Feedback on the PoE2 Beta Test Experience

Dear Development Team,

I wanted to share my thoughts on the PoE2 beta test experience. Overall, I found it extremely enjoyable, with the new gameplay mechanics and models meeting the expectations of long-time players. However, I would like to bring up several issues and suggestions based on my experience, as well as feedback from my friends who also participated.

1. Rune System
The rune system is fantastic for offering players flexibility in customizing equipment. However, once runes are slotted into equipment, it becomes impossible to modify them. This limitation is particularly frustrating when players end up with one or two ineffective abilities.
Suggestion: Allow players to replace an existing rune by destroying the current one and inserting a new one.

2. Tier System Display
In previous games, T1 represented the highest tier, making it easy for players to understand the value of item attributes at a glance. The reversed tier display in PoE2 has made it challenging to assess the actual value of equipment. While I understand the design decision for future crafting systems, players would benefit from a more intuitive reference system to determine an item's worth during evaluation.

3. Gameplay Curve and Experience
Early Game Challenges: New players often face a challenging "gap" where equipment and skills are inadequate. For example, during the first boss encounter, regardless of the chosen class, the difficulty is noticeably imbalanced—particularly for melee classes. Many players find the experience improves only after Chapter 3, but by then, many newcomers have given up.
Respec Cost: The high cost of respec points early in the game forces players to choose between purchasing equipment and resetting passive skills. This prevents them from experimenting with different builds and hinders adaptability. This issue persists into the late game, as changing builds requires an excessive amount of currency.
Suggestions:
Provide respec points alongside the "Book of Regret" to give players more flexibility early on.
Reduce respec costs slightly to encourage build experimentation.
4. Summons and Terrain Issues
Summoned creatures often fail to engage in combat when the terrain changes drastically, such as during Trialmaster encounters. This greatly detracts from the gameplay experience for summoner players.

5. Mercenary Grenade Skills
Mercenaries using grenade-type skills struggle on narrow terrains, like bridges, as grenades often land off-map. This results in the mercenary being attacked and frequently dying. While completely eliminating grenade scatter might make them overpowered, a balanced adjustment would improve the situation.

6. Support Gem Recommendations
When viewing support gem recommendations, they often fail to align with the player's current build, leading to confusion, especially for newer players. Many are also unaware that they can toggle the full gem interface, leading to resource wastage early on.
Suggestion: Improve the interface to better guide players and make the toggle function more apparent.

7. Evasion System
While the overall experience in PoE2 is excellent, the death penalty feels significantly harsher than in the original game. In situations where death is unacceptable (e.g., boss fights), the evasion system becomes nearly unusable.

Large enemy attacks are unavoidable, making evasion-focused builds less viable. Players investing in evasion often sacrifice other defensive mechanisms, such as health or armor, which leaves them vulnerable to unavoidable attacks.
This issue disproportionately impacts classes reliant on evasion, like Rangers and Mercenaries, making them less appealing due to their higher costs and limited survivability.
Suggestion: Adjust the evasion system to ensure it remains a viable defensive mechanism, allowing players to enjoy a balanced gameplay experience even during challenging encounters.
8. Reforge Table Tutorial
The reforge table requires a simple tutorial or clearer system explanation, as many players currently struggle to understand its functionality based on the existing description.

As a player who started playing PoE in 2016, I have experienced many changes and updates over the years. Playing PoE2 gave me a nostalgic sense of excitement akin to the early days of discovering loot drops and enjoying the thrill of the game. I genuinely believe PoE2 is a fantastic work that resonates with long-time players like me. At the same time, I hope it can provide a smoother experience for new players.

Thank you for your hard work and for taking the time to consider this feedback. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing the game continue to evolve.

Best regards,