End Game Content Design

I have been enjoying the game since release. One thing I've noticed which is the huge change from the Campaign to the Atlas is the switch up from meaningful combat to total chaos.

This comes in the form of the endgame content. The meta builds that blast entire screens don't have problems with it until their builds get nerfed because there is clearly a vision that those builds don't mesh with.

For a person following their own path, my experience is quite different. I went from watching my positioning and making sure I have enough room behind me to back up and dodge roll while not being surrounded, to a bunch of events that not just encourage but force me to just start running through crowds of enemies.

Breach - Instantly surrounded, looking for hands while constantly killing so the circle doesn't close

Delirium - Requires you to run through crowds of enemies while killing and staying in the fog

Ritual - Not only are you instantly surrounded but escape is also cut off and now there's a tornado chasing you or chaos all over the floor

Expedition - is fine lol

Even the wisps ask you to keep moving and accumulating aggro or it disappears.

I think content design moving forward should fall more in line with this new vision because it confuses players when their screen clearing builds get nerfed but in the same vein they are the only builds that are able to truly engage to the point of receiving the richest rewards.

Mechanically, I am a good player, even with the changes to combat in Dawn of the Hunt I took my Huntress and I ran Geonor, Jamanra and Doriyani fights that took me 10 - 15 minutes each without getting hit because one hit would probably kill me.

Theoretically, I will never be a good player. I can't theory craft well. I pick nodes that should make sense to me. I balance my defence and offense but a lot doesn't click for me.

My housemate is a PoE 1 veteran, owns all the merch, actually knows the deep lore and he effortlessly theory crafted some infinite war cry warbringer with empires grasp that pulls everything toward him and deletes screens.

For launch and this new season I have been trying to twink craft a giants blood 2 handed dual wielding Titan to no avail. The addition of berserk has gotten me a little further than last time but I just always seem to be missing something. I believe this is the average new player experience, PoE 1 vets aside.

I have beaten PoE 1's campaign once ever in my life and got insta killed in my first end game map over and over until I gave up. I had no idea what I was doing and even when I tried to follow a build I was missing so much game knowledge I couldn't even recreate it.

I ended up caving this season and following an amazon bleed/spearfield build and while it's nice to be able to melt content it doesn't feel like my own accomplishment.

I wanted to jump into PoE 2 fresh from the start so I wouldn't end up missing the boat so to speak and I've really been enjoying the game. I'm on board with the vision and think ultimately you've made a really good game that is going to have a tonne of more things to do by full release. This is just a recurring thought I've had for a while now so I thought I'd share. Keep up the good work.