Path of Exile

Zaphid

Trakanon Raider
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Now that I understand the game, its systems, and most of the skills? Nothing, really. Perhaps my post wasn't clear, but what I take issue with or find "difficult" is the leveling process, not the act itself.

Once you complete acts 1-10, it should unlock an "adventure" mode(ala Diablo 3), where all act waypoints are now activated on all future and existing characters. They could even take it further and add a "Tier 0" series of maps that starts at level 40ish or so. There's zero reason that this doesn't exist.

It's an effort in needless tedium to force players to repeat TEN fucking acts of gameplay over and over for each and every single character. Honestly, it'll likely be the number one reason I eventually give the game up. I love trying out new builds, skills, etc. and GGG makes it an extremely frustrating process to do so.
D3 did adventure mode while simultaneously giving you no reason to roll alts.

It's a lot better than what it was before 3.0, 4x3 reruns and honestly it gives some weight and feeling of progression to your character. You can choose to skip quests, when you do your labs etc. D3's way of "the one and only correct way to play" might be better for casual audience, but otherwise it has nowhere near the depth. Here you can find items that will hold up well into maps etc. It's not that hard to drop 30c on twinking items and faceroll through all the acts in less than 6 hours with 4 quicksilver flasks, tabula, goldrim and leveling weapons if you really need to and the experience gives you much better idea of what your character can do.
 

Jonkimble

Lord Nagafen Raider
624
202
Running through the acts, I just look at them as one big map. Killing is the same. Just can't roll map mods.

With twink gear, this levelling stuff is pretty fun. Just to compare the difficulty of running through the game for the first time vs your next char with good levelling uniques
 

Kirun

Buzzfeed Editor
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but otherwise it has nowhere near the depth.

I honestly don't get why people defend the decision for forcing people to run all 10 acts ad nauseum. Seriously, what am I missing that is so mind-bending about the amount of "depth" contained within killing the Brine King for the 800th time?
 

Caliane

Avatar of War Slayer
14,606
10,095
Why are people forced to play the game?
Why can't we just start at 75, with a full set of gear, every league?
 
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zombiewizardhawk

Potato del Grande
9,333
11,911
Yeah, I mentioned it a few pages back, but the leveling system in this game is shit-tier - especially with 10 acts now (fucking TEN, really!?). If you don't have a plethora of game knowledge about skills and the handful of "cheap" leveling uniques, it's a painful slog.

It was 15 before?
 

Jonkimble

Lord Nagafen Raider
624
202
I honestly don't get why people defend the decision for forcing people to run all 10 acts ad nauseum. Seriously, what am I missing that is so mind-bending about the amount of "depth" contained within killing the Brine King for the 800th time?

Running 10 acts repeatedly, how is this any different than running burial chambers/beach 1000 times?
 

Derkon

Trakanon Raider
2,453
1,192
I mean acts 1-4 are pretty short, only really drags in acts 6/7/8. 9 and 10 are also not too long.
 

Kiroy

Marine Biologist
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I've played since early beta and have done most (all?) the leagues since they started, never once have I had a problem with doing all the acts (even when you had to do 1-4 three times in a row), but I definitely understand why some people would have a problem with it, especially if they can't find much playtime or aren't that fast. I usually get into maps by the end of the first day, and I'm not at all fast.
 

Vorph

Bronze Baronet of the Realm
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4,759
Running 10 acts repeatedly, how is this any different than running burial chambers/beach 1000 times?
One feels like busy work, the other is progression even if it is just mindless grinding. I don't think it needs to be changed though, other than wishing that powerleveling was actually viable. It's a hell of a lot better now than it was, even if 1-10 still takes about the same amount of time or maybe even a little longer than 1-4x3 did. Personally I can't stand to run through the acts more than once (maybe twice if I have a very good reason) per league, so I have to plan my starter build accordingly. My real pet peeve with prepping a new character will always be trials far more than anything else, that shit needs to just fuck off for good.
 

AladainAF

Best Rabbit
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It takes me about an hour per act, maybe a little longer on my first character. Speed mostly comes down to being familiar with the map layouts, especially in the bigger zones, and whether or not you choose to rush through it or pace yourself and kill more mobs/clear the zones.

So like do you skip all the optional shit, then get to the end, then later go back and finish them or...?

Is there some kind of "guide" which helps lay all this out?
 

Vorph

Bronze Baronet of the Realm
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So like do you skip all the optional shit, then get to the end, then later go back and finish them or...?

Is there some kind of "guide" which helps lay all this out?
Generally you skip the side quests that don't give skill points as a reward. Go back and do the rest when you need more respec points.

I posted some guide stuff in my previous response. Knowing that the map layouts are only pseudo-random and that the exit you need to find is only going to be in a couple places can greatly reduce the amount of time you waste. Even more so in the later acts when quite a few maps are not random at all.

You can also check out RaizQT's YT channel for full ~3hr videos of him leveling various character archetypes and see exactly how racers do it: RaizQT
 
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Kirun

Buzzfeed Editor
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Running 10 acts repeatedly, how is this any different than running burial chambers/beach 1000 times?

Exactly like Vorph already explained, running the acts over and over again is just fucking needless busywork - especially when you factor in how necessary the skillpoint quests are.

And the best indicator that it's mindless busywork? The 10,000 different guides, YT videos, and forum posts teaching/showing you how to get through it as quickly as possible.
 

Jonkimble

Lord Nagafen Raider
624
202
There's 10,000 different guides to do everything in every game out there. That is a poor indicator of mindless busy work. Running the acts over? Once per character. Maps is what you run over and over again. I really don't understand your logic on this topic.
 

Zaphid

Trakanon Raider
5,862
294
Exactly like Vorph already explained, running the acts over and over again is just fucking needless busywork - especially when you factor in how necessary the skillpoint quests are.

And the best indicator that it's mindless busywork? The 10,000 different guides, YT videos, and forum posts teaching/showing you how to get through it as quickly as possible.
On the contrary, pretty much all the quests, even the skillpoints can be skipped, I generally skip granddaddy crab and most of the optional gods if my resists suck or I just don't run into the required stuff before finding an exit. 1-5 skill points don't give all that much, even less if you are twinking, the power comes from ascendancy. If I struggle at some point I can hop back and do them, maybe pick a +30 stat node for gear, but otherwise I go back and pick them up after Kitava.

There are guides for wiping your ass. There have been guides for D3 leveling. This is a shitty argument.
 

Korrupt

Blackwing Lair Raider
4,832
1,228
I've played since early beta and have done most (all?) the leagues since they started, never once have I had a problem with doing all the acts (even when you had to do 1-4 three times in a row), but I definitely understand why some people would have a problem with it, especially if they can't find much playtime or aren't that fast. I usually get into maps by the end of the first day, and I'm not at all fast.

Thats pretty fast, I was horribly slow in SSF this past one. Slowest i have ever been probably by far.