Seasonal Challenge Rewards Difficulty Overtuned?

I've played just about every league since launch with a group of friends, and I'd say over the last 5-6 leagues the excitement is fading more and more. We used to obsess over launch and play for most of the league, but now - it's IF we play a league, and if we do it's just about for a month.

One of my friends brought up that for them personally, it's the carrot/stick balance being completely out of wack in the game. Explaining that GGG releases statistics each league that show approximately only 1% of the population ever getting the max-challenge cosmetic rewards.

There was some back/forth about how Mythic raids in WoW had similar stats, but then when we actually looked into the stats it showed that 3-5% of players in WoW complete Mythic, and the next tier down (Heroic) jumps up to 25%+. Compared to PoE 1% at 36 and 2-3% at 24 and 20% at 12.

One of our group brought up that we all return to Diablo 3 every season, not because it's a better game - or because the mechanics have improved at all... but because we know we can actually complete the seasonal journey and get the rewards.

If I look at steam charts for POE, on average there is a 30-50% drop off in players after just 1 month. This is also typically around the time you release the statistics showing that <1% of the players has earned 36, <3% of the playerbase has earned 24, and less than <20% of the playerbase has even done 12.

So - has GGG had any conversations about making seasonal rewards more widely available to the playerbase? Under the logic that moving the rewards more into the reach of a greater population of the users may actually drive higher retention and keep people playing the game longer... as they have something to strive for?

they arent supposed to be easy
they are meant to reward skilled and dedicated players
not a giveaway of mtx to anyone who loads up the game and gets to maps

that being said im at 26 and i have not even looked at what they are ive just played the game
so
not hard to get most of them unless u are shooting for the 36+

The challenges are easy as fuck, but you're comparing 2 different games.

In wow, completing a raid is a core goal of the game. In poe, doing challenges isnt.

So, based on the two replies above, the reason only a very tiny percentage of the population ever completes the challenges is because noone cares about them? As they are completely easy and anyone can do them? My mistake then, I thought they played more of a role in returning and retention of players.

It's mainly the Winged Scarab challenge that was bad this league, because that was is gated behind frustrating RNG (there is an extra layer of failure chance to get a Winged Scarab should you manage to actually get the craft to show up after harvesting the seed) so all of the Wing Scarabs had enormous price tags on trade.

"

VolcanoElixir escreveu:

It's mainly the Winged Scarab challenge that was bad this league, because that was is gated behind frustrating RNG (there is an extra layer of failure chance to get a Winged Scarab should you manage to actually get the craft to show up after harvesting the seed) so all of the Wing Scarabs had enormous price tags on trade.

Still not done with winged scarabs and harbingers achiements.
All other achievements have been done in 2 weeks of playing and it became boring.... will return to finish this 2 achi, but later....

"

Omgmynamesux escreveu:

So, based on the two replies above, the reason only a very tiny percentage of the population ever completes the challenges is because noone cares about them? As they are completely easy and anyone can do them? My mistake then, I thought they played more of a role in returning and retention of players.

Overtuned compared to?

Last season? they are harder, yes. Last season was super easy :).
2 or 3 seasons before? They had been harder or similar.

And yes, many don't care about the challenges. Or don't care until the very last week (which you'll notice if you check the prices for challenge-related divine cards for example). At some point all the stuff which can be used to finish the challenges will rise in price very fast 1-3 weeks before the season ends.

And some times I for example don't care about the 36 reward. Or even the 24 if they are just ugly. This time I try to get the 36 as I like the portal-designe :).

I once made the 40 ... but never again as I HATE the labyrinth and will never hit level 100 (aka will never again finish the endgame grind)! At the same time a TS-friend finish the 40 every season ;). His hideout is full of big hawk-statues *g+.

"

Schakar escreveu:

Overtuned compared to?

This is a very valid point. I should have clarified that we only play on hardcore, as softcore is rather sleepy since there's no risk. However, I guess that's a double edged sword, since it also means we never get the rewards.

Maybe instead I should be asking if they've ever considered asking some sort of point boost for hardcore players who complete challenges. No clue.. I guess the only option is to play softcore if we want the rewards, but then the game completely loses interest - so catch 22. Ah well, so it goes.

I guess for most people the effort vs. gain is so bad that they dont even try

If you take the bots and people that don't get through act 1-2 you'll probably get better percentages lol.