Back at endgame, some final 0.2 thoughts

TL,DR:
Campaign took longer than 0.1.
Player power is extremely lower than 0.1
Drops are significantly lower in amount and quality than 0.1

Some details and stuff.

I play stormweaver. I like Ball Lightning and covering the screen in damage. In PoE1, I play a CwC cyclone storm elementalist, using sire of shards, ball lightning, and impulsa. I don't care to much about bosses, and try them every league if I feel my changes get me to the range to beat them. Some leagues I can, but most times, the damage is just to low to do the job. Fine for t16's all juiced, just not enough for any big bosses.

Here in 2, I am aiming to do the same, however, right now, that isn't possible. I am fine with that, even if it is never a thing, since moving while casting and controller input is in a good state.

In 0.1, I got an everlasting gaze before the end of act1. Being a sorceress, I was already using spark. I even got a wonderlust before the end and a lifesprig. Like the game was demanding me to play the meta. However, I didn't buy into it as much as others. I wanted to play ball lighting, however spark was just more superior. I didn't fight aribiter, and by the time 0.1 was coming to a close, most of the items to get spark into aribiter was beyond my means. I could have farmed keys, but I didn't want to do the typical poe1 thing and I knew my direction for the build wasn't going to pan out.

Come 0.2, no early uniques to bolster my now mega nerfed plan. I tinkered in standard to see what archmage and eldritch battery looked like, and wasn't surprised to see how bad they are. No biggie, others were able to recoup most of their dps loss from the word on the street, so I wasn't really bothered.

Also, by the time I would make it to endgame, I knew some buffs and changes to enemies would come in. I kind of gathered by the words leading to 0.2, that it was a big nerf, following up with buffs and or enemy nerfs. And sure enough, that has been happening.

Even with all this in mind, the campaign was extra slow to get through. Not so much in deaths, just lack of meaningful upgrades to overcome the changes in damage from 0.2's nerfing.

I don't know what changed, but rares became really rare, and mods I care about were never around. I usually buy my way to endgame in poe1 (buy the gear I need/want), and I do get a lot from the ground. This time, it was worse than most poe1 leagues, where nothing I needed was available from the ground and crafting options, and I just saved my money to buy my needs. Much like 0.1, I definitely don't have the currency in order to upgrade into endgame, which this time around, is also super scarce.

However, I am more effective in 0.2 with ball lighting than 0.1. I got my sire.

Given how damage calcs work in poe2, inc spell damage is actually useful. I did find a nice body armor to help with survivability. I mean I bought one. Having armor based on mana is nice. Given the double whammy against archmage and battery, I am avoiding them. So no 10k mana. I am fine with that if I can get to t16's again.

However, in my first waystone, I am hit pretty hard. I obviously will be buying the rest of my gear upgrades to get there.

I feel though, I have enough insight into the road ahead to give some feedback on it.

If the goal is for me to build my way up, I am missing both the raw materials and the tools to do so.

The reforge bench is a 3:1. I get so few items of the same class, I cannot 3:1 enough to get anything useful. No reroll currency, so nothing to be done but slam with my hands in prayer and then sell for gold. Or ya know, save my currency for other people's 'trash'.

I may have a change of heart with expedition, but not a lot of chatter about it being awesome, so my doubt button is pulsing.

I hope we get blight back in. I was a bit upset when Jonathan was surprised it being asked about. It is one of the top mechanics played in PoE1. Synergy wise, it is a no brainer to add it, for the lore alone, to poe2.

I will keep pushing into endgame, however, I know it will be a proverbial slog. From the campaign until the next big update.

I have sprinkled my thoughts on specifics throughout the forums. So right now, it is more about a general feel.