What is the extent of Cycles?

[NullMara]

I know Cycles will be the League/Season for LE but they still seem somewhat unclear as to how they will be implemented (at least from my limited research). Is the content all going to vanish after the end of a Cycle like in Diablo, or if the Cycle mechanics are enjoyed enough will there be a chance that some of the mechanics will be added to the base game similar to the PoE approach? While PoE has some bloat when it comes to the added seasonal content, I really feel that this style of adding content to the base game would be best, if managed properly (get the good content minus the bloat of systems).

[eliel77]

I only heard that at the end of cycle the chars will be moved to the permanet ones.

[vapourfire]

From what I understand, cycles will essentially be a “clean slate” for anyone to start new chars with each new cycle.

Mike (dev) said that they want the content to be the same for the normal game & cycles - i.e. there will not be cycle only exclusive game content when a new cycle is launched - the standard game should have the same content. There is speculation as to if or what cycle incentives/rewards there may be but no detail.

Once a cycle is over, then the chars will be migrated to the standard game - details of exactly how this happens is still debatable - e.g. what happens to stash tabs from the cycles, are they made read only when merged with standard, are you refunded the gold etc. What happens to characters if they dont increase charater slots in the standard game etc.

So that hasnt been clearly defined yet.

Maybe someone else read a snippet or hint from a dev somewhere but thats about all I can recall. Note tho, its a beta so anything could change between now and cycle implementation.

[NullMara]

Thank you very much for the run down. I’m really hoping EHG takes some notes from how PoE implements certain league mechanics into the base game if the players enjoy it enough.

[Houlala]

@Null_Mara

I’m really hoping EHG takes some notes from how PoE implements certain league mechanics into the base game if the players enjoy it enough

Mmm… As Vapourfire said above, from what we know of the project at this point, there would be no “league mechanics”.
Any content added to a cycle would be added at the time to the standard game.

@vapourfire

Mike (dev) said that they want the content to be the same for the normal game & cycles - i.e. there will not be cycle only exclusive game content when a new cycle is launched - the standard game should have the same content.

But it is all in a distant future, nothing is set in stone.

[Macknum]

@Houlala

Any content added to a cycle would be added at the time to the standard game.

If that’s the case there is no better time then now to announce this to capitalise on the discussion D4 had about seasons because it seams Last Epochs approach would suite the needs of a lot of these players. Then again I’m not sure if I want that kind of players arround .

[PvtVlad]

New “uniques” might get locked into cycles. According to Mike

[vapourfire]

That would likely be a fairly good incentive for Cycle play and sidesteps the content being available to both. Temporary Cycle exclusive drops is probably not gonna make anyone unhappy imho.

[PvtVlad]

And it can give them more freedom with new items. You can create more “powerful” or weirder items if you know you don’t have to keep them i’ the game

[eliel77]

I think it’s kinda related to the topic,
Jud game director made a nice post about the overall state and what’s coming to welcome the new players

https://www.reddit.com/r/LastEpoch/comments/155bagl/welcome_to_our_new_community_members/jsv4oh7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=2

[DirePenguin]

@vapourfire

That would likely be a fairly good incentive for Cycle play and sidesteps the content being available to both. Temporary Cycle exclusive drops is probably not gonna make anyone unhappy imho.

But what’s the difference? If people are playing, they are playing. “Forcing” them to play the cycle to get content will just turn off those who don’t want to play from scratch every X months. And allowing them full-access to cycle content in a perm-league doesn’t affect those playing the cycle one bit.

@PvtVlad

And it can give them more freedom with new items. You can create more “powerful” or weirder items if you know you don’t have to keep them i’ the game

Then just deactivate those items in all leagues, once the cycle is finished. It’s not rocket-surgery.

[PvtVlad]

@DirePenguin

Then just deactivate those items in all leagues, once the cycle is finished. It’s not rocket-surgery.

I said that…

[vapourfire]

@DirePenguin

But what’s the difference?

Its just to incentivise Cycle play - nothing else…

Personally I dont give a hoot about cycles and its unlikely that anything EHG includes in cycles will motivate me to play anything other than standard - I never played diablo seasons or any other games season - I play when I want, not when a game dictates to me. Honestly I see zero point in seasons and think its just made up rubbish that some marketing/sales people came up with and they massaged it with some tech dubious reasoning to give it validity.

However, I am abnormal and I was just thinking of how EHG could make people play cycles as thats their plan.

[frankmcdank]

@vapourfire

Honestly I see zero point in seasons and think its just made up rubbish that some marketing/sales people came up with and they massaged it with some tech dubious reasoning to give it validity.

Preferring standard modes is perfectly valid, but calling seasons/cycles/leagues/etc. “rubbish” because you don’t see a point is not.

Lots of people (myself included) like playing in a fresh economy. For example, I personally don’t enjoy standard in Path of Exile. I have accumulated lots of currency. There’s no reason for me to actually grind, and so it feels stagnant.

Sure, you could play SSF to mitigate the stagnation, but you would still eventually get to that point regardless. Having a refresh makes rare/valuable drops more exciting. I like that feeling.

I think the way GGG goes about leagues is preferable: players in the league essentially beta testing a mechanic to see if it would mesh well with the core game (although they have not made a mechanic core in a while, probably due to working on POE2).

Having a shiny new thing/mechanic/mode to play with is more than enough incentive for me to play seasonal characters. If they ever decide to make a “voided (characters wont migrate to standard)” cycle, I hope they’re upfront about that.

[Travoas]

@vapourfire

Personally I dont give a hoot about cycles and its unlikely that anything EHG includes in cycles will motivate me to play anything other than standard - I never played diablo seasons or any other games season

I’m 100% on board as I am the same way. When I played POE I hated the “seasons” concept which is by far the largest reason I quit playing the game.

As long as LE doesn’t do anything to try to force me to play “cycles” then I’m ok with them having them, but I’m glad that thus far they sound like I will be able to get everything without having to play them.

[vapourfire]

@frankmcdank

but calling seasons/cycles/leagues/etc. “rubbish” because you don’t see a point is not.

Nope. I most definitely do understand the various reasons / purposes / benefits of cycles / season and how others may percieve or enjoy it. However - its my opinion that cycles/season et al are rubbish. My opinion - I can call it the worst crapped hellspawn tripe ever invented if I wanted to and that has nothing to do with you.

How other people feel about it has absolutely nothing to do with me either - I have nothing to do with their interpretation and enjoyment thereof.

Apologies if my response seems agressive, but I get kinda irritated when I am not allowed to have an opinion in this overly sensitive world without someone getting offended or telling me I cannot have an opinion that is contrary to theirs.

[DirePenguin]

@frankmcdank

Lots of people (myself included) like playing in a fresh economy. For example, I personally don’t enjoy standard in Path of Exile. I have accumulated lots of currency. There’s no reason for me to actually grind, and so it feels stagnant.

That’s completely fine, then just have a mode of play selection that includes scheduled character wipes. But this whole “here’s some special stuff for seasonal characters” is nonsense. The point of “seasons” IS rubbish. I don’t PvP, but I can see the value in having a PvP server/league. I don’t want to start over every 3 months, but I can see the value in having a server/league that does that. But, that doesn’t mean it has to be incentivized by the developer with special loot, mechanics or anything else that punishes those who don’t want to do it.

[eliel77]

@Travoas

I’m 100% on board as I am the same way. When I played POE I hated the “seasons” concept which is by far the largest reason I quit playing the game.

As long as LE doesn’t do anything to try to force me to play “cycles” then I’m ok with them having them, but I’m glad that thus far they sound like I will be able to get everything without having to play them.

count me on the team. Im planning to stay standard all the way, I just want be forever grinding my dream itens and making my builds even more stronger or trying new builds with powerfull itens I might get in non-league.

[NullMara]

We are of the same mind.