I really hate lab

Returning player after 2 and a half years, and I can say that the labyrinth traps are pretty annoying. First of all, they don't match the game's fast, gory, non-stop action vibe, but that's a matter of taste I suppose.

But the main issue, for me at least, is that they don't fit within the game's isometric view at all. I can force myself to take it slow and work the trap layouts if I really want to, but more often than not I find succession of traps down a narrow corridor which will simply lead to my death, no matter my build or my skill. Rotating saw blades after spikes after more rotating blades without a single tile where I can stand still without taking damage, so that I can work my way back or observe.

Either there's a problem with the way trap layouts are generated and it needs to be more permissive, or the concept behind it (corridors of doom you can't anticipate) simply sucks.

PS: love what the Ascendancy classes did to my char.

"

JohnWeps wrote:

Returning player after 2 and a half years, and I can say that the labyrinth traps are pretty annoying. First of all, they don't match the game's fast, gory, non-stop action vibe, but that's a matter of taste I suppose.

But the main issue, for me at least, is that they don't fit within the game's isometric view at all. I can force myself to take it slow and work the trap layouts if I really want to, but more often than not I find succession of traps down a narrow corridor which will simply lead to my death, no matter my build or my skill. Rotating saw blades after spikes after more rotating blades without a single tile where I can stand still without taking damage, so that I can work my way back or observe.

Either there's a problem with the way trap layouts are generated and it needs to be more permissive, or the concept behind it (corridors of doom you can't anticipate) simply sucks.

PS: love what the Ascendancy classes did to my char.

Hi JohnWeps, thank you for voicing your opinion on the horrible labyrinth. I've added you to the list at number 745. As the list grows longer our voices grow stronger. Over 300 threads discussing labyrinth problems with over 740 posters in support Sorry that your return to PoE was spoiled with the annoying labyrinth. Yes it's true that visibility is very poor in the labyrinth and the map is almost useless for helping to navigate through the annoying, boring and irritating labyrinth.

Joined:
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I hate doing the Lab too. I just do the first 3 and maybe the 4th. I don't even go into any Lab until level 75 on most of my characters.

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ewolow wrote:

Lab breaks that idea somewhat in that silver chests and such are not even close to worth the time investment and that getting to ascension is really the primary goal of doing lab.

Wait, what? Look, I don't like the design of lab, but you're entirely wrong here. Getting silver chest is 100% worth it if and only if there is an intricate locker and/or fifth key. Intricate locker can drop Deaths Door, which is 1-2ex (prices vary heavily, on days with intricate locker and a fairly easy lab, they can drop down to 1ex easily, if no intricate locker for awhile, they are closer to 2ex for now).

Treasure chests at the end are also totally worth it. You can easily get an exalt worth of stuff from one gem treasure chest, for example. And with 5 keys in total, getting an exalt worth of stuff in total is not hard at all.

Problem is though that the only reason people do lab to farm is because the rewards are so good, even if the content itself is tedious and boring.

Also, farming enchants is another great way to make currency. So on days with 5 keys, intricate locker, Argus on mainpath, Izaro mechanics doable for most people (i.e. not like today in Uber, which are in particular deadly with 2h mace), farming lab is the best thing sadly anyone can do. Far better than actually any other content, I would argue. But it's super boring compared to all other content.

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CaliforniaPyro wrote:

I have zero problems beating uber lab on bascially any char I play. Dodging traps is easy.
However, I hate lab and wish it would burn in hell. It's stupid as fuck, especially to standard league players who are choosing to play standard because they don't want to deal with hardcore mechanics.

The fanboi flowers who always crop up to insult people who don't like lab tend to always sound the same. They tell you that you don't know how to do it, basically LEARN TO PLAY.

Fuck you. I know how to play and uber lab is easy as fuck and I hate playing it.
So go measure your penis elsewhere.

The truth is the majority of POE players hate lab. end of story. GGG should figure out some simple fixes.... actually it's all been suggested to them. Just implement some of the community ideas.

+1 except that I play hc.

"

Mellowautomata wrote:

"

ewolow wrote:

Lab breaks that idea somewhat in that silver chests and such are not even close to worth the time investment and that getting to ascension is really the primary goal of doing lab.

Wait, what? Look, I don't like the design of lab, but you're entirely wrong here. Getting silver chest is 100% worth it if and only if there is an intricate locker and/or fifth key. Intricate locker can drop Deaths Door, which is 1-2ex (prices vary heavily, on days with intricate locker and a fairly easy lab, they can drop down to 1ex easily, if no intricate locker for awhile, they are closer to 2ex for now).

Treasure chests at the end are also totally worth it. You can easily get an exalt worth of stuff from one gem treasure chest, for example. And with 5 keys in total, getting an exalt worth of stuff in total is not hard at all.

Problem is though that the only reason people do lab to farm is because the rewards are so good, even if the content itself is tedious and boring.

I understand that it can be worth it to farm and agree with you. Lab has some great currency drops, but if you do what it sounds like 85% of the player base does and wait till level 75 to do normal/Cruel just for the progression then it's a chore.

My original suggestion wasn't to change the lab much, but rather, once you've already completed it once, the slow way, that you can then choose to portal to the Aspirants trials. You would still need to beat the 3 Izaro fights, but you wouldn't have to wade through the timesink again.

I think may be what the two primary for/against arguments boil down to. Some people like to farm lab and don't want to see it changed, others just see lab as another stop in their progression, like having to beat the dweller of the deep for that skill point.

"

Mellowautomata wrote:

Also, farming enchants is another great way to make currency. So on days with 5 keys, intricate locker, Argus on mainpath, Izaro mechanics doable for most people (i.e. not like today in Uber, which are in particular deadly with 2h mace), farming lab is the best thing sadly anyone can do. Far better than actually any other content, I would argue. But it's super boring compared to all other content.

Yesterday was actually the first time I ever went to the poelab website. I always did lab blind and if I found argus, I found argus. Doing it that way takes a LOT more time than a lot of the estimates suggested by posters here. Lab can take 45 minutes to an hour, and that's if you don't die, look for chests/keys and Argus.

A good number of people don't know what weapon Izaro is using, or where the good chests/shrines are and need to find these things themselves. I'm of the opinion that if an external website is needed to properly play the mechanic, then there is a problem.

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ewolow wrote:

Lab can take 45 minutes to an hour, and that's if you don't die, look for chests/keys and Argus.

uberlab run takes between 4.5 min and 15 min(2 silver chest, intricate+curious)
git gud

"

mezmery wrote:

"

ewolow wrote:

Lab can take 45 minutes to an hour, and that's if you don't die, look for chests/keys and Argus.

uberlab run takes between 4.5 min and 15 min(2 silver chest, intricate+curious)
git gud

15 minutes to clear uber lab?

Clear, not run though spamming flasks, not going to poelab.

You got a link to your youtube video clearing all mobs from uber lab without poelab in 15 minutes?

"

ewolow wrote:

"

mezmery wrote:

"

ewolow wrote:

Lab can take 45 minutes to an hour, and that's if you don't die, look for chests/keys and Argus.

uberlab run takes between 4.5 min and 15 min(2 silver chest, intricate+curious)
git gud

15 minutes to clear uber lab?

Clear, not run though spamming flasks, not going to poelab.

You got a link to your youtube video clearing all mobs from uber lab without poelab in 15 minutes?

it's your prob actually. that's what you have in common with every crybaby out here.
you have your own problems, and want someone to fix them for you
PS i play ci

"

JohnWeps wrote:

Returning player after 2 and a half years, and I can say that the labyrinth traps are pretty annoying. First of all, they don't match the game's fast, gory, non-stop action vibe, but that's a matter of taste I suppose.

But the main issue, for me at least, is that they don't fit within the game's isometric view at all. I can force myself to take it slow and work the trap layouts if I really want to, but more often than not I find succession of traps down a narrow corridor which will simply lead to my death, no matter my build or my skill. Rotating saw blades after spikes after more rotating blades without a single tile where I can stand still without taking damage, so that I can work my way back or observe.

Either there's a problem with the way trap layouts are generated and it needs to be more permissive, or the concept behind it (corridors of doom you can't anticipate) simply sucks.

PS: love what the Ascendancy classes did to my char.

Yeah I can agree on that, if you don't know a layout you might end up running into it without a clear path in mind. Giving players the option to oversee them would be good, however this is only true for a few layouts that lack safe spots within the gauntlet. Many trap layouts allow for the player to step of the gas and take a look around. In some cases you can even safely LW from one safe spot to another.

"

My original suggestion wasn't to change the lab much, but rather, once you've already completed it once, the slow way, that you can then choose to portal to the Aspirants trials. You would still need to beat the 3 Izaro fights, but you wouldn't have to wade through the timesink again.

Like I said I would change the Lab layout entirely. Get rid of trials, because not only are they entirely different than the gauntlets in the lab they are also not rewarding and boring.

The first Lab would be in Act 3 and it would maybe be a bit longer than the current first lab, but it would have waypoints and give 4 points. The next lab would be merciless like it is now, just without requiring trials, instead requiring the completion of the normal lab. Uberlab and Uber Trials would be unchanged (although some of the Trials are way too annoying, while some of the same trials are incredible easy, Burning rage has one incredible fast layout and one rage inducing one).

This change would mean the following things:

a) 4 Ascendancy points are essentially safe for the player as long as he managed to beat Izaro, he might have to invest a bit more time, since he gets to learn all the Izaro mechanics but he will have waypoints and this lab is essentially normal and cruel combined and no trials.
b) With 3.0 we are essentially revisiting previous areas, it just wouldn't make sense that you run through the same Trial in Act 1 and again in Act 6, so removing those would likely be better, but even just having to do them once in A1 - 3 would be a huge improvement, but I don't feel they are necessary, but there are lore reasons for their existence
c) Right now a lot of players face unnecessarily hard Izaro fights because they don't understand the mechanics of the fight and I can't even blame them, because they work so different. Sometimes just beating Izaro quickly disables them, sometimes not, sometimes they must be inactive at the end to not move over, sometimes activating once is enough for them to carry over etc. Teaching those better would be a major thing to reducing the issues people have with Izaro.