Content Update 0.5.0 — Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients

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Telly_Krawallas#0493 wrote:

Dear GGG,

the patch notes for 0.5 state:

"All crafted modifiers are now guaranteed, but items can only have 1 crafted modifier at a time. Desecrated modifiers no longer count as crafted modifiers, but items are limited to 1 Desecrated modifier."

To our knowledge, the following crafting methods apply deterministic (guaranteed) modifiers to items: Essences, Alloys, and Distills. Additionally, it was previously possible to stack multiple Essences on an item — for example, by using a Perfect Essence on top of a regular one — which was a widely used strategy especially for weapon crafting.

Assuming all of the above are classified as "crafted modifiers" under the new system, this raises several concerns:

**1. Hierarchy instead of diversity**
Alloys introduce modifiers that are completely inaccessible through any other crafting method. By forcing Alloys, Essences, and Distills to compete for the same single slot, the rule does not create a strategic choice — it creates an implicit hierarchy. Players who understand the game will gravitate toward high-impact Alloy mods, reducing Essences and Distills to transition tools for players who cannot yet access Alloys. This is not meaningful crafting diversity. It is one dominant system and two situational alternatives, all competing for the same slot.

**2. High complexity, reduced control**
The cognitive overhead of learning three separate crafting systems — each with its own acquisition, mechanics, and modifier pool — remains fully intact. But the reward for mastering them has been removed. The individual mechanics remain enjoyable to engage with. But the reason players invest in mastering multiple systems is the expectation that deeper engagement translates into greater control over the final item. A hard cap of one deterministic modifier decouples that investment from its reward. You are essentially asking players to learn more in order to achieve less. The systems no longer compound. They merely coexist.

**3. Weapon crafting and pure RNG**
Stacking Essences was a necessary strategy to achieve reliable baselines on weapons — not to circumvent the game, but because weapon crafting against pure RNG consistently produces unusable results for targeted builds. If deterministic influence is being reduced to a single modifier slot, one would expect tools like Fracturing Orbs — which allow players to lock a desirable modifier before continuing to craft — to become significantly more accessible. The 0.5 patch notes contain no such change. One guaranteed modifier on a 6-affix rare item is not a crafting loop. It is RNG with a single fixed point.

**Questions for clarification:**
- Is the above interpretation correct — do Essences, Alloys, and Distills all count as crafted modifiers under the new system?
- What is the intended crafting loop for weapon-dependent builds to achieve viable items without the ability to stack deterministic modifiers?
- What is the design intent behind maintaining three distinct deterministic systems if they are mutually exclusive in practice — and effectively hierarchical given that Alloys provide modifiers unavailable elsewhere?

Thank you for the continued transparency and communication.

Best regards

"

Telly_Krawallas#0493 wrote:

Dear GGG,

the patch notes for 0.5 state:

"All crafted modifiers are now guaranteed, but items can only have 1 crafted modifier at a time. Desecrated modifiers no longer count as crafted modifiers, but items are limited to 1 Desecrated modifier."

To our knowledge, the following crafting methods apply deterministic (guaranteed) modifiers to items: Essences, Alloys, and Distills. Additionally, it was previously possible to stack multiple Essences on an item — for example, by using a Perfect Essence on top of a regular one — which was a widely used strategy especially for weapon crafting.

Assuming all of the above are classified as "crafted modifiers" under the new system, this raises several concerns:

**1. Hierarchy instead of diversity**
Alloys introduce modifiers that are completely inaccessible through any other crafting method. By forcing Alloys, Essences, and Distills to compete for the same single slot, the rule does not create a strategic choice — it creates an implicit hierarchy. Players who understand the game will gravitate toward high-impact Alloy mods, reducing Essences and Distills to transition tools for players who cannot yet access Alloys. This is not meaningful crafting diversity. It is one dominant system and two situational alternatives, all competing for the same slot.

**2. High complexity, reduced control**
The cognitive overhead of learning three separate crafting systems — each with its own acquisition, mechanics, and modifier pool — remains fully intact. But the reward for mastering them has been removed. The individual mechanics remain enjoyable to engage with. But the reason players invest in mastering multiple systems is the expectation that deeper engagement translates into greater control over the final item. A hard cap of one deterministic modifier decouples that investment from its reward. You are essentially asking players to learn more in order to achieve less. The systems no longer compound. They merely coexist.

**3. Weapon crafting and pure RNG**
Stacking Essences was a necessary strategy to achieve reliable baselines on weapons — not to circumvent the game, but because weapon crafting against pure RNG consistently produces unusable results for targeted builds. If deterministic influence is being reduced to a single modifier slot, one would expect tools like Fracturing Orbs — which allow players to lock a desirable modifier before continuing to craft — to become significantly more accessible. The 0.5 patch notes contain no such change. One guaranteed modifier on a 6-affix rare item is not a crafting loop. It is RNG with a single fixed point.

**Questions for clarification:**
- Is the above interpretation correct — do Essences, Alloys, and Distills all count as crafted modifiers under the new system?
- What is the intended crafting loop for weapon-dependent builds to achieve viable items without the ability to stack deterministic modifiers?
- What is the design intent behind maintaining three distinct deterministic systems if they are mutually exclusive in practice — and effectively hierarchical given that Alloys provide modifiers unavailable elsewhere?

Thank you for the continued transparency and communication.

Best regards

"

d4nkf1re#7135 wrote:

this change basically nullifies the entire league.

we can either use 1 essence (which is still the strongest choice) or we can use the new alloys instead.

so you basically just added a new league with 100+ new items that nobody can even use.

i have no idea why you would patch the entire new league with 1 line of text "all items in league are basically irrelevant if you want to use an essence"

and this is how every league will be going forward. you can only interact with 1 crafted modifier nullifying everything you ever add to the game.

the game is just exalt simulator now.

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strongest choice for mid items? Yeah :)

imaging slamming t4 flat phys for endgame attack weapon xd

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d4nkf1re#7135 wrote:

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strongest choice for mid items? Yeah :)

imaging slamming t4 flat phys for endgame attack weapon xd

well omen crafting is the strongest. i am talking about strongest crafted modifier though. at least what we have seen from the new alloys. like no 2 handed weapon is going to give up +5 to all attack skills for "remnants can be collected from 40% further away"

the strongest crafted modifier will simply be essence of battle for most weapons which means you cant use a single one of the new items to craft a weapon they might as well not exist.