Feedback from 180-hours in POE2 and 32-leagues in POE1

Hi GGG!
First, thank you for great job and great present for all of us - fans of your games! :)
During all this years, GGG-team was and stay in contact with community and showed us many times that our feedbacks can bring some good changes in the game. And this is the reason, why i want left here my notes about POE2.


1. Positiv things:

1.1. This is on 90% the game, that we all wanted. And probably much better, that we expected! And technical and content state of the game is really great, especially for early access!

1.2. The game is still with poe-spirit - challenging, with great variability of builds/farming-tagets/activities (sure, a lot of skills should be balanced, bugs should be fixed, etc. - but we all know that you will do it). Thank you, that you are still "old-school" and dont your soul for easy-money.

1.3. Game is still playable on low-cost-computers, what very important for many players.

1.4. New classes, skills, passives, uniques! And we know, that you will add more-and more in the future! Great!

1.5. New mechanics (like dodge roll, WASD, mapping-endgame-system, spirit, etc.). Almost all things are interesting (except few things - read down Negative part)


2. Negativ things:

2.1. Long-long leveling. For first char - maybe OK. But we all want trying new builds during the league and almost all players making several chars in the league. This is what make people playing your game long time and not only first 2-3 weeks. Yes, we will learn the short-ways in acts, we will probably find some leveling items for with movement speed, but the areas will be still TOO LARGE and leveling-time will be TOO LONG.
=> we need some fast-way or some movement-leveling-items

2.2. Hard start. After 80 hours, the hardest part of the game was for me first acts. This is strange. Need to be balanced.
=> let new players start playing your game, make it harder in late-game.

2.3. New gem-socket system: change the skill. Early i can level my char with best skill for leveling and then my target was make some currency for tabula or any 5/6-link item. And that i can switch to my main skill. Not it is impossible! Sockets remain in my leveling-gem and for new skill i need farm a lot of currency for new sockets. And what happend if i want check new/other skill? I can't, because it will be only 4-link. With this socket-system you strongly reduce build-variability of the game!
=> changing the skill/gem should be not so painful.

2.4. New gem-socket system: leveling the gems. In POE1, if some boss was too hard for me, i can run some lower locations, get some levels for me and FOR MY GEMS. It makes me stronger and i can kill that boss and keep going. Now it is impossible - on same location my gem stay on same level. I'm stacking on the level and can't really self do anything here.
=> it should be possible to level-up gems if you stuck in progress.

2.5. Labs. Sanctum as ascendancy-trial? Really? We all know, that it is one of the most hated mechanics. And it will be good only because of rewards and only for several specialized builds. Why you push players run something what they hate?
=> Labs should be challenging, sure, but don't push us make things that we hate.

2.6. Unfair loot system. Big problem in POE1 was huge difference in loot between casual single-players and 6-party teams. Maybe it's too early to talk about it, but i can see by some group-streamers/youtubers a tons of loot again.
=> i think, more fair loot-system will be better for POE2

2.7. End-game map system. Maybe it's too early to talk about it too, but i don't see how players can farm the favorite maps, that they like
=> give players possibility to running the maps, that they like (or better for the build)

2.8. And for early-access only: some skills dont working correctly, some mechanics you change with bugfixes (some of them, very hard) - some people getting broked builds after wirst week in the game. And it's not fun run the actss again (2-3 again?).
=> give players more easy/cheaper ways to respec/test passives and gems. Minimum, for first several weeks

That's all, what i want saying now.
Thank you again! And good luck with fixes and changes!

Upd1:
2.9. Life/Mana Flask-slots. We can't use two life or two mana flasks. Why? If i'm playing CI-build or BloodMagic-build - one flask will be usefull! Very strange decision.
=> let players using flasks that they need

Upd2:
2.10. Unidentified items. If recipes are removed from game, why we still need unidentified items? This is very boring. Only for uniq items - ok, maybe it's still ok for trade/gambling.
=> normal/magic/rare items should be identified all time
=> or minimum - add button "ident" in my Inventory and not by some NPC (i don't want run after each map to NPC and make 2 clicks to ident items in my inventory)

Upd3:
2.11. The game is boring.
Leveling: acts are so long, with still hard bosses, no really good items that giving hi-speed movement or let you kill the bosses quick and easy => this is boring.
Builds: in the game we having again 4-5 top-builds, all other are low-performer => this is boring.
Prices: because only few builds working good, items for this builds are crazy expensive and players need farming-farming-farming days and days for this items => this is boring.
Mapping: long-long run to find the boss, then backtracking to other bosses => this is boring.
Towers: idea maybe good, but already after first 10 towers i don't want run it again => this is boring.
Player-comfort: after very positive experience with a lot of auto-trigger options in Torchlight, this game still need a lot of "piano"-playstile; after easy ingame loot-filter system in LostEpoch, in POE2 players still need download lootfilters from some loot-creaters => this is boring.
Game-goals: which targets players have in the game? Try new char - no, it's very painful+boring (leveling, gearing, etc). Farm breaches and rituals - yes, maybe, but several hours. What then? Nothing. Simulacrum and end-game bosses? Ok, maybe for 2% of players who have build for this content. Anything else? No, game is empty... => this is boring.

=> dont want play this game in current state, sorry :(

your feedback clearly assume you want poe 2 to be poe 2 - which should not happen. return to poe 1. that's all.

"

Koshcheevich#6077 wrote:

1.3. Game is still playable on low-cost-computers

wtf, are we on same planet

"

saashaa#5518 wrote:

...you want poe 2 to be poe 2 - which should not happen

What you mean? :)

"

saashaa#5518 wrote:

return to poe 1. that's all.

Yes, this is probably what i will do, when GGG make new league for POE1.

2.1. Long-long leveling.

I got to 91 lvl with my last character, 24 hours after created him.

2.2. Hard start.

There are LEAGUE STARTER build in POE 1, and so is the case in POE 2.

Picking the right not-so-gear-dependent class is the key for good start.

Smart players finished he campaign the next day.
Other spent one week.

It is not the game problem.

2.3. New gem-socket system: change the skill. Early i can level my char with best skill for leveling and then my target was make some currency for tabula or any 5/6-link item. And that i can switch to my main skill. Not it is impossible!

I can play 5-link that costs 5 vaals and 5 lesser jewelers. And I am wearing chest that actually gives stats, not just "links".

I really do not get what you are talking about.

2.4. New gem-socket system: leveling the gems. In POE1, if some boss was too hard for me, i can run some lower locations, get some levels for me and FOR MY GEMS. It makes me stronger and i can kill that boss and keep going.

+1 to gem level is around 15% damage increase (in best case scenarios). It hardly makes any difference.

Also, what are you telling me? That you run through the whole ACT and didn't got a single gem?

I am not buying this man.

2.5. Labs.

Labs are shit indeed.

2.6. Unfair loot system. Big problem in POE1 was huge difference in loot between casual single-players and 6-party teams.[/b]

Yes. 6 party with 600% rarity is how I get divine orbs drop.

The truth is, if you play alone, you can turn augmentations into exalts, and MF feels good.

But if you play in party, you turn exalts into divines.

200+ rarity map, 6 man group, 600 MF, and it is raining.

2.7. End-game map system.

End game is shit indeed.

2.8. And for early-access only: some skills dont working correctly

Nothing works correctly.

Either useless shit, or completely broken shit.

"

vzmNitie#2139 wrote:

wtf, are we on same planet

I mean, that for POE2 we can still using our "old" computers, without any upgrades. People should not buy new grafik-card, more RAM or new SSD to playing this game.
And sure, game have lags and performance problems. But, probably, same issues that you have in POE1? Or POE1 works perfect on your PC and POE2 don't?

"

EightInchFloppyDisk#2190 wrote:

2.1. Long-long leveling.
I got to 91 lvl with my last character, 24 hours after created him.

It was 24-h run? Solo or with help from somebody? How much time you need to finish acts? Are you sure, that all classes can run acts with same speed?

"

EightInchFloppyDisk#2190 wrote:

2.2. Hard start.
There are LEAGUE STARTER build in POE 1, and so is the case in POE 2.
Picking the right not-so-gear-dependent class is the key for good start.
Smart players finished he campaign the next day.
Other spent one week.
It is not the game problem.

No, this is the game problem.
In POE1 i can level my char with one ascendancy, and then change for my build. In POE2 you cant change it later => you cant always start with some nice leveling-build.

"

EightInchFloppyDisk#2190 wrote:

2.3. New gem-socket system: change the skill. Early i can level my char with best skill for leveling and then my target was make some currency for tabula or any 5/6-link item. And that i can switch to my main skill. Not it is impossible!
I can play 5-link that costs 5 vaals and 5 lesser jewelers. And I am wearing chest that actually gives stats, not just "links".
I really do not get what you are talking about.

I can explain again. New league, your first char.
POE1: you running with leveling-gems, farm some currency and buy some 5/6-link weapon or armour, that you can keep using for your actual skill or for any other skill that you want.
POE2: you running with leveling-gems, farm some currency and buy jeweller, that add socket in your current skill. If you want change your skill, you are again with 2-sockets. Yes, it's like deleting your progress. This is the problem of first days of league.

"

EightInchFloppyDisk#2190 wrote:

2.4. New gem-socket system: leveling the gems. In POE1, if some boss was too hard for me, i can run some lower locations, get some levels for me and FOR MY GEMS. It makes me stronger and i can kill that boss and keep going.[/b]
+1 to gem level is around 15% damage increase (in best case scenarios). It hardly makes any difference.
Also, what are you telling me? That you run through the whole ACT and didn't got a single gem?
I am not buying this man.

No, i mean, that in POE1 you can run several times some maps to get more levels for char and more levels for skill-gem and supprt-gems (like Aqueduct-farming). And then you will be stronger and you can kill the boss and keep running the acts.
In POE2 - if you are stack, then you are stack. You can't running same location several times to up level of your gems and supports, they are stacking in same level. It makes bad player-expirience.

"

EightInchFloppyDisk#2190 wrote:

2.5. Labs.
Labs are shit indeed.

:)

"

EightInchFloppyDisk#2190 wrote:

2.6. Unfair loot system. Big problem in POE1 was huge difference in loot between casual single-players and 6-party teams.[/b]
Yes. 6 party with 600% rarity is how I get divine orbs drop.
The truth is, if you play alone, you can turn augmentations into exalts, and MF feels good.
But if you play in party, you turn exalts into divines.
200+ rarity map, 6 man group, 600 MF, and it is raining.

I dont know exact statistic, but a lot, really a lot of people playing solo. Somebody have slow PC for party, somebody people have problems with realms, etc.
And for me it's looks like big game issue, that 20% of players dropping divines and 80% of players dropping exalts for same activities.

"

EightInchFloppyDisk#2190 wrote:

2.7. End-game map system.
End game is shit indeed.

:)

"

EightInchFloppyDisk#2190 wrote:

2.8. And for early-access only: some skills dont working correctly
Nothing works correctly.
Either useless shit, or completely broken shit.

This is early-access and GGG fix it soon, i hope :)