balances the reality of RNG with the necessity of quality-of-life improvements. GGG should listen to the players who want to actually play the game rather than those who want to roleplay as an inventory manager. Supporting more clarity and less busywork is the only way to keep the endgame healthy for everyone, not just the 24/7 grinders.
I like how this point sounds but I don't think it would be received as well as you're imagining.
The way the psychological reward process works in people is that we get a dose of it during the anticipation of a good result. If we actually get the good result, we do indeed receive the psychological reward component too, but it is nowhere as potent as having it go off each time we perceive an opportunity for the potential of a good result.
To translate this into poe, it means every time you see un-id'd boots on the ground, you receive a psychological reward because they could be good boots, even though you know they are unlikely to be good at all. If they turn out to be good, you will experience more reward, but it does not measure up to the cumulative amount of psychological reward you experienced when you saw the 200 crap boots drop before it.
I know it sounds stupid, but that's really how it works, and it's why gambling is so addictive to people. It's called intermittent positive reinforcement - famously demonstrated by the "skinner box" experiment.
So while your suggestion of having boots drop ID'd so a filter can only show you the ones you know are going to be good sounds like a great QoL feature to you, this sort of feedback feels similar to asking a fish how to catch more fish, rather than asking a fisherman - the fish will tell you what they think they want, but their actions speak louder than their words. The fisherman will always know what actually works.
I agree. Before POE2, I enjoyed POE1 for about 30–50 days. Now I barely enjoy the POE1 league beyond two weeks, and I left POE2 after four days. When I tried local co‑op with my brother, monster density was reduced, but we still got split up by tons of non-rare trash at levels 11‑14—no rewards, no fun. The forced combo gameplay... but when you don’t follow the hype meta... it feels boring.
Crafting is the one place where the comparison starts to smell less ridiculous. Personally, I hate how much of it is "invest a pile of stuff for the privilege of maybe getting something usable". So I mostly don't craft. I play in certainties, not possibilities. I'm casual. I don't want a second job where the paycheck is "oops, bricked again". The hardcore players will always get better results because they grind more, plan more, calculate more - like real life, except with more spreadsheets and fewer health benefits.
you just described the issue.
1) A merchant sells the sword of truth 10,0000 gold = kill monsters collect gold.
2) Go kill monsters and hope to find it.
3) Craft it.....
Craft is .. open the loot box. oops no good, open the loot box , oops no good,
improve your weapon , oops its bricked.
You go to the well of souls...
You throw a weapon in....
It might come back stronger
It might come back weaker
It may not come back at all .....
Are you psyched to use this game mechanic ?
That's crafting .... Throwing an item off a cliff ... hope its not trash...
I sent this to support, and they told me to post here. I know I’m not the only one feeling this way, especially after the "Last of the Druids" (0.4.0) update.
We all love the combat and visuals, but the structure of the game is actively pushing players away. Here is the reality for those of us who have jobs, families, and limited playtime:
1. STOP WASTING OUR TIME (The "Walking Simulator" Problem) Not everyone is a streamer with 16 hours a day to burn. Some of us have 1-2 hours a night. When I spend that limited time just walking through massive, empty zones (especially in Acts 2 & 3) with zero density, it doesn't feel like gameplay. It feels like a commute.
The Issue: The ratio of walking-to-fighting is completely off.
The Result: By the time we reach maps, we are already burnt out.
2. WE NEED A CAMPAIGN SKIP / ADVENTURE MODE It is 2026. Diablo 4 has a Campaign Skip. Last Epoch has dungeon shortcuts. Why is PoE 2 still forcing us to run the same 20-hour story acts for every single character? I wanted to reroll a Druid, but after realizing I had to do all the fetch quests again with a slower character, I just logged off.
Fix: Once we finish the campaign on our main, let Alts level up in Maps/Delve. Don't punish us for wanting to play your game more.
3. SSF IS UNPLAYABLE (Forced Trade) I want to play Solo Self-Found. I don't want to trade. But the game punishes me for it. Why does SSF share the same Item Rarity/Quantity rates as Trade League?
The game is balanced around a Trade Economy.
Solo players are left starving for loot.
Fix: Give SSF a dedicated loot buff or a "Loot 2.0" system. I shouldn't be forced into Trade League just to make a build viable.
TL;DR: We want to play the game, not run a marathon in empty zones.
Give us an Adventure Mode for Alts.
Buff SSF Loot.
Fix the Pacing.
If you agree, please bump this thread so the devs actually see it. We need changes before the next league.
Cheers.
Gonna respond to this OP, not the AI infused nonsense that lasted for twenty pages, and when I called it out I got banned.
1.) The idea that a game, or game developers, should respect our time is absurd. It's a game. We are inherently wasting our time.
2.) This is automation. That's just skipping the game we're playing. Play something else until next league maybe?
3.) SSF is a late addition to PoE 1. It has a minority user base and should not be the standard. Buffing loot just cheapens the game.
The human ideas on game development in this thread are interesting. I think the discussion should focus more on why people want to skip campaign (they rolled too many characters that league) and why they want more loot when you can beat the game without it (FOMO).
Gonna respond to this OP, not the AI infused nonsense that lasted for twenty pages, and when I called it out I got banned.
1.) The idea that a game, or game developers, should respect our time is absurd. It's a game. We are inherently wasting our time.
2.) This is automation. That's just skipping the game we're playing. Play something else until next league maybe?
3.) SSF is a late addition to PoE 1. It has a minority user base and should not be the standard. Buffing loot just cheapens the game.
The human ideas on game development in this thread are interesting. I think the discussion should focus more on why people want to skip campaign (they rolled too many characters that league) and why they want more loot when you can beat the game without it (FOMO).
Ain't nothing cheaper than buying your progression, tbh.
GGG took the wrong lessons from D2 ladder if you look at it from the fun side of things.
