The Current Mapping System and Core Design Philosophy

I just wanted to give some feedback and give some context on a Core Design Philosophy that is being lost with PoE2.

I typically think that when someone gives feedback like "I do not like this thing because of x" Those things are usually symptoms of a core design philosophy that is flawed.

The current mapping system(which is fundamentally the core activity of PoE at its core) is in a very poor state right now and the core design philosophy of the mapping system only exacerbates the issues it has.

There are literally TONS of not just bad but terrible map layouts in PoE2. That is nothing new there were tons of terrible map layouts in PoE1, this is not a new concept. The difference was that in PoE1 we had the ability to pick and choose the maps we were running when we reached the end game. In PoE2 we are forced into running maps that we do not want to run.

One of the greatest strengths of PoE1 was that you were able to engage and interact with the content in almost exactly how you wanted to. You could run any number of atlas strategies, on the map or maps you wanted, with the juicing strategy that you enjoyed. This player agency is one of the core reasons why people love PoE so much. Much of that is now gone in lieu of mandatory gameplay loops that players do not enjoy.

If you have a player who plays your game the fastest way to lose that player is to force them into gameplay loops that they do not enjoy.

I think the best way to summarize what I believe should be the Core Design Philosophy moving forward.

The solution to content that players do not enjoy can never be to force them into it.