You know the thing about RNG?

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johnKeys написал:

I agree with this, but I also think it's unfair to expect it from GGG, considering it's their first game and it's not finished yet.

when thinking about challenge and fun based on random events, and monsters' "group AI" - a game like Torchlight 2 comes to mind.
a game where there are a multitude of small quests to keep you busy, where a single non-boss mob isn't necessarily a threat (unless it's huge and menacing), but a group can really make you sweat:
- because of terrain composition, and random location-based events.
- because of mobs' tendency to surround you, and/or jump at you when you least expect it.
- because of monster skills having a synergy with those of other monsters in the group.
- because of "support skills" monsters can use (like tractor-beams, or immobilization) which don't deal any damage directly, but can and will make your character enter a world of hurt quickly.

it's a different design philosophy. one putting content before math - which is later used only to tweak the difficulty this way or the other.

but I can't say GGG did none of it, because some things are definitely in there:
apes jumping from trees. mobs casting curses. Vaal Oversoul's AI...
it's not enough, but GGG will learn. if not in the release-version of this game, then in the next one.
still, Path Of Exile is a form of "old-school" approach - extremely addictive, but feels like a senseless grind most of the time: doing Merciless Lunaris runs hoping a Glorious Plate and an Orb Of Chance drop, getting them on the 20th run (or 30th. or 40th), failing, running out of orbs, and repeating.

in the "new-school ARPG", it's important to make the players feel like they are doing something meaningful, and getting loot as a reward - even if it's still essentially the same grind under the surface.

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johnKeys написал:

notice I said nothing about Torchlight 2's drop rates, Barry.
I actually dislike those, despite them being far from the over-rewarding loot-fest everyone says they are.

the rewards in Path Of Exile need to scale with difficulty, if not in quantity - then in quality.
make it a risk/reward thing instead of a random roll of the dice, which can potentially grant you a Mirror Of Kalandra from the first Act 1 Normal Zombie (but for me repeatedly yields one-socket blue trash from Merciless Piety).

I know some people like getting crazy super-gear from random 1-shot trash mobs, but I don't.
I think the really good stuff need to be earned with sweat, tears, and broken mice.

still, running Docks/Lunaris/Ledge/low maps a hundred times, can become very frustrating very quickly.
Torchlight 2 does stuff like put you in a sudden mini-boss fight for stepping of the "wrong" pressure-plate, or going "sweet! shiny unguarded golden chest!" *doors close* "AMBUSH!".
and it does this randomly, so you can enter the same area a few times and get a different experience.
small, tiny touches of content everywhere, making a huge difference.