Critique

Feedback on Mechanics and Gameplay
I’d like to bring up some points that I haven’t seen widely discussed. I’ll focus on unique perspectives rather than repeating common criticisms.

Attack vs. Spell
Why does one roll to hit while the other doesn’t? This creates an imbalance: attacks have a potential "cost" (missing), but spells don’t seem to share this drawback. Is the trade-off for spells meant to be higher mana costs? If so, it’s not immediately apparent.
This discrepancy makes mechanics like stacking accuracy feel bad, missing attacks feel bad, and sacrificing crit for auto-hit feel bad. It’s a frustrating carryover from Path of Exile 1. At the very least, accuracy should provide additional benefits, such as:
Increased damage.
Higher crit chance.
Greater crit damage.
It makes logical sense—greater accuracy should allow you to aim for vital spots more effectively.

Armor vs. Other Defenses
Why does armor come with a movement penalty? Movement is critical in this game. Where’s the benefit to offset this cost? You’d think armor, as a defense type, would be the strongest to justify the penalty, but it’s not.
Slowing down in a game where movement is so vital feels terrible. Path of Exile 1 had a node to offset this, but that’s not a great solution either. The bigger question is: why does armor need this penalty in the first place?

Melee vs. Ranged
Melee feels like a handicap in every scenario. Compared to ranged, melee suffers in two key areas:
Damage uptime: Ranged characters don’t need to reposition to deal damage.
Damage taken: Ranged characters can eliminate threats before they take damage.
The only solution I’ve seen so far is giving melee characters ranged abilities—which feels like a band-aid rather than addressing the core issue. Here are some potential improvements:
Melee could take reduced damage from ground effects.
Movement skills could grant melee characters temporary damage reduction.
Melee characters could have lower stun chances.
Melee weapons could have more consistent rolls, avoiding "trash stats."
The broader issue seems to stem from the game's "play anything with any class" philosophy. This flexibility creates balance challenges. One possible fix: introduce a melee vs. ranged selection at character creation, locking certain weapon types based on that choice.
I just want to play melee and have fun. Other games like Diablo don’t struggle with this balance nearly as much.

Monk Class Experience
I enjoyed playing my Monk up to level 77, but my experience soured when I attempted the third ascendancy in Sekemas. After two tries, I reached the boss with over 3,000 honor, only to realize I was completely unprepared. I wasted two hours and got nothing for it because I was over-leveled.
The problem was my lack of single-target damage—I hadn’t been using the bell or Flicker Strike. Trying to respec didn’t help, as I couldn’t find another setup I enjoyed. Now my character feels bricked.
What frustrates me most is that I found skills that made my Monk feel thematic—flying around the screen, using varied abilities. But to progress in harder content, I’d need to abandon that fun playstyle in favor of a rigid build with specific skills. This problem isn’t unique to Monk; I had similar frustrations with Warrior early on, where Perfect Strike was the only viable single-target tool.
More supports should allow skills to function better against single targets, so players don’t feel forced into cookie-cutter builds for harder encounters.

Game Speed
I’ve been playing ARPGs since Diablo 1 and have been with Path of Exile since closed beta. I really appreciated how this game started off slower and more methodical in Acts 1–3. However, this pacing shifts dramatically once you reach maps, where it reverts to the speed of POE 1.
I’m done with POE 1. I’ve played enough of that game. I was excited for something new, and this game initially delivered. But the current endgame feels like a step back into familiar territory.
Here’s an idea: if you’re sticking with a slower, tactical approach, consider adding a “Blaster Mode” option for players who prefer the fast-paced style. This mode could feature:
Smaller maps.
Higher mob density.
Increased drop rates.
This way, both playstyles could coexist, and more players would be satisfied.

Trade
I avoid trade entirely. I’ve used the currency exchange a couple of times, but that’s about it.
Why doesn’t SSF (Solo Self-Found) inherently drop more loot? Right now, SSF is treated as a “hard mode,” which doesn’t make sense. If players want a hard mode, it shouldn’t be tied to SSF.

Closing Thoughts
These are my main concerns with the game’s mechanics and balance. I hope these insights are helpful in refining the experience for all players.