Atlas map upgrade mechanics

So, after running 3 magic T5 Mesa maps (trying to find Racecourse), I've found 3 +2 maps from the bosses. This makes me wonder. According to GGG, maps can be upgraded by the Atlas mechanics by +1 or +2 tiers (if you are >100%). However, this only happens if the mob can actually drop such a map.

The question is: Can maps be lost this way? I.e. can I lose, for example, a T13 map drop because it is upgraded through Atlas mechanics to T14, which the mob cannot drop?


Let us look at a T12 map we are playing and let's look at some possible scenarios:


Drops from normal mobs

Natural drop: T11:

• +0 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T11 drops)
• +1 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T12 drops)
• +2 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T11 or T12 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?

Natural drop: T12:

• +0 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T12 drops)
• +1 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T12 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?
• +2 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T12 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?

Drops from magic/rare mobs

Natural drop: T12:

• +0 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T12 drops)
• +1 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T13 drops)
• +2 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T12 or T13 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?

Natural drop: T13:

• +0 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T13 drops)
• +1 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T13 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?
• +2 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T13 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?

Drops from unique map boss

Natural drop: T13:

• +0 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T13 drops)
• +1 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T14 drops)
• +2 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T13 or T14 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?

Natural drop: T14:

• +0 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T14 drops)
• +1 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T14 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?
• +2 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T14 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?

Furthermore, what happens when there is no map available at that drop level? Can the game roll a T17 or T18 map from a T15/T16 boss? What happens in that case? Failed drop? T15 or T16 drops? What happens if the game rolls a +2 but no +2s are unlocked?

GGG, some more information on this would be highly appreciated.

Should post this in the Mechanics Question thread.

https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1676002

Thanks, will do, after this thread has gotten a rather useless move.

"

Char1983 wrote:

Thanks, will do, after this thread has gotten a rather useless move.

It would be a great move if the community had any idea about the answer XD

"

Char1983 wrote:

Natural drop: T14:

• +0 from Atlas mechanics -> fine (T14 drops)
• +1 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T14 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?
• +2 from Atlas mechanics -> Does a T14 drop or is the drop lost (failed drop)?

From my experience mapping it actually seems like in this situation if you don't have any t14 maps completed you lose the t14 drop (as in you get no map at all) regardless of your completion bonus. It explains my luck with map drops from bosses early on very well (that is, bosses just weren't dropping maps at all). Seriously, I've been having a really hard time getting higher tier maps, way harder than before atlas (If it weren't for the carto strongbox I found, I would have failed to sustain TIER TWO maps).

I am having serious issues trying to utilize the search function on this forum. I cannot for the life of me find the answer (assuming you received one) for your question on the mechanical questions thread and this forum does not make it easy to search for anything.

Did you ever receive a reply to this question? I would be interested in hearing it!

No, and I don't expect to. Welcome to the world of GGG.

Maybe there would be an answer if I posted on Reddit.

The search option in these forums dont work well, so I cannot provide you the source.

There was a thread in these forums where someone compiled all known info about maps and how maps dropped and backed it up with the data of a large amount of players.
This thread was posted shortly after the release of atlas of worlds, so it shouldnt be too outdated.

The answer to your question in this thread was: If maps were lost, it would be almost impossible to sustain high tier maps at all, which contradicts the amount of players who can sustain atleast the lower tier red maps. Therefore maps, which exceed the drop rate, are either rerolled completely until a possible drop happens or it is simply set back to the highest possible tier.

You don't lose maps. It forces the drop with respect to mob restrictions.

I'm not really sure what you are asking but I'll try to address. This is my understanding of the atlas after the last 3 leagues, if I am incorrect please let me know.

Say you are farming a t10 with 110% bonus. Any t9 that would have dropped will now be a t10 from a magic/rare/unique mob (100%+ bonus). Note that it still MUST respect the mob drop restrictions:

normal mob - no increase in max tier map drops (always max +0 tier)
magic mob - will now always drop +1 tier map with the 110% bonus (max +1 tier)
rare mob - will now always drop +1 tier map with the 110% bonus (max +1 tier)
unique/boss - will now always drop +1 tier with 110% bonus, and has an additional 10% chance for dropping another tier higher (max +2 tier)

If a map tier doesn't exist and you get a +1/+2 drop (ex: running t16 maps), it will default to drop the current tier, you do not waste your +1 / +2, it just becomes a t16 because that is the cap.

Same concept as shaped maps. If you are running a shaped map and have no higher tiers unlocked, the shaped map will not drop any higher tier maps because those maps are not adjacent on the atlas (+5 tiers now). This is the basis for manipulation. If you setup your atlas for a shaped map and have no other maps unlocked on that tier and no +1 or +2 tiers unlocked, every +0, +1, +2 map that drops will be that shaped map.

EX: running t10 shaped dunes, no other t10s, no t11 or t12 = every t10, t11 or 12 map that drops will be forced to shaped dunes