Is it just me or does Delirium suck?

I have a mild amount of experience with Deli in POE1 and POE2. My best understanding of it is that the fog moves from point A to point B based on the direction you entered the mirror. So if you enter moving N on a map that goes East/West you're doing it wrong and will run out of fog faster than if you'd read the map right and entered in the correct direction to extend it.

However, I just loaded into a Vaal Factory, a map that I know runs either NE or NW from the portal (I've run it dozens of times) and I still managed to only have the fog last long enough to get 2/3 distilled emotions.

I feel like this needs a visual/UI overhaul or something to make it more clear how/when/where you're doing it right or wrong. As it stands now I just often don't bother trying to do it "right/good" because it seems like I'm still missing something....

or.... it just sucks?

Back during the original league there was a visual of the fog clearing that you could react to and outrun, but it's not a thing anymore which is really strange to me. But yeah I don't think Delirium is a good mechanic at all. Having to rush across the whole map and backtrack back to loot stuff was a huge complaint during the league and it's still just not good. It's just a bad breach that's too big and it doesn't work. Entire thing could use a rework TBH.

Also all time based mechanics are bad because it just translates to more dps = more rewards so the league designs themselves actually punish people for playing anything but speed clear builds.

Depending on map layout it actually really sucks.
Same for breach in long, narrow hallways.
Or ritual in confined spaces.
As always (sadly) it's better the more DPS you have and the faster your character can move.

The way deli mirror works isn't the way you go through it. It's the "deeper" in the delirium you go, which is the furthest point on the map from the mirror that is "deepest".


It kind of sucks to farm. You have to get really lucky to get any good deli stuff. It also replaces monsters with those stupid grey spots that deli mobs pop out of, so usually makes your maps worth less.

Which is dumb. They should just make Delirium add monsters instead of "take them over" because you are just making the map worse to run, monsters tankier, mechanics harder, worse yield, to maybe get lucky on 3 instilled drops (you won't).

Can someone explain to me why some delirium mirrors end in 30 seconds even as I’m clearing huge density while others last forever even if I go AFK in the map? Is it just random?

NOT AS FUN Or REWPRDING as poe1