Two Thoughts on PoE2 Endgame

Hi everyone,

Like many of you, I’m super hyped and excited for PoE2. What we’ve seen of the PoE2 endgame in the video looks fantastic. However, the more I think about it, the more two points stick in my mind, and I’m unsure how to feel about them.

1. The Infinite Atlas:
When I’ve played a PoE league in the past, I’ve always had smaller personal goals, like completing the Atlas, defeating pinnacle bosses, completing challenges, etc. But the first goal was almost always to fully unlock the Atlas. This goal seems to be disappearing now. In my mind, this somehow makes the Atlas feel less engaging or rewarding.

2. Failing a Map After Dying:
On paper, this sounds fine to me. But the more I think about it, the more I feel it could lead to frustrating situations. What if I’m running a difficult map and encounter a tough Strongbox, an Essence monster, or another challenging mechanic? My instinct would likely be to ignore the mechanic initially and focus on completing the map first. Only then would I backtrack to engage with the mechanics I skipped. This seems like a strange and somewhat counterintuitive way to play.

What do you think? Did I misunderstand something? I know we’ll need to play it ourselves to see how it feels, but thinking about these things in advance is part of the fun for me =D

Cheers,
Sefar

I don't mind there being consequences. We'll be learning this game all over again, reserve judgment until then.

I kind of like it. Give a sense of exploration. The infinite aspect is needed exactly to always have a path around ... the lock out problem should be an issue only on the very first nodes.

I dislike the infinite atlas because it means that the importance of each individual map is diminished because "there are infinite maps just like it". The only thing setting maps apart that the player will actually care about is the reward. And what players will do is just pick the closest reward map.

Because it doesn't look like players can force certain map types like in PoE 1(unless all tier 1 deserts share the same map type which is different from tier 2 deserts, but the fact that they keep talking about it being "random" makes me think that I cannot even rely on the biome to control the map or enemies I get consistently).

What I mean is that I am dissapointed that it seems like it would be almost impossible to do things like burial chambers farm or strand farm. Also I expect I will have no reason to go out of my way to see map types that I have not seen because a map clear is a map clear, only the rewards matter.

Also I no longer will be going to toxic sewers to fill in map completion or to volcano INTENTIONALLY, unless atlas points rely on completing every biome at different tiers I have no reason to do anything other than pick closest reward.

This is what I mean when I say that "infinite" maps makes each map feel like nothing, I do not notice drops of water in the ocean.

But on map failing - I think atlas NEEDS to be possible to reset, because you can lock yourself out of it by dying to the first few maps.

1. I'd have to try it to form a proper opinion. Initial thoughts: it's a modified Delve....I like Delve.

2. Backtracking, and strategically picking your fights are only a problem if you like the zoom zoom speed playstyle. This, unfortunately encourages clicking on everything and killing as fast as possible as to move to the next map ASAP. I hate that playstyle, so that really seems like a nonissue.

I slept on this last night and I want Mark Roberts to talk more about Group play/ end game. I seen in the trials that there was a item that could resurrect you once during your trial run, maybe Atlas has more of these type of items that you could save up and use we just dont know what we dont know. Maybe in the extra trees you can spec into a certain amount of deaths per run idk?

I also see a world where players trade for keys to run the pinnacle end game dungeon over and over from players who cant complete the dungeon and sell said keys to trade for items they want. I also see a abuse case of this where followers give alll their keys to their favorite XYZ streamer so they can attempt to be the first to clear the top content. I feel like this is a huge topic that they should address more than what they did in the Q&A after the reveal.

yes