Path of Exile 3.16 Balance - Part 1 - Flasks and Ailment Mitigation

We will have to see what the numbers and iterations are, but conceptually the ailment mitigation/immunity changes definitely seem like they are on the right path. These things need to be easy to fit into any build, but at the same time have the appropriate power and cost associated to acquiring them. Similar to the idea that getting resist capped isn't a question of "if", but a question of "how".

I rather die 2k+ time then use 50% reservation purity of elements..

Just dropped by to say I love the format you have chosen for this post - really supports community engagement. I don't actually have any independent thoughts, but I can just see the debate can now focus on whether you've identified the right problem, and whether the solution actually works...

Am sad about tempest shield tho!

All looking good except why is there no flask love for curse removal/immunity ?
Still only just "Remove curse on use" why not any "Immune to curses if a curse was removed for 15-17 seconds" like other ailments?

"

[...]anything here is subject to change based on our further testing and your feedback.[...]

I don't know if GGG really reads all posts, or just whatever gets most upvoted on reddit... but here's my shot:

The EE, EO, nerfs, and life Flask recovery rate changes look like are going to hurt pretty badly Petrified Blood Righteous Fire levelling builds.

PBRF works like this: You cap your fire resistance, use Petrified Blood, and carry a belt full of life flasks (minimum 3). Activate RF and heal most of the degen with flasks, and over regen with Vitality and/or Siphoning Trap. Use lifetap to fine tune recovery. As long as you don't recove more life from flasks that you lose from RF, you will never reach full life. This allows you to queue the flasks, when you reach the boss of the area you provably have accumulated a few minutes to kill him without regaining charges.

If your final build uses scion life wheel, you can play this. It's damage increases with life, and you only need 20 points for EE, EO, and a bit of damage, that you can respect later with quests respect points.

PBRF builds are a league starter, viable without uniques or twink gear (from level 24), very comfortable to play (it's literally a walk), very safe, and his biggest attractive is that very easily transitions to a final build (that you can't play as intented at earlier levels because it requires enabling uniques, ascendancy skills, or a minimum level). It's not a popular one, but it would hurt me so much to lose it.

EE and EO are specially relevant when you're using a 4L or even 3L. I know you say you're increasing DOTs, but provably is going to be a change be made thinking on 6L skill links. My requests is that you buff RF damage between levels 3 and 18 as if players were using it in a 3L or 4L configuration, please. Afterall, this configuration is provably the main use RF sees during the campaing, before Rise of the Phoenix/Saffell's Frame/High level purity of Fire are options.

The recovery rate of life flasks will make harder queueing them effectively. Already, levels 50-60 of this build was complicated because of the recovery rate of Sanctified Life flasks were so out of line with the normal progression of the rests of the flasks... If you're going to give all life flasks the same treatment Sanctified Flasks have, can be good for the build, as long as some reliable non-RNG method to increase the duration is accessible. Either some bench crafting duration on belts (currently unlocked in act 8, and very low values), or Saturated mod can be forced (vendor recipe that copies the prefixes of the first flask, beast crafting option), or if you're going to change Lifetap do it with this also in mind, or even a re-do of Survival Skills. I know your first reaction is "just craft some", but at 3 flasks per tier, 6 tiers of flasks, and 15 possible prefixes, you need ~270 alterations to fund the build. It stops being a league starter option.

I don't say don't do the changes you intend, but if the build is hit from three sides, it won't survive. With just a couple considerations (not balancing RF linearly across all levels and realistic access to some method to increase flasks duration, even if at a lower recovery rate cost).

I understand the build is not popular, if you have any question just ask it. Clearing the campaign isn't popular either, please don't hurt a build made to make the process less painful.

Looking for the spiced act II !

gachiHyper

I feel like GGG once again have missed the mark on the flask balances. They may very well work for the most powerful characters with the faster clear speeds, but for the casual playerbase, they're not going to work very will this league either.


GGG have correctly identified a problem most casual players have been facing in 3.15:

"

Utility Flasks are sustainable with enough character damage and clear speed, but there aren't easy ways to sustain Utility Flasks for less-powerful characters.

While the attempts of solving this on paper may seem like a step forward, one of the issues we're facing and have been needing from flasks is the proactive immunity. If the casual players opt into using flasks for that non-optional freeze immunity, then we're in for an equally bad time this league with the flasks, as all of them comes with 35% less duration.

"

Immunity to Bleeding and Corrupted Blood during Flask Effect | 35% less Duration at the highest tier
Immunity to Poison during Flask Effect | 35% less Duration at the highest tier
Immunity to Shock during Flask Effect | 35% less Duration at the highest tier
Immunity to Ignite during Flask effect | Removes Burning on use | 35% less Duration at the highest tier
Immunity to Freeze and Chill during Flask Effect | 35% less Duration at the highest tier

GGG may have been attempting to consider this, but they've failed spectacularly to consider the implifications of their solutions, but allowing for both Purity of Elements to grant ailment immunity and for more powerful ailment affixes on gear.

Purity of Elements have managed to get a 50% reservation tag, effectively rendering a non-use aura for the less powerful builds, as it's simply too expensive in both currency and passive points for most of the builds to get enough reduced reservation, to fit that aura into their builds instead of the mandatory damage auras. I say mandatory, because the casual builds have already been stripped of much of the damage in the first place with the "balancing" of 3.15.

It's the same story with the gear option, most of us casual players simply do not have the time to invest into the game, to either learn crafting or get the currency to craft, because of other commitments in life. Work, family, health, etc. take precedence over a videogame, regardless if the developer thinks otherwise or not. This is going to result in the ailment modifiers on armour items will have to be the focus to mitigate the less duration on flasks, that we cannot sustain, but that too presents a problem, as many of us is already struggling to get enough damage focused affixes on our gear, enough resistances and enough ES or life. Adding another non-optional stat to that list of items just seem arrogant or asinine.

3.16 Flasks League ? Changes are very welcome.

fkng casual! Didn't you promise to bring hardcore back into the game, Chris?