Path of Exile - upcoming F2P Daiablo clone

[Syt]

Been chilling with POE1 over the weekend. Taking it casual and slow, only made it to map tier 6 so far with a Cyclone/Shockwave build. Even managed to get the final labyrinth on first try (normally I get caught one trap or other ... and I notice that the "suffer damage when using movement skill" doesn't seem to apply to cyclone anymore ... it was a bane for me in the past).

I like that maps are now just "tiers" and you don't have to spend crazy time grinding for that one elusive map you want/need.

Though the amount of mechanics is a bit crazy. Breaches and monoliths and incursions and delirium and fungal growths and Syndicate and Expeiditions and Trial Shrines and Ultimatum and ... and ... and ....

... often two or three or four per per map (plus the usual storage chests or "frozen" essence mobs , plus current Mirage which then lets you re-run some of them. Plus Heists, Delve, the Forbidden Sanctum ...

It's a lot (I know you can disable/favor some of them via Atlas tree, but so far I just go with it.)

Still taking an extended break did me some good in terms of enjoying the game.

Side note, in previous leagues I sometimes looked for build inspirations, but often failed to get a key item - Quill Rain ... guess what item I got this time when I don't need it?

[Syt]

Been plonking away at this some more during the heatwave. Just farming for better gear, chasing some uniques.

You know, it feels a bit like cheating to be able to automate your utility flasks - esp. if you load them with immunities to various status effects. I have two set to trigger when full, two others to trigger when adjacent flask triggers. I have freeze immunity from the pantheon buffs and the flasks handle bleed/poison/ignite. Very rarely I have to use my healing flask.

One of my rings has the "apply vulnerability on hit", so that's one more free gem slot and one less button to press.

I fairly easily made it to Level 95 (I previously maxed out characters at 92) and haven't even dabbled much with the "big bosses" (some of them whoop my ass still as I learn their patterns ). But the level 16 synthesis maps (top right of atlas) have been suspiciously easy so far.

Though I admit Incursion, Expeditions and Delve remain my favorite side activities. I like the occasional heist, but the get in/get out feels tedious. Same with blighted maps (though I'm chasing unique boots from that, so I'll keep at it). Really like what they did with Breaches. But I'm mostly chilling, not rushing. Sometimes it takes me a few minutes to finish all activities on a map, sometimes I look at them and am like, "Eh, good enough."

Really happy with the various quality of life features they added, though I expect some hardcore fans find it too casual now. And I think this is the first time I cleared all "normal" maps and I filled out my pantheon entirely for the first time (got the achievement finally). Even have most of the (non-unique map) crafting recipes.