Looking for something build-heavy
I love Borderlands' skill-tree-style character development, but I've already played it to death and am looking for something new. I'd like something where the levels come a little faster and builds start solidifying and feeling unique sooner than in Borderlands. Normally I'd go to Torchlight for this, but I've played it to death as well.
Preferably, I'd like something:
- More action-oriented than strategy-oriented
- With fast progression - around the speed of Torchlight 2
- Where build matters, but with easy respeccing in case you go down a road you don't like.
Posted Feb 20, 2016, 11:38 PM UTC
75
I believe Path of Exile is the game you are looking for.
Gigantic complex skill tree and gear choices creates infinite freedom of builds.
speed of progression. this really depends on the skill of the player to level quickly. unskilled players may struggle until they learn the pace of the game and some mechanics, but if you are familiar with ARPGs you can probably adapt much sooner than the average. in new leagues, the top players can reach level 100 in about a week, while many others may not even reach that in 3 months. again really depends on skill of the player, and how much they play. most builds start to take shape and feel more unique around level 60, and this is mostly cemented by level 80. progression past that can feel slow, and many casuals choose to simply start over with new characters if they hit 80ish and progression slows down (not all builds are going to work well or be level 100 viable)
action versus strategy. in PoE, it really depends. its possible to be strategic and make a really OP ezmode build (though it may require expensive gear). however, there is nothing stopping a player from making a build that requires a more action oriented playstyle.
respeccing. PoE gives you a very fair (but limited) amount of free respec points from quests. this is enough to cover any small mistakes and maybe make a minor build change. this is free. after that, there is a currency called a regret orb which can be used to respec points (1 point/1 orb). regret orbs are an uncommon/rare drop, so most players will have enough to spend as well if they would like. you can also buy them from other players if you need to, but they arent super cheap. you should never really need them unless youve been careless or you want to be super lazy.
additionally, a complete free respec is available with every new challenge league (about once every three months) and sometimes additionally when a patch might change the skill tree.
its a F2P game, so you might as well try it if you havnt. nothing to lose. the cash shop is probably the most ethical in gaming, as it only sells stash tabs (bank tabs) and cosmetics. no boosters, currencies, powerups, or gear can be purchased from the cash shop. just pants. PoE is definitely Pay to Pants.
the devs are great, always working on the game with fixes and balances changes, as well as new content. a major expansion is set to launch in 2-3 weeks with tons of great stuff. now would be a good time to hop in the game and learn some basics...just in time to join a new league when the expansion launches if you want to.
I've tried it to the extent of beating it with a character, but it didn't really stick with me for whatever reason. I love the FFX-style progression and the way a lot of things work, it just doesn't grab me for reasons I can't entirely place.
for what its worth, normal difficulty is entirely wayyyy to easy and is designed for casuals who are new to ARPG's. Also its not really until later in cruel and really merciless difficulty that you really get good gear with lots of links and support gems to really do super cool stuff. i get what you are saying though.