Controller usage feedback (on Xbox) with multiple skills

Hi, I want to share problems with controller I ran into while playing multiple skills.

When not using right stick that uses some kind of smart targeting and that needs improvements with projectile and ranged skills:

1. I've been trying to use essence drain/contagion combination and it is a pain, even when having chain linked to ED and unleash with Contagion. When casting Essence drain it should auto target those that have Contagion but no essence drain on it and when using Contagion it should always target those with no contagion but with essence drain on it. If targets are poisoned, then it could target either poisoned or ED targets, still prioritize those with no Contagion.

2. Bonestorm has a different problem, if there are no targets highlighted it just fires in front of your feet. Instead it should fire to its maximum range. Especially since when enemies are at edge of your screen they are often not auto targeted so this would allow you to still be able to hit them.

3. Using Offering skills does not auto target skeletons. It should, prefering weaker ones over ranged ones. Profane Ritual skill is a good example of well working auto targeting, I just press the button and my character turns around towards any corpses on screen if there are no enemies around and it just works (I use it to get power charges for BoneStorm). I wonder if using Zombie skill will ignore corpses in area and use power charges to summon them, if it does not, it should.

4. Totems, in this case Dark Effigy keeps being cast next to enemy and then dying within few seconds. It is a ranged totem, either auto cast it next to player or close to player so it can do its job. Maybe melee totems want to be cast next to enemy but this ones does not.

5. Curses are being autocast at closest enemy all the time. It is a very very mana expensive spell and it should auto target enemies based on their rarity if such enemy does not have that curse on them. This is especially painful when fighting rares that seem to summon minions and you keep cursing those summons. This is especially painful due to 1s timer curses have and low base radius. In PoE1 I would spam Curse a few times to make sure I got the rare as well but that is not an option here.


Now lets talk about using right stick to "help" with targeting.
First due to how controller works you basically only have two real buttons to use when using right stick, RB and RT. Sure you can also maybe use LB and combinations with holding LT but that is now getting into territory of implement K&M support instead.. personally I am using LB to use healing potion (or mana when using MoM).
Anyways when holding right stick hightlight of targets often dissapears from any targets and whatever ranged skill you want to use goes nowhere.. unless you are using right stick to point in opposite direction of enemies it should always target someone.

In endgame this game is just as fast and as frantic as in PoE1 and it is hard to play when you spend a bunch of time fighting your controller instead. Seconds often decide if you live or die.

This is my feedback with skills I used so far, I am sure there are other skills with similar problems. I welcome other players to add their experience with other skills. Like I wonder how well does Ice Nova work with FrostBolts, or Cold Snap with frozen targets.

Forgot to add that if controller is vibrating and you pause the game it keeps vibrating which is super irritating and just consumes power for no reason.

controller control is poorly implemented and the auto aim is near useless. I'm sad i spent money on such a bad beta

+1

Thanks for making this post.
The targeting makes the game unplayable with controller. Try freezing the right mob in a pack, no chance.
No loot filter on console.

These two things, especially the broken controller gameplay make this game unplayable to me. I like playing games on my oled TV in a recliner, not hunched over a kb/m.

Also I want to add: for example I have damage "Skill 1" on L1 and area debuff "Skill 2" on R2(trigger) + L1

- pressing L1 to damage
- R2 (keep pressing L1) to apply debuff Skill 2
- release R2 and L1 Skill 1 doesn't work. I have to release and then press L1 to start it working again

Ok found another skill that does not work right. Cold Snap does not use smart targeting but asks you to turn towards the frozen target before it explodes anyone. This just makes it hard to use, it should autotarget any close frozen target.
Also Cold snap seems to have a low range on a controller making it even harder to use.