Dear Giant Bomb, could you please make a Path of Exile quick look?

Really there is no reason to. It is literally free to play and download. Since there is absolutely nothing to bar your entry in the game if someone is interested they should just go ahead and download it and see if they like it on their own.

Still, it might make more people aware of its existence.

@Karkarov: Pricing has nothing to do with it. I just think it's an excellent game and that it would be nice to see the crew (hoping Brad) take a shot at it.

@Morningstar said:

Still, it might make more people aware of its existence.

Also, this.

@Dimi3je said:

@Morningstar said:

Still, it might make more people aware of its existence.

Also, this.

I agree, im level 35 myself and i only know of its existence through people shouting its name at diablo 3 threads,im not a bit surprised to see those trolls fail to comment on it now

Everyone who's interested in this sort of game or MMOs or DoTA clones or mysterious vicarious game watchers knows it exists due to an endless barrage of people spamming them about it; and the fact is they still can't handle the number of players playing it so adding more isn't exactly going to solve the ongoing stability issues.

It's Diablo 2 with worse production values, not much else to it; if you like Diablo 2 you'll probably think PoE is okay. Since it's a new market there's a lot of ways to profit off it however, so that's something.

@x0mb13 said:

@Fredchuckdave: "It's Diablo 2 with worse production values, not much else to it"

That is such a ridiculous over simplification of what this game is. The game is very similar to Diablo 2 at first glance but PoE is bringing a lot of cool new features and ideas to the genre. If you really think there isn't much else to it then you clearly haven't even played the game or didn't play enough Diablo 2 to discern what separates the two.

It's exactly because this game has stirs up this kind of discussions the forums why a QL would be nice. Who's with me!

Isn't the game still in beta ?

@x0mb13: They're not new ideas, they're borrowed ideas; an all barter trading system is about the most novel thing it has going for it... but it's not like that wasn't in most other Action RPGs for a long time. PoE is a competent action RPG, it's free and it doesn't have a scummy Free to play model (yet); if for some reason you don't have D2, D3, Titan Quest, or either Torchlight it's definitely worth playing.

Meh, they should spend their time doing a QL for a game that isn't boring. The only interesting thing about Path of Exile is the massive skill map. Other than that, it's kind of boring.

@Fredchuckdave said:

Everyone who's interested in this sort of game or MMOs or DoTA clones or mysterious vicarious game watchers knows it exists due to an endless barrage of people spamming them about it; and the fact is they still can't handle the number of players playing it so adding more isn't exactly going to solve the ongoing stability issues.

It's Diablo 2 with worse production values, not much else to it; if you like Diablo 2 you'll probably think PoE is okay. Since it's a new market there's a lot of ways to profit off it however, so that's something.

I don't particularly like a few things about PoE and will probably stop playing it but it's not a bad by any means. The fact that it is a all barter economy seems to make the market way more volatile(that could just be due to it being early) but yeah, the economy seems constantly in flux which is interesting.

I have general problems with ARPGs that keep me from playing them but I think if you have any inclination towards this sort of game this game should be tried at least.

@Dimi3je said:

Dear Giant Bomb, could you please make a Path of Exile quick look?

I agree totally. I really can't wait to see what they all think of it and I hope the attention brings more people to PoE, but not yet... I'd like this to happen when it's comes out of beta as a proper release, when it's had a few more months of polish added to it, which I think it needs.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm totally in love with PoE, but after hearing what Chris Wilson has planned for it in the coming months - in terms of refinement and polish - I'd much prefer to have them publicly pass judgment on that more finished product (future expansions not withstanding). Currently I think the game requires a bit of a leap of faith on some aspects of the combat gameplay. If they did QL it sooner rather than later, I'd be gutted if they didn't at least see the obscene amounts of promise it has overall, as well as some really great long term hooks.

I've been playing it solidly for a good 2 months already, and I don't see any sign of that stopping soon. I think it's a rough diamond that will, in time be a game that I rank as one as my all time favourites.

There's nothing spectacular about the gameplay, like many have pointed out, its just Diablo 2. The best thing about it is the skill tree and item system. I imagine the QLer will have to get through a significant portion of the game to really understand and show off these systems. Not sure its worth doing otherwise, although I would love to see one.

I think a TNT segment would be great. Get a 6 player party together and fight through a dungeon or two.

@Karkarov said:

Really there is no reason to. It is literally free to play and download. Since there is absolutely nothing to bar your entry in the game if someone is interested they should just go ahead and download it and see if they like it on their own.

So there should be zero coverage for this new F2P movement? That sounds like a huge design oversight.

@project343 said:

@Karkarov said:

Really there is no reason to. It is literally free to play and download. Since there is absolutely nothing to bar your entry in the game if someone is interested they should just go ahead and download it and see if they like it on their own.

So there should be zero coverage for this new F2P movement? That sounds like a huge design oversight.

Coverage yes, quick looks maybe not. Quick looks are there to help people see a game and make a decision on it. To a lesser extent they are also there for entertainment. When the game is 100% free you really don't need Brad or Vinny's opinion, you go download it yourself and form your own. Path of Exile meanwhile.... isn't a whole lot of fun to watch other people play.

So if they want to do a article on it, or patrick wants to talk about it in one of his weekly things.... sure why not? Heck talk about it in the bombcast too. But there is no real over powering need for a quick look or a review.

@x0mb13: I never wrote off the game, it's just eh roughly the quality you'd expect out of a free to play product. They get points for not having essentially mandatory purchases in any regard (though the business model doesn't make sense). Materia is a competent Final Fantasy levelling system, much like Espers, the Job system, the Junction system, the Sphere Grid, the License system, and the Crystarium; it isn't remarkably better than any of these and has its share of issues (Magic Pots ahoy!). A lot of people don't like how you can basically turn your character into anything and this kind of kills the differentiation between them, but I think that's sort of a fleeting argument; if you want to criticize FFVII you start with the plot, the third disc, and the world map music later in the game.

Innovation in an action RPG wouldn't be particularly difficult; you don't have to make a D2 clone precisely. Borderlands is a good idea for doing so (not saying that's perfect by any means, but it's certainly enjoyable and different enough). You can make one centered in the future or the 1920s or the Renaissance instead of some random dark fantasy setting; alternatively you can make everything angelic or demonic and nothing mundane (Pandemonium Fortress as your first act); these games don't have to have the boring ass start up period with boring enemies. The intro section of the Witcher 2 is something I'd like to see in Action RPG form; thrown into the middle of a massive battle with only bits of information (and excellent voice acting please). These are just some random ideas off the top of my head, there's tons more viable ways to improve the genre.

@Karkarov: Anecdotally, I use them purely for entertainment and for checking out games that I would might never give a second glance to--the price is irrelevant. I only have so much time, and I'm certainly not going to go out of my way to download and invest my time on a 'hunch' that I might get something meaningful out of it.

I use reviews for buying decisions.

@x0mb13: I never wrote off the game, it's just eh roughly the quality you'd expect out of a free to play product. They get points for not having essentially mandatory purchases in any regard (though the business model doesn't make sense). 

@Jeust: I mean it's too customer friendly, what is the incentive to buy anything (other than "support the devs")? They give you plenty of stash space, several character slots; it's ridiculous. Obviously as a "customer" I like this but I wonder if it's sustainable since people don't have much of a reason to buy anything other than altruism. In game quality is completely separate from the Free to Play model regardless.

I would love to see a QL even if I'm already deep into the game myself. The fact that PoE borrow systems from other games is totally irrelevant. I don't even understand why that's a discussion in this thread becuase with that logic we wouldn't be getting a lot of QL's at all.

@Karkarov said:

Really there is no reason to. It is literally free to play and download. Since there is absolutely nothing to bar your entry in the game if someone is interested they should just go ahead and download it and see if they like it on their own.

I'd still like to hear the staff's opinion about the game, particularly Brad's I suppose. Quick Looking free-to-play games isn't a waste of time.

@Fredchuckdave: I think the business model makes sense when they can build up good will with people. For example: I've been playing a lot of New Star Soccer on my IPod Touch lately. The game is F2P, but you don't need to buy anything to have a lot of fun and to progress. After 15 hours I bought a few things from the shop because I wanted to reward the developer.

The same thing happened to me in PoE. I like the ideas they have, I like that they incorporate a very unintrusive business model. I know a few people who think like that as well and I think PoE can exist on that. You know, building faith and being nice to the community can work.

And to the topic:

I would like to see a QL as well. I don't use QLs or reviews as a measure if a game is worth my money, I use them to see if it is worth my time (which is much more valueable to me), and for entertainment. GB did QLs on F2P games in the recent past (Planetside 2, Hawken, Warframe etc.).

I was just thinking I'd love to hear the GB dudes' opinion of this game. Especially because I think it's doing some interesting things that set it apart from other F2P games.

@TehPickle: You have a fair point there. But why not do a QL EX then? From what I have seen Chris Wilson & the fine people at GGG have been more than happy to show off the game. Or maybe do a QL now and a QL EX when the game is actually finished, or something along those lines. A bit unlikely I know :)

I do bloody love this game!

I could care less about exposure for the game and blah blah blah.

It's content they could provide. It's content I would like them to provide. I have no qualms with content, particularly when it's kind of light at the moment for releases.

@jakob187: you forgot to mention the content.

couldn't resist :D

@Dimi3je: The GB crew spent (read: wasted) a lot of time with D3. Of course, it doesn't surpise me, as it is a hallowed series indeed. That aside, it seems a lot of these guys do really enjoy ARPGs, so I think they at least owe this game a bit of limelight, especially considering how different it's trying to be in it's underlying economy and skill systems, as well as it's F2P model, and GGGs incredibly open communication with it's player base, both of which rank among the best I've ever seen. They really deserve some recognition for that stuff!

If the GB staff haven't at least played PoE in private by now, I'd be very very surprised (lest we forget, they do this for a living!). The silence is kinda worrying in it's own way, as I sincerely hope the game is a huge success for it's creators.

NB I don't hate D3, it's just remains a constant long-term disappointment to me, which makes me sad. I use the term 'wasted' to describe not only my feelings but, it seems - judging from GOTY discussions - to be the case for GB as well... Maybe....

EDIT: After all that, I didn't even answer you...! I reckon they're probably too busy for that QL EX stuff at the moment. Especially with them being in NZ. But, we can hope :)

@Snail said:

@Karkarov said:

Really there is no reason to. It is literally free to play and download. Since there is absolutely nothing to bar your entry in the game if someone is interested they should just go ahead and download it and see if they like it on their own.

I'd still like to hear the staff's opinion about the game, particularly Brad's I suppose. Quick Looking free-to-play games isn't a waste of time.

That's all well and good, but again, you don't need a quick look to get the staffs opinion on the game. Alot of other posters also mention a great point, the game is technically still in beta. Could be GB staffers just want to wait until it's full release and it is no longer running a beta client before they give it any official coverage.

@Karkarov said:

@Snail said:

@Karkarov said:

Really there is no reason to. It is literally free to play and download. Since there is absolutely nothing to bar your entry in the game if someone is interested they should just go ahead and download it and see if they like it on their own.

I'd still like to hear the staff's opinion about the game, particularly Brad's I suppose. Quick Looking free-to-play games isn't a waste of time.

That's all well and good, but again, you don't need a quick look to get the staffs opinion on the game. Alot of other posters also mention a great point, the game is technically still in beta. Could be GB staffers just want to wait until it's full release and it is no longer running a beta client before they give it any official coverage.

Oh it's still in beta? I wouldn't mind waiting until the official release of this game, though I don't think it would be the first time they'd Quick Look a beta version.

@snail: yeah, they do Beta QL's pretty often actually. I counted two in the past month. Plus, I think this game's open beta is pretty much it's release. At some arbitrary point they'll decide they've made enough progress to drop that label, but games like this are never really finished.