Path of Exile 2 Feedback

As a dedicated Path of Exile player with over 1,000 hours in the first game and more than 48 hours invested in Path of Exile 2 since its release, I want to share my detailed feedback. I hope it helps in refining this already promising sequel.

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# General Feedback
- Lack of Auction House: The absence of an in-game auction house continues to be a significant pain point. Trading through external websites disrupts immersion and can be frustrating when players don't respond promptly. Streamlining the trade system into the game itself would vastly improve the experience. Also the lack of an in-game auction house disproportionately disadvantages console players.

- Improved Tutorials for Damage and Defense Mechanics: New players often struggle to grasp the various damage types and defensive layers. Introducing a more comprehensive tutorial would greatly enhance their understanding and enjoyment of the game.

- Crafting Introduction for New Players: Many newcomers undervalue white item bases, assuming they are worthless. A more detailed introduction to crafting, emphasizing the importance of item bases, would help alleviate this misconception.

- Skill Class Restriction: Restricting skills to "predefined" classes creates the misleading impression that characters must be built in specific ways. This contradicts the core philosophy of Path of Exile and could deter creativity, especially for new players.

- Crafting Currency Drops: The drop rates of crafting currencies, such as orbs, are too low throughout the leveling process. As a result, crafting viable gear while leveling becomes nearly impossible. For instance, as a level 67 Minion Master, I am still using a scepter from Act 2 (Normal).

- Skill Point Respec Costs: The cost of respec points during the leveling phase is prohibitively high, discouraging experimentation. This runs counter to the spirit of creativity and build exploration that Path of Exile thrives on.

- Trial Mechanics: Dreamstate42#3955 has already provided exceptional feedback on the trials (https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3628115), which I fully support.

- Minion Behavior Issues: Some enemies disproportionately focus on the player, even when skeletons, hellhounds, and other minions are summoned. Additionally, skeletons frequently block narrow passageways, leaving melee minions unable to engage properly. This makes linear maps with minion builds frustrating to navigate.

- Minion Scaling: Minion scaling feels underwhelming, leading to painfully slow map clears.

# Interface Feedback
- Item Modifier Tags: The removal of item modifier tags is a step backward compared to Path of Exile 1. These tags are invaluable for understanding item affixes and crafting potential.

- Ultrawide Support: It's 2024, and ultrawide monitors are common. The lack of support for ultrawide resolutions feels outdated.

- Controller Key Mapping: Some issues persist with button mappings on Xbox 360 controllers, leading to incorrect inputs being displayed in the interface. This should be addressed for consistency.

- Action Bar for Keyboard Controls: The controller interface displays an action bar that isn't available for keyboard users. Implementing this for keyboard setups would improve accessibility and consistency.

# Economy Feedback
- Did i mentioned the Auction House?

- Orb Drop Rates: Currency acquisition through salvaging rare items feels insufficient. Increasing orb drop rates or providing alternative ways to earn currency would balance this.

# Positives
- Gameplay: The active gameplay mechanics are phenomenal, rewarding player skill and decision-making. The difficulty balance feels just right in most areas, apart from the trials mentioned above.

- Boss Design: The boss fights are outstanding, offering engaging and memorable encounters.

- Graphics: The visual upgrade is stunning. Longtime fans of Path of Exile will be amazed at the game's transformation into such a visually captivating experience.

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Path of Exile 2 has an incredible foundation, and with attention to these areas, it can truly excel as a sequel to the beloved original. Thank you for your hard work, Grinding Gear Games!