Something is wrong with Map Drop rates...

I've never traded... but this league is making me want to break that rule. I've run every map adjacent to Leylines when ever possible. Hours. Fucking map will not drop.

I've had to buy pretty much my entire atlas as well. Getting maps feels like pulling teeth. And dealing with Poetrade is just the worst, as always.... 90% no responses, ugh. Bosses almost NEVER drop maps now it feels like, I'll go on a steak of 10+ boss kills with no map from the boss - like, is GGG trying to force us to skip bosses with making them steadily harder, more annoying (God I hate all the new imported part 2 bosses with long invulnerable transition phases), while making them feel ever less rewarding for putting in the effort.

LOL GGG

Can't get past T8. All that drops is T2 maps.

I feel like such an ass. I used to think map drop rate was one of those things that was pure RNG and it would eventually turn around as long as you persevered. I've stuck to this philosophy right through several leagues.

But now - oh man, I am with all y'all. I'm around 65 on my Atlas, and still filling in Tier 6. I have one thin thread up to T11 and I HAD a T12 map but the Vaal screwed me and I couldn't finish it.

So here I am at level 87 making around 20-30 MM/hr experience completing maps attached to blank spaces trying to get maps to drop.

Not only is the RNG and/or drop rate screwing me, so is the crappy exp so this is the slowest I've leveled since early PoE.

As a complete aside, I am totally being screwed by RNG on a decent 2hander as well. Worst luck this league!

It's not a race, it's a journey, more time take better is, taste it do not hate it.

For my, PoE is always keeps improving, and the longer the journey the better it is.

No problem if i cant sustain top tier map.

I'm not sure everyone here is aware of this so I'll give a quick summary on an Atlas completition strategy: don't play maps of the 'next' tier unless you gathered all maps of that tier already. Until then, try to only play the maps that are connected to the ones of the next tier that you are missing. Also keep alching (and vaaling if you can afford it) from the start.
At some point farming the next tier gets quite annoying so I normally buy the last one or two maps that I'm missing (either xyz.trade or Zana). I got to ~140/157 with that strategy so I'd say, overall, I 'had to' buy like 20% of the completition. On the other hand, I sold tons of maps too so I got back more than I spent on maps.

And regarding high tier maps: I can't really complain. I do feel the droprate of higher tiers slightly decreased but, at the moment, it is still alright.

GGG nerf the map drop rate w/o telling us ??? I have 143/157 and It's so hard to get shaped T10+ this league.

I don't think the "rate" has changed, but the "effective rate" has since they've introduced new maps. We're having more difficulty completing the atlas because there's so many more options available. There's also the added need for particular maps to manipulate the "war" and it's hard to do if you don't have a particular map.

I'd revert the change of a year ago or so which got rid of lower map drops, and retain the rate of same tier or higher drops we currently have. But it's not my call.

More DATA

3 Shaped Vault Maps
7 Sextant
20% Qual
90% IIQ
30% Pack Size
Fortune Favors the Bold Zana Mod
Shaper/Elder Flip flop influence

T15 - NONE
T14 - NONE
T13 - Terrace
T12 - Defiled Cathedral, Racecourse
T11 - NONE
T10 - NONE
T9 - Estuary, Sepulchre
T8 - Geode x3, Courtyard, Armoury, Mud Geyser
T7 - Residence, Bazaar, Lava Chamber x2, Underground River

Once again, I have No other T14 maps except for Shaped Vault, I have no T15 maps at all. The system is either Heavily nerfed or my client is broken. Im starting to think its me.

Oh.. and no Divination cards either (ie: Hoarder/Abandoned Wealth).

I had fun last league Farming Vault and Shaped Spider Forest. All the way up till the end of league. Its been 2 weeks into Abyss and If I cant sustain Maps like the Streamers do.. whats the point?

It is harder to sustain than some of the recent leagues but not even remotely close to what it has been in many other leagues. I have bought only a few maps for convenience but not because I absolutely had to. Zana missions once a day resets her map pool. It also resets every time she levels up. That's a good source for maps. Try not to run blue maps since the packsize increases now depending on amount of mods on the map -> more map drops.

If you absolutely have to buy maps make sure you buy one a couple tiers up from where you last progressed and travers backwards since it is easier to find maps going downwards than upwards from that map. If you just buy the next tier you will quickly run into a map issue again.

Try mixing in some uber labs for the map chests. You can easily fill up several T10-T12 maps that way. Also you get atziri fragments and that area drops a lot of lower tier maps so you can fill up that pool for tradeups. If you can do uber atziri you can get a nice amount of maps from the area between the bosses. Nice way to refill red maps.

Last tip would be find a map buddy. Help eachother covering the maps you need unlocked and do as many maps as possible together. We usually alternate days on who is rolling up the maps so both use about same amount of currency and get a nice map pool to play with then the other isn't online.

If you get an unique map, hop into /global 820 and try starting a unique map rotation. That way you get 6 maps unlocked instead of 1.

For SSF people you will just have to endure the extra grind. It will take much longer to fill out the atlas but you kind of decided to go that path when picking SSF. The zana and non-blue map advice still stands though.