Why We Should Have the Option to Turn Off Party Members' Particle Effects in Path of Exile 2

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Johnny_Hotbody#4829 wrote:

...Leroy Jenkins into the cloud of AOEs and explosions in hopes of coming out alive...

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Skullzar1#0697 wrote:

I’d like to suggest a feature that could greatly enhance Path of Exile 2's multiplayer experience: the ability to disable or limit particle effects from other players. While the visual effects are impressive, they can create challenges in combat clarity, performance, and overall enjoyment during party play.

Combat Clarity
In party play, the screen can quickly become overloaded with particle effects from multiple players, making it difficult to track important details like enemy telegraphs or ground hazards. A toggle to limit or turn off other players’ effects would result in a cleaner, more focused gameplay experience.

Performance Improvements
The sheer volume of effects can be a significant strain on performance, even for players with high-end systems. For those with lower-spec hardware, this can cause lag and frame drops, making party play frustrating or unplayable. Disabling other players' effects would help maintain smoother performance, particularly in larger, more chaotic encounters.

Microtransactions Are Personal
MTX cosmetics are designed to enhance a player’s personal experience, not necessarily to be viewed by others. Allowing players to disable the visibility of other players' MTX wouldn’t diminish their value but would give players control over their experience and reduce unnecessary visual noise.

Proven in Other Popular Games
Games like Final Fantasy XIV allow players to limit or completely turn off particle effects from other players, significantly improving both performance and gameplay clarity in group content. Adding this feature to PoE 2 would help reduce visual clutter while maintaining a smooth gameplay experience.

A Better Party Play Experience
Overwhelming effects can make party play feel chaotic and frustrating, especially in intense or large-scale encounters. Allowing players to manage or turn off other players’ effects would make multiplayer content more enjoyable, accessible, and performance-friendly.

Addressing the "Just Don’t Play in a Party" Argument
While it's true that some players may suggest avoiding party play if the effects are too overwhelming, this overlooks the fact that Path of Exile is designed as a multiplayer game. Party play is a core part of the experience, and many players enjoy the social aspect, synergy, and teamwork involved in group content. Forcing players to avoid parties or struggle through them with suboptimal performance and visual clutter isn’t a reasonable solution. The ability to turn off or limit particle effects from other players would enhance the experience for everyone, allowing them to enjoy the game as it was intended—both solo and in a group.