Feedback on Path of Exile 2: Skill Gem System

I have to say, the new gem system is overall fairly interesting, I'm not 100% sold on it but I don't hate it aside from one major issue that i’m extremely disappointed with. Tying over 20 skill gems directly to weapons and unique items is a huge step backward for both build diversity and overall gameplay flexibility. This decision makes absolutely no sense, especially considering that the game has been emphasizing more accessible and diverse build options. For clarification I am not talking about restricting a skill to be used with only specific weapon types, that is fine. I am talking about skills that would normally be a gem you can upgrade and support freely being locked in a weapon as a usable skill once you equip the weapon.

Wasn’t the whole point of the recent changes to allow for more experimentation and creativity, rather than forcing players into specific playstyles? Now, certain skill gems like Volatile Dead, Bone Blast, and Malice are locked behind specific items, meaning I can’t even use them with popular setups like Cast on Critical, Minion Death, or Channeling. This really restricts how we can build and play our characters, and it feels like we’re being pushed into rigid archetypes rather than being allowed to create unique, personal builds. Also I feel shafted as someone who generally only played casters, melee and ranged do not have this restriction at all as far as I can tell. What gives?

I haven't seen much discussion on this in the community, but I really hope this is just part of early access and that these gems will eventually be available in the new gem system. The whole point of Path of Exile has always been to experiment with different skill and item combinations. This new approach feels like it’s stifling that, and I really hope the developers reconsider this decision for the sake of player freedom and build diversity.

Yes, I agree with you about the build diversity problem, but I really cannot be fulfilled having, like say flicker strike, being completely stuck to a quarter staff and anything and everything with that skill being basically locked.

I truly felt experimentation was done a lot better in Poe 1 cause you could simply take the skill gem and pop them into your gear and be ready to go to use the skill.


Like you said as of now this early access is making it feel completely restricted on being able to make diverse and unique builds, but the worst part is if GGG keeps this up and doesn't change this back to a similar Poe 1 form or something close that means EVERYTHING we use for skills and builds are going to end up having "cookie-cutter" builds that are going to be even worst than D4 style.

To clarify as well, I'm not just worried about Flicker strike that's just an example, it used to be able to be used with any melee skill now you can't make any build unless it's particularly with a quarter staff only and with an extreme amount of the weapons NOT in the game right now it is making it very limited on what you can do with that particular skill.

Here's another example, I'm currently playing sorceress, but I tried the warrior for awhile with the mace and the infernal cry skill was able to be used similar to how poe 1 was where if I didn't want to play with infernal cry on my warrior I could try that skill with my sorceress.

I get that you're saying it should be about being able to level up the skills through using them when having the weapon equipped, but the original way to using skill gems being completely stuck inside of a weapon is making it harder to create diverse builds entirely.

I partially agree here, true we both aren't sold on the current style of the skill gem system, but I seriously love the new design of everything that's in the game I just wish the old skill gem system would be more innovated and better integrated with the idea of a more fluid playstyle with more freedom of creating more unique builds.


As of now we honestly don't have the ability with the current design of the skill system to create personal or creative style builds based on experimentation.

There's nothing honestly cool or fun to really play unless you stay in your lane with your actual skills. Very few and extremely limited forms of builds are currently able to be made, but if you're using a skill for either spells or attack you can't really experiment with them properly, like how you said with setups similar to cast on critical, minion death, or channeling.

I loved that experimentation and GGG would impress everyone bringing that creativity back.

Sure, I know most new players still weren't getting the idea of it at first, though that was what made Path of Exile stand out in the first place was the ability to get creative and make something unique yourself instead of being forced to have only a specific playstyle.

That just won't be acceptable for very long and will stifle the gameplay even worse the longer it stays in it's current state.

I love all the people out there at GGG and have been playing their game for a long while and wish them all well and hope they actually listen to the feed back of their players because I used to do beta tests in D3 and all the testing with that companies' game always got ignored during beta testing and nearly nothing was changed, fixed, or improved at all.

I'm seriously hoping for all of us out there that GGG will see this post and your post as well "Justcametomind#3158" and see the difference it'll make for everyone.

The only real fulfilling thing in the game was really just experimenting with countless build ideas and truly is the only real reason to play.