Persisting Challenges in Path of Exile 2's Early Access Final Stage
I've called it quits on my level 88 Ranger and have shifted my focus to my now level 45 Monk while delving deeper into Path of Exile 2 Early Access. Recently, I've invested a significant amount of time in the endgame, getting quite powerful and swiftly clearing T15s. Nevertheless, there were certain stages where I found myself thinking, "Well, this needs improvement, I'll tackle it later."
And what needs improvement, you ask? I've identified numerous challenges that I believe still warrant attention, both from my personal experiences and based on the general consensus within the community, at least from what I've observed.
One Death Maps – In the endgame, death results in defeat, but the current system is excessively harsh, leading to frustrating losses rather than challenging encounters. The consequences of dying should be considerable, but not to the extent of losing 1) map progress, 2) your Waystone, 3) your map modifiers, 4) a portion of your XP above a certain level. This is excessive and detracts from the enjoyment of the game rather than adding to the challenge.
Types of Deaths – While GGG has made some progress in reducing the more frustrating methods of death, many situations in maps still feel unfair. For example, in-map events that mass spawn enemies, often with elite modifiers, can instantly kill you due to map geometry and lack of time to read and react. This is particularly frustrating given the one-portal death mechanic, which results in significant losses when trying to take down difficult bosses and pinnacle ones, which often feature "one wrong move" instant-kill mechanics.
Waystone Management – This aspect of the game is far from enjoyable. Even with optimal Atlas tree upgrades, managing Waystones can be a tedious task, and requiring hyper-specific strategies, such as saving good ones for boss maps only, only exacerbates the issue. At T15, for instance, you never want to settle for anything below that tier, yet gaining the necessary Waystones can often result in 7s, 8s, 11s, and so on. While trading can help, as a player who prefers to abstain from trading, the options are limited.
Magic Find – The current meta of the game revolves around stacking as much Magic Find gear as possible in order to boost farming results. If someone else is farming the same map, but with more Magic Find, they can reap rewards that are 500% greater. The current Magic Find system is challenging to manage, and Path of Exile 2 has not yet implemented some of the ideas from its predecessor to address this issue. At present, Magic Find is an essential component of the game.
The Trials – I've encountered few activities in a game more irritating than the second pair of Ascendancy Trials for my final skill points. They're excessively long, overly punishing with stacking negative modifiers, and if you die once, you're done for the attempt. The time investment required for each attempt is significant, and I will not waste any more of my precious time on these trials until the issues are addressed.
Despite these challenges, I've certainly had fun playing the game! I wouldn't have taken my Ranger this far or invested this much time if I hadn't, nor would I be returning to the maps with my Monk now. However, these are clear issues that need attention if the game is to make it through early access. There's a difference between a challenging endgame and one that is just frustrating for its own sake, whether in terms of punishment or looting. And I believe changes are necessary.
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In my quest to improve my Monk's performance in Path of Exile 2 Early Access, I've noticed that the current Magic Find system can be quite challenging to manage. I'm hoping for some adjustments in this area to make farming more equitable for all players.
The frustrating one-portal death mechanic in certain maps, especially when encountering difficult bosses, is another aspect I'd like to see improved in Path of Exile 2. Surviving these encounters without losing substantial progress should be a more achievable goal.
