General Discussion - Rigid Ascendancy Restrictions in PoE 2: A Barrier to Player Freedom and Retention - Forum

I actually think hard specializations being a permanent choice actually helps casuals further succeed by committing their mind, game play/style and build toward that choice. Just needs a lot of info, small vids and possibly a practice hall with the 3 ascendancy's before a player commits to the selection.	Posted by WelshSteel#6656 on Dec 1, 2024, 1:34:25 AM Quote this Post
I count myself as casual player of PoE 1. On the 9 years when I have played on and off leagues, I have used ascendancy respec max two times. And that is mainly to start the build on different ascendancy and then swap for end game. But then again, I have always liked PoE campaign so running through it many times in a league has never been an issue to me. But I like that there is no respec. That choice should matter. Just got a wild idea: If they want to give you a possibility for ascendancy respec, maybe put 1 (Orb or something) item to Nameless Seer where you can select between that OR a unique. Or first time when you enter the Zigurrath for end game. But there should be only 1 chance if any for ascendancy respec. You stand before the gates of the Lord's Labyrinth. Within these walls, the Lady of Justice doth preside.	Posted by SkalicFin#0667 on Dec 1, 2024, 1:46:54 AM Quote this Post
" HammerofNatsu#7665 wrote: " 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." PoE 2 will have far more diversity in builds than PoE 1 becuz GGG want to make ascendies in PoE 2 less mandatory where they lock you and specific ammount of builds are top tier for that ascendy and for other ascendies they are not this is what GGG wants to avoid	Posted by Deviant#8289 on Dec 1, 2024, 2:33:16 AM Quote this Post
To casuals, it means next to nothing. For people who like to experiment a lot, it's a massive damper. I'd often use Standard characters and respec them because I could not be bothered to take a new character to level +90 to see whether something would scale into endgame that is worth pursuing. Having to do that every time you want to test an interaction between Ascendancies is going to kill that. Though I'm sure it might not even stay this way for long. Who knows. Gaming PC: Win 11, 7600X3D, RTX 4080, 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30, 7000 MB/s SSD, 850W, 3840x2160p 120Hz Streaming PC: Win 11, i5-12400, RTX 4060, 32GB DDR5-6000 CL36, 7000 MB/s SSD, 450W, 1920x1080p 60Hz	Posted by BaumisMagicalWorld#0673 on Dec 1, 2024, 3:18:14 AM Quote this Post
I will definitely start making own builds in EA but I still don't feel that the respec would limit the build. Just check the nodes on each ascendancy when you create the character and go from there. Well that is my plan anyway. So I cannot be sure yet if the lack of respec will affect me that much, hope not but we will see :D You stand before the gates of the Lord's Labyrinth. Within these walls, the Lady of Justice doth preside.	Posted by SkalicFin#0667 on Dec 1, 2024, 3:44:10 AM Quote this Post
hahahahahhahahha....hahahahahahahahXD Bro you need to do a few rounds of ultimatum there is nothing more easy XD wtf are you talking about lmao .	Posted by damir21#1543 on Dec 1, 2024, 4:01:49 AM Quote this Post
I think that I prefer it being permanent choice. Now it would make more sense to me to for instance create two Druids as each of them would be different ascendacy. Sure, I could so it even with respec possible but at that point I would feel dumb to craete secons druid because I could just respec. But I am fine with any choice GGG make.	Posted by Waiden#9514 on Dec 1, 2024, 4:09:47 AM Quote this Post
" Waiden#9514 wrote: Now it would make more sense to me to for instance create two Druids as each of them would be different ascendacy. Makes the same amount of sense as having a second Druid without having to switch gear and passives around. Literally the same thing, but now it's no longer a choice. If anything, I agree that it will limit the amount of effort people are willing to put into experimenting around, which is REALLY BAD for a game that is fresh and derived from a game centered around theorycrafting. Gaming PC: Win 11, 7600X3D, RTX 4080, 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30, 7000 MB/s SSD, 850W, 3840x2160p 120Hz Streaming PC: Win 11, i5-12400, RTX 4060, 32GB DDR5-6000 CL36, 7000 MB/s SSD, 450W, 1920x1080p 60Hz	Posted by BaumisMagicalWorld#0673 on Dec 1, 2024, 4:24:44 AM Quote this Post
" 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. Even if they see 1000 people asking they should not bend or break. The devs should make the game THEY want to make. People can choose to play it or not. Especially with this community.	Posted by ZenJelly#0503 on Dec 1, 2024, 9:18:21 AM Quote this Post
I remember games like D2 when every skill selection was final, and you had to learn by having a suboptimal character. You just built better next time. Choices had consequences, and you learn to mitigate weaknesses in your character built. Just my thought.	Posted by TheKnave69#5275 on Dec 1, 2024, 9:41:46 AM Quote this Post