The MBoard

Excellent free to play game that people say is like Diablo II meets WoW.

Items are the currency, trading is huge, instances are random, 27 character slots.

I'm level 19 on my first charact3er, a marauder, add me: johncarllos.

It just entered open beta this week, and it's the best beta I've ever played. It is free to play for all time and will never be pay to win.

Join me.
Next reroll is the witch, maxing the raise undead options.

I'm due to join this, But i'm told that it's also difficult to find a server, so I've been lazy about downloading it.

I'll add you once I do.

Character and username are Wrrrtw.

I'm so.
Damn.
Sick.
Of these types of games.

That's not a criticism on anyone who plays them or even the game itself, I'm just surprised that so many versions of the same ##### come out. I had a ex-friend (not because of games) flip his #####ing nut over Guild Wars 2 and I truly just don't ge tit.

At face value I can't see why this is any different from any other game in it's type and I'm not really gleaning anything from your posts. Maybe it's the item trading thing? I don't know.

I actually just went to the game's FAQ and they try to broach this subject;

8. What makes Path of Exile different from other games in the Action RPG genre?
Countless things make Path of Exile different, but here is a short list of the ones we feel most set us apart.

-A gritty dark fantasy setting, supporting a hostile cutthroat atmosphere.
Free to play on online servers with persistent character storage in a secure economy.

-A unique active skill system that will allow any class to use any skills in the game and augment/combine them how they see fit.

-A haunting fixed-perspective 3D game world, constructed with incredible attention to detail.

-Deep passive skill system that eschews the mere allocation of stat points when levels are gained

-Incredibly complex and sophisticated item system with literally unlimited possibilities.

-A random generation system for monster loot that is dynamic and tremendously exciting.

I don't really much that's unique here. ANYWAY this is just a rant on the whole genre and isn't specific, this thread just reminded me. It's just something with fantasy action RPGs (at least that I've seen) these days where they are all just the same stuff with an extremely thin attempt at a new look.

Side beef: The word "gritty" is well overused in gaming these days. It's as bad as the word "epic".

I agree with some of your points.

The big deal is that it is just about as good as any other games of this type and it's FREE TO PLAY.

Also, the skill tree has 1350 skills in it.
Here is my level 13 witch currently: http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMABUIHYwelLJxBllcra9tzU30YghCus9-w7Io=

The item system is really nice too, the way to link gems together is really cool, and how your abilities are limited by armor slots, but allow absurd combinations.

They also support the community a lot and feature interesting character builds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ7TgQpiUgU

Overall it's really nothing super special, but it's free, the devs care about the players, and even though it is currently in beta, it's played a LOT.

If this game ain't your cup of tea, I can understand that. They normally aren't for me either, but it's worth free if you have the time.

Oh jeez. Lookit that mother#####in' sphere grid. (Sorry John.)

Also, I think it was Diablo that had the glass balls of health/magic originally. It's just odd to see if deliberately ripped off like that.

I don't mean to hate, though. I ended up getting Torchlight myself when it was cheap. I hoped to lose myself in it, but every top-down action RPG has failed to grab me. Including Bastion. I don't really know why, but I guess it's because either I don't give them enough of my time for them to do so (in which case I tell myself I'll come back to it later and never do) or that it's just difficult for me to get into new things in general these days.

I mean, I say that looking over all of the games I own which haven't been finished.

I have a friend I play it with, it keeps me going back.

Also, his laptop sucks so it's very difficult for me to use my witch around him, as my witch is typically raining fireballs while surrounded by 4 zombies, 1-2 specters, and 6-8 skeleton warriors. All this while fighting 10-15 enemies at once which also use effects and animations.

It's a shame too, I like my witch :-/

I can see myself losing interest after a short while, but for now it's pretty fun.

I can see myself losing interest after a short while, but for now it's pretty fun.

Basically how I feel about this game.  You can't beat free, My friend I play with says "It's Diablo II nostalgia, minus the battlenet, and minus the WoW art direction."

I like joining a party with my witch and being 3 levels under everyone else and still doing better than them because they can't seem to build a decent tree.

This game takes lots of planning.

This game seems cool and all, but I'm almost wondering what it would give me over games like Torchlight 2 or Titan Quest, both games I already own. Path of Exile seems like a neat enough game, but beyond free, can it compete gameplay-wise and fun-wise with games that are considered, arguably, the best of the Diablo-esque action-RPGs?

The developers are extremely supportive and listen to the players. That means something, right?

Also, this is the first game like this I've played since Diablo II.

I agree with some of your points.

The big deal is that it is just about as good as any other games of this type and it's FREE TO PLAY.

Fair.

I hoped to lose myself in it, but every top-down action RPG has failed to grab me. Including Bastion. I don't really know why, but I guess it's because either I don't give them enough of my time for them to do so (in which case I tell myself I'll come back to it later and never do) or that it's just difficult for me to get into new things in general these days.

I mean, I say that looking over all of the games I own which haven't been finished.

Agreed.

I also lost interest in Bastion. I have such lost interest in POV because the friend I play with, his laptop can't handle the amount of characters on the screen, and he stopped playing.