Ascendency Trials: GREAT CONTENT... but badly implemented in the game

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Redthorne82#3177 wrote:

Your replies got me thinking - I think a fair alternative would be (as your first two attempts are infinite tries) for you to somehow obtain an "infinite" 3rd and 4th ascendancy stone, that could be used for Sekhema or Chaos, to practice. Some combination of no loot, no xp, no xp loss...basically a practice mode, but no ascendancy rewards. You have to do a "real" one for that. But unlimited practicing would be nice.

I'm rarely against things that allow more people to experience more things, as long as there's some sort of a cost. In this case, time.

Thanks for sticking with my replies. I tend to write alot, but I think it's an important discussion, since many players in PoE1 already disliked the Labyrinth and I think GGG never found a good solution for that.

I think placing permanent powerful stats that are mandatory behind content that deviates to much from the core-gameplay isn't a good game design choice. Especially not, if it takes so much time to master. For many players, it's an entire new game within a game that requires alot of learning/mastery and you only need those skills within the trials. So this "game within a game" doesn't really prepare you for any challenges that lie ahead.

I mean, just imagine you could only proceed in the game when finishing the trial and after the trial, all the following campaign maps have traps inside them. It would make much more sense, since the trial didn't just make you stronger, it also prepared you for the gameplay that lies ahead. But right now, you do the trial and can just forget all the skills you have obtained. Then why make it mandatory in the first place? Why force the player to learn a "mini-game" that deviates so much?

About your suggestion: Why not make it infinite right from the start? If you fail the trial, you get teleported out anyway. If you could enter every trial infinite, you at least had the chance to get used to the mechanics. But right now, you can trial it once and that's it. Then you have to find another coin, which can take several days if you're unlucky. Until then, all the things you may have learned may be forgotten already. Just let the player try it infinitely, so they can learn it at least. Or remove the ascendency from them, so players can decide if they want to master the "game within a game".

Just the usual "gitgud" it was easy for me responses. The PoE community really blows.

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AceNightfire#0980 wrote:

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Strangehill#1736 wrote:

Ascendancy points are very unlikely to ever be handed out just for participating

Well, right now you don't get any reward for defeating the act bosses. I think that's kinda sad. I mean, these bosses are the biggest challenges each act and you get nothing? I think one ascendency point could definitely make sense and would give overcoming these bosses more meaningful.

You earn the right to progress through campaign by defeating them, fair enough.

I'd love play a racing content with the Bog witch's broom

So you're saying DS1 is bad because it has Sens Fortress?

I thoroughly enjoy both of them as farms.

I also think both of them are overtuned for gated character progression.

I think I've made the following approximate suggestions before, I leaves it here in a spoiler.

Sakhemas isn't something I like. While the first runs can be called boring, hoping for quickly doable things like the chalics/rare kills or the skelly portals etc, and dreading the "find the switch" runs, the second part with all its mines n all ...man no.

It's probably taste, but I don't like so many hinderances to get a build ready, that I deeply dislike. It's one of the reasons I nearly don't play poe2 anymore compared to what I did in poe1. To be end game viable, builds devolve into a crazy divine costs due to things I'm not allowed to talk about apparently and having to play mechanisms I totally abhor. After a days work, I don't want my games to be another job. But I would want to see new areas, mechanisms, better graphics and new builds ... so the "go to poe1" cynism isn't working.

Excellent suggestion, OP!

I 100% agree the current trials are very interesting content which people can farm, enjoy, make builds that excel in that content, etc. but they are absolutely not the right way to ascend.