Some feedback in general

Some things I believe should be addressed and properly thought over.

1) Passive Skill Tree

Some Notables give huge rewards like Tempered Mind, then you have other Notables like Heavy Buffer that just seem like a strange way to punish you for having that passive. I believe Notables should stick to be the most rewarding Passives you can get from a sub tree without any punishing traits, but that is what I believe of course. In my mind I think: "Why should I get this notable that, although it gives me that good buff, it also punishes me for getting it?, I also need to spend more points getting that notable, I better search for a better option".

Punishment ≠ tradeoff.

At least, I believe the actual tradeoff between a good trait and a bad trait within a notable should be acceptable, for example, as a sorceress, it forces me not to even consider Heavy Buffer to increase my energy shield, "what if I get bleed and/or poisoned? but, Patient Barrier seems like a good option, I can compensate that slower energy shield recharge with other passives that are nearby" and, that does not happen with Heavy Buffer, even if you use anointment to get a Notable with % to maximum life buff, those possible anointments are not even close to 10% increase. Quite unfair in my opinion.

Another example, since my play style requires being constantly on the move Ether Flow seems like an acceptable exchange to me since that mana regen "on the move" will come in handy.

A final example, Goring, I believe the tradeoff is acceptable, you sacrifice maximum life for that extra life leech which has good synergy with the further extra physical damage.

I suggest having a look at the Notables again and, provide a better trade off for those Notables with big buffs but punishing traits that, in my opinion, make no sense.


2) Redoable maps

I believe maps should be able to be redone (except Towers) with, of course, a corresponding currency that allows them to be reset. I do like the current simplicity of the currencies in game at the moment, but I believe there should be more liberty as to what the player can do. What if I want to farm a certain biome and I can't find them besides the ones already completed?

3) Atlas Passive Tree

The Atlas Tree feels appalling compared to the one in PoE 1, it felt to me like GGG is going the same way as Blizzard in simplifying stuff that were fine as they were in their complexity, a complete downgrade. For example, the current skill system in PoE 2 is way better than in PoE 1, in PoE 1 it is overly complex and confusing at times so it needed an overhaul to simplify it and make it more compact, that was a good decision, the freedom of choice is still there, and your mind wont explode trying to fit red, green, blue, white slots, gems, Tabula Rasa... too many details were there, but in the Atlas Tree, you took away the freedom of choice to give the players useless options between the important options, every time I see Treasure Coves I think "why the hell would I want my Atlas Passive to be put in this crap?, I frigging need waystones with higher tier and rarity!"

The current logic I have of the Atlas Passive Tree stands as the following when considering Treasure Coves:

a) Waystones are needed and they don't drop often, so Atlas Tree Passives for more waystones to drop are needed, and if I get a good rare beside it then a super win.
b) Waystones drop more often from slaying monsters in proportion to chests, so increasing the pack size and rarity of monsters is a must.
c) Rarity of dropped items increase + (rarity + quantity) of monsters increase + quantity of drops increase = (better quality drops + more waystone rarity) increased chances.
d) What is the proportion of monster population (including the right passives) compared to chests in a map? 40 to 1? 30 to 1 at best? Let's say there are 400 monsters in a map, that would give you, what, 10-20 chests in total depending on the map? (Im doing a very rough and superficial account, so I havent studied this in detail), so if you add Treasure Coves, you would get a what 2 to 3 chest increase (for magical chests) and barely 1 to 2 (for rare chests), and when most of the time blue or yellow chests just drop trash? Add to the fact that there are even maps that do not give any chests at all, so what is the point of this Passive?

Conclusion:

Treasure Coves = useless.

I haven't got points on the "side" Atlas Trees yet so I wont go into them, although I do feel they need improvement.

My belief regardless of Treasure Coves? I think the Atlas Passive Tree with 30 points is too little, 40 or even 35 point should be a right amount to make a nice atlas build.

4) Earning Atlas Passive points.

In summary, using quests to earn passives is simply annoying. I miss the PoE 1 system, was simple and yet rich, you could choose what to do to get your points. PoE 2's feels like a simplified hassle, a boring and repetitive way of earning points, what a chore to get those points by doing maps without a choice.

Please, PLEASE, take the amazing work you did in PoE 1's and improve on it to implement it on PoE 2.

5) Trials

Sekhemas = a frustrating, long, tiring and hateful nightmare that I don't want to experience ever in my life if I could avoid it.
Chaos = an unforgiving and unfair drag, doable, but stil a drag.

Just for 8 ascendancy points you must suffer through them. I miss Izaro with its dialogues and the labs, such a rich, and sometimes frustrating, but rewarding challenge. Now we got is... Sekhemas. Chaos is still possible but in my case, I haven't got drops that allow me to get the 3rd and 4th ascendancies with Chaos for some reason, I always get Sekhemas drop but I'm done trying that one, I hate it with every fiber of my being and with every component of my existence and soul.