Rigid Ascendancy Restrictions in PoE 2: A Barrier to Player Freedom and Retention

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Andromansis#4714 wrote:

I'm going to tell you what the forum told me when I brought up a similar list of issues with POE. "Just wait for POE3, the sequel will address all your concerns."

You did not bring up a 'similar list of issues', you made a borderline clown post about skipping the entire campaign.

This thread by OP is actually well articulated and coherent.

I don't care either way if the ascendancy is swappable or not. I have never felt the need to swap ascendancy in PoE, and it didn't bother me that your 'ascendancy' in LE was locked.

Though if I had to choose, I think I would support GGG's current decision. As you gain ascendancy points over 3 separate acts and then presumably an endgame trial. This means there's about 35 levels of playing with an incomplete ascendancy. These 35 levels would be very different for each ascendancy, therefore integral to the experience of developing the individual character. Your experiences and memories from the campaign, especially bosses, may vary dramatically for each ascendancy playthrough. Which ties into GGG's philosophy of your character being made up of meaningful experiences.

However, I wonder how many people would all flock to the 'meta' levelling ascendancy and then swap to their build ascendancy after campaign? If it's a tiny minority, then it doesn't really matter. But if it is the standard in PoE 2, I think that would be really bad.

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kuciol#0426 wrote:

Why are you freaking out so much? Its essentialy closed beta. Its made to adress such things in the first place. In one of the interviews Jonathan said that you cant respec AS OF NOW. They may or may not add such feature later on but its being discussed.

where am i freaking out?

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Gopstop22#6572 wrote:

reduced build experimention? WHAT? did you somehow miss you can use ALL SKILLS and combine them? and not every game should be casual noob friendly where casuls can beat all content with ease PoE 2 is hard as it should be its not a negative thing that game is hard

The point isn’t to make PoE 2 easy or dumb it down—it’s about keeping the challenge intact while making sure the game doesn’t push players away with unnecessary roadblocks. Let’s be real: ascendancies play a huge role in shaping how builds work and interact with skills. Being locked into one ascendancy limits how much you can actually explore and experiment with those combinations, which is what Path of Exile is all about.

Giving players the option to respec ascendancies doesn’t make the game less hard—it just makes it less punishing for people who want to adapt and experiment. Think about the new players who’ll already face the steep learning curve PoE is known for. If the game feels too rigid, some of them might not stick around, and that’s bad for all of us in the long run. More players sticking around means a healthier community and more support for GGG to keep making the game better.

At the end of the day, it’s about striking a balance. Keep the difficulty high—no one’s asking for handouts—but don’t let unnecessary friction push players away. The more engaging the game is for everyone, the better it’ll be for both the players and GGG’s future."

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HammerofNatsu#7665 wrote:

where am i freaking out?

By overreacting and using terms making it bigger issue than it is. Hell you dont even know if it will be an issue at all. Why make so big fuss about it when you didnt even try the game yet? Maybe the respec will be added, maybe it will be pointless to have it at all? We simply do not know.

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Resouler#3256 wrote:

About ascendancy, i would like to focus on the point that both poe1 and poe2 share, the design, as you can see on my masterful artwork below, you get ascendacy points by 2 and there is always a small and a large node separating, another layer of ascendancy, In theory, IF the small nodes would be more impactful, you could choose to take a lot more smaller nodes and Some big ones, but it doesnt seem to be designed that way so im wondering why isnt it one big node? So basicly imagine the smaller circles not being there but the larger circles include them anyway.

Honestly, this is a cool take, and your artwork gets the point across really well. If smaller nodes were more impactful and tied into bigger ones, it could add a lot of depth to ascendancy design. That kind of system would let players fine-tune their builds in creative ways, and I’m all for that. But here’s the thing—it still doesn’t solve the issue of being locked into a single ascendancy. Even with a better node design, if you pick the wrong ascendancy or just want to try something new, you're stuck starting over, which feels unnecessarily punishing.

The real issue isn’t just about how the ascendancy nodes are structured; it’s about giving players the flexibility to adapt as they figure out what works best for their playstyle. If GGG wants PoE 2 to keep more players around—especially newer ones—they need to make the game less rigid while still keeping it challenging. More choices mean more engagement, and respec options would let people explore everything the game has to offer without feeling like they’re trapped in their initial decisions.

So yeah, I think your idea of bigger nodes tying in smaller ones could work really well, but only if it’s paired with the ability to switch ascendancies when needed. That way, the game stays deep and challenging without alienating players who just want the freedom to experiment."

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kuciol#0426 wrote:

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HammerofNatsu#7665 wrote:

where am i freaking out?

By overreacting and using terms making it bigger issue than it is. Hell you dont even know if it will be an issue at all. Why make so big fuss about it when you didnt even try the game yet? Maybe the respec will be added, maybe it will be pointless to have it at all? We simply do not know.

I get where you’re coming from, but this isn’t about overreacting or making a fuss—it’s about having a meaningful discussion about design choices and their potential impact. Waiting to try the game before discussing these things doesn’t really help because by then, the systems are already set, and player feedback becomes harder to implement.

As for whether respecs will be added or not, sure, we don’t know for certain. But raising concerns now ensures that GGG hears the feedback early and can make informed decisions. The whole point is to help the game succeed by making it more engaging and retaining as many players as possible, especially since PoE 2 is attracting a mix of hardcore and new players. Respecs wouldn’t ruin the game—they’d just give players more freedom to experiment and adapt, which has always been part of what makes Path of Exile great.

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HammerofNatsu#7665 wrote:

I get where you’re coming from, but this isn’t about overreacting or making a fuss—it’s about having a meaningful discussion about design choices and their potential impact. Waiting to try the game before discussing these things doesn’t really help because by then, the systems are already set, and player feedback becomes harder to implement.

As for whether respecs will be added or not, sure, we don’t know for certain. But raising concerns now ensures that GGG hears the feedback early and can make informed decisions. The whole point is to help the game succeed by making it more engaging and retaining as many players as possible, especially since PoE 2 is attracting a mix of hardcore and new players. Respecs wouldn’t ruin the game—they’d just give players more freedom to experiment and adapt, which has always been part of what makes Path of Exile great."

What discussion you want to have when no choices have been made yet? When game director himself says they are discussing about it we, as players that didnt even try the game have no idea how things will play out.

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What discussion you want to have when no choices have been made yet? When game director himself says they are discussing about it we, as players that didnt even try the game have no idea how things will play out

If the director himself says they’re still discussing it, that’s even more reason for us to have this conversation now. Our feedback can influence the direction they take, and raising concerns early ensures the community’s voice is heard. Waiting silently until everything is set in stone doesn’t help anyone.

I’ve already expressed my concerns and made my points clear in this post. If you can’t comprehend or engage with them meaningfully, then it’s probably best to step back instead of arguing just to argue. Simply dismissing my perspective as overreacting or unnecessary doesn’t add anything productive to the conversation.

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HammerofNatsu#7665 wrote:

If the director himself says they’re still discussing it, that’s even more reason for us to have this conversation now. Our feedback can influence the direction they take, and raising concerns early ensures the community’s voice is heard. Waiting silently until everything is set in stone doesn’t help anyone.

I’ve already expressed my concerns and made my points clear in this post. If you can’t comprehend or engage with them meaningfully, then it’s probably best to step back instead of arguing just to argue. Simply dismissing my perspective as overreacting or unnecessary doesn’t add anything productive to the conversation.

But nothing is set in stone, thats what EA is for. Hell, its PoE we talk about, nothing is ever set in stone i here. I will just wait and try first, complain later. Thats how I do things you know. Also devs do not use forums. Your voice goes into the void.

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Valmar#3550 wrote:

I have over 8k hours played in PoE.

There was ONCE I would love to change my ascendancy. ONE single time.
It was not a big deal in any way.

I prefer the way it is, choices matter. Give them respecs, they will ask for ascendancy change. Give them ascendancy change, they will ask for class game. Give them class change, they will ask for Diablo 5.

No thanks. Its a wise decision (could break the meta, ladders, etc). And anyway not a big deal at all.

HOWEVER if they see thousand people asking for it, Im pretty sure they will change things in the future, its early access for some reason. Nothing is set in stone.

I think letting you change it before reaching maps would not be a bad thing at all, in case anyone new to the game is needing it.

I actually really like this idea—it’s a solid compromise. Allowing ascendancy changes before reaching maps would give new players a chance to adjust their choices as they figure out the game without removing the weight of decisions for more experienced players later on. It balances flexibility and commitment in a way that works for both casual and hardcore players. I think something like this would go a long way in making PoE 2 more approachable while keeping its core identity intact.