Helm enchants

Labyrinth runs are like the Malachai fights: ALWAYS VERY APPELATIVE .. for little benefit.

The only thing that is benefical in the Labyrinths are the drops, but in high tier maps the drops are slightly better.

I don't think running the lab for drops is a good choice, because the traps are too dangerous and you need to be fast to make it worth! One mistake and your experience goes to hell!

I don't know why GGG made the lab so different from other content in PoE. It doesn't make sense. The traps could be in any map, not only in the labs. There are many ways GGG could implement to get ascendancies and enchantments outside the lab. In time, the lab runs will fall into oblivion. I think people will abandon these runs, because the rewards are not good enough and completely random. I prefer to run a map that have a better chance to drop a divination card, for example, than take unnecessary risks running the labs.

I have to agree. I do personally love the lab, but the helmet range has gotten out of hand. There is no reason a niche helmet with the perfect niche enchant should go for 50+ex (crown of eyes + 2 barrage looking at you). We aren't talking about friggin legacy items here.

A very easy fix that would keep it somewhat a rewarding grind but limit it heavily is make enchants by base item type. Ones that don't fit that mold can be thrown in the (anything) pool to make it more random if you must, but not 1/350 random. Sunder should be red socket base items, barrage green etc etc.

This would make hybrid gear harder to get certain ones by doubling up but it's still better then what it is now.

With 3.0 bringing even more gems, the helm enchantement gets even more out of control. It comes to the point that I won't even bother anymore running uber-lab : it will be more efficient to grind regular game, stockpile exalts, and buy the helm with the enchant I want (if any, and for an overwhelming price)...

Please GGG, rethink the helm enchantement and bring the chance to get a given enchantment to the same level as we have for gloves and boots (that is, reasonably getting what we want after 10-20 überruns).

Ty !

+1. The system is very flawed. Enchants should have a reduced drop chance and be tradeable OR turn it into a recipe system, so you learn a new enchant for each lab run.

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Frankenberry wrote:

[...] OR turn it into a recipe system, so you learn a new enchant for each lab run.

I'd absolutley love this. Problem is all the Projectile enchantments would need some balancing because some enchantment act as more multipliers for skills while others get only like 40% increased damage.

Honestly, at this point I would love a statement from GGG about the lab-enchant system. If they are pleased with it and what they want to achieve by keeping it the way it is.

Nothing is happening here. I've said this before but people wanting changes to the helmet enchant system are a minority. I would be very happy if something was done, but I don't see anything happening any time soon.

People treat helm enchants as if they're a supplement. The way I see enchants is gloves: better be useful, boots: maybe useful depending on build, helm: don't even bother unless there's nothing to enchant.

As long as you get into the upper tier of players, you will probably be able to get someone to do helm enchanting for you for a fee.

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Slicer9875 wrote:

Nothing is happening here. I've said this before but people wanting changes to the helmet enchant system are a minority. I would be very happy if something was done, but I don't see anything happening any time soon.

People treat helm enchants as if they're a supplement. The way I see enchants is gloves: better be useful, boots: maybe useful depending on build, helm: don't even bother unless there's nothing to enchant.

As long as you get into the upper tier of players, you will probably be able to get someone to do helm enchanting for you for a fee.

First of all helmet enchants are not always available to get in a league since there is a
discrepancy the interest between the lab runner (supplier) and the buyer. Even if you are willing to throw a lot of currency after the right helmet with the right enchant.

Suppliers want the highest price for their enchant. So they pick helmets that are popular in the current meta. Last season this was of course ES helmets. Next season this will most likely change but it there will still be items that a more popular to enchant than others. Rat's Nest, Devoto's Devotion or maybe Abyssus would be common and you would be able to get anything you wanted on those helmets.

However - if you want to mix things up and try some a bit outside the meta you cannot get a helmet enchant. Because nobody (or at least very few) runs a lab and enchants a helmet that isn't commonly used.

http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/List_of_unique_helmets
Take a good look at this list. There are plenty of helmets that could be interesting but they have to compete with helmets that are already "better" that on top of that has the possibility of having a helmet enchant.

And honestly some helmet enchants are not that expensive. Less than 1 exalt for some. But even if I wanted to pay 40 exalts for an Obscurantis helmet with a barrage enchant there are none for sale. Because no is selling. Ever. And why would they?

This is not just a question of supply and demand. It's what is called a market failure. The market fails to provide a good or service even though there is some demand for it (all be it very small). So the current system gives players an incentive to avoid trying out new things and sticking to "meta helmets". Not saying that everyone is doing that. I am saying the system is giving is increased incentive to stay away from less commonly used helmets.

And this is a problem. One of the main strengths of Path of Exile is the many possibilities you have available to you when making a character.

That is one of the many reasons why the current system is so bad.

And that is why it should be changed.

I'm playing a SSF Kinetic Blast/Barrage pure lightning damage build next league. I went through the list of roughly 400 helm enchants (over 400 after 3.0 hits) to see what I can use for my build. There were 10, which includes some like increased Temp Chains effectiveness that would require me to switch from Enfeeble to Temp Chains and reduced mana reservation on Wrath which is unnecessary, but could potentially be useful. Even including a few enchants like that, I'll have less than a 1 in 40 chance to hit something I can use (to some degree) for my build.

That's a ridiculous system. We've needed to at least be able to choose from a selection of three possible enchants for as long as the system has existed. Even that would still suck, though. It just gets worse and worse with each new skill that comes out.

You should really do something about this broken system, GGG.

you can argue that many of the systems in poe are too rng dependent


the enchant system
the socket linking system (when excluding vorici)
pretty much any league with a crafting component (essence league)
the corruption system

heck even the map system can be punishingly unfair with its rng if you dont have a legacy league or any pinata league supplying you with the raw currency to brute force it.

its why playing standard feels so awful.