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Path of Exile


xereau

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Path of Exile is pretty much the only game I play regularly.

 

This game is massive.  And complex.  AND 100% FREE (will explain MTX below).


In addition to being a complex, grindy loot based isometric ARPG, the main reason  is they release a new "League" every 3 months.


Periodically, two new leagues are created and the previous two challenge leagues are removed. These leagues are intended to introduce and test new content while providing players with a fresh economy. Challenge leagues have been three or four months long. In addition, each pair of leagues has a set of optional challenges that can be completed for several prizes.

 

The current league, Delve, is set to end in a week.  You can enter horizontally endless mine with a couple dozen types of encounters at each node.  There is 6000 depths currently, after about 500 its basically impossible but some hardcore people have made it to 3800!

 

Challenge League mechanics are often incorporated into the core game moving forward, either in whole, or in part as the devs see fit.

 

The next league, Betrayal, is set to start Dec 7th 2018.  Betrayal is coming along side an old mechanic rework, Forsaken Masters.  You will encounter members of The Immortal Syndicate, and form alliances, pit one against the other, or execute the syndicate as you sleuth your way towards determining who is the hidden leader.  This internal meta game will resolve itself after you finish off the syndicate, returning anew so you can play it over and over, while inside of the core game itself!

 

The game itself is a 10 act Lore-rich dark fantasy story following you, an exile, in Wraeclast.   Dumped on a beach, you fight your way through 4 acts to a giant organic machine that is keeping the Old Gods in limbo.  Once you destroy the machine, you return to the homeland of Oriath and exact vengeance on the corrupt Emperor, who it turns out, is just a pawn of one of the freed elder gods, Kitava.  You then return to Wraeclast to face the Gods you unleashed, and eventually, put down Kitava forever.

 

The endgame is vast.  And endless.  You put "maps" into a machine, and open up realms that you clear for loot and experience.  There is an "Atlas" with around 165 maps or so.  Will be more with Betrayal as it is a never ending and reconfigured meta game inside Path of Exile.  You can collect maps and endlessly clear them.  It is similar to Diablo Rifting, but, its far, FAR better.

 

There are multiple meta games inside this Atlas meta game too, with more being added every expansion.  In the very end game of the Atlas, you can fight the Shaper , a Lovecraftian villain that was twisted by his discovery of the dream lands (maps).  His arch nemesis, the Elder, can be encountered along with his guardians along the way, and you can create a war on the Atlas between the Elder and Shaper.  This has consequences in encounter availability, and special loot tables!  And with the new patch coming, there will be master encounter meta games on the Atlas.  And Delves.  And Breaches. And Abysses.  And a dozen other league mechanics integrated into the core game!


The game itself is played with 7 classes.  The 6 original classes have 3 sub classes each.  The 7th class, can be any combination of two (pared down) versions of any of the other sub classes!

 

The game is all about loot.  Swords, and armour, and shields, and jewels, and gems.

 

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Loot has gem sockets.  From 1 to 6 of them.  Body Armour, and 2hand weapons have 6 sockets. Helms, Boots, Gloves all have 4 sockets.  1h weapons and shields have 3 sockets.  Some amulets, rings, and belts have single sockets.

 

The sockets can be linked.


Skills (spells and attacks, auras, totems, banners, etc) are all Gems that are socketed into the gear.

 

Skills are supported by gems that are linked in gear sockets!  So you can have an area effect frost nova that has a concentrated effect, and added cold damage, and a gem that gives you life leech on that spell in a 4 link glove, for example.  The possibilities are nearly endless!

 

There are hundreds of skill and support gems.  Its crazy.  And the devs constantly buff, tweak, and nerf skills to make things more even, and to create new metas in the economies of each league.  They add new skills and support gems every league.  It is remarkable.  It really is.

 

The whole economy, is based on item and game crafting orbs.  These orbs give item sockets, change item socket color, link sockets, change white items with no stats to magic items with 2 stats, magic items with up to 6 stats, reroll item stats completely, revalue stats on an item, make maps better.. it goes on and on.  ITS CRAZY.  And with the league resets, the economies stay fresh.  Amazing, honestly.

 

 

You receive 1 passive skill point per level.  And several along the way for side quests in the main story.  You spend passive points in the PASSIVE SKILL TREE A lot of people freak when they first see this.  This tree is what makes PoE so amazing.  No character you make will likely be the same.  You will take different paths, from different starting points depending on your class, skill, and support needs as you build your character towards the end game. 

 

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The developers of PoE are Grinding Gear Games.  Started by three guys from New Zealand in a garage 10 years ago, they are now kings of the isometric ARPG genre.  They were scoffed at by Diablo fans when it was in development, and even at release.  But update by update, they have won over the most fans of the genre and are easily the undisputed kings.  They have a couple hundred employees and are adding big names currently.  Several Blizzard people have jumped ship.  Several 3rd party high quality add-on tool devs have been added.  They are doing an amazing job at still growing this game.

 

Twitch streamers play this game for a living.  Many of them do quite well.

 

This game is amazing.  I just cant do the whole system justice with words alone.

 

PLAY IT.  If you want.


There are two clients.


1. The Steam Client.

 

2. Stand Alone Client.

 

I play on the stand alone.  Have been considering switching to Steam just because it has build in VOIP and other payment options that the stand alone does not.

 

And speaking of payment options.


*How does a FREE GAME with 200+ employees make money?

 

They sell Microtransactions.

 

And no.  Not loot boxes.  This is easily the most ethical non pay to win support/payment system in ALL of gaming.


 

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Everything you buy is to look pretty in game.  Or to expand your stash.

 

If you wish to conveniently collect loot, you are going to need some of the premium stash tabs.  Like the trading tab.  And the currency tab. And the map tab.

 

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That being said, EVERY SINGLE BIT OF THE GAME CAN BE PLAYED AND EXPERIENCED FOR FREE.

I played for a couple years before giving them any money.  When the stash tabs came, I was like, OK, they get my money now.

 

I have put a couple hundred bucks into the game over several years.  Was worth it.

 

Best game I have played in my life.  Would recommend if you like complexity, character theory crafting, and longevity.

Edited by xereau
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Not trying to be a hater, but PoE FEELS LIKE a free game to me. the graphics are okay, but nothing special. the gameplay is nice, but nothing even remotely new. the mechanics and "feel" of the game don't feel nearly as polished as some other triple A titles imo

 

I get why people enjoy it, but for me it really struggled to keep my attention or stand out as much more than a Diablo clone

 

For my money, Dota is the best free game by far.

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1 hour ago, SILLY GOOSE said:

I LOVED Diablo ii.  Played a bit of PoE when it first came out but to be honest Im more of a console gamer.  Now that's coming out for PS4 I am hyped.

Heh... they released PoE on console last year.  XBOX.  And coming to Playstation soon.

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6 hours ago, xereau said:

Heh... they released PoE on console last year.  XBOX.  And coming to Playstation soon.

it was quite disappointing when it happened for me.  To hear it is coming to ps4 warms my heart.  I havnt played a game similar to this for awhile.  i have no idea character wise how im going to either, should be a blast

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