non-raging feedback from casual

So I started playing a witch this season, planning to try out the necromancer class.

It is not working out.

At character level 30, with a +1 to chaos skills weapon, at the end of act 2 it has become a zerg rush.

Early game, I struggled using skeletal warriors and snipers with some DoT skills like essence drain, contagion, enfeeble, bonestorm, and bone spikes, all with appropriate support gems.

By the end of act 2, I added dark ritual. Most of my skills are level 6 with essence drain and contagion at level 7.

In Major bosses in act 1 and act 2 ended up simultaneously dying and killing me, so I got no drops from them, but even before restarting, I could see the items dropped were not going to be valuable to my character.

I think boss DoT effects should end when they die. Especially with the lack of health potions.

I was trying to tough it out with what is clearly an unviable build that has worked before this patch, easily identifiable in act 1, hoping I would skill/gear up in act II.

It hasn't happened, and despite the most optimal skill tree build, this character is essentially bricked.

The reduction of monster health patch helped for a bit.

The gear that dropped for me is terrible and I thought I might just be unlucky.

But now I see others complaining of the same problem.

At character level 30, the drops, crafts, and gambling are so bad, I am still using items that have a character level 2 requirement. I have no piece of gear over level 22.

Nerfs to the early level support gems have drastically reduced their effectiveness.

Another issue I have noticed is the slow casting speed of enfeeble, bone spikes, and dark ritual. The decreased cast speed of enfeeble coupled with its spell effect delay has made it almost pointless given the speed at which the monsters move.

Often, because of the slow cast speeds of these spells, I have to interrupt them to defend myself with essence drain. Which breaks their casting.

It seems to me bone spikes was meant to be a defensive spell, but I have to dodge or run interrupting it because its cast time is so slow, enemies are already inside the ring before it appears.

Throughout this playthrough, the character has struggled with white mobs. The Yellow Uniques are just an exercise in kiting. Which has become really boring.

I didn't even try the trial of sekemah, the character will just not be able to get through with the honor system. It barely survives normal play in the campaign with health potions.

I am not angry or giving up on PoE2, I think one day it will be an awesome game. But this current state is simply not for me. I'll be back in the next major patch.

In the meanwhile, I'll be playing PoE1, no hard feelings.