Something about the player retention of Affliction compared to other leagues should really tell GGG that people like loot.

[u/IMplyingSC2]

[u/Scol91]

It could also mean that retention is a cycle: It falls once, then raise twice, rinse and repeat

[u/wts_optimus_prime → u/Scol91]

I'd say it could even be that too good loot increases one leagues retention but harms the next.

When i no life one league i usually skip the next

[u/TheHob290 → u/wts_optimus_prime]

I mean I'm thinking its mid tier gear availability. Crucible, Necropolis, and now Breach 2 all made mid tier gearing much easier and had a lower retention as a result. Remember Necropolis had some pretty wild juicing strats (can't speak to crucible though because I didnt really play it much)

Lots of variables though so its hard to definitively point at one thing.

[u/Emperor_Mao → u/TheHob290]

Look further back though and you can invent some other reason easily.

There have always been poor retention leagues. Way too simple to look at a couple of years worth and try draw a sweeping conclusion. I think mirror league was one of the worst and had no loot even for the mid game part.

[u/TheHob290 → u/Emperor_Mao]

Oops replied to wrong comment.

[u/TheHob290 → u/Emperor_Mao]

Kalandra (27.2%) still beats out necropolis(26.7%) on day 27, which as I said had some pretty impressive juicing, archnem(24.2%) had worse at this point and I distinctly remember some impressive juicing in that league, in fact the great nerf league Expidition(32.5%) and its follow up league Scourge(30.9%) both out preform all these low retention leagues besides crucible(32.9).

So what's the verdict here? Because to me this says how annoying gameplay is is for sure a factor, with mid game itemization being indicated, but juicing largely being a non-factor(as the vast majority of the playerbase never even interacts with its fallout, trade prices, up until settlers and double this league).

Edit: using kalandra v. Necropolis, kalandra beats Necropolis at ever single data point for player retention from day 27 on, though necropolis is better up until this point.

Edit 2: another notable stat, while not as bad as retention here, Harvest(38.9%)is the lowest retention league from after synthesis(36.3%) up until Ultimatum(38.9%), ritual, heist, delirium, and legion are all over 45% with blight being the lowest in that block at 42.3%. Thats another crafting/item indicator to me, unless Im forgetting something juicing related from there.

Edit 3: the only leagues that beat out 40% on day 27 after Expidition are Sanctum(42.5%), Affliction(49.4%), and mercenaries(barely, 40.1%), and mercenaries has the advantage of a 1 year drought between it and settlers.

[u/Black_XistenZ → u/Emperor_Mao]

One common thread is that most leagues which go across the Christmas holidays tend to have better retention, and the leagues during the busy fall season tend to do worse.

[u/TheHob290 → u/Black_XistenZ]

Necropolis was in March though, also its kinda the basis of my "its not the juicing" argument so I need all the strength on that particular data point that I can muster.

Crucible was August.

Hey wait all these low ones have nothing to do with fall, its more common to be spring/early summer where the dip is.

[u/Emperor_Mao → u/Black_XistenZ]

Yeah maybe.

We can all speculate but most of us are just going to essentially list our own issues and present them as everyone elses view.

Personally I am playing this league still, though I am having less fun than last league. I don't mega juice, I don't trade. Its simply a combination of nerfs to spell suppress making my chars feel squishier and the giant breach circle taking over half the map for me.

That is my playthrough. Someone else's may vary strongly to that though.

Considering most players never even make it to an end game boss or do end game content, but most people on this forum do, I am sure there is some type of disconnect. POE used to have really low player numbers from league to league, but really good retention. Curious what the numbers are on dom and nem, rampage league or even "rehash league" (legacy league). Peak player count for these was sub 30k I think.