T16.5 Maps are really fun but do highlight some issues

Volatile Cores: They are just overtuned. 83% max fire, 6 endurance charges, 20% fortify, 5.5-6.7k max life depending on HH buffs and in most maps it feels like I will 100% get oneshot regardless of mods on the map here.

Drowning Orbs: I don't actually mind these that much, its rather fun to be on edge and dodge away. Just sometimes it feels like they bring your action speed to actual 0. There's been atleast 20 times I've pressed frost blink or leap slam the second I see them and I wont even get 20% into the animation by the time the drowning orb kills me. Other times it kills me AFTER I've leaped away. This brings down the "fun" of playing around these down by a metric fuckton.

3% Action speed per skill modifier feels a bit too shit, I get that mods are something we are supposed to build around etc. But this one barely has any counterplay. I know there are some items that fix this, but after looking through them most are very niche or just absolute hot garbage except for that modifier. Most if not all other mods can be fixed by building or playing around it by almost any build, but this one requires such a significant cost for most builds you'd rather slog through than fix it. Maybe reduce it to 2% instead.

Searing Exarch Runes: Fix visibility.

-max res: its just a dumb mod, everyone hates it. -20% is just crazy, even -5% would be very rough for many in these maps.

Conclusion: t16.5s are really fun, I'm having an absolute blast doing them but I personaly feel like some of the modifiers mentioned above are a bit over the top or unfun :)

-20% max res is actually -38% since everyone runs map modifiers too.

I guessy only issue is the slow mode that is additive with drowning orb up to 100%. With a bad timing your lose control of your character completely and just die.

This one should be fixed. If GGG wants to balance it back somewhat they could introduce a mapod that slowly drains flasks instead of action speed mod.

The only part of this I agree with are the Searing Exarch runes visibility issue (also applies to Awakener's Desolation). But the solution to those, and any other mods, is just to not run them if they're a problem for your build.

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ARealLifeCaribbeanPirate#2605 wrote:

The only part of this I agree with are the Searing Exarch runes visibility issue (also applies to Awakener's Desolation). But the solution to those, and any other mods, is just to not run them if they're a problem for your build.

That's fine, this is my subjective opinion ;)

I find the awakener one completely fine, it's very visible. The runes on the other hand are completely invisible for me, or almost invisible.