Essence league is excellent and should be rolled into the core game in some form

For me, this league's mechanic is the best loot-based one you've done since ambush. Rares are finally good. I don't have to use a cheap unique weapon on every character just to ensure minimum performance. Crafting finally produces usable results and I can self find most of the materials for it. Early game progression in particular is way smoother since I can reliably craft upgrades with higher tier base items. It is just plain awesome.

Ideally, I'd like to see it rolled in the same way ambush, domination, torment, and prophecy were, as-is with slightly lower spawn rates(since it makes the early game progression way smoother) but if that's too crowded mechanically here are a few other suggestions:
* A strongbox mod to spawn essence-possessed rares.
* A map mod that places some essence rares in the map(if this happens, tier should be at least screaming since it's a rarer endgame only feature).
* Prophecies to find some essence rares in a zone in the wild.
* Essence rares as targets in zana missions.
* Unique map where every pack is replaced with an essence rare(maybe with a crystal veins tileset).

In most cases it will be a Zana mod in a true core into it being rolled into the game? Probably not.

They could add them as they did nemesis rares if you ask me.

Divide the occurrence rate by 2-3, include it into the main game. It is not very invasive, can be ignored if you want to, and the main positive impact it seems to have is the leveling experience, which you can influence much better, which is great. Also makes white gear useful while leveling.

Add it as a Zana mod? You might as well just not add it. Pretty much.

EDIT: That being said, the leveling experience has been pretty pleasant so far (just reached A3 merciless on EHC).

It's not a "loot" league, it's a "here's some help crafting" league. It didn't make me want to pick up more rares, it made me pick less rares. That's the problem. Example: if I want a decay weapon, I have no reason EVER to pick up a single weapon since I already know it won't have decay. GGG missed the point with essence.

I rate it better than prophecy, but that's not saying much since prophecy was rock bottom. It's also, much like prophecy, completely optional. If you don't want to interact with essences, you don't have to. Next league they should definitely do a league-feature that can NOT be avoided.

Well, that may be true, but it is mostly true because most rares just suck hard.

Werd they should get tid of those stupid ghosts - i mean has anyone liked them? boring and unnteresting and I thought total joke as it just doesnt go with game - add essence. decent crafting. directed crafting.

Personally I think the game needs more shit, add every single zana mod/league mod into the base game.

So standard instead of being dumpster, it can be the ultra exciting crazy fest.

Like I don't understand why ladder is suppose to be the exciting one when it's suppose to be the standard, while standard the dumping ground isn't suppose to be crazy so we can play out decked out characters?

/agree with OP