Criticism: Awful game design

[TheDestroyer]

I reinstalled the game for the new season to give it another go.
I have been playing for hours and I have absolutely no idea what the new season is about.
I had 0 engagement with the new season.
Do you expect your players to watch videos in order to figure out what the new season is about?

This is abhorrent game design.
From the first second, no, before that, before character creation the player should start to engage with seasonal mechanics, should receive seasonal rewards and progression.

I'm shaking my head in frustration. So amateurish.

[donut32]

the last time i played this game was 3 years ago for an hour and even i know whats going on. it literally explains it to you in game what it is.

[ImALittleTeaPot]

A little harsh, but yes, I also have no idea what this season is about. PoE2 S2 was pretty clear. Try to follow a spark through the woods while getting murdered, trans weaponry (Huntress with xbow, and ranger with spear...WTF), having zero good loot, and Jonathan crying because people realize he's not Chris Wilson.

PoE 1 Legacy of Phrecia was about trying to implement Chris Wilson's ideas that were blocked while he remained, because PoE2 delayed everything.

D4 S7 was about witchcraft, and not nerfing any builds until it was too late, whil S8 will be about Belial and nerfing everything the first week.

D3 S34...actually, I could never figure out what that was about either. Hey, "TheDestroyer", what did you think about D3 S34?

[joebyronlee]

But isn't the new thing the Woven faction or whatever? I'm a new Player and I understand that you access that on the endgame??

[Monochromatic Spider]

The season is about updating Last Epoch's endgame to be a lot less aggravating and boring. That's really it. Play the game, enjoy the trip, and when you get to the endgame, you now also have the woven to make things more fun.

This isn't POE. There's not some particular mechanic that dominates absolutely everything. EHG is building an ARPG and so far they appear to be trying to make a pretty good one without burying under a garbage heap of nonsense.

[Joolo]

During the campaign, you won’t encounter the seasonal mechanic.
It basically starts early in monoliths, and the seasonal mechanic involves cemeteries that show up on your monolith map. During that time, you unlock your Woven faction to craft interesting idols and other stuff.

It’s actually very easy to understand and straightforward.

I really don’t see the problem at all! :D

[Ravenkid9266]

Originally posted by Joolo:

During the campaign, you won’t encounter the seasonal mechanic.

There is no seasonal exclusive content. Just like there was so seasonal exclusive content last season.

[DeadSlash]

Originally posted by TheDestroyer:

I reinstalled the game for the new season to give it another go.
I have been playing for hours and I have absolutely no idea what the new season is about.
I had 0 engagement with the new season.
Do you expect your players to watch videos in order to figure out what the new season is about?

This is abhorrent game design.
From the first second, no, before that, before character creation the player should start to engage with seasonal mechanics, should receive seasonal rewards and progression.

I'm shaking my head in frustration. So amateurish.

People are ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ on you but I don't think you are wrong. I'm at level 50 and I have no idea what the season is about. It might be more obvious to people who were playing before this season, but I've just come back for the first time since launch and I have no clue.

I guess your language might have been harsh, but you're not wrong.

[0027]

Originally posted by Joolo:

During the campaign, you won’t encounter the seasonal mechanic.
It basically starts early in monoliths, and the seasonal mechanic involves cemeteries that show up on your monolith map. During that time, you unlock your Woven faction to craft interesting idols and other stuff.

It’s actually very easy to understand and straightforward.

I really don’t see the problem at all! :D

do you get it in single player or just online mode? thanks

[Kotli]

Originally posted by 0027:

Originally posted by Joolo:

During the campaign, you won’t encounter the seasonal mechanic.
It basically starts early in monoliths, and the seasonal mechanic involves cemeteries that show up on your monolith map. During that time, you unlock your Woven faction to craft interesting idols and other stuff.

It’s actually very easy to understand and straightforward.

I really don’t see the problem at all! :D

do you get it in single player or just online mode? thanks

It actually a free expansion/upgradethat usable by all characters even offline legacy ones and they just decided to have a season reset with it.

[Albinosaurus]

Originally posted by TheDestroyer:

I reinstalled the game for the new season to give it another go.
I have been playing for hours and I have absolutely no idea what the new season is about.
I had 0 engagement with the new season.
Do you expect your players to watch videos in order to figure out what the new season is about?

This is abhorrent game design.
From the first second, no, before that, before character creation the player should start to engage with seasonal mechanics, should receive seasonal rewards and progression.

I'm shaking my head in frustration. So amateurish.

OP is asking for participation trophies before even participating. I can't take this seriously.

[Tyyne]

Originally posted by Albinosaurus:

Originally posted by TheDestroyer:

I reinstalled the game for the new season to give it another go.
I have been playing for hours and I have absolutely no idea what the new season is about.
I had 0 engagement with the new season.
Do you expect your players to watch videos in order to figure out what the new season is about?

This is abhorrent game design.
From the first second, no, before that, before character creation the player should start to engage with seasonal mechanics, should receive seasonal rewards and progression.

I'm shaking my head in frustration. So amateurish.

OP is asking for participation trophies before even participating. I can't take this seriously.

Yeah, to me it sounds like "I want stuff before I even start up the game".

[HoneyDrake]

People are asking an genuine question and outside of a single person no one was capable of answering him.

And even that persons answer was literally "they just added a new type of node which is just a cemetry themed map with nothing new in it and some more crafting after you finish it, at the end of it".

Because that's it: just another map which has nothing interesting in it with some sloppily added "more crafting" at the end of it.

I am not saying Last Epoch is bad, but this is not what I would sell as "season 2", it's too lacking in every single regard.

[Albinosaurus]

Originally posted by HoneyDrake:

:lunar2019crylaughingpig: :lunar2019crylaughingpig: :lunar2019crylaughingpig:

People are asking an genuine question and outside of a single person no one was capable of answering him.

And even that persons answer was literally "they just added a new type of node which is just a cemetry themed map with nothing new in it and some more crafting after you finish it, at the end of it".

Because that's it: just another map which has nothing interesting in it with some sloppily added "more crafting" at the end of it.

I am not saying Last Epoch is bad, but this is not what I would sell as "season 2", it's too lacking in every single regard.

You can expect the content side of new seasons to generally be a bit lighter (at least for the next few seasons) because they are still working out how exactly they want all the systems to work and integrate. The real meat of what Season 2 has to offer is more fundamental than that. Go read the patch notes if you want to know what I mean--especially if you have played before and/or during Season 1.

However, the OP didn't just innocently and politely ask a question. He was flaming the design, using antagonistic tone, and begging for rewards for doing literally nothing. It's no surprise people didn't just jump to offering a "legitimate answer."

[Tyyne]

Originally posted by Albinosaurus:

However, the OP didn't just innocently and politely ask a question. He was flaming the design, using antagonistic tone, and begging for rewards for doing literally nothing. It's no surprise people didn't just jump to offering a "legitimate answer."

Exactly this. Reap what you sow, like they say.

Reading the patch notes would actually help also so they could see that the woven echoes are a new END game mechanic.

[Kashiro]

Originally posted by DeadSlash:

Originally posted by TheDestroyer:

I reinstalled the game for the new season to give it another go.
I have been playing for hours and I have absolutely no idea what the new season is about.
I had 0 engagement with the new season.
Do you expect your players to watch videos in order to figure out what the new season is about?

This is abhorrent game design.
From the first second, no, before that, before character creation the player should start to engage with seasonal mechanics, should receive seasonal rewards and progression.

I'm shaking my head in frustration. So amateurish.

People are ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ on you but I don't think you are wrong. I'm at level 50 and I have no idea what the season is about. It might be more obvious to people who were playing before this season, but I've just come back for the first time since launch and I have no clue.

I guess your language might have been harsh, but you're not wrong.

How can you judge it if you didn't even engage with it. All it takes is spending 30 minutes in monoliths to encounter new zones which in turn lead you in a straight line to where and what you should do.