Incline Path of Exile 2 - now available on Early Access

[tritosine2k]

Geez even item images are 3D renders...
Doesn't bode well for divcards to say the least...

 

[Turn_BASED]

So I was playing the CoF ice sorc. Nerf dropped and I just switched back to Frost Bolt + Cold Snap for general clear with CoF Comet acting as a secondary damage boost vs large packs and bosses. Build feels absolutely fine, albeit a tad bit slower (more control of my mana though.) Meanwhile reddit is straight up losing its shit, acting like all sorceress builds are dead.

That's just reddit being reddit. I stopped reading the PoE subreddit years ago for that very reason. It was kind of hilarious watching the Gas Grenade/Arrow nerfs come in, and people cried about the build being dead -- it's still one of the strongest builds in the game, mind you.

The trigger gem situation is a bit different, since they didn't just nerf the damage. Instead of nerfing the damage, which is still good, they changed multiple angles on the mechanic, and in typical GGG fashion any one of those would've been a fine nerf, but as a whole, they basically removed all trigger-builds from functioning. That's an entire archetype that is just plain unplayable atm. As in, if your build heavily relied on triggered gems to clear while only using other skills a vectors to get them to proc, the build is dead.

I can still map fine with just Frostbomb+Icewall explosions as the main source of damage, bossing is virtually unaffected anyway, and the CoF is just a nice bonus. Before the changes, I could breeze through T15s without a worry in the world, with a single Comet trigger basically wiping the screen. But I'm also on 200+ ex gear, and many people just recently swapped to the build, built items, and invested their gold into respeccing into it. I might still be able to play it, albeit significantly slower and riskier (despite running 9k ES), but many people won't be so lucky.
That's a bit of a problem when the current solution to making the archetype work is "spend a fuckton of currency" or "respec to something else". That was not an issue present with the previous incarnation of Gas Arrow/Grenade, because it simply nerfed the damage. But this nerf didn't touch the damage at all, but nerfed every mechanical aspect of it as well. That's something much more impactful as the trigger-skill archetype is dead in the water at the moment.

It's a somewhat fixable thing though. One of the main issues of the archetype is that it only has a single cluster on the passive tree, for starters. There is also no gear other than Jewels that would allow for easier Energy generation, and if those stats were more readily available on the tree and gear, then the change they made today would actually be pretty solid. Let's see what direction GGG intends to take with this, but as it stands, meta skills are no longer something you'd want to invest into, from passive points to Jeweler Orbs to GCPs.

How do you recover your ES ? just dodge until recharge kicks in or is there some gear or skills that help?

Energy shield? It recharges after 4 seconds without getting damage, if your gear or passives don't specific any other change.

I know it does but not getting damaged for 4s seconds in middle of battle is not that easy. And you do not have potions (well there is that keystone that makes potions heal ES, maybe I should go for that one). But I would like to know from someone already doing high level maps how having ES as main defense works.
I was planning to go Grim Feast + Ghost Dance for ES recovery in addition to taking nodes that reduce time it takes for ES recharge to start.
Also was planning to mostly use ES+Evasion gear except the helmet slot that has the passive node that gives bonus ES for helm slot.

I’ve seen a few uniques now that grant huge bonuses at 100% health, so you would want to have a big ES pool to protect the health pool from getting ticked lower. One, for example, doubled your total evasion at 100% HP.

 

[CountNemo]

I see reddit zoomers are screaming even more.
I would suggest everyone to play this version of the game while you can, it is only going to get worse as time passes.

why would they make this game more like PoE1 when they clearly broke the game off because they wanted to make something they like, not what "the community" forced them to do by screeching over the years?

Because as soon as player numbers drop rapidly and do they not see a raise in numbers with new league/release they will panic and go back to more like PoE1.

Although the recent rounds of nerfs to strong builds that make endgame look more like PoE1 might mean the slide into PoE 1 will go slower than I expected.

"Because as soon as player numbers drop rapidly and do they not see a raise in numbers with new league/release they will panic and go back to more like PoE1."

Just an assumption. This game has waaaay more appeal that PoE1 to the average person AND for people who don't like the braindead zoomfest of PoE1.

 

[Perkel]

Yeah, game is almost a week old and there is barely any drop. In fact considering how there is almost no drop it might get new record on weekend. And this is paid EE. When 1.0 comes out steam alone should hit easily 1mil+

 

[ArchAngel]

I see reddit zoomers are screaming even more.
I would suggest everyone to play this version of the game while you can, it is only going to get worse as time passes.

why would they make this game more like PoE1 when they clearly broke the game off because they wanted to make something they like, not what "the community" forced them to do by screeching over the years?

Because as soon as player numbers drop rapidly and do they not see a raise in numbers with new league/release they will panic and go back to more like PoE1.

Although the recent rounds of nerfs to strong builds that make endgame look more like PoE1 might mean the slide into PoE 1 will go slower than I expected.

"Because as soon as player numbers drop rapidly and do they not see a raise in numbers with new league/release they will panic and go back to more like PoE1."

Just an assumption. This game has waaaay more appeal that PoE1 to the average person AND for people who don't like the braindead zoomfest of PoE1.

Sure but from reddit and PoE influencers there is only complaining. I can only hope GGG does not cave but they regularly caved in PoE1.

 

[Perkel]

I considered some changes POE2 did to mechanics and realized that you can now do proper death knight class without resorting to weird uniques that half of the time are super underpowered.

Too bad those that there are no flails yet. Had to again use shitty maces. For now mace i one hand and in other sceptre but later on with more spirit on gear i will switch that to shield.

I think GGG will have some fun time with new uniques with stuff like spirit etc.

 

[mediocrepoet]

I plan to try to get this ED witch all the way into endgame

Erectile dysfunction is a build? You really can try anything in these games... but why would you choose that?

PoE1 still exists. Go play that if you prefer that gameplay. I don't understand why this is so hard for some people to understand. On top of that, PoE2 isn't even as difficult as PoE1 Ruthless mode. There is 0 reason to turn 2 into 1.

That and it seems that your currency purchases are 1:1 counting for both games, so having them both play/be the same would be doubly bizarre since it'd be basically like being able to get stuff in 2 games as opposed to getting stuff in 1 game instanced twice.

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

Criticizing something is always fine but I hate this consumer mindset of criticizing something for what it is not

A fine sentiment, except PoE2 is PoE1.

It has the same underlying mechanics, the same scaling vectors, the same endgame build goals, the only difference being the player is hard capped at about 60% increased movement speed and the amount of terrain you have to traverse tripled on average. The whole "tactical and measured combat" idea starts falling apart in Cruel, and becomes a sad joke in early maps. And no, you don't need trigger gems to do that, when bow builds can clear whole screens with two key presses and delete bosses before the Electrocute proc wears off.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Criticizing something is always fine but I hate this consumer mindset of criticizing something for what it is not

A fine sentiment, except PoE2 is PoE1.

It has the same underlying mechanics, the same scaling vectors, the same endgame build goals, the only difference being the player is hard capped at about 60% increased movement speed and the amount of terrain you have to traverse tripled on average. The whole "tactical and measured combat" idea starts falling apart in Cruel, and becomes a sad joke in early maps. And no, you don't need trigger gems to do that, when bow builds can clear whole screens with two key presses and delete bosses before the Electrocute proc wears off.

I've actually been sort of wondering this. It's true I kept bouncing off PoE1 pretty hard, but I've been thinking of retrying it now that I clicked so well with PoE2, basically to see if it's just that I "didn't get" the first one when I tried it and do now. It happens sometimes.

 

[abija]

They make money selling stuff every league. Majority of people wetting themselves about the "tactical action combat" won't spend even 100h with the game. Designing for the Perkels of the world doesn't fit their business model.

I didn't struggle with any boss (highest was 6 tries, most were 1-2) as war with low resists (some negative), so the "mastering the encounters" part isn't there either. Outside bosses it's the same zoom zoom combat where you blow up packs of enemies before they get to do stuff, just delivered at snail speed. They have an impressive bestiary yet there's only 1 mob type that I remember what it does.

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

PoE1 is much more... mechanical, I guess? It becomes a spreadsheet simulator almost from the start, whereas PoE2 currently has a much smoother transition from moment to moment smacking a single mob with a driftwood club to optimising your TTK on bosses by 0.05 seconds. Whatever people say about the difficulty of individual encounters in PoE2, it is a more approachable game.

 

[mediocrepoet]

PoE1 is much more... mechanical, I guess? It becomes a spreadsheet simulator almost from the start, whereas PoE2 currently has a much smoother transition from moment to moment smacking a single mob with a driftwood club to optimising your TTK on bosses by 0.05 seconds. Whatever people say about the difficulty of individual encounters in PoE2, it is a more approachable game.

That could be it. I tend to play most games including ARPGs from a more RP standpoint. If I can't get into the idea behind a character and be interested in seeing what new loot there is (the art and stats of what you're putting on your paper doll), etc. I tend to not get much out of them. But if I can buy into that sort of "class fantasy" I think some devs call it, then I'm sold and will spend a ton of time and possibly money on a game.

Once you get into the data analysis type shit, I don't play games for that but to get away from that. I expect to be paid for that sort of thing.

 

[Dr1f7]

damn the community is pissing and shitting themselves so hard over this game, they really want the game to just be a zoom zoom loot box simulator
this includes the influencers as well, there's seemingly nobody who is just happy with the game as is

sadly expecting devs to capitulate to the retards (they've already ceded some ground but of course nothing is enough), so now really is probably the best state the game will ever be in... so i guess enjoy it now before all the fun gets patched out and it turns into a second monitor 1 button clicker game

 

[mediocrepoet]

Hey, just asking because I've found a few QOL things that I couldn't believe weren't in the game but were - just hidden in undocumented(?) button presses.

Is there a pack/bank auto-arranger somewhere? This is the only ARPG I can think of that doesn't have one and it irks me. Well that and how your bag space is tiny and not upgradable, but whatever.

 

[Hobo Elf]

I like PoE2.

 

[tritosine2k]

^hysterics lul
you need RNG even at league start even with magic find (KIA) to get meaningful loot. Even stacked deck was nerfed to ground (KIA). Plus you argue for an abomination of a game that did away with flask piano lol^2.

 

[Israfael]

t becomes a spreadsheet simulator almost from the start, whereas PoE2 currently has a much smoother transition from moment to moment smacking a single mob with a driftwood club to optimising your TTK on bosses by 0.05 seconds. Whatever people say about the difficulty of individual encounters in PoE2, it is a more approachable game.

It's just POB is not yet available so people have to grope in the darkness, it'll be available sooner or later. It'd be hard to model conditionals, but it probably can show what peak dps for your chosen pile of effects would be.

so the "mastering the encounters" part isn't there either.

Even with Titan now I'm just killing bosses in like 3-5 hits, just killed the lelephant duo in like 15 seconds and they didn't do even one phase of the aoe, and I've spent like 5 mins killing them in A2. I guess this was the experience for nerfed classes from the getgo.

 

[Kruyurk]

Hey, just asking because I've found a few QOL things that I couldn't believe weren't in the game but were - just hidden in undocumented(?) button presses.

Is there a pack/bank auto-arranger somewhere? This is the only ARPG I can think of that doesn't have one and it irks me. Well that and how your bag space is tiny and not upgradable, but whatever.

I don't remember this in PoE1 and sadly there is a bad incentive to not implement a sorting option because the purchasable premium tabs help you sort the stash (for example in the "currency" tab there is a dedicated slot for each orb type).

 

[mediocrepoet]

Hey, just asking because I've found a few QOL things that I couldn't believe weren't in the game but were - just hidden in undocumented(?) button presses.

Is there a pack/bank auto-arranger somewhere? This is the only ARPG I can think of that doesn't have one and it irks me. Well that and how your bag space is tiny and not upgradable, but whatever.

I don't remember this in PoE1 and sadly there is a bad incentive to not implement a sorting option because the purchasable premium tabs help you sort the stash (for example in the "currency" tab there is a dedicated slot for each orb type).

Yeah that's fair. Given that the model is F2P and it's actually a pretty polished product, I figure selling you QOL stuff is totally legit.

 

[Artyoan]

If the game turns into another mindless horde slaying simulator at the later levels then I'll just start another class. Without reading guides/builds and without PoE1 knowledge crossover, nothing has been 'too easy' for me as of late Act 2. Go in blind, enjoy myself, move on eventually, come back in the future to try new classes.

The only real threat to this game is devs taking action as to the churning ass pain of reddit and streamers. Act 1 and 2 have been great. My only actual complaint has been the 'honor' life bar in the trial. Too limiting for some classes, though my sorceress handles it fine. I like what they're going for in the actual trial structure though.

 

[abija]

Neah... if you played the game a lot you would still buy some stuff like currency tab even if they had tab sorting features.

They're against qol for the same reason you got a well in towns now. They think busywork gives meaning to otherwise ignored elements in the game. 2deep4u school of design I guess...
Some of the most requested features get implemented every time they screw up majorly with a league.

 

[mediocrepoet]

If the game turns into another mindless horde slaying simulator at the later levels then I'll just start another class. Without reading guides/builds and without PoE1 knowledge crossover, nothing has been 'too easy' for me as of late Act 2. Go in blind, enjoy myself, move on eventually, come back in the future to try new classes.

The only real threat to this game is devs taking action as to the churning ass pain of reddit and streamers. Act 1 and 2 have been great. My only actual complaint has been the 'honor' life bar in the trial. Too limiting for some classes, though my sorceress handles it fine. I like what they're going for in the actual trial structure though.

Basically what i figured too. The only real concern is if they change things enough that the early game is like that too.

 

[Matador]

Moved to Act 2. Rathbreaker boss at the start is a very cheap fight. I think I bugged the fucker staying close to him and he didn't summon more hyenas.

Speaking from a normie perspective, I find the whole package more compelling than PoE1; and I'm enjoying playing the campaign like I did with Grim Dawn or Titan Quest. I hope they don't destroy the game with either metagame authism or streamer retardation.

 

[Israfael]

Diagnosis by Dr. Kripp

 

[frajaq]

Yeah I think I'll put this game on hold for now, fighting this flying Trial of Chaos boss plus AIDS Ultimatum mechanics as melee was a miserable experience.

Still wanna see what the next classes and ascendacies are gonna be like!