Finally, GGG have launched a dev-maintained alternative to player-run trade websites for Path of Exile. Hopefully, the days are gone when trade stopped entirely if POE.Trade went down. And they even added a new API filter to denote people who are AFK, cutting down on the potential of wasted time spent whispering people who won’t respond.
It’s still not a fully realized auction house, but that’s how Grinding Gear Games wants it. They fear that an auction house would allow the disparity of gear, and thus power, between players to widen far too much. Here’s the announcement for the new site:
“That’s where we are today,” GGG writes this week. “It’s easy to list items for trade, easy to search for items, and is often quite frustrating to complete a trade. This remaining frustration is the only thing standing in the way of trades being basically instant. While we understand that this sounds like a positive thing, we are very concerned regarding what will happen if that does eventuate. We have to prioritise the long-term health of Path of Exile.
Today we have launched a beta version of pathofexile.com/trade, a trade site that has similar functionality to popular community sites. We have also augmented our Online API to take into account AFK players and those in DND mode. This functionality is available for all trade sites that consume this API and should help make trade results more accurate for everyone. Read the rest of this news post for information on pathofexile.com/trade, or click here to read our Trade Manifesto if you’d like to hear more about our philosophy behind trade in Path of Exile. ”
Of course, if you’re some kind of thrill-seeker who plays solo self-found mode, this isn’t as exciting for you. But overall, people are pleased that GGG are helping players streamline such a crucial part of the game.
