I think I figured out why T17s and the rework feel SO terrible...

I love melee. I will never stop loving melee, and I will quit playing before I play totems or brands or any hands-off type playstyle. This isn't a judgement, just putting out there my preferred gameplay style.

I've always been behind on things. Last league was my first uber kill...and I got all of them except Sirus and Maven (final phases as BS Jugg were just nonsense).

The point though, is that I've always been able to push towards harder content over weeks, months, years...with better characters, gear, etc...

Not anymore. I can't get to ubers (league started -> transitioned BS Jugg into endgame this league). I can clear T17s for drops and such which is okay...but I can't reliably kill the bosses, and even if I could, each one is like 5+ minutes because of abysmal uptime for melee, and I'll be honest. I don't want to. I did the Citadel boss once deathless, and the Abomination boss with like 4 portals...they were both the worst experiences I've ever had in PoE.

So then what? I can do T16s and all the first tier of pinnacles in my sleep. I could do ubers, at least some (exarch is pretty easy for the build and eats the balls for free), but I can't do/absolutely loathe the T17 bosses. JUST THE BOSSES. They're a MASSIVE block to content I know I can do but now suddenly I'm not allowed?

Trade, buy the frags, sell the T17s, blah blah blah.

I know someone out there's thinking it. I'm done listening. Building a system that blocks a previously accessibly system is absolutely hilariously fucked dogshit, and if you disagree, ask yourself why no MMO has EVER put an expansion BETWEEN previous ones and always after the last. Imagine if WoW shifted the level ranges of areas and put a new expansion right after the main campaign. CHAOS. Can't beat a boss? Finish a story quest? Well screw ALL THAT CONTENT YOU WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO.

Anyway, loaded the game today, stared at the stash and realized that being gatekept from previously accessible content is stupid. If anyone else is feeling the same but doesn't know why, this might be it...took me a couple weeks to figure it out though.

Addendum I didn't want to just edit in, because this is ACTUAL feedback and not me just being bored with the game.

NOT
EVERY
BOSS
NEEDS
A
10
SECOND
STACKING
DEBUFF
MECHANIC
FOR
THE
LOVE
OF
GOD
MAKE
IT
STOP

Seriously...Sirus, Maven, Exarch, all the T17 bosses...just about every big bad in the last 2-3 years? Fucking boring.

You're only "supposed" to play melee as a stacker with >100 million DPS. GGG doesn't want people playing regular melee and it's an abandoned concept.

From the interview with JSH recap with Jonathan:

"

So we thought what is one of the worst things about PoE 1 in the moment? One of the things is melee combat. So why is melee combat bad? The rigs was one of the first things that was made in the game, therefore its difficult to implement new mechanics for melees in the game.

"

What is your favorite class in the game? PoE 1 then for PoE 2?

In PoE 1 its the Ranger. One reason is that “melee sucks“, no hesitation. In PoE 2 its the Monk. Because we finally managed for melee to not suck. But every class that we make I start to appreciate more and more in PoE 2.

Melee in PoE 2 will just suck as much as in PoE. Why? Because people only care whether "ranged is better" and its still better in PoE 2.

"

Redthorne82 wrote:

why no MMO has EVER put an expansion BETWEEN previous ones and always after the last.

Yeah a fair point.

OR they could have made T17 as side content not the gate for Ubers, and that would probably have been fine.

Dam I had a look at your char to try to roast you but I see you have it all... flasks totem vengeance rage...

Then again you're clearly more experienced than I am 🙃

Only thing that's sus to me is "str doesn't give hp" on your armour doesn't that remove too much hp?

Also I like adding a flame golem linked to my cwdt it adds damage, you could try that

"

From the interview with JSH recap with Jonathan:

My favorite comment from Jonathan is that it would feel bad if ranged did worse damage because they are in more danger and it's safer to be near the enemy/boss.

I don't understand why there isn't a league where most melee skills are buffed by at least 20%.

I'd love to play melee again, but at this point there is little reason to except for the flavor factor, it's just self-gimping.