Feedback from a below average player - Highly juiced maps Feels Like Punishment

I've deliberated for awhile before deciding to make this post. Nevertheless, perhaps there is a small glimmer of hope, feedback will find its way back to GGG. I've played POE2 since the start of pre-release launch - an Invoker Monk in season 1, Lich Witch (S2) and S3 I'm playing Stormweaver Sorceress. I've admittedly below average skill and put in about 15-20 hours weekly into POE2.

The feedback that I want to make is the huge increase in punishment for waystone juicing in this current season. I use the word 'punishment' as that is exactly the feeling that I want to convey. My sorceress is lvl 93 with 1.6K life, 5K ES & 38% Evasion. It's elemental resist capped and 63% for chaos. The primary damage using Spark has a sheet damage of about 29K. It's got ok gears (about 10div worth).

I'm able to do t15 maps with 4 affixes readily, 5 affixes are challenging but do-able. But 6 affixes (with abyss mod) +Delirium proves to be the death knell for my character. Multiple Extra Damage, ground effect, ailment, etc. Cramp Ritual spawn sites, Tangible proximity on bosses (add on Mana Drain rings for some. Neigh impossible), 3-4 abyss rares spawning within a tight space, etc. There is absolutely NO ROOM for mistake. My playstyle is Extreme Caution, spam Spark for as much long distance kill as possible, off-screen kills, run/dodge & gun, etc. My per map clear takes 25-35 mins - evident of the cautious nature of my playstyle. And its not enough. ONE mistake, is all it takes, for DEATH. And I've died, on almost every t15 6 affix +Delirium maps I've tried, sometimes more than once. There are also deaths not from mistakes but just the nature of the fight. E.g. The end boss on the Trench map, which causes poison damage. For me, avoiding it's hits are impossible (again skill issue on my part) and it easily melts my health. This despite, using a poison charm.

And to my point - the Punishment aspect
- I've lost Omen of Amelioration (at current writing costs about 10-13Ex each)
- I've lost XP and if I die more than once per map session then the full 10% XP loss. I've countless reset to zero XP progress since reaching level 93
- I've lost the waystone and tablet usage
- I've lost time - the need to re-run map eg. towards the citadel, etc

What is the design intent GGG has, as a prerequisite before playing juiced maps -
1 Play only the strongest builds eg. Lightning Arrow DE ?
2 Play only if have good gears, equipment ?
3 Play only if infallible ?
4 Play only if capable of creative thinking of possible solution e.g. the Trench boss - my friend suggested using 3 Poison charms!! Haven't refought this map, so unknown outcome.
5 Play within ones capability - stick to T15 with 4 affixes ? <-- basically a middle finger to player of my ilk

It's not challenge that I feel, its hopelessness. I don't feel that I can make anymore progress on my stormweaver. I can't sustain the currency (replenishing Omen) nor time. The lack of progress gives no incentive (running T15 with 4 affixes has little/no dopamine hits) to continue grinding. This unlike prior seasons 1 & 2, where my fights are at T16 6 affix +Delirium maps, reached T4 breach, simulacrum, audience, etc.

Alas, its a feedback without offering any recommendation. But it's an honest feedback of a below average player that some might be able to identify with? :)

PS - No, I've not even tried T16 maps this season. Not once..

Stormweaver has always been a very expensive build and requires a lot of attention to detail.

Not the best option for an average player.

"

ChengMW#7850 wrote:

What is the design intent GGG has, as a prerequisite before playing juiced maps -
1 Play only the strongest builds eg. Lightning Arrow DE ?
2 Play only if have good gears, equipment ?
...
5 Play within ones capability - stick to T15 with 4 affixes ? <-- basically a middle finger to player of my ilk

You need to very seriously think about what you're asking here. "The strongest builds can handle the hardest content" is tautological. Yes, you need good gear to handle the hardest content in the game. Yes, you obviously need to play within your capabilities.

If you want to interpret any of that as a middle finger, that's an issue with your mindset.

In many cases, the endgame is a power level check, if your character isn't strong enough, it's not going to work. Sure the player being skilled or knowledgable is going to help to some degree, but it won't be enough.

You're dying in this content because your character isn't strong enough. And what is holding you back isn't character level, by level 93 you should absolutely be able to run the hardest content, and going from 93 to 100 isn't going to move the needle much.
At this stage, you should stop measuring your progress in terms of xp and start measuring it in terms of gear you aquire.

Also from what you're saying, I suspect you're spreading around too much, you should probably refocus on the core of your build. For example drop evasion and focus more on energy shield, because 38% evasion isn't worth running it in the first place.

Good luck

Hi,

So the season is not over for a long time.

I put in 3-4h daily on my stormweaver. Gear value is about 200div. I clear abyss juiced 6 affix maps. But I still cannot clear Simulacrum 3. But I know stormweavers with better gear who have and do easily.

So consensus is I guess if you put less time in to building your char it will take longer time to beat the content?
But the season is far from over so maybe you will before it ends? I will probably quit before the season is over cause I put too much time into it.