why does PoE not have set items/equipments like in diablo 3?

i spend a lot of time thinking... thinking about Path of Exile uniques and idea and sometime i start thinking about items that interact with other items or are mainly made to be used together, namely set equipments.

there could be many possibilities for sets but from what i know, there doesn't seem to be such a major intrest in implementing said items.

can some of you point out all the reasons why?
make it extra clear what pros and cons it could bring...
i'm thinking that mabye since PoE is inspired by diablo 2 it might have something to do with that.

Because sets limit build and equipment diversity.

because with many (if not all) sets they are the be all and end all, it hurts the game if that all you have to aim for(it's why i have not bothered my arse grinding in D3)

You're forced to use them basically. I mean not to the point where there's a gun to your head but it was always an obvious choice to do a full set rather then a set of unique / yellows

what if a set of items are released every now and then for every skill and that set provides the things the skill didn't have making it even better while another set could make a bad or underused skill gain benefits that other skills already have and make it several times more effective in certain situations?
would it be wrong if something like frostburn (a weapon in HoN based of 1 fire and 1 ice sword fused together) would become reality and would actually gain additional stats if they were used together but also lose out on other stats... it really all depends.

i once watched a Heroes of Newerth youtuber who made videos where skills had been professionaly modified which really facinated me and i wish somebody could do the same in PoE somehow.

Nah I like how they don't have sets as it is really.

Either sets are not the optimal solution for a build and therefore basically not a viable option to keep or they are mandatory, especially when they give a skill more utility than it normally would have.

I really don't see anything in between.

And as soon as you have a best in slot - even with one single item - it destroys the point of seeking for other solutions, bacause you know they will almost always be inferior. And who voluntarily choses the worse of two given options?

We already have some uniques that work with such a strong synnergy that they could be considered being a set ... but they also work without each other and that is far better than being designed to depend on each other.
Romira's & Voll's being the first obvious example that comes to mind.



Grand Spectrum is as close to a set as we hopefully will ever see.

Sets just become either required or a noob trap... unless they add an interesting mechanic. But since you need a specific defined list of items to enable that mechanic, it also results in a net loss in build diversity and number of choices the player is making.

Finding one item in the set also feels unfulfilling for most player as you are teased with a bonus on the item that you don't actually get.

It's better to create soft sets: items that are designed to work together, but don't require each other to function. They still work on their own, and the player is still given the option of combining just one item from the set with other items in unexpected ways.

Well, unique items in PoE already offers what set item does in other games; something different from rares.

The question always is, what does a set bring over the current situation?

I kind of think of a set as a unique item that blocks more than one equipment slot. Why would you want to block more than one equipment slot? Probably because the set is very strong. So you either make it so strong that it is mandatory, or it is kind of annoying that it blocks another slot.

I could see sets of 2-3 pieces, but certainly not more, because at that point they become too build-defining. It essentially limits itemization. I could see a set that blocks a specific slot, for example boots, to prevent you from using e.g. Skyforths, because they would have a specifically good synergy with the set. But then the question is - maybe Skyforths are a problem to start with?

Generally, they just limit itemization. Which isn't that great.