Should I Continue Playing This Game?

(The following text was translated by software, so it might seem a bit awkward.)

What is the purpose of playing games? To pass time, to relax, to find joy.
But this game doesn’t make me feel relaxed or fun.

Games can be challenging and difficult. When we overcome challenges, our characters earn loot, gain experience, and we derive happiness. The time we invest in the game translates into enjoyment—this is the fundamental logic.

Most of us are working adults with limited time. We need to socialize, exercise, date, spend time with loved ones, and our daily gaming time is even more constrained. Thus, whether the time spent on a game is "worth it" becomes the standard for judging its appeal.

‌POE2 does the opposite.‌
Too often, the time you invest ends up feeling worthless. The game is riddled with excessive penalty mechanics—they’re everywhere. I wonder if the developers have a vendetta against players:

Penalties on gear affixes
Penalties on support skill gems
Penalties on map modifiers
Death penalties
Trial map penalties that vary wildly
These penalties feel arbitrary. Your hard-earned character upgrades can be nullified by a single negative map modifier.

‌Pacing and Difficulty Issues‌
Slow pacing and high difficulty aren’t inherently bad, but they clash with time constraints. Do the developers assume we play 10 hours daily? In reality, 2–3 hours is already generous.

Here’s my typical nightly 2-hour session:

Each map takes ~10 minutes.
Loot is just a few Exalted Orbs and rare gear.
I use those Orbs for crafting, but the results are always trash.
My gear and level don’t prevent frequent deaths.
Net outcome: 0 experience gained, 0 meaningful progress—essentially wasting 2 hours.
I’m not a top-tier player, just a casual one. Maybe this game isn’t for me. Since it brings no joy, ‌should I consider taking a break?

"

Dave00002#6522 написал:

Since it brings no joy, ‌should I consider taking a break?

You yourself answered your question. Unless you don't play games to have fun?

i finished at this "But this game doesn’t make me feel relaxed or fun."

move on its not for you

Yup. Probably best to take a break.

One thing I love about PoE1 is it has content that can easily work into my schedule. Even if I have to stop playing in 2 minutes I could open some div cards, or with 5 mins left I know I can run 1 map, maybe 2.

But PoE2 doesn't have that range of activities yet. Other than bossing, every bit of content feels like a potential +20 minute commitment. Sure the average map is ~10 mins, but what if it had 10 breaches and 4 rituals? The longer uncertain time frames make it difficult to plan what I'm going to accomplish at that time.

I'm still playing but more and more I'm running 3-5 maps, a boss or two and then switch to another game for the remainder of my evening.

Hopefully in time it brings you joy, or you find something else you feel is better.

theres little reason to play poe2 in its current state.

Yea, just stop playing the game if its not enjoyable. I stopped playing at the 4th week of league release since there is nothing for me to chase anymore. Itemization is just a slot machine, endgame is boiled down to zoomy screen clearing build and there is no merit at all in playing off META / inefficient build, weird nerf to Trinity and Beira Anguish, and the game still doesn't know what it wants to be.

Early access is not an excuse for this kind of performance when 1) GGG is not an Indie company anymore , 2) GGG have Path of Exile 1, Diablo 2-3-4, Last Epoch, as frame of references on the genre and how the market perceive it , and 3) 10 Years of experience in "Making It" with Path of Exile 1.

Excusing practices like this just because they slap "EA" is like saying you like eating PP while a cow humping you. What does the game wants to be ? Does PoE 2 wants to be just like PoE 1 with prettier graphic, added dodge roll, slower beginning, but just the same BS in endgame ? Or it wants to stood on its two legs and taking its predecessor as inspiration instead of foundation ?

You all need to have better standard and putting game company in high standard, especially when the company is no longer a small indie studio.

POE was always intented to be a game where you can return any time, you wont miss out.
If they do similar what POE1 does, every few months there will be a reset anyway.

I do feel the frustration. Endgame is just a hot mess with great potential.
Its contradicting a bit because endgame supposed to be a challenge run, but we all know its more like the first 85 lvl is a "tutorial".

Currently the game just shows you 4 mechanics and maps.
But gathering 300 splinters can take up to a month for a casual player. I just got my first simulacrum and got my arse kicked. Dont feel the enthusiasm to grind another 70-100 maps.

I will have a breech entry soon, but I fear it will be a similar experience.

Logbooks? I have no idea whats impressive in it. Found a single one, apparently its designed to be something worthy to farm*

* if you have dozens of books where RNGesus in favour of you in loot

Recombinator?
Pff... 5% chance to combine 2 mods when the point you actually use the tool you need at least 6 out of 7 mods to be beneficial.

Fracture orbs and wisps? If every encounter/map would be a guarantee drop it wouldn't be enough.

Endgame at the moment feels as if its balanced for an MMO community, but for that trading is pretty limited.
If SSF is the intended way, then either players are masochists or devs are insane sadists.

The thing is, once those things are sorted, Im sure it will be a brutally good game.
Current stage is as I expected will be wonky. It has issues but wont be the meme guy of
"not recommend - played 5k+ hours" XD

This game is designed for a very specific audience more so than a lot of games, as it doubles and triples and quadraples down on the principle that the more players suffer, the more rewarding the same result would feel.

It was never designed for the mass market.

I feel a lot of the issues with this game's direction comes from people believing in the praise that was for POE1, who then come and find out that POE2 is taking the complete opposite direction.

Nothing is deterministic, even the content you are allowed to play in the endgame are often gated behind RNG drops. Even the challenge in the game is RNG based: the exact same map could have a rare mob with horribly impossible combination of random modifiers, or it could be a faceroll.

Crafting is just a slot machine and the best you could do is to pull the lever. If you look at endgame crafting where people have access to every single "advanced crafting tools" the game offers, it is still the same RNG fest.

Although I disgree that this was designed for an MMO community. MMOs is about using little bits of gradual but sure progress steps towards a goal to keep people addicted: lots of small wins that just don't stop coming in.

POE2 is more like...well...a slot machine. You have long periods of inactivity (garbage loot, facerolling fights, brain-dead mapping) and then the symbols line up and boom you have a rare drop (Divine, Mirror, chase Unique, etc.) and then you're back to the monotonous inactivity.

The structure is completely different to what you would find in a popular MMO.

Finally, SSF was never the audience. The game is designed and balanced around trade, and they have made it clear plenty of times. This game will never be a good experience for SSF. If anything, SSF is not even a challenge that was designed to be taken; SSF in this game is just "trading game without trading" as there is absolutely ZERO consideration or mechanics given to SSF.

I would recommend leaving the game for a while, come back every major version to try it out and give some feedback. But honestly the things you mention just aren't going to change because those are the core beliefs held by GGG.

POE2 isn't a game that serves players. It's a game that is just "is", and they expect players who don't like it the way it is designed to just leave.

And heavy, harsh, and cruel RNG is at the core of that belief.

yes, they screwed up big time in 0.2.

OP I ask myself all these questions too as Im gaining XP for smashing mice and keyboards. I might have lost XP in game but got that XP back in wife aggro! GGG cant take that XP away!!

Game is awesome stop thinkin so deep it is a simple game point click and pick up the garbage loot that drops and have fun while you are talking yourself into playing.