Proximity shield and other dumb mechanics...

Hi there!

I see you made a ranged character! Did you also remember to make it a melee character too? You didn't? So wait you made a ranged character and FORGOT to ALSO make it stand point blank like you would with an axe? Noob.

I have an idea how about SMOKE MINE QUANTITY SHIELD! Mob is only killable with smoke mines while under the effect of +quantity flask! this would really bring a new dimension of play to the game imo. All you noobs not running smoke mine need a reality check!

Or how about a mod where you have to hit with ice spear and then RF in order to kill the mob?

Lightning mirage? Wait what does it say under that monstZZZZZZZZT ur dead! haha noob read faster! Like.. a LOT faster like instantly know because that's how much time you have to react.

Every time I make a new build or try something out I'm reminded of just how stupid a lot of these mechanics are. You shouldn't have to build for EVERY scenario in the game on EVERY character.

This is why game play gets stale and people quit league 3 weeks after launch. You're basically building the same character with just a different attack every go.

Many games are gravitating towards mechanics that are designed to not let the player win.

Whether it's an unwinnable fight that players need to learn to avoid or abort at the correct moment, or a sprinkling of arbitrary and intentional build hosers or immortal goons among the hundreds of monsters on a map, it's all the rage these days for devs to force the player to back away and avoid an area, a mob encounter, an instance, etc.

Case in point: proximity shields on rare mobs mean you either put yourself at a massive disadvantage trying to force a confrontation with the monster, or you can just choose not to engage this particular monster, instead backtracking or skirting around it (maybe with a timely distraction if they outrun you) and accepting that your goal is objective completion, not 100% clear.

It's not just POE. A recent Minecraft update introduced a nearly immortal monster in the dark recesses of the lowest depths, that blinds the player and has both ranged and melee attacks that can two-shot you even in the best enchanted gear. According to Jens Bergensten, lead developer at Mojang, the intent was to have a threat that players had to avoid, instead of facetanking it or farming it. Basically, it's built-in permanent area denial if you wake up this Warden monster underground.

Imagine being a parent and your kid is inconsolable because there's something loose underneath his base that he can't get past in order to mine. The piteous wails would have you questioning what the folks in Stockholm were thinking when they chose to inflict that on little Timmy.

Long story short, pick your battles, don't feel shame for not being able to handily bulldoze every single rare mob. It's that way by design. Eventually you'll either have the dps to deal with all the hosers at a safe distance, or spec into something that lets you cheese the hoser mod - if arrows can't get through proximity shields, ballista totems can. Or if you're melee and have to dance toe to toe with effigy and drought bringers, leech like there's no tomorrow and use warcries or vaal skills to boost damage where flasks can't be used.

Or continue to just say "Nahh my time is valuable and the return on investment here is nil" and walk on by, doo doo de doo doo Just walk on bahhhh....