From Hype to Disappointment: How Patch 0.2.1 Ruined the Chase

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I am happy that you feel that way. This game should not be a second job and maybe you will understand someday that wasting your time on mindless grind is not a good thing.

Well, maybe it is his job exactly, if you know what I mean.
GGG should pay more attention to grinder player than casual player(that only 15 minutes a day) then close the game to complain in the forum about there are no lot
Used to think PoE 2 was “not just PoE 1 with better graphics.”
But that illusion shattered after the 0.2.1 patch.
It ruined the feel, the loot, the flow, everything.
Make it good again, GGG.
"
Mr2888#3516 a écrit :
GGG should pay more attention to grinder player than casual player(that only 15 minutes a day) then close the game to complain in the forum about there are no lot


Its the people with a job and no time on their hands cept a couple of hour at night that pays the bills, i.e. casuals. Take that away and welcome to 1k ms+ servers, oh wait we are are almost there already.
PoE 2 Cooked
Used to think PoE 2 was “not just PoE 1 with better graphics.”
But that illusion shattered after the 0.2.1 patch.
It ruined the feel, the loot, the flow, everything.
Make it good again, GGG.
Fun toilet read lol

I'd consider myself a casual I guess. Some weeks ill put in 40+ hours, and sometimes I'll go a week or two without playing. Too many other good games to play, and too many hobbies/social activities IRL for me to even care about chase items. I suspect a giant chunk of the "casual" segment (i'm assuming so perhaps not) feel the same way. To that point, though people are saying this change is good for casuals, I honestly don't think it's even on their radar in the slightest.

I can't be bothered to care about chase items, trade chads, or anything of the sort. I want the game to function well, feel great, and respect my time. That's it. The only gear I care about is what is applicable to the classes i'm running in a given league, and will elevate me to higher tier difficulty. If I come across something I perceive as potentially valuable I'll check the trade page to see if it's a big ticket item (it almost never is) otherwise I'm just dismantling/selling for gold to gamble on good bases. Though admittedly, it was nice when stellars had value and you could save up a handful to sell and slam it on other gear..

The idea of farming/selling items just to trade currency for a valuable item i'm not going to use or lord over others is just so foreign to me. Especially in a league-based game that resets progress. Maybe if this was a persistent game that allowed me to carry that progress forward it would matter to me, but when a new league comes out I want to play that one, and everything that goes into standard league might as well turn to dust. I never go back and play those characters.

I don't mean for this to come off as a personal attack. If this is what you enjoy out of the game then more power to ya. Just my casual two cents. I just want to play the game and find better gear that's useable to me. I'm all for a good grind, but IMO most of it feels pointless in this game. I just like making fun builds and killing stuff, and chase uniques have never been a barrier to that so I don't pay attention to them..
Dernière édition par Johnny_Hotbody#4829, le 8 juil. 2025 à 22:20:56
I get where you're coming from, and yeah, casuals will always have a different lens on things. But to be honest, 0.2.1 didn’t make the game better, it made it worse.

You mentioned it's a league-based game and that resets are normal, but this isn't just about seasonal resets. The issue is player motivation. Just look at the player charts: 0.2.1 caused a noticeable drop. People want to feel rewarded for grinding, not drowned in loot, but at least have a meaningful chase.

The excuse of “I don’t have time” is understandable but if a game is designed around grind and progression, then that's what it is. Wanting top-end results without the time investment turns it into something else entirely and it risks catering to a pay-to-skip mindset.

I’m not asking for unfair advantage or streamer-level RNG, but when even the grind itself feels pointless, then something’s wrong. Even casuals want to feel like their time is valued, not just steamroll through 5 acts, toss everything in a vendor, and move on.

In the end, yeah, everyone plays differently. But I think what made PoE special was that even the smallest drop could be meaningful, whether you were hardcore or casual. That sense is fading, and it’s a shame.

All I can say is: 0.1.1++ was a much better update than 0.2.1++. Even if the end-league playerbase between 0.1 and 0.2 is totally different, the difference in game quality and player retention is just too obvious to ignore.
Used to think PoE 2 was “not just PoE 1 with better graphics.”
But that illusion shattered after the 0.2.1 patch.
It ruined the feel, the loot, the flow, everything.
Make it good again, GGG.
Dernière édition par Mr2888#3516, le 19 juil. 2025 à 05:52:26

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