Maximum of 8 skills at a time

Since I can't find a recent thread about this, nor a word from the devs, I'm making a new thread to ask:

Are our characters intentionally limited to using at most 8 skills? That's the amount of skill hotkeys we're given, but I find that I often could use more than that: on a summoner, I can have 3 summon skills, a couple auras, 2 curses...and that already leaves me pretty limited.
If I want to use 3-4 different attack skills, I basically have to fiddle with the hotkeys to cast the auras whenever I need to, then switch back to other skills. Is this by design?
I can deal with GGG wanting us to "choose" which skills to use, but the current system just encourages clunky switching of skills in the few available slots.

Basically, my question is: what's the official stance on this? Will additional skill slots be added? If yes, will it be soon or it's low priority? If no, why? If we're supposed to be limited at 8 skills at a time, shouldn't we just be forbidden from switching skills while out of town?

Oh, and before anyone says it, I'm perfectly aware that optimal gameplay revolves around spamming a single skill. I just prefer a diverse kind of gameplay.

Thanks in advance for the answers.


EDIT: dammit, I realized just now that I posted this in "General Discussion" and not "Beta General Discussion". Why do we even have 2 separate general discussion forums? What's the point?

No, no, no and no.

I have a summoner and have exactly the same thoughts. Would love to have more skills available at once.

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EchoMending wrote:

No, no, no and no.

Uh...what?

I did not suggest our characters to be limited to 8 skills at a time. In fact, I asked for the opposite. Please re-read my post.

8 slots is enough imo. Auroras, doesn't count really because you generally turn them on once per gaming session and then you can switch them out. I don't think I have ever run out of skill hotkeys before I have run out of sockets for the gems.

I also play summoner and I only use 4 hotkeys (zombie, skeletotem, curse, arc), the rest are switched. I actually intentionally remove my specter hotkey every time so that I don't accidentally remove one of my current specters.

I support this. I'm also the summoner. And I like to have fun with many buff and spells.

I do t enjoy casting one spell over and over. Maybe fun for some but for me itis different.

Top 3 is fine

Around 8 for bottom hot key would be nice

Thx. Make it happen GGG!

In the newest Patch notes it's announced that they are adding some new bindable key options, but related to mouse and all... might be worth a look...

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Bru741 wrote:

In the newest Patch notes it's announced that they are adding some new bindable key options, but related to mouse and all... might be worth a look...

They are just allowing the 3 mouse-bound skills to be bound to keyboard, and they're making more mouse keys to be available for binding. Nothing about more skill hotkey slots.

All of your auras can be swapped out for other skills after they are activated.

Do you really use more than 8 skills, not counting auras?

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Kemichal wrote:

8 slots is enough imo. Auroras, doesn't count really because you generally turn them on once per gaming session and then you can switch them out. I don't think I have ever run out of skill hotkeys before I have run out of sockets for the gems.

I also play summoner and I only use 4 hotkeys (zombie, skeletotem, curse, arc), the rest are switched. I actually intentionally remove my specter hotkey every time so that I don't accidentally remove one of my current specters.

Well 8 slots may be fine for some people but others could do with more. And given that it wouldn't affect you in any way as you don't have to use the extra ones, why shouldn't POE do this to help those that do want more choices?