Labrynth = not fun

The length of the labyrinth is too long, yes. At first it was a bit interesting, but the variety in the mechanics and aesthetics quickly becomes boring and repetitive. Considering the variety of enchants possible, we are clearly meant to have the option of repeatedly running the labyrinth. If the length stays as-is then players have a higher chance of burning out than if it was a little shorter. Not too short since that can cause burnout too, but short enough that it feels worth it. In its current state the benefits of repeating the labyrinth do not feel worth it.


There is also some issue with the difficulty, especially in Normal. Normal difficulty labyrinth should not be balanced for those who are experienced with the game.


The thing that really gets me about this is how the game or servers can crash and force you to restart the lab, even if you're in the middle of the last fight against Izaro.

GGG, your game and servers are not stable enough to properly support these kinds of mechanics.

I finally managed to ascend with a level 48 shadow in normal. Now that I'm running around with ascendancy powers, I'm a little less frustrated than I was after three failed runs between high 30's and low 40's; levels when you might reasonably think the labyrinth is doable.

However, I'm still in the labyrinth not being fun camp. I probably could have finished normal somewhere in the mid 40's, but the investment in a failed run is quite high. When you add in the no-fun factor, there really isn't much upside for trying to tackle normal when it would still be challenging. I didn't want to solve any puzzles or find any side zones, I just wanted to be done with the place. I tried 1 run which started with 4 people, but was down to 2 by the time we reached the final Izaro fight. The guy with me died almost instantly and I only lasted about a minute.

When the he labyrinth was announced, it reminded me of walking The Pattern in the Amber books by Zelazny. In theory, it sounded like a cool way for your character to gain previously unobtainable power. In practice, I hate the labyrinth, but the ascendancy powers are so over the top you would be crazy to ignore them.

I want to get to mapping and put this stupid maze behind me as quickly as I can manage it. It's like someone at GGG decided that the way to make PoE better was to make it more like Prince of Persia.

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Lukin wrote:

P.S. Saying that people are underleveled at the level the map is only shows that it is implemented poorly. Why make it a level 34, then make it a 40+ just to deter new characters of entering.

+1. It should be the correct level for its difficulty.

Did it on level 34 without deaths as melee, solo self found.

You can't just stack up on deeps like normal content, it actually requires defenses.

Yeah I don't like the Labyrinth addition either.

For me Path of Exile (and ARPG's in general) should be about fast-paced rpg action, finding awesome drops and trying to refine/optimize/theorize efficient and enjoyable builds. Labyrinth slows the gameplay down alot due to high damage traps, forced backtracking and key hunting to progress. Labyrinth is a big U-turn in the wrong direction for me to enjoy Path of Exile some more.

I want improved access to higher level maps/areas so I can finish bloody levelling my toon - I feel so incomplete at lvl99. Then just add an EXP chart so leaderboards remain relevant to the full-time players that wanna be top dog. I just want that completion so I can move on to other toons; and I want to be fighting in content that gives me appropriate experience and items. I think just doing that would have been a better move than making this Labyrinth... but that's just my 2cents worth.

Would my suggestion be a good way out for everybody?
*shameless self promoting*
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1602696

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diablofdb wrote:

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Frankthetank2688 wrote:

So let me get this straight, you have to go through 10 or so more rooms filled with traps which I am personally not a fan of, to get to a boss and if you dc you have to do it all over again?!!! Can we please have a saved progress with this? This just is not what I expected at all!!

lab is optionnal

Leveling is optional, using skill gems is optional. Amirite?

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Finnien wrote:

Spend an hour and a half clearing to the final boss on merciless. Get one-shot by boss. Consider spending another hour and a half to re-clear. Pass.

After about half a day in the new expansion, I'm already logging out to go read a book rather than play new content. That's by far the shortest time from patch to boredom of any PoE update. The labyrinth is long, tedious, annoying, and unrewarding. With the final boss able to kill a well-geared character in a single hit forcing a repeat the entire damn dungeon, with a high probability of the exact same thing occurring, it just killed the entire game for me.

I'll check back later and see what changes are made, but I'm already tired of it.

The path to the exit is almost always north. Follow that and you can beat the labyrinth in 15 minutes or less.

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ozzy9832001 wrote:

Horrible, especially when he can teleport you and drop you right in the thick of a trap. Great.

He only teleports you if you stand still while right next to him. Take a few steps back and you're fine.

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Lukin wrote:

First of all: the entrance. Game gives no hints about the 6 (at least I think it is six) places to go through "puzzles" (going to push a switch is not that puzzling). If you have to google basic stuff of your new content that means it is not introduced properly.

That's totally false. If you've been to a map with a trial it'll show up on the entrance when you click it.