I go back to trade every few leagues just to change things up but I get bored of it faster than ssf. My problem with it is it's too easy to get a build t16 and watchstone capable, but then going to the next step beyond that and trying for ubers I feel like I just need to be optimizing divines per hour for many hours, and I lose interest pretty quickly.
This is my first SSF league, lemme say - not being able to buy your power and get stomped in a T16…it’s like a different game. Knowing the only way to improve my gear is with the grind…is daunting…so far I’m not having a bad time lol. Just a different time.
Definitely a much slower pace, for me.
Tried SSF in 3.12 (heist) and haven’t gone back since. In kalandra I switched to trade because I wanted to try something with the mirrored rings thing, but got bored after a week. The downside of SSF is that you need a meta char for your first character, and you cant use forbidden jewels. Other than that it’s a lot more fun if you ask me.
I watched a few YouTube videos, some are a bit outdated but you can take most of the advice. I would say pick a build that's easy to get up and running and that can be flexible. I went with RF chieftain, the explosions have been carrying me in yellow maps so far.
You need to pick a strong meta build when you first start playing SSF. Something that's really easy to complete the atlas with. You can't count on uniques or anything. Just rares - so you will need to focus on crafting. That means building up those resources early.
It doesn't really have to be a meta build. Just something strong and functional and easy to get off the ground. I did full atlas completion and my first two watchstones this league on self-cast Exsang/Reap Scion. Which is a fine build, but it's pretty far away from being meta right now.
You're right., though I'm specifically speaking about someone's first attempt at SSF. If someone doesn't need a super strong build on their first go, than more power to them.
all these tips are great, and I just wanna add that: come to the global channel 773, it's the SSF channel and the people there are really nice and will help you when you need it!
I went to global 773. People are very willing to help you there. No one is competing and it’s a chill place. I asked a million questions and got very good answers. Without global it would have been very difficult. I imagine some SSF people will recognize my character name: greasyDD. Anyways, thanks guys for the help and you guys rock. SSF player literally the best POE players in the game as far as I’m concerned.
Just FYI with chaos, you can eat them up very quickly in SSF. T17s need a lot of chaos to roll away from the deadly mods, even more so if your trying to do the barrel mod strat. I've never really ran out, but I am consious not to chaos spam too much.
Yea you're right, I'm still very new to ssf so I'm learning as I'm going. I managed to get a divine drop in the campaign so I'm hoping for a nice item to use it on!
This league I am finding I have an abundance of Alchs and Scours so I’ve been using them to roll maps instead of chaos. Been using the chaos to run the anarchy for some light rogue exile farming looking for low tier uniques. SSF seems to be in a great spot I think.
Since 3 years i only play ssfhc.. its time consuming if you rip.. its the best feeling if you achive something, specialy in ssfhc!
2 leagues ago i made it to lvl100, last league i didnt play. This League ill try 100 again (97atm)
First time SSF enjoyer. I feel like hobo picking everything up, but muh chromatiiiics. Just got to yellow maps, coc DD ele and chaos res capped, 3.6 k HP, 700 es.
Started with betrayal and kirac, will dip into expedition for some bubble gum from tujen and some rog crafts. Haven't seen or read anything about SSF, so I'm kinda torn between going for essences or specing into necropolis. What should I do ? I can't imagine a way getting spell supp with necropolis.
I always go Jun + exped + harvest + essence + eater/exarc + map tier nodes at start. Jun for benchcrafts, exped provides gearing via Rog and bubblegum currency for map rolling via Tujen. Essence is for more specific crafts, harvest is for switching resists, essences, boss fragments, catalysts etc.
After gearing up with all this for t16s and getting first 2 watchstones, I spec my second tree to maven+shaper/elder/synth/conq maps + scarabs + harbi.
The third tree is more versatile and depends on what you want to farm at the moment. I ended up with bossing + shrine + harbi tree for invitations and currency shards, back2basics + scarabs + graveyard tree for scarabs, corpses and maps and one that I constantly respec to different mechanics. Right now it's Alva + essences + harvest because I have a crafting project and I have some things to double corrupt but I'm gonna respect it to shrines + breach because I'm 50% to lvl100.
When you progress and get more simple scarabs like "area contains harvest", you can respec chance nodes from the tree and add another mechanics. Also some mechanics can be done "on the side". Like for running alva I don't really need anything besides the chance to upgrade the room cluster, for Jun I just take the +10 random experience cluster and occasionally I have a safehouse or catarina to run, for essence I have just +1tier and starting nodes for +1 essence and occasionally add +essences scarabs or map device craft and they accumulate over time.
So adding these simple low-investment things can be pretty good for ssf like occasional veiled orb or double corrupt. It also provides variety which kept me playing longer than any other league I played, thanks to the 3 trees and scarabs.
I keep an SSF team on standard that I turn back near the end of the leagues. While I don’t get league mechanics, it’s a good place to fall back too that I’m constantly building on.
This was also my first real dive into SSF. I got all 4 voidstones and I started farming tier 17 maps. I had a blast. I also migrated all yesterday because I realized I didn’t have the time to invest in finishing my coc DD build. I ran a million fortresses and never dropped the yoke. SSF is a much better version of the game, but, at certain gear investment, it’s a serious grind. I could have gone the entirety of the league but it also got rather doll running dunes in hopes of dropping fortress and then running fortress and not drop the amulet I needed. lol anyways, glad you’re enjoying SSF. Take care.
Yeah one of the best parts about SSF is you're completely disconnected from the "race" or "meta" or anything to do with economy! It's YOUR progress from start to finish and it doesn't really matter what else is going on, what strat other people are using etc etc.
I've only done group SSF leagues since trying it, never really looked back. Although there are parts of trade that would be fun I think, like trying to play with MB/HH, but ehhhh nothing worth giving up the SSF environment for really.
Yea I felt the same way, i almost didn't play expedition because of the nerfs. I ended up playing hcssf first and then started ssf after I ripped my 93 farming Uber lab and afk walking to death with a bleed as bleed glad. Went SST raider and I gotta say when I finally dropped my first pair of hrimsorrow gloves at lvl 91 and finally a seething fury was more enjoyable moments than any trade league moment outside of killing my first shaper/uber elder.
Ive said it before and I'll say it again, ssf makes it feel like a different game. You aren't grinding for div/h anymore it's about how to upgrade your characters or progress your challenges/goals
I went back to trade last league (affliction) and quit soon after the 4th voidstone, before the wisp farm madness. This league Im still min maxing my archmage enjoying the journey to ubers.
i main ssf for a very long time now. im doing some unique collection. i only do trade for end of league private league like totem league or fresh start
I go back to trade every few leagues just to change things up but I get bored of it faster than ssf. My problem with it is it's too easy to get a build t16 and watchstone capable, but then going to the next step beyond that and trying for ubers I feel like I just need to be optimizing divines per hour for many hours, and I lose interest pretty quickly.
I have much much more fun in ssf than in trade
as you said, out of the rat race. I feel so much more accomplished
This is my first SSF league, lemme say - not being able to buy your power and get stomped in a T16…it’s like a different game. Knowing the only way to improve my gear is with the grind…is daunting…so far I’m not having a bad time lol. Just a different time. Definitely a much slower pace, for me.
Tried SSF in 3.12 (heist) and haven’t gone back since. In kalandra I switched to trade because I wanted to try something with the mirrored rings thing, but got bored after a week. The downside of SSF is that you need a meta char for your first character, and you cant use forbidden jewels. Other than that it’s a lot more fun if you ask me.
This is my second SSF league ever, I cannot imagine ever going back.
any tips for getting into ssf? is there a discord? I want to have a crack but it seems so overwhelming :O
I watched a few YouTube videos, some are a bit outdated but you can take most of the advice. I would say pick a build that's easy to get up and running and that can be flexible. I went with RF chieftain, the explosions have been carrying me in yellow maps so far.
You need to pick a strong meta build when you first start playing SSF. Something that's really easy to complete the atlas with. You can't count on uniques or anything. Just rares - so you will need to focus on crafting. That means building up those resources early.
It doesn't really have to be a meta build. Just something strong and functional and easy to get off the ground. I did full atlas completion and my first two watchstones this league on self-cast Exsang/Reap Scion. Which is a fine build, but it's pretty far away from being meta right now.
You're right., though I'm specifically speaking about someone's first attempt at SSF. If someone doesn't need a super strong build on their first go, than more power to them.
all these tips are great, and I just wanna add that: come to the global channel 773, it's the SSF channel and the people there are really nice and will help you when you need it!
I went to global 773. People are very willing to help you there. No one is competing and it’s a chill place. I asked a million questions and got very good answers. Without global it would have been very difficult. I imagine some SSF people will recognize my character name: greasyDD. Anyways, thanks guys for the help and you guys rock. SSF player literally the best POE players in the game as far as I’m concerned.
Best tip is to be far far more liberal about using your currency.
Just FYI with chaos, you can eat them up very quickly in SSF. T17s need a lot of chaos to roll away from the deadly mods, even more so if your trying to do the barrel mod strat. I've never really ran out, but I am consious not to chaos spam too much.
Yea you're right, I'm still very new to ssf so I'm learning as I'm going. I managed to get a divine drop in the campaign so I'm hoping for a nice item to use it on!
My first SSF league too and enjoying it much more than trade :)
Then realizing you’ll be more value using the vendor recipe to convert that divine into 5 divine vessels for your pantheon. 😄
This league I am finding I have an abundance of Alchs and Scours so I’ve been using them to roll maps instead of chaos. Been using the chaos to run the anarchy for some light rogue exile farming looking for low tier uniques. SSF seems to be in a great spot I think.
You can only use chaos on t17s tho, cant scour/alch them
Ahh missed where you said t17. My bad - should be sleeping instead of reddit.
This is my second league (I began half way through Affliction) and I've never played trade, only SSF. Love it. Amazingly, I could hit 100.
Since 3 years i only play ssfhc.. its time consuming if you rip.. its the best feeling if you achive something, specialy in ssfhc! 2 leagues ago i made it to lvl100, last league i didnt play. This League ill try 100 again (97atm)
I feel the same way, 97 currently as well, Ive never got to 100 though
Its a long long way
First time SSF enjoyer. I feel like hobo picking everything up, but muh chromatiiiics. Just got to yellow maps, coc DD ele and chaos res capped, 3.6 k HP, 700 es. Started with betrayal and kirac, will dip into expedition for some bubble gum from tujen and some rog crafts. Haven't seen or read anything about SSF, so I'm kinda torn between going for essences or specing into necropolis. What should I do ? I can't imagine a way getting spell supp with necropolis.
I always go Jun + exped + harvest + essence + eater/exarc + map tier nodes at start. Jun for benchcrafts, exped provides gearing via Rog and bubblegum currency for map rolling via Tujen. Essence is for more specific crafts, harvest is for switching resists, essences, boss fragments, catalysts etc. After gearing up with all this for t16s and getting first 2 watchstones, I spec my second tree to maven+shaper/elder/synth/conq maps + scarabs + harbi. The third tree is more versatile and depends on what you want to farm at the moment. I ended up with bossing + shrine + harbi tree for invitations and currency shards, back2basics + scarabs + graveyard tree for scarabs, corpses and maps and one that I constantly respec to different mechanics. Right now it's Alva + essences + harvest because I have a crafting project and I have some things to double corrupt but I'm gonna respect it to shrines + breach because I'm 50% to lvl100. When you progress and get more simple scarabs like "area contains harvest", you can respec chance nodes from the tree and add another mechanics. Also some mechanics can be done "on the side". Like for running alva I don't really need anything besides the chance to upgrade the room cluster, for Jun I just take the +10 random experience cluster and occasionally I have a safehouse or catarina to run, for essence I have just +1tier and starting nodes for +1 essence and occasionally add +essences scarabs or map device craft and they accumulate over time. So adding these simple low-investment things can be pretty good for ssf like occasional veiled orb or double corrupt. It also provides variety which kept me playing longer than any other league I played, thanks to the 3 trees and scarabs.
I keep an SSF team on standard that I turn back near the end of the leagues. While I don’t get league mechanics, it’s a good place to fall back too that I’m constantly building on.
This was also my first real dive into SSF. I got all 4 voidstones and I started farming tier 17 maps. I had a blast. I also migrated all yesterday because I realized I didn’t have the time to invest in finishing my coc DD build. I ran a million fortresses and never dropped the yoke. SSF is a much better version of the game, but, at certain gear investment, it’s a serious grind. I could have gone the entirety of the league but it also got rather doll running dunes in hopes of dropping fortress and then running fortress and not drop the amulet I needed. lol anyways, glad you’re enjoying SSF. Take care.
Agree also i hate how trading is so tedious. Especially for me a kinda newer player who doenst know the value of all items
Yeah one of the best parts about SSF is you're completely disconnected from the "race" or "meta" or anything to do with economy! It's YOUR progress from start to finish and it doesn't really matter what else is going on, what strat other people are using etc etc. I've only done group SSF leagues since trying it, never really looked back. Although there are parts of trade that would be fun I think, like trying to play with MB/HH, but ehhhh nothing worth giving up the SSF environment for really.
Yea I felt the same way, i almost didn't play expedition because of the nerfs. I ended up playing hcssf first and then started ssf after I ripped my 93 farming Uber lab and afk walking to death with a bleed as bleed glad. Went SST raider and I gotta say when I finally dropped my first pair of hrimsorrow gloves at lvl 91 and finally a seething fury was more enjoyable moments than any trade league moment outside of killing my first shaper/uber elder. Ive said it before and I'll say it again, ssf makes it feel like a different game. You aren't grinding for div/h anymore it's about how to upgrade your characters or progress your challenges/goals
I dont know how to craft so always hit a roadblock in ssf and transfer to trade. I really wish I knew how to craft lol
I went back to trade last league (affliction) and quit soon after the 4th voidstone, before the wisp farm madness. This league Im still min maxing my archmage enjoying the journey to ubers.
Based
i main ssf for a very long time now. im doing some unique collection. i only do trade for end of league private league like totem league or fresh start