A somewhat new player's review of Path of VexOhmIstDol

"

Your speaking for other people when it shouldn't be, I retried playing D2 a year ago, and I played TL2 like 6 months ago, I can say definitely 100% that the progression in PoE sucks when compared to those games, and I have outlined reasons why

It goes both ways, there are plenty of people who find the progression in this game completely acceptable or requires some more early game precipices and items to work on that this company adds very patch.

I'm not saying PoE is perfecting, I'm just saying "it just blatantly sucks ala D3" is nonconstructive as oppose to suggesting early game sets and more crafting recipes and early game items.

"

That and sockets/links (you can't use items in PoE straight away due to you have to blow currency on them so they have the right socket/fuse combination) + larger mod pool + more necessary stats (endgame you basically need life or ES on all of your gear, again this is unique to PoE due to a lot of mechanics punishing you more for having low life), completely nondeterministic progression

At the end of the day, there are like 10+ things in PoE which make progression harder in PoE, and although some of those things may be small, all of those things stack with eachother. If it was just one thing it wouldn't be an issue, and although you list some things below, there are many more which you are ignoring

The game being a more complex, harder to play game with more things to worry about is an intent design of the game. It's the opposite design choice of D3 to making it simpler from D2 which was a complete disaster. This is an inherent design choice the developers decide to make when they are making a "hardcore arpg." Coming up with complex game chances myself would be pointless because it's easier to suggest ideas that are proven from D2, such as a ton more early game item/power such as runewords, jewels/gems to socket into your items and item sets.

"

PoE should stop releasing so many skills and actually looking at improving the core experience of their game

Considering they have people working on this, I'm pretty sure the person that designs the skills doesn't work on the game balance. I mean in the 1.0.0 patch they made getting 4 links 250% easier and a 5link 50% easier with other balance changes with every single patch after that changes to do as you said. D2 LoD doesn't become perfect until patch 1.08 + it was an expansion, It's just nonconstructive to condemn the game like D3 and just do stuff like "Why isn't it as good as D2 or torchlight." Less complaining and more focus on what you can do to improve the game is more helpful, I outlined in almost all of my posts that I agree in some of the op suggestions as well as some from D2 that would improve D2.

"

D3 obviously had its own problems, the difference is that at least admitted and realized their problems, where as it appears that Chris lives in a delusional bubble regarding PoE's issues, and then we have this whole white knighting fanboy brigade that defend PoE at all costs because it has the "hardcore" label and because GGG called it D2's "spiritual sucessor"

Your going to have white knights and then the doomslayers that going to complain about every single little point in this game that they dislike or aren't up their exceptions. You need a good medium, just because I defend this game as actually being quite >decent< doesn't mean I think it's perfect. Here is just a short list of things I think can instantly improve the game.

1. The better trading system like GG said they are working on.
2. More early game items, sets and other ways to find power outside of just Gear and always more end game content
3. Auto-organize inventory/stash and search bar in stash
4. More crafting recipes
5. Better friendlist system group them and add in notes

"

The people who claim this game is like D2 are being delusional, its just a facade. The main critical difference of course, between D2 and PoE, is that D2 was never designed, or balanced, around any economy, which allowed the developers of the game (same guys who made TL/TL2) to fine tune the game for self found progression very well. Arguably the reason why D2 was so popular is it was the only real aRPG that got this formula for self found progression right. If the progression is too fast, people get bored fast, and if its too slow, it starts exhibiting the same issue that Korean MMO's exhibit.

The thing is, its not really possible to balance a game around an economy and self found progression, you have to do one or the other, else you get a game which is a weird hybrid between MMO and aRPG which just brings out the worst of both worlds. And the only aRPG's with this problem currently are, PoE and D3 (until RoS).

Considering how the economy of D2 was stone of jordons or millions of duped gear that nobody found themselves, it's kinda hard to accurately say anything other then playing the game single player from act 1 to act 4 solo.

Also let's be real, many people who play TL/TL2 and D2 only play single player and never exist the forum or talk about it. They also either download the many many tons of mods for the game to custom craft it to their liking and TL/TL2 had difficulty settings for every type of player.

You cannot create a perfect game that has "just right" pacing for every single person ever to play the game (even more so if you can't mod it or play offline to change the game how you want it), you just need to make the net big enough to catch the majority of people.

People claim D2 was one of the greatest games ever because tons of people played it, would be equivalent to saying WoW is the greatest designed mmo ever or call of duty. A formula to improve upon this doesn't have to be a clone.

"

RagnarokChu wrote:

"

Your speaking for other people when it shouldn't be, I retried playing D2 a year ago, and I played TL2 like 6 months ago, I can say definitely 100% that the progression in PoE sucks when compared to those games, and I have outlined reasons why

It goes both ways, there are plenty of people who find the progression in this game completely acceptable or requires some more early game precipices and items to work on that this company adds very patch.

I'm not saying PoE is perfecting, I'm just saying "it just blatantly sucks ala D3" is nonconstructive as oppose to suggesting early game sets and more crafting recipes and early game items.

Yet, I have been in communities for all of these games, and I have never seen the amount of people complaining about progression in those games as I have in PoE. PoE is literally the only aRPG, about from D3, where you get consistent threads about this issue

So believe it or not, it is a problem, or its much more of a problem than it is in the other games. Next you are going to be telling me that desync isn't an issue because some people don't complain about it

"

RagnarokChu wrote:

"

That and sockets/links (you can't use items in PoE straight away due to you have to blow currency on them so they have the right socket/fuse combination) + larger mod pool + more necessary stats (endgame you basically need life or ES on all of your gear, again this is unique to PoE due to a lot of mechanics punishing you more for having low life), completely nondeterministic progression

At the end of the day, there are like 10+ things in PoE which make progression harder in PoE, and although some of those things may be small, all of those things stack with eachother. If it was just one thing it wouldn't be an issue, and although you list some things below, there are many more which you are ignoring

The game being a more complex, harder to play game with more things to worry about is an intent design of the game. It's the opposite design choice of D3 to making it simpler from D2 which was a complete disaster. This is an inherent design choice the developers decide to make when they are making a "hardcore arpg." Coming up with complex game chances myself would be pointless because it's easier to suggest ideas that are proven from D2, such as a ton more early game item/power such as runewords, jewels/gems to socket into your items and item sets.

This is irrelevant to the point I am making. Those things that were added have (which can be factually proven, with maths) self found progression much harder, due to the increased variables that you need to meet in order to progress (its no longer just mods on items and item level, its that plus many other things)

You can easily make the game more complex without harming self found progression, for example PoE could introduce vendor recipes which allowed you to carry over socket combinations from one item to another etc etc, or they could put in minimum socket levels for items, so that 60+ items always have a minimum of 4 sockets

This is what I am talking about self delusion, you are brushing away a legitimate point which I made without admitting that its harmed solo self found play

So let me ask this to you straight, do you admit that these mechanics and features (which D2 doesn't have), have harmed solo self found play? Because if you do, than actually accept, and admit it, as an issue in PoE, and that it can be solved without having to remove the mechanics (which none of us are suggesting)

"

RagnarokChu wrote:

"

PoE should stop releasing so many skills and actually looking at improving the core experience of their game

Considering they have people working on this, I'm pretty sure the person that designs the skills doesn't work on the game balance. I mean in the 1.0.0 patch they made getting 4 links 250% easier and a 5link 50% easier with other balance changes with every single patch after that changes to do as you said. D2 LoD doesn't become perfect until patch 1.08 + it was an expansion, It's just nonconstructive to condemn the game like D3 and just do stuff like "Why isn't it as good as D2 or torchlight." Less complaining and more focus on what you can do to improve the game is more helpful, I outlined in almost all of my posts that I agree in some of the op suggestions as well as some from D2 that would improve D2.

Actually a lot of people that do design skills also do balancing.

Also I have spent (as have many other people) coming up with suggestions, so you can't really claim that. Not only that, but when PoE removes developer feedback, like the manifesto, it doesn't help at all

"

RagnarokChu wrote:

"

D3 obviously had its own problems, the difference is that at least admitted and realized their problems, where as it appears that Chris lives in a delusional bubble regarding PoE's issues, and then we have this whole white knighting fanboy brigade that defend PoE at all costs because it has the "hardcore" label and because GGG called it D2's "spiritual sucessor"

Your going to have white knights and then the doomslayers that going to complain about every single little point in this game that they dislike or aren't up their exceptions. You need a good medium, just because I defend this game as actually being quite >decent< doesn't mean I think it's perfect. Here is just a short list of things I think can instantly improve the game.

1. The better trading system like GG said they are working on.
2. More early game items, sets and other ways to find power outside of just Gear and always more end game content
3. Auto-organize inventory/stash and search bar in stash
4. More crafting recipes
5. Better friendlist system group them and add in notes

And yet you sought of earlier claim that I am right, but defend it by posting irrelevant points

"

RagnarokChu wrote:

"

The people who claim this game is like D2 are being delusional, its just a facade. The main critical difference of course, between D2 and PoE, is that D2 was never designed, or balanced, around any economy, which allowed the developers of the game (same guys who made TL/TL2) to fine tune the game for self found progression very well. Arguably the reason why D2 was so popular is it was the only real aRPG that got this formula for self found progression right. If the progression is too fast, people get bored fast, and if its too slow, it starts exhibiting the same issue that Korean MMO's exhibit.

The thing is, its not really possible to balance a game around an economy and self found progression, you have to do one or the other, else you get a game which is a weird hybrid between MMO and aRPG which just brings out the worst of both worlds. And the only aRPG's with this problem currently are, PoE and D3 (until RoS).

Considering how the economy of D2 was stone of jordons or millions of duped gear that nobody found themselves, it's kinda hard to accurately say anything other then playing the game single player from act 1 to act 4 solo.

Also let's be real, many people who play TL/TL2 and D2 only play single player and never exist the forum or talk about it. They also either download the many many tons of mods for the game to custom craft it to their liking and TL/TL2 had difficulty settings for every type of player.

Which again is irrelevant to the point I am making, and again if you implicitly said that I am correct. The fact that D2's economy was so trashed proves my point, the creators of D2 never gave two shits about the economy, they didn't care about it. Heck in TL/TL2, you can legitimately dupe items. In other words these games were always balanced and designed around self found progression, regardless of what effects it doesn't have on the economy. That is not the same for PoE, and this is a fact

Then regarding TL2 with its modding scene, this mainly happened due to TL2 using a very antiquated tree system. TL2 executed stuff very well (including self found progression, unsurprisingly), however they didn't really innovate.

If TL2 had the same/similar passive skill tree/gem system, I wouldn't be touching PoE with a ten foot pole

EDIT: Its a shame, because we don't really have a good aRPG currently if PoE put as much thought into self found progression as TL2 (or if TL2 had a much better skill system), than either of those games would be sitting around 9/10 in my books. I would currently give PoE a 6 (maybe 7) due to things like desync, and having systems in place that are ridiculously frustrating, and I would give TL2 a 8.5, because even though it didn't really innovate, they actually executed their stuff perfectly and they still know what actually makes good aRPGS

"

Yet, I have been in communities for all of these games, and I have never seen the amount of people complaining about progression in those games as I have in PoE. PoE is literally the only aRPG, about from D3, where you get consistent threads about this issue

So believe it or not, it is a problem, or its much more of a problem than it is in the other games. Next you are going to be telling me that desync isn't an issue because some people don't complain about it

I don't know were you been but D2 I've seen just as many complaints at the start of D2 and other ARPGs, D2 doesn't have the consistent complaints anymore after you know. Years of patching and a expansion, I never stated that PoE doesn't have area to improved. I literally state multiple ways to improve in the exact way you want it, you just don't want to reconize it and just be a doomsayer.

"

This is irrelevant to the point I am making. Those things that were added have (which can be factually proven, with maths) self found progression much harder, due to the increased variables that you need to meet in order to progress (its no longer just mods on items and item level, its that plus many other things)

You can easily make the game more complex without harming self found progression, for example PoE could introduce vendor recipes which allowed you to carry over socket combinations from one item to another etc etc, or they could put in minimum socket levels for items, so that 60+ items always have a minimum of 4 sockets

This is what I am talking about self delusion, you are brushing away a legitimate point which I made without admitting that its harmed solo self found play

So let me ask this to you straight, do you admit that these mechanics and features (which D2 doesn't have), have harmed solo self found play? Because if you do, than actually accept, and admit it, as an issue in PoE, and that it can be solved without having to remove the mechanics (which none of us are suggesting)

The game is >harder<, I stated this myself. Why do I need to admit that it "harmed" solo self found play when the game is harder for everyone in general, it's meant to be harder. I'm not showing favor or disfavor to "solo self play." I am literally talking improving the game in general, which I LITERALLY stated ways to improve the game.

"

Actually a lot of people that do design skills also do balancing.

Also I have spent (as have many other people) coming up with suggestions, so you can't really claim that. Not only that, but when PoE removes developer feedback, like the manifesto, it doesn't help at all

You suggest, and they do listen. Also how do you know that "a lot of people" that "design skills" are also on the balance team? They are working on balance, they are adding in items and recipes every game as well as making the game easier for "solo self found play."

"

Which again is irrelevant to the point I am making, and again if you implicitly said that I am correct. The fact that D2's economy was so trashed proves my point, the creators of D2 never gave two shits about the economy, they didn't care about it. Heck in TL/TL2, you can legitimately dupe items. In other words these games were always balanced and designed around self found progression, regardless of what effects it doesn't have on the economy. That is not the same for PoE, and this is a fact

Then regarding TL2 with its modding scene, this mainly happened due to TL2 using a very antiquated tree system. TL2 executed stuff very well (including self found progression, unsurprisingly), however they didn't really innovate.

If TL2 had the same/similar passive skill tree/gem system, I wouldn't be touching PoE with a ten foot pole

Your not getting my point, you are putting everything else on the high pedestal because you like all of the >good< points of those games and then is just doomsaying this game.

Where in my post period that I claimed that you are wrong and we should not improve the game, I multiple times explicitly stated SEVERAL ideas in MULTIPLE post over the course of this ENTIRE thread that >agrees< with how you want the game to improve.

I am disagreeing with your method of nonconstructive "attempt's" to make this game better with alot of biased and personal wants and needs for a game to be "just as perfect" for D2 or "for you" as oppose to constructive improvements to the game that adds in the strengths of another for a possible weakness in PoE.

It seems like the most of the OP's complaints are where the OP has come up against a barrier because of their lack of skill, and has decided to blame the game instead of trying to improve.

"

IlyaK1986 wrote:

However, I think a lot more people would have a better experience if every time they died, they could say "I died because I screwed up", rather than "sigh, edge case death".

They already can say that, and they should. They just don't. The reason you aren't getting any better is because you're blaming the game instead of adjusting your play style.

"

2) Where are the cost-effective options to welcome players new to PoE?

You mean where are the twink uniques for 1 alc? Everywhere, man. All over trade chat.

"

3) Where are the safely-farmable zones for a player on his first character to actually find gear?

Ledge, forest, felshrine, dread thicket, city of sarn, docks, ...

"

Where is the basic math in this game?

Non-sequitur.

"

That is--if 2 fusings is a chaos, and 25 chaos is an exalt, and it takes 100 fusings (on average) to get a 5-L, well, basic math says that just to use and sustain a basic freaking lightning arrow and an aura, you'd need to throw 2 exalts worth of fusings just so you can run lightning arrow-lmp-pierce/chain-blood magic-LGoH/lifeleech.

Your idea of 'basic lightning arrow and an aura' is pretty nuts. You don't need blood magic + LGoH, just use mana leech or mana flasks or mana regen etc...
Or, you know, get some aura or mana passives on the tree if your aura is eating up all your mana. Or one of the many other solutions to what you consider to be an insurmountable problem. Or, don't run a 60% aura if you really can't afford it mana-wise.

"

RagnarokChu wrote:

I don't know were you been but D2 I've seen just as many complaints at the start of D2 and other ARPGs, D2 doesn't have the consistent complaints anymore after you know. Years of patching and a expansion, I never stated that PoE doesn't have area to improved. I literally state multiple ways to improve in the exact way you want it, you just don't want to reconize it and just be a doomsayer.

I am talking about complains specific to self found progression, I can definitely say I have not seem that complaint in the same volume as I have on PoE.

I honestly remember like 2 threads on the relic forums talking about self found progression, In PoE we get at least 2 threads a week about this issue (directly or indirectly). Lets also add in all the threads talking about implementing a self found league (which is actually the nicest way to solve this problem as it doesn't effect an online economy, since its a separate league, even though the high and almighty Chris doesn't want to implement it for god knows what legitimate reason)

"

RagnarokChu wrote:

"

This is irrelevant to the point I am making. Those things that were added have (which can be factually proven, with maths) self found progression much harder, due to the increased variables that you need to meet in order to progress (its no longer just mods on items and item level, its that plus many other things)

You can easily make the game more complex without harming self found progression, for example PoE could introduce vendor recipes which allowed you to carry over socket combinations from one item to another etc etc, or they could put in minimum socket levels for items, so that 60+ items always have a minimum of 4 sockets

This is what I am talking about self delusion, you are brushing away a legitimate point which I made without admitting that its harmed solo self found play

So let me ask this to you straight, do you admit that these mechanics and features (which D2 doesn't have), have harmed solo self found play? Because if you do, than actually accept, and admit it, as an issue in PoE, and that it can be solved without having to remove the mechanics (which none of us are suggesting)

The game is >harder<, I stated this myself. Why do I need to admit that it "harmed" solo self found play when the game is harder for everyone in general, it's meant to be harder. I'm not showing favor or disfavor to "solo self play." I am literally talking improving the game in general, which I LITERALLY stated ways to improve the game.

This has nothing to do with harder, against stop bringing in irrelevant shit.

So more on topic, do you actually admit now that PoE has much worse self found progression than D2 (you seem to be tiptoing but I actually havn't seen you admit it)

Because the problem is, you sought of spend your time arguing that people are wearing rose tinted glasses and that PoE really wasn't that different from D2 in regards to self found progression, and now you are going around saying its not the same, so which one is it?

"

RagnarokChu wrote:

"

Actually a lot of people that do design skills also do balancing.

Also I have spent (as have many other people) coming up with suggestions, so you can't really claim that. Not only that, but when PoE removes developer feedback, like the manifesto, it doesn't help at all

You suggest, and they do listen. Also how do you know that "a lot of people" that "design skills" are also on the balance team? They are working on balance, they are adding in items and recipes every game as well as making the game easier for "solo self found play."

The amount of changes in making the game easier for self found is vastly encompassed by PoE adding new skills and content. In fact, the increase to 4L/5L chance was probably the only real change that PoE has done for solo self found specifically

"

RagnarokChu wrote:

"

Which again is irrelevant to the point I am making, and again if you implicitly said that I am correct. The fact that D2's economy was so trashed proves my point, the creators of D2 never gave two shits about the economy, they didn't care about it. Heck in TL/TL2, you can legitimately dupe items. In other words these games were always balanced and designed around self found progression, regardless of what effects it doesn't have on the economy. That is not the same for PoE, and this is a fact

Then regarding TL2 with its modding scene, this mainly happened due to TL2 using a very antiquated tree system. TL2 executed stuff very well (including self found progression, unsurprisingly), however they didn't really innovate.

If TL2 had the same/similar passive skill tree/gem system, I wouldn't be touching PoE with a ten foot pole

Your not getting my point, you are putting everything else on the high pedestal because you like all of the >good< points of those games and then is just doomsaying this game.

Where in my post period that I claimed that you are wrong and we should not improve the game, I multiple times explicitly stated SEVERAL ideas in MULTIPLE post over the course of this ENTIRE thread that >agrees< with how you want the game to improve.

My main problem with you is that you are brushing away the legitimate criticism that self found in PoE, at least compared to those other comparable aRPG, sucks. If you admit that self found is worse in PoE, then why are you arguing about it, and instead of tip toeing around the issue and trying to defend PoE's self found progression by doing largely incomplete comparisons with D2, admit its a problem, and move on

"

deteego wrote:

D3 obviously had its own problems, the difference is that at least admitted and realized their problems, where as it appears that Chris lives in a delusional bubble regarding PoE's issues, and then we have this whole white knighting fanboy brigade that defend PoE at all costs because it has the "hardcore" label and because GGG called it D2's "spiritual sucessor"

I suspect the reason for such behavior is a pet Undying Evangelist.

"

raics wrote:

"

deteego wrote:

D3 obviously had its own problems, the difference is that at least admitted and realized their problems, where as it appears that Chris lives in a delusional bubble regarding PoE's issues, and then we have this whole white knighting fanboy brigade that defend PoE at all costs because it has the "hardcore" label and because GGG called it D2's "spiritual sucessor"

I suspect the reason for such behavior is a pet Undying Evangelist.

lol nice pun

"

I am talking about complains specific to self found progression, I can definitely say I have not seem that complaint in the same volume as I have on PoE.

I honestly remember like 2 threads on the relic forums talking about self found progression, In PoE we get at least 2 threads a week about this issue (directly or indirectly). Lets also add in all the threads talking about implementing a self found league (which is actually the nicest way to solve this problem as it doesn't effect an online economy, since its a separate league, even though the high and almighty Chris doesn't want to implement it for god knows what legitimate reason)

Self found league is pointless because it doesn't fix the problem if the game doesn't have more early game items/sets/blah blah blah. If you want to have a biased focus on "self found" while I talk about general improvements to the game, knock yourself out. All I am saying is your linear focus on improvements and ways that you think is only good for the way you play the game is unproductive.

You seen doesn't mean they don't exist.

"

This has nothing to do with harder, against stop bringing in irrelevant shit.

So more on topic, do you actually admit now that PoE has much worse self found progression than D2 (you seem to be tiptoing but I actually havn't seen you admit it)

Because the problem is, you sought of spend your time arguing that people are wearing rose tinted glasses and that PoE really wasn't that different from D2 in regards to self found progression, and now you are going around saying its not the same, so which one is it?

Stop >ignoring< points that directly disprove that his game as something "against" self found progression. The game is harder on purpose, therefore it's harder for everyone. I don't need to admit that it's "harder" for self-found because it's harder in general because it's more complex.

You can beat PoE in an entire day, people do it all of the time at the start of leagues. The only "wall" is act 3 merciless is the very last act at the highest difficulty. This is the exact same thing as in D2. Do you know how hard ancients are and so on? I am going to suggest ideas to IMPROVE progression for the general benefit of everyone, but please let's not be ridiculous with rose-tinted glasses.

"

The amount of changes in making the game easier for self found is vastly encompassed by PoE adding new skills and content. In fact, the increase to 4L/5L chance was probably the only real change that PoE has done for solo self found specifically

If your going to just marginalize my examples if PoE constantly improving the game since 1.00 and every patch afterwards then there's no point of debating with you because like I said, going to doomslay and ignore it.

"

My main problem with you is that you are brushing away the legitimate criticism that self found in PoE, at least compared to those other comparable aRPG, sucks. If you admit that self found is worse in PoE, then why are you arguing about it, and instead of tip toeing around the issue and trying to defend PoE's self found progression by doing largely incomplete comparisons with D2, admit its a problem, and move on

I'm attempting to focus on core issues that generally improves on the game then attempt to "improve" the game in the exact way you want it which is "solo self found." The game compasses more then that you know right. If you want actual good feedback you are going to need to grind down your idea, refine it and then exactly purpose the idea that will in fact improve the game.

When did I admit self found is worse in PoE, I admit that there always need to be more items, early game items and w/e to find in the game in general (like runewords and gems/jewels). The more shit you can find, the better it is for progression AND end game.

You do largely incomplete comparisons to other games by your definition too, also this is the "feedback" form and your telling to "admit stuff is a problem" and move on.

This is why when people complain about shit like "oh bosses are too easy" and then when they buff bosses and they one shot people they are surprised. They just "admitted" a problem and then gave the company no specific direction on how to improve the game other then random personal experiences or "comparisons" to other games without specific in-game incontext on how to exactly improve the game in general.

"

dudiobugtron wrote:

It seems like the most of the OP's complaints are where the OP has come up against a barrier because of their lack of skill, and has decided to blame the game instead of trying to improve.

"

IlyaK1986 wrote:

However, I think a lot more people would have a better experience if every time they died, they could say "I died because I screwed up", rather than "sigh, edge case death".

They already can say that, and they should. They just don't. The reason you aren't getting any better is because you're blaming the game instead of adjusting your play style.

It's not adjusting your playstyle, it's adjusting your gear. It has nothing to do with skill. It's just a basic mix between min/maxing and prospecting for better gear in the trading spheres.

"

IlyaK1986 wrote:

Wow. Well, this thread went good places =).

D3 does (or at least did, I haven't gone back to it after playing PoE) have some bursts of latency. The term "Rubberbanding" was thrown around quite a bit. I didn't experience it a lot, but when I did, it was more often in large open zones with rare mobs that had a character trapping skill like walling or did enormous damage. I learned to value run speed above all else, and use the character's escape movement skill if I thought it was happening. (which you don't find out till a few seconds later). Desync does need a good solid fix.

......

Insight and mercs were very useful in D2. I think implementing something like the merc in PoE would break all the balance and let players steamroll everything.

Spirit was a great runeword as well, but something like it or Rhyme in PoE would make almost all other shields obsolete, and that's something GGG is intentionally trying to avoid.

The guaranteed mod crafting is something that GGG might be letting in on a very slight basis - with a recipe for guaranteed faster move speed on boots for instance, or damage on a weapon. They seem to be very cautious about it so far. I think as the game is further defined and exploits ironed out, there will be more crafting recipes and better odds at usable results. Some of it is in response to players finding ways to break the game - chance orbs supposedly used to guarantee a unique item after 300 were used on the same base item.

Regarding upgrades - In my PoE gaming, it seems that the items dropped by bosses have a much better chance at usable combinations of bonuses than rare monsters several levels higher. I don't know if it is intentional, but the helms, armor, weapons, boots etc that drop from a boss are usually what end up going on to my characters.

For instance, the bow that Perpetus dropped in normal (after brutally kicking my character from hardcore to standard) was outstanding enough to carry her to early Merciless.

Good luck in your gaming and on your drops!