this game lacks tactical combat

Hello.
I find this game lacks tactical combat. Even basic decisions like "which target to focus" or "when to engage and when to retreat for a while" are mostly absent.
Skill usage is usually not adapted what is going on on the screen, but follows a fixed pattern. Outside of boss fights what the enemies are doing is largely irrelevant - it's all just dodging projectiles and telegraphed red attacks.

Combat would feel much better if tactical decision making and skill usage would play a much larger role.

Oh yes, sorry sir, this is an ARPG and ARPGs are about blasting the whole map with one click, sorry!

"

Oh yes, sorry sir, this is an ARPG and ARPGs are about blasting the whole map with one click, sorry!

Sorry sir, you are confusing ARPG with casino-sim.

"

Even basic decisions like "which target to focus" or "when to engage and when to retreat for a while" are mostly absent.

Some of these elements do exist for bad (weak) builds on start. But later on even in campaign it all evaporates yes. POE2 is still far behind D2 with this matter.

What D2? The game where you spam a single skill to kill numerous mobs on screen? Guess what the most emblematic builds like hammerdin and javazon are - spamming a single skill to clear screens.

Stop acting like ARPGs are what you think they are instead of what they really are.

"

What D2? The game where you spam a single skill to kill numerous mobs on screen? Guess what the most emblematic builds like hammerdin and javazon are - spamming a single skill to clear screens.

Have you ever tried to play campaign there?

And if we talk about deep engame (at which you obviously hint), well, at least in D2 we see what is going on on the screen .) So even here POE is far behind.

Every game where you are poor at the start is gonna be a slog. In fact, my most vivid memory from D2 acts was paying for a carry (by giving them the runes from hephasto) so we could skip it.

"

Every game where you are poor at the start is gonna be a slog.

In POE2 if you take right builds you obliterate everything right from Act 1 Start. It feels very different from how D2 is designed and balanced.

Uh, yeah, D2 has similar builds too. Holy Fire, for example, can carry you through the earlier difficulties with minimal investment and all you need to do is....walk.