Feedback and Suggestion for Improving Trial Mechanics in PoE 2

I wanted to share some feedback with the community and developers, as well as a potential improvement idea for the current implementation of Ascendancy trials in Path of Exile 2. I hope this idea resonates with community and perhaps inspires further improvements or refinements.

As it stands, the trials in PoE 2, Sanctum and Ultimatum, feel directly imported from PoE without significant adjustments. While these mechanics are engaging, their punishing nature in the current context can be discouraging. For example:

1. In Sanctum, failing on the third floor near the end and having to restart from scratch to unlock Ascendancy points feels unnecessarily harsh, especially during the leveling phase.

2. Similarly, in Ultimatum, players can encounter debuffs in later waves or rooms that might completely disable their builds, making it impossible to finish the challenge.

These mechanics have traditionally catered to specific builds capable of handling their demands, but in their current form, they can alienate players during what should be an enjoyable progression journey.

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Suggested Improvement

Without removing the core concept of these trials, I believe a simple restructuring could make them much more accessible and less frustrating:

Unified Trial Accessibility - All trials should be made available in the same act, ensuring players can engage with them consistently. How these trials are presented in subsequent acts could be adjusted for immersion, but centralizing them early would streamline the experience.

Segmented Trial Progression - Instead of requiring players to complete entire trials in one go, break them into distinct levels. For example:

*** Sanctum (Trial of Sekhemas) ***:

1. The first floor unlocks Ascendancy and grants 2 points.

2. Subsequent floors become available at recommended character levels. Upon completing each Sanctum floor, the level requirements for the next floor would dynamically update on the quest item, allowing progression without the need to redo earlier levels (floors).

3. Boons, debuffs, and other modifiers could be stored on the quest item. Players could choose whether to retry a floor in the hope of getting a less punishing run.

4. Players failing a floor would only need to retry that specific level (floor), minimizing frustration.

5. Completing all 3 floors of the trial would unlock the total 6 points of Ascendancy.

6. Quest-based invitations for Sanctum would remain active until the third floor is completed, at which point they would disappear, and drop-enabled invitations would begin to appear, offering the opportunity to earn 2 additional Ascendancy points for completing these advanced challenges.

7. Afflictions and other player-punishing mechanics should be less severe during the first three floors. The mechanic should introduce itself to players, not discourage them. The honor system should also be less punishing, as melee builds are nearly unplayable for less skilled players in its current state (feedback from my friend, warrior enjoyer)

*** Ultimatum (Trial of Chaos) ***:

1. The first invitation offers levels 1–4, with debuffs on the quest invitation retained after successfully finishing the rooms. Players could choose whether to retry the run (levels) in the hope of receiving less punishing debuffs.

2. A second invitation could offer only levels 5–7, with the final invitation enabling only levels 8–10 to complete.

3. Completing all 10 levels unlocks the total 6 points of Ascendancy

4. Quest-based invitations for Ultimatum would remain active until the 10 floor is completed, at which point they would disappear, and drop-enabled invitations would begin to appear. After completing each Ultimatum range of rooms, the level requirements for the next rooms would dynamically change on the quest item.

5. A drop-enabled invitations would give you the possibility to get 10 rooms run and Trial Master encounter. Defeating the Trial Master would grant the fourth Ascendancy.

5. Debuffs should be less punishing to players during the first 10 levels, allowing them to become familiar with the mechanic and gain power with the first 6 points.

Benefits

1. Core Mechanics Preserved: The trials maintain their challenging nature while being more accessible to a wider range of builds and players.

2. Improved Accessibility: Breaking the trials into levels allows players to progress at their own pace without needing to redo earlier stages, making them more inclusive.

3. Reduced Frustration: Players only need to retry failed levels, minimizing frustration and preventing burnout, especially during the leveling phase.

4. Smooth Difficulty Scaling: Gradual difficulty increases make the trials more manageable, allowing players to prepare for tougher challenges while still rewarding skilled play.

5. Clear Progression: Dynamic updates to level requirements and stored modifiers help players track progress and know what to do next.

Thank you for taking the time to read through my feedback. I'm genuinely excited to see how PoE 2 continues to develop.

If anything seems unclear or needs further explanation, feel free to ask for clarification or corrections - I’d be happy to elaborate!