Laz: D3 made the mistake of balancing items based on the WoW paradigm of linear progression, which works well in a game that is about taking one character and developing it for the next two years but not in a game where rerolling is a thing. How do you approach that obsolescence balance in PoE, and how do features like item enchanting and enhancing and socketing factor into it? This differs from the system in Diablo 2, where lots of low and mid level unique remained useful even in the end game. In Diablo III this system is inexorable, with item stats cranking up so that anything found at level 40 is underpowered by level 45 and useless by 50. Developers want players to find items that feel awesome and can be used for a few levels, until something better is found.
IncGamers: Planned obsolescence for items is a big deal while leveling up characters. Laz: Not yet, but who knows what the future brings… As a relative outsider, character guides have proven to be very useful. Therefore it is important to stay on top of the popular builds and which builds are unpopular because they have no item support. Laz: Path of Exile’s character build options are very deep, which sets the game apart from most other ARPGs.
IncGamers: When you joined the project, how did you get up to speed and gain the expertise required to make proper unique items? You had to learn the overall item strength and values, project what high end characters would need, etc. Diamond supporters can have their own uniques added to order, which helps alleviate some of the load, but there is still a metric ton of low and mid level itemisation that needs to be done and is particularly relevant for the levelling experience. Basically there is a huge variety of base items in the game, and making unique versions of all of them is a process that most certainly takes longer than it looks, especially for a small studio like Grinding Gear.
0 kommentar(er)
