Introduce balance patches monthly

I know I know, you don't wanna make changes mid-league because all the people who copied a reddit build will have to find a new one to copy and adapt.

But hear me out - I believe it is actually healthy.
Most games are doing balance patches and players are simply adapting, continue to play and explore new environment of balance.
It actually keeps players hooked on the game - real players, not copy-paste build bots.
It is also increasing the traffic on youtube and streams, as new builds emerge constantly.

In current model we have 5 months of same 2-3 build dominating. People found it on reddit, made in game, played for a month and left the game.
Here, the real players are trying to squeeze something original for the next 2 months, before leaving as well. Any time period after that is a dead league and a dead game. No amount of music/art announcements or janitor exclusive interview is changing that. A proper balance patch is changing that.

To summarize:
People who would stop playing after their build is nerfed mid-league are the same people who are leaving because game is boring due to them playing op-reddit-build.
With proper balance patches monthly, game would keep the actual players, whom dwell in excel sheets and PoB to create something cool, original and fulfilling. It could also make the casuals, who copy builds, more interested in finding new ways to sustain in the game.

PS. Not everyone here have interest in PoE1.

They definitely should have balance patches much more frequently.
Even assuming that they don't want to nerf too powerful builds mid-league to not upset players that use them that does not mean that they cannot buff / unnerf underperforming skills mid-league. That would actually help with keeping players that don't want to play the meta builds, but don't want to wait 4 months (actually almost 5) for their build to become more viable either.

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Evergrey#7535 เขียน:

With proper balance patches monthly, game would keep the actual players, whom dwell in excel sheets and PoB to create something cool, original and fulfilling. It could also make the casuals, who copy builds, more interested in finding new ways to sustain in the game.

Nah. It doesn't work that way.

and risk another review bomb event? at lest they can work on content now instead doing damage control.

We can't have nice things because GGG is scared of making people angry.

what do you mean it dosen't work that way? everyone knows it would make the game better like what. They should atleast have a balance patch each month.

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Turbo#0122 เขียน:

what do you mean it dosen't work that way? everyone knows it would make the game better like what. They should atleast have a balance patch each month.

Because it literally doesn't work that way or matter. Monthly balance patches require resources on GGG's behalf and evidently, proven as early as the D2 days, players check out and play something else until the next major seasonal content hits the servers.

Balance changes alone don't bring back as many players as you think they do.

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Celestriad#0304 เขียน:

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Turbo#0122 เขียน:

what do you mean it dosen't work that way? everyone knows it would make the game better like what. They should atleast have a balance patch each month.

Because it literally doesn't work that way or matter. Monthly balance patches require resources on GGG's behalf and evidently, proven as early as the D2 days, players check out and play something else until the next major seasonal content hits the servers.

Balance changes alone don't bring back as many players as you think they do.

I humbly disagree.
Changes makes people hooked to the game as exploring new options is fun.
Stale and unchanged broken balance is what makes them quit. 0.2 being an example for it.

Maybe every 2 months, would be balanced and people wouldn't fast get boring.

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Evergrey#7535 เขียน:

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Celestriad#0304 เขียน:

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Turbo#0122 เขียน:

what do you mean it dosen't work that way? everyone knows it would make the game better like what. They should atleast have a balance patch each month.

Because it literally doesn't work that way or matter. Monthly balance patches require resources on GGG's behalf and evidently, proven as early as the D2 days, players check out and play something else until the next major seasonal content hits the servers.

Balance changes alone don't bring back as many players as you think they do.

I humbly disagree.
Changes makes people hooked to the game as exploring new options is fun.
Stale and unchanged broken balance is what makes them quit. 0.2 being an example for it.

Two decades worth of seasonal arpg's (and other games with similar patch cycles / life service approach) say otherwise. The data is there, it is a proven concept. It isn't any different for PoE 2.