Two months after the release of Path of Exile 2 Early Access, the initial wow effect of the new product has worn off, and serious problems with the game have come to the surface. These issues concern not only the content and technical aspects but also the design elements of the game.
Dissatisfaction Among Solo Players
On the Internet, long discussions are increasingly focusing on solo players’ dissatisfaction with the basic mechanics of PoE2. According to these players, those who do not want to “socialize” will never complete high-level content due to the lack of a system designed for solo play.
The Auction House Problem
And the notorious auction system is to blame for all this. The developers from Grinding Gear Games (GGG) essentially oblige players to use the auction if they want to complete the endgame content. Currently, this fact is a serious problem for the game. In Path of Exile 2, the crafting system does not allow players to regularly improve or change the items they find themselves so that they become useful for the character. Moreover, it has been noted that the chances of getting the item you need for your class are much lower than for any other class that you do not play.
Cumbersome Crafting System
The PoE2 formula is very cumbersome and uncomfortable. First, you need an item that inherently has good stats so that upgrading it makes sense. If you’re lucky and find one, you use an Orb of Augmentation to apply another random modifier to the item. And here, things can go wrong. Then, it’s Regal Orb and Exalted Orb. And here, too, everything can go wrong, since you can get something useful with an extremely low probability. In the vast majority of cases, you will get garbage.
Rarity of Craftable Items
While there are other craftable items in PoE2, they are so rare that you will hardly be able to use them to improve your own gear. To get good results with luck-based craftable items, you will need a lot of luck. It is almost impossible to make progress on your own, which puts an end to solo players.
Criticism from Various Players
Interestingly, the current development system is not only disliked by the “social-phobic sparrows” but also by those who are not against bargaining at the auction. How do players perceive the current system? Although there are items like the Omen of Whittling, they are so rare that players would rather sell them (including for real money) than use them themselves.
Community’s Proposed Solutions
The community believes that two fundamental changes can save the situation. First, it is necessary to increase the chances of crafting consumables dropping. This way, single players will be able to farm them in the required quantity and not depend on the auction. Second, reduce the number of accidents in crafting. An unpredictable result only adds negativity to the player’s perception of the game when they see failure time after time.
Lessons from Diablo Series
By the way, it was precisely because players “preferred to play the auction house” by selling good stuff that Blizzard abandoned this mechanic back in Diablo III. Later, they introduced a mechanic whereby most items drop specifically for your class. This same principle has been preserved in Diablo IV.
