🧩 [Suggestion] Passive Tree Pre-Allocation & Auto-Spend System — Plan once, play smoother

SUMMARY

Introduce a system allowing players to pre-plan passive tree nodes directly in-game.
When a character gains a passive point, the game automatically allocates the next valid node from that pre-defined plan.

This saves significant time for experienced players during leveling without altering gameplay balance or confusing new players.

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🎯 1. CONCEPT AND MOTIVATION

Most Path of Exile players today are veterans who already use Path of Building or the official web planner to design their trees before creating a character.
Once leveling begins, every point must still be placed manually, which interrupts gameplay and adds unnecessary repetition.

A pre-allocation system removes that friction while maintaining all existing mechanics.
It is a pure quality-of-life feature for players who already know how their build progresses.

Estimated benefit:
Roughly 5–10 seconds saved per level-up, totaling 10–15 minutes of menu time per character, per league.

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⚙️ 2. FEATURE OVERVIEW

Planning Mode (opt-in)
A new toggle on the passive tree interface: Plan Path.
While active, clicking a node does not spend a point; it adds that node to your Planned Queue.
Planned nodes appear greyed-out with dotted connections, and the queue can be freely reordered or cleared.

Auto-Allocation
A separate toggle: Auto-spend passive points according to plan.
When enabled, each new passive point automatically allocates the first valid node in the queue.
If no node is valid (path incomplete), the point remains unspent.

Optional confirmation for major nodes (Keystones, Ascendancy Notables, Jewel Sockets):
“Confirm automatic allocation of Elemental Equilibrium? [Always] [Once] [Cancel]”

Error Handling
Because this system assumes deliberate planning, auto-allocations are permanent.
Any correction must use the current methods in vigor to refund points, maintaining the intentional nature of the planned path.

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🧱 3. RULES AND SAFEGUARDS

Situations and System Behavior
• Path incomplete → Planned nodes wait until a valid connection exists
• Node refunded → Dependent nodes marked “Requires Path”
• Jewel socket not filled → Planned nodes paused until jewel inserted
• Ascendancy changed → Incompatible planned nodes suspended
• Tree version updated → Player asked to re-map changed node IDs

Optional Preferences (in Options → Gameplay)
• Skip automatic Keystone allocation
• Pause automation in dangerous areas (Hardcore safety)
• Confirm unique Jewel Sockets before allocating

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🔗 4. INTEGRATION WITH BUILD PLANNERS

Import
Button on the passive tree interface: Import Tree Plan.
Accepts:
• Path of Building tree link or code
• Official PoE web planner URL

The game parses node IDs, populates the planned queue, and can skip already-allocated nodes if desired.

Export
Players can export their current plan (allocated + planned nodes) as a shareable link or PoB string.
This enables guide authors, streamers, and guilds to distribute ready-to-use, auto-spend leveling trees.

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🧠 5. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Principle Comparison
• Complexity → Manual allocation vs. pre-planned optional automation
• Learning → Manual discovery for new players; remains manual by default
• Mastery Reward → Speed from repetition vs. efficiency from preparation
• Game Balance → Unchanged in both systems

This system rewards foresight and mastery, not automation abuse.
It fits naturally into Path of Exile’s philosophy: depth and flexibility without unnecessary friction.

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🧩 6. TECHNICAL OUTLINE

Minimal backend additions include:
• An ordered list “planned_nodes[]” of node IDs
• A boolean flag “auto_spend_enabled”
• Reuse of the existing “AllocateNode(node_id)” logic with current validation checks

Only small UI extensions are needed, making this a low-cost, high-impact quality-of-life update.
The same system could later extend to Atlas Passives, Ascendancy Trees, or PoE 2’s passive boards.

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🛠️ 7. OPTIONAL ENHANCEMENTS

• “Next planned node” highlight when a point is available
• Faint breadcrumb path showing the next few nodes in sequence
• Controller support to cycle through planned nodes and allocate with one press
• Preset templates (official GGG leveling trees)
• Optional milestone alerts such as “Reached Resolute Technique!”

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📊 8. IMPACT SUMMARY

For veterans
• Faster, smoother leveling
• No mid-map interruptions
• No risk of misclicks

For new players
• No change unless enabled manually
• Encourages structured planning and understanding of progression

For GGG
• Minimal engineering effort
• Strengthens synergy with Path of Building and the official planner
• Modernizes ergonomics while preserving depth

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✅ FINAL SUMMARY

A lightweight, optional improvement that respects Path of Exile’s complexity while streamlining its pacing.
Plan your path once and then focus entirely on what matters: playing the game, not managing menus.

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💬 9. DISCUSSION

Feel free to debate and ask questions. I will gladly clarify or expand on my vision of this idea.
Please keep the discussion constructive and respectful so that feedback remains useful for both players and developers.

This is an interesting idea and there are some big gains to be had to it as far as saving time. I could see it being opt-in so that people can choose whether or no they'd like I, but I am not sure about "minimal engineering effort" as I am not a programmer. I wonder if after all these years someone at GGG already had this idea but they chose not to implement it.

Also, I'm not sure if this is one of those "on paper looks great but execution is ehhhh* type things, but with it being opt-in and not forced, there really isn't a downside to it, except maybe people clicking.the wrong nodes. I'm also a believer in the idea of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" type of thing, but this is a very cool concept. In a way it does kinda take away from the experience because we are now just automating another process of the game to save time, when we already have alot of QOL and I don't want the game to become a spreadsheet.

I'm kinda 50/50 on it.

Hey, really appreciate you taking the time to write such a balanced response!
I completely understand your mixed feelings. Path of Exile has so many layers of decision-making that anything automated can feel like it is taking something away. That is why the idea was framed around being purely optional and opt-in, not something that replaces the normal allocation flow. (Section 2: Feature Overview)

In the concept, the two toggles, Plan Path and Auto-Spend, are both off by default. You would have to manually switch into planning mode to even start queuing nodes, and auto-spend would only apply to that specific queue. So anyone who enjoys the manual process would not see a single change unless they turned it on themselves. (Section 2 again covers both toggles in detail.)

As for the “minimal engineering effort” part, that is a fair point. What I meant there is not that it would be “one-click easy,” but that it could reuse the existing validation and node allocation logic the game already runs when you manually assign a point. The backend would just add a lightweight “planned_nodes” list and read from it instead of waiting for a click. In that sense, it is more about extending existing systems than building new ones from scratch. (Section 6: Technical Outline)

And I do understand the “do not make PoE a spreadsheet” sentiment too. That is why the design philosophy section emphasizes that this system rewards foresight and mastery, not automation. It is meant for players who already know their path and simply want to focus on gameplay flow rather than menu time. For new players or anyone who enjoys the step-by-step process, nothing changes at all. (Section 5: Design Philosophy)

So yes, I fully agree it is something that sounds great on paper but needs to feel right in practice. Your kind of middle-ground feedback is exactly what helps refine the framing, so thank you again for reading it so thoughtfully.

it will take alot of complexity out of bot building, they will like it.

I'm not a fan: even at the 1000+ time I make my passive tree, I find interest everytime I open it up to place a point.

Plus.....if they open an opportunity to automate that in-game....it becomes one step closer to just straight up being a PoB simulator and no longer an actual game to play.


And considering how LITTLE effort it actually is to throw a passive point on the tree every few minutes in the beginning, to every few hours potentially in the end.....its not really even any sort of QoL feature. Just automation for the sake of automation.



This new craze of mentioning an "opt in/out" button, as if that just makes the idea okay.......is strange to me. If it REQUIRES an opt in or out button in the first place, chances are it doesn't belong or its an incomplete idea. In most instances, perhaps not all though. I've been seeing this a lot recently, as a sort of blanket defense and I don't really think it functions that way.

Nice idea! I'd definitely use something like this, and it won't hurt anyone that doesn't want to.

During the campaign, I don't spend all of my skillpoints one at a time. I don't know anyone who does, to be honest; I usually don't even open my passive tree until I hit the ledge, and after that I'm levelling up at the end of every act when I've finished doing all of the skill point quests.

So the amount of time you think this saves isn't actually correct, at least with regards to veteran players. I would still be for it, regardless, because the reason I wait until I have several skillpoints to spend is the one you hit on in your post: it's menu time, which is time not spent actually playing the game.

Unfortunately, there is one issue that I don't see a way around:

Lower skill/knowledge players do not know who they are. They never have, and they seemingly never will, because about once per year GGG drops a league mechanic which has completely user-selected difficulty. Those who frequent this forum already know what I'm about to say, because the result is the same literally every single time: players opt into a difficulty level they cannot overcome, and then they blame the game for giving them the freedom.

The current system forces players to look at their passive tree as they spend them, and thus acts as a teaching mechanism for players who are copy-pasting other people's builds. The players who NEED this instruction are also going to be the first players to turn it off if the option becomes available. So while I'm sure it would be great QoL for everyone in this thread, it would be disastrous for the game as a whole unless the option were gated behind some kind of competence check (killing uber bosses in SSF, etc) and that's probably going to anger a lot more players than it benefits.

Hey everyone, thanks for all the feedback so far I really appreciate the mix of perspectives.
It’s interesting to see how differently players approach the passive tree: some enjoy placing each point manually, others already batch-spend or pre-plan outside the game. That’s exactly why the proposal keeps everything manual by default and opt-in only, so it never removes the tactile part of progression for those who enjoy it.

A few notes based on what’s been brought up:

On the “automation for automation’s sake” concern:
The system isn’t meant to remove interaction, only to bridge existing pre-planning habits (Path of Building, web planner) into the in-game tree. It’s more about syncing tools players already use than adding something new to press.


On teaching newer players:
That’s a very fair point. The idea would indeed be hidden behind manual activation and unlocked only once the Scion is available on the account. At that point, players have already seen how the tree works and understand the basics of allocation. It would still remain a manual toggle afterward, ensuring that new players learn the fundamentals before gaining access to planning and automation options.


On time savings:
For some players it might not seem like much, but for those who level multiple characters each league or already know exactly what they’re going to pick, it would be a nice bonus. You could keep rushing through campaign and maps while your points, and thus your build’s power, evolve naturally with the flow of gameplay instead of pausing to open the tree or alt-tabbing back to Path of Building every few levels.

Thanks again to everyone for participating and keeping the discussion constructive. It really helps me refine the idea and see where I might not have explained things clearly, or where your way of looking at it highlights something I hadn’t considered in the first place.

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Melckiam#6267 wrote:

On the “automation for automation’s sake” concern:
The system isn’t meant to remove interaction, only to bridge existing pre-planning habits (Path of Building, web planner) into the in-game tree. It’s more about syncing tools players already use than adding something new to press.

right....I get that is the intention....but the FUNCTION is to make the game more into the "preplan" phase rather than what it currently is: the active planning phase.

The more things that become front-loaded and automated like that, the less "game" there ultimately needs to be. Even something so small as this can have a pretty long lasting and wide psychological effect on "gameplay".

There is significant "power" in the game designed to make us open up and look at the passive tree repeatedly and frequently. If we were to do that basically all at once, and then never look at the tree again for nearly the entire duration of leveling a character.......you would lose something irreplaceable.



And really....PoB is more about testing numerically what can be done. The game, FEELING each individual point both in terms of the immediate power increase as well as the overall growth mindset is an almost completely different system, not meant to be sync'd.

That’s a very good point, and I understand the reasoning behind it. It’s one of the main challenges when adding any quality-of-life feature in Path of Exile. The feeling of watching your build grow point by point is something I also wouldn’t want to remove.

The idea isn’t to front-load progression or take away that sense of involvement, but to reduce repetition once the planning work is already done. For example, when leveling alts or respeccing a character that already has a defined path.

The usual gameplay choices, like deciding where to go next or reacting to new items and ideas, would still be fully manual. This simply helps when the plan is already made, making the process smoother without changing the actual gameplay. You could still open the tree at any time, make changes, or turn the feature off completely.

To ensure new players still learn how the passive tree works, the feature could unlock only after finishing the campaign or reaching maps. By that point, players already understand how point allocation and progression function, so the system becomes a convenience tool rather than a shortcut.

The goal isn’t to remove depth or turn the game into a spreadsheet, but to make the time between decisions feel more natural and less mechanical.

I really appreciate your point about the psychological aspect as well. It’s something I’ll definitely keep in mind while refining the idea further.