Ascendancy Trials in POE2 make the game completely unbearable and unfun.

I will not play this game again if these trials stay the same.

I'll probably get crucified for this, but it really doesn't matter.

I don't engage with trials anymore with the exception of the first couple rounds.

They are over-tuned, but once you get some good relics under your belt they're plenty doable. What annoys me the most is the combination of how long it can potentially take to get another entrance key should you fail, and how obnoxiously bad the RNG with buffs/debuffs can be. I've breezed through certain runs, and then then turned around and gotten d1ck-slapped by terrible RNG multiple runs in a row. I'll run the first couple rounds to get my ascendancy and the 4 points, and then IMO it's just not worth the time and hassle. I don't no-life this game, but I play enough to build good currency, and in a fraction of the time it can potentially take the get the last 4 points I can just toss someone a div and be done with it in 10 min. I just don't care enough anymore to bother with it. Considering the cost of decent end-game gear, 1 div for the last 4 ascendancy points is a steal to me...

I'm not advocating for the removal of trials, or even the honor system anymore. I just want them to rework it. If you are insanely lucky there are some bangin relics that make it relatively easy, but I never saw any of them when I was completing trials legitimately. There's enough RNG baked into the core of this game in every other aspect; I don't need the combo of bad RNG and honor to negate what are normally capable builds simply for the sake of making me sweat or to straight up brick a run 3/4 of the way through. Not into it...

It's got some good potential, but he current format is a huge miss to me.

Trials are fine and fun. If your problem is not having enough Baryas or Ultimatums (which really isn't an issue either, unless you are trying to do the trials underleveled), just buy some in trade. They are super cheap.

Also: If you're not using honor resistance, that's on you.

tl;dr: no.

I disagree. I just think the 3rd & 4th ascendency needs to be a little more accessible relative to the level you get access to it (assuming you're solo).

imo, you should be able to pick your starting floor at the start of Sekhemas, based upon those floors you've previously completed and whether you're there to farm keys or do the ascendancy. And, during a run, completing a floor should wipe down all boons and afflictions.

I don't mind the boss challenge. I object to the waste of 45 minutes clearing tiny, trivially pointless maps, just so the game has an excuse to layer afflictions on me for the final boss fight.

Trim it down, clean it up, and then if you want to keep it hard, make the bosses more difficult or the floor nodes all give both affliction+rewards.

And Chaos Trials; having to run it at least 3 times just for the opportunity of the end boss fight is boring AF.