Lance Interviews Jonathan Rogers about Path of Exile 2

Summary

In this interview, Jonathan, the game director of 'Path of Exile 2', discusses the game's development, highlighting the impressive boss fights, particularly the T GOA defiler. He hints at the return of the beloved 'Righteous Fire' skill and reflects on unexpected player strategies, like the worm Blaster. Jonathan also addresses the game's economy, item progression, and the intention to make unique items rarer and more meaningful. He shares insights on the game's trade system, the mapping system, and the potential for new and upgraded bosses. Finally, he touches on the game's accessibility for new players and the possibility of unconventional gear sets.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The game director's current favorite boss fight is the T GOA defiler, which is described as having numerous and outrageous abilities.
• 🔥 The T GOA defiler boss has additional abilities that were not showcased in the demo, hinting at a more complex and challenging encounter.
• 🗡 The developers are cautious about revealing too much about the 'Righteous Fire' skill in Path of Exile 2, indicating it exists but with changes.
• 🧙‍♂️ The developers have been impressed by the player base's innovative uses of skills and items, such as the various iterations of the Worm Blaster.
• 💎 The grind for unique items like Mageblood in Path of Exile 2 is intended to feel rewarding and not too easy to obtain, unlike in the current Path of Exile.
• 🛒 The in-game economy of Path of Exile 2 will not have sources of quantity except through increased magic and rare monsters or party members, aiming to address the loot problem.
• 🔑 Identification will be free in Path of Exile 2 once a certain character is rescued, and the rarity of items like scrolls will decrease post-rescue to prevent item clutter.
• 🏆 The developers are considering instant buyouts and using gold as a tax fee in the trade system of Path of Exile 2, with the aim of preventing hyperinflation.
• 🗺 The mapping system in Path of Exile 2 is a pivotal point where the game opens up, and understanding it is crucial for players to feel they've mastered the game.
• 🤝 The skill gem system in Path of Exile 2 aims to be more accessible, resembling a skill tree and guiding new players without overwhelming them with choices.
• 🛡️ The developers are open to unconventional gear sets and skill interactions, although they acknowledge the challenges in balancing and animating such features.

Q & A

What is Jonathan's favorite boss fight in Path of Exile 2 so far?

Jonathan's favorite boss fight is the T GOA defiler, which he describes as the most outrageous boss they've ever created with a variety of abilities.

Why was the T GOA defiler boss fight frustrating during the demo?

The T GOA defiler was frustrating because it wasn't using half of its abilities during the demo, which made the fight seem less challenging than it could be.

Is the skill 'Righteous Fire' going to be in Path of Exile 2?

Righteous Fire is in Path of Exile 2, but it works a little bit differently and the specifics are not yet disclosed.

What was the most impressive or shocking thing players did with the game mechanics that the developers didn't expect?

The most impressive and unexpected player creation was the various iterations of the Worm Blaster, which was a very creative use of the worm flask.

How does the item progression feel in Path of Exile 2 compared to the first game?

The item progression in Path of Exile 2 aims to feel good, with a sense of progression where rare items are not obtained immediately but are still rare and valuable.

What changes are being made to the rarity system in Path of Exile 2?

In Path of Exile 2, the rarity system has been revamped to ensure that more rarity equals better items, not just more items. This includes a tier system for rares and better currency items when rarity is rolled.

What is the approach to trade in Path of Exile 2 regarding instant buyouts and hyperinflation?

The developers plan to have instant buyouts in Path of Exile 2 without causing hyperinflation, by correctly pricing the gold and making trade more restrictive compared to other games.

Will there be entirely new endgame bosses or will some familiar ones return in Path of Exile 2?

While existing league bosses will be upgraded with new abilities and appearances, iconic bosses like the Shaper and Ziri are not expected to return in Path of Exile 2.

How is the skill gem system presented in Path of Exile 2 to make it more accessible?

The skill gem system in Path of Exile 2 is presented in a way that feels like a skill tree, making it easier for new players to understand and choose skills without being overwhelmed by options.

What is the status of unconventional gear sets like dual-wielding shields in Path of Exile 2?

While there are no current plans for unconventional gear sets like dual-wielding shields, the developers are open to the idea and have included unique items with unusual effects.

How are ailments and their management being approached in Path of Exile 2?

Ailments in Path of Exile 2 are intended to be more meaningful and harder to apply, requiring players to be more conscious of their effects and management during combat.

Will race events and their rewards make a return in Path of Exile 2?

Race events are unlikely to return in Path of Exile 2 due to their lack of impact on player engagement and the resource-intensive nature of organizing them.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Favorite Boss Fights and Game Mechanics

Jonathan, the game director of Path of Exile 2, discusses his favorite boss fight, which is the T GOA defiler shown in the demo. He highlights its numerous abilities and the challenge it presents. The conversation also touches on the player's ability to use Righteous Fire in PoE2, and Jonathan expresses curiosity about unexpected player strategies, such as the Worm Blaster. The discussion on item progression and the rarity of unique items in PoE2 is also covered, with Jonathan's intention to make chase items feel rewarding and rare.

05:01

🛍️ Loot System and Economy in PoE2

The paragraph delves into the changes to the loot system in Path of Exile 2, focusing on the rarity system that provides better items rather than just more of them. Jonathan explains the tier system for rares and how it affects the identification process, making certain items worth the player's time to identify. The conversation also addresses the in-game economy, with Jonathan's intention to avoid hyperinflation and the use of gold as a tax fee for instant buyouts.

10:03

🏆 Endgame Content and Boss Evolution

Jonathan talks about the endgame content and the evolution of bosses in Path of Exile 2. He suggests that existing bosses will be upgraded with new abilities and aesthetics to fit the higher standard of PoE2. The discussion also includes the potential for new endgame bosses and the decision not to bring over certain iconic bosses like the Shaper from PoE1, aiming to keep the content fresh and unique to each game.

15:03

🚀 Enhancing New Player Experience

The focus shifts to the accessibility and new player experience in Path of Exile 2. Jonathan discusses the changes to the skill gem system, making it more intuitive and less overwhelming for new players. He also talks about the importance of providing information in an easily accessible way, such as through a hover or dictionary system, and ensuring that there is no hidden information that could confuse new players.

20:04

🏹 Ailments and Flask Mechanics

In this paragraph, Jonathan addresses the changes to ailments and flask mechanics in PoE2. He wants to make ailments less frequent but more impactful when they occur, requiring players to have a strategy to deal with them. The conversation also touches on the desire to keep health and mana flasks relevant and to make the application of ailments more conscious and meaningful.

📆 Race Events and Future of PoE2

The final paragraph discusses the possibility of race events returning to Path of Exile. Jonathan expresses his personal interest in such events but explains that they did not have a significant impact on player engagement in the past. The decision to not continue with race events is due to resource allocation, with the team preferring to focus on developing new bosses and content for the game.

Keywords

💡Boss Fights

Boss fights in video games are pivotal battles against a significant enemy, often marking the end of a level or stage. In the context of this video, the game director of 'Path of Exile 2' expresses his admiration for the boss fights, particularly the one showcased in the demo, the 'T GOA defiler'. The boss is described as having an array of abilities, making it a challenging and engaging encounter for players, which is central to the game's appeal.

💡Abilities

In the video game context, abilities refer to the special powers or skills that characters can use during gameplay. The script mentions that the 'T GOA defiler' boss has multiple abilities that it didn't even use during the demo, indicating the depth and complexity of the gameplay mechanics in 'Path of Exile 2'.

💡Righteous Fire

Righteous Fire is a skill in 'Path of Exile' that players can use. It is mentioned in the script as a beloved skill by many players, and there is an interest in whether it will be included in 'Path of Exile 2'. The game director hints that it is present but will function differently, sparking curiosity about its mechanics in the sequel.

💡Worm Blaster

Worm Blaster is a term from the game referring to a particular build or strategy used by players. The script discusses how players have innovated with the Worm Blaster over the years, creating impressive and unexpected ways to use it, showcasing the game's depth and the creativity of its community.

💡Item Progression

Item progression is the concept of acquiring better items as a player advances through the game. The game director emphasizes the importance of maintaining a good item progression feel in 'Path of Exile 2', where players experience a sense of growth and achievement without being overwhelmed with high rarity items too early.

💡Rarity

Rarity in gaming refers to the frequency at which items appear, with rare items being less common and often more desirable. The script discusses the balance of rarity in 'Path of Exile 2', aiming to make rare items feel rewarding and significant, unlike in 'Path of Exile 1' where certain chase items like 'Mageblood' are considered too easy to obtain.

💡Chase Items

Chase items are those that players seek after, often due to their rarity or the challenge of obtaining them. They contribute to the game's allure and long-term engagement. The script mentions the importance of maintaining chase items in 'Path of Exile 2' to preserve the sense of achievement and excitement when players finally acquire them.

💡Rarity System

The rarity system in 'Path of Exile 2' is a mechanic that affects the quality of items players find. The script explains that this system is designed to ensure that as players increase the rarity of items through actions like map crafting, they receive better items, not just a greater quantity of them, thus enhancing the loot experience.

💡Instant Buyouts

Instant buyouts refer to the ability to immediately purchase items in a game's trading system. The script discusses the intention to implement instant buyouts in 'Path of Exile 2' without causing hyperinflation in the game's economy, indicating a careful balance between player convenience and economic stability.

💡Map System

The map system in 'Path of Exile' is a gameplay mechanic involving the use of maps to explore and conquer various areas. The script suggests that in 'Path of Exile 2', the map system will be a significant point where the game opens up, and players start to understand the depth of the game's mechanics.

💡Ascendancy

Ascendancy classes in 'Path of Exile' represent advanced character classes that are chosen after completing the game's main story. The script hints at the possibility of unconventional Ascendancy designs, such as using bow skills with a melee weapon, although it acknowledges the challenge it presents to the animation team.

💡Ailments

Ailments in gaming are negative status effects that can impact a character's performance. The script discusses the intention to make ailments less common but more impactful when they do occur, promoting strategic gameplay and the use of flasks to counteract them.

💡Flasks

Flasks are consumable items that provide temporary buffs or remove status effects. The script mentions the desire to avoid the 'flask piano' scenario from 'Path of Exile 1', where players constantly use flasks, by making ailments harder to apply and thus making the use of flasks more meaningful and strategic.

💡Race Events

Race events in 'Path of Exile' were special timed competitions for players to complete content as quickly as possible. The script explains that while they were enjoyed by players, they did not have a significant impact on player engagement or growth, leading to their discontinuation due to resource allocation.

Highlights

Jonathan, the game director of Path of Exile 2, shares his favorite boss fight is the T GOA defiler from the demo for its outrageous abilities.

The T GOA defiler boss has additional abilities not showcased in the demo, hinting at a complex and challenging encounter.

Righteous Fire skill's inclusion in Path of Exile 2 is confirmed but with a different functionality.

Developers were impressed and sometimes surprised by player creativity, especially with the Worm Blaster and worm flask strategies.

Path of Exile 2 aims to balance item progression to maintain a sense of achievement without making unique items too common.

Unique items like mage blood are considered too easy to obtain in Path of Exile 1 and will be adjusted for a better chase experience in Path of Exile 2.

In Path of Exile 2, the rarity system is redesigned to provide better items rather than just more items, addressing the loot problem.

Identification is free in Path of Exile 2 once the hooded figure is rescued, and the rarity of ID scrolls is intentionally reduced.

Path of Exile 2's trade system plans to implement instant buyouts and a gold tax fee without causing hyperinflation.

The mapping system in Path of Exile 2 is a pivotal point where the game opens up and players truly understand its depth.

The skill gem system in Path of Exile 2 is redesigned to be more accessible, resembling a skill tree for easier understanding.

Jonathan expresses interest in unconventional gear sets and skill interactions, such as using melee skills with a bow.

Ailments in Path of Exile 2 are intended to be less frequent but more impactful when they occur, requiring strategic management.

Path of Exile 2 will not feature race events due to their lack of impact on player engagement and the opportunity cost of development resources.

The developer aims to make ailments in Path of Exile 2 more meaningful and less of a constant application, focusing on player awareness and strategy.

Path of Exile 2's economy and item systems are being fine-tuned for a better player experience, with a focus on rarity and chase items.

Transcripts

hello and welcome Exiles I'm here with

Jonathan game director of Path of Exile

2 and I just wanted to start off with an

opening question about the thing that

impresses me the most with this game so

far is the boss fights and that' be

which one is your favorite and why is it

your favorite boss fight so far well

right now honestly it's the one we

showed you in the demo um T GOA defiler

that boss huge that thing might be the

most outrageous boss we ever used and

the funny thing about ever created and

the funny thing about that is that I was

getting really frustrated as we were

showing it because it wasn't using half

the abilities it has it's got like four

more abilities that it didn't even use

in that fight that are kind of crazy I

wonder if it was something with the

minions messing up the uh Target uh it

is sort of related to that um but I mean

in all the other demos it was actually

using the other abilities it just didn't

this time because it's just random right

um but yeah it's got like these uh like

giant swipes and it's also got this like

one where it like beats the arena on the

sides and then does like a giant flame

breath in front um as well as like uh I

don't know if it did the like chest open

up and all the fire comes out and then

it leav a of raging Spirits yeah yeah

leave a bunch of raging spirits in the

ARA know there's like all sorts of stuff

that it does it's got like a honestly

that thing's outrageous it's got so many

abilities it was very impressive and

then the theater volume just really like

s a little bit of chills down your spine

as he doing those um I think to follow

that up with this is just a personal

curiosity that I have to ask um

righteous Fire a skill I love and a lot

of people love is that a skill you think

we can see in pee2 it is in poe2 um it

works a little bit differently I'm not

going to talk about it yet okay all

right I had to ask because that is a

personal curios I I know there's a lot

of people that love that skill next up

question I have is in your time as

developing not just path Style 2 but

before when the player base takes

something that you didn't necessarily

expect or they create something very op

what is probably the most impressive

thing or something where you were

shocked or they took something and used

it in a way you didn't expect I mean the

various iterations of worm Blaster uh I

would say over the years like various

things to do that worm flask did you

ever have arguments with ran due to that

flask I mean sure the thing is it's so

cool that that they were able to do that

but yes that all that various those

various things have been definitely the

most fun in my opinion fair enough fair

enough that is definitely an iconic one

for sure um next up I'm kind of curious

in your picture of

pu2 the grind for mage blood had to

these items in pu1 there's kind of level

of being like I could get that if I'm

grinding for 20 30 whatever hours it is

what does that look like in terms of

Rarity for a Chase item in Path of Exile

2 it's really hard to say at this point

because we don't have everything

finished enough to really test ingame

economy economically properly um one

thing that's really important to me is

basically making it so that through the

game the item progression feels good and

what that kind of means is that you're

not necessarily getting all rares on

your character right away you know

there's kind of got this progression

through the game now in order to make

that feel right towards endgame I'm not

quite sure what they will end up as as

far as the Rarity of uniques and so on

there are actually uniques on the build

you've got right now but I don't think

they're showing up oh really what did

you find it was a shield that gave some

spell it wasn't relevant to either of

our characters neither characters using

The Shield at the time but we found a

unique Shield it was I think more of a

spellcaster shield we ended up selling

it because it was a th000 gold and we

could use it to buy other items in the

shop at the time cool cool cool but um

yeah so basically I'm I'm not quite sure

exactly what the progression will be

like for uniques but I mean I do want

stuff to be rare and I do think that um

Head Hunter and mageblood even though

they are hard to get if you are a new

player they're still too easy I think in

the economy of pee1 right now to get and

um I think that we want to make sure

that there are Chase items like Chase

items are super important to kind of

have that kind of mythical thing that

you that you want to Chase and like over

the course of your Poe career over many

leagues like I finally got a mage blood

you know you kind of need that that sort

of element so I don't know if I can

distill that down to a number of hours

but I guess it just needs to feel that

way and um yeah the chase items just

need to exist I could say I don't know

if this is me getting better at the game

or because recent leagues have been

super it is recent leag super gener

but it's definitely felt like M felt

like it was something really hard once

you got it it felt like it was crazy and

now it's more on the part of yeah yeah

didn't really take that long right right

I agree I don't think it's in the right

place in pee1 um but uh you know

thankfully we have an opportunity to

reset a lot of the stuff in pee2 um the

uh and in particular I mean with regard

to items uh in pee2 is that in in in

pee2 there are no sources of quantity

except for um the the existence of more

magic and rare monsters or party members

so you're not going to get the thing

where you get like a Bild jillion items

it's going to be that the Rarity system

makes it so you get better items but

even though there's a similar number on

the ground at higher levels so you

saying like map Zone modifiers like if

you have a bunch of mods on a map n will

do quantity it's all going to be Rarity

and the Rarity will mean but but Rarity

in poe2 Works in a way where you get

better items um even outside of the um

just the regular Rarity tars so um you

may not have seen this in the demo but

you uh you can get like a thing that

will say like you know you might get a

rare dropping that's say tier 2 next to

it okay what that is is that when you

identify that it's going to have better

mods than what a T1 rare could have

rolled um and this will mean that as you

get more Rarity due to producing Maps

more and doing all that stuff um you'll

get better rares rather than just more

rares and this this part of the solution

towards currently there's a big loot

problem where you just kind of want to

ignore the drops and this tearing system

is supposed to give you some way of

being like okay this is a better rare

it's worth my time to IDE it but not

only that but Rarity also in poe2 gives

you better currency so the way that that

works is that um okay uh like low-level

currency items are normal currency and

if you roll rare then and it's currency

then you get like the higher te currency

item exactly that kind of stuff so magic

currency as the transmutes and stuff

like that K is rare currency then

there's unique currency so instead of in

in the unique slot as it were you could

have got a unique or you could get some

currency that's very high level can you

tease us what unique what would be an

example of a unique currency I mean I I

I don't want to quote the exact drop

tables cuz I don't know that the exact

situation of them but effectively the

higher test stuff that you would um you

know the most expensive stuff will tend

to be in the unique category all right

but um ultimately yeah the idea here is

that more Rarity equals better items it

doesn't equal just you know more rares

or more uniques so that means that um I

think the item system will be a lot more

robust well that is exciting because

item blo is definitely a top level for

sure we we hide everything we filter it

all out I know I know and then it gets

to the point where we're like why do we

have wisdom Scrolls we don't want to

look any I funny funny thing of course

isn't that in pee2 um identification is

free once you've got the rescued um the

hooded one um and then that means we've

actually got a specific thing in there

where um before you um before the level

where you rescue him um ID Scrolls have

got a certain Rarity and then they go

down to like almost nothing after that

so that you don't really have that you

get them I did notice they were dropping

lights after we after yeah yeah exactly

so that's actually intentional to to

prevent that kind of thing you've got

items that you're not um using that are

just worthless to you now is he going to

be somebody like that we' be able to

have in our Hideout for example to idea

okay pretty cool now one thing I want to

touch on is in terms of the economy side

prior to Ellie's launch you guys noticed

that they were doing a pretty cool trade

system and you had mentioned instant

buyouts and using the gold as a like a

tax fee since watching that game launch

and how that trade system played out

have you guys changed your mind or

perspective on how you're going to

approach trade in pu2 we're still

thinking the same thing I think that the

way we plan to do it is more restrictive

than what they were doing and So like um

you know like using the gold and the way

that we're planning on using it so I

don't think that there's any inherent

issue with the plan that we have but

that being said we'll find out on Early

Access very quickly whether or not

there's a problem um and uh my my my

belief is that we will be able to have

instant buyouts and no hyperinflation in

the economy at the same time so long as

we can price the gold price for this

correctly but what that might mean is

that players are initially kind of angry

at how much the gold price costs we have

yes we have to trade equipment to be

clear because currency items have no

problem we can price those very low in

the thing because currency items are

inherently um like uh because they're

homogeneous you kind of get like a

market price establishing liquidity very

early um whereas uh for equipment

there's no sync for equipment and so

therefore um you can get hyperinflation

if you're not careful and that's why you

need to make trade of equipment much

more people can Market manipulate and go

buy kind of the very rare item and make

it seem hyper currency very difficult to

do that with like you know you can have

a liquid currency market and making that

easier by just having a more market like

now would that be a thing that would

apply to Mir of col or a much more rare

currency where they could start to

Target and manipulate it or I don't know

I mean like I I mean look we'll find out

when we try it but I believe it should

be okay to have mirrors even in the um

in the currency uh Market as opposed to

the equipment Market um I think it will

be okay um but uh yeah we'll see find

out all right next thing I'm kind of

curious about is

specifically we know the mapping system

is planned for pe2 and there's League

mechanics that you're to Port over over

time based on what fits in pu's current

like esape will we expect entirely new

endgame bosses or will some of the ones

we know return so in um you so if you're

talking about with regard to the league

content um I suspect what will happen is

that um we will upgrade the existing

like for for when we're when we're

making a league return we'll probably

upgrade the existing ones add new

abilities and sad of change them but

they will be fundamentally the same boss

just upgraded and cooler looking so if

you brought ultimatum you get master we

modify I mean would make it like it it

will be different because like the

standard of a boss in per 2 is higher

than it is in per 1 so there's more

stuff like this is even true for some

content that we've made um this is a bit

of a weirder story but you know there's

some content that got made for pee2 then

we did a thing with using it in pee1 and

then when we can picture it right now we

fought the sanctum candle boss oh yeah

yeah yeah yeah example I think exactly

so that originally was made Pee 2 and

then um it got put in pee 1 as a as a

Boston sanctum and then we put it back

in Pee 2 again and we had to make

changes again to make it PE definitely

different than he was in say yeah yeah

yeah so I mean on some level You could

argue he's the same boss as before looks

like a dude with a bunch of cand yeah

but but it is a different boss as far as

like you know other mechanics go so it

was pretty cool running into that boss

like that's the boss from San I recogniz

and he obviously did different abilities

as now I also am curious in that

question iconic bosses shaper and Ziri

these sorts of things I don't think we

would do shaper I think that that is a

thing that is pe1

law leave it exactly leave it there um I

think the leagues are a little bit

different in this regard but I don't

think that stuff that's caught like the

atlas of poe1 would be something that

we'd want to bring over um that being

said I mean you never know right I mean

like oh man wouldn't it be cool if we

did this you never know so some sort of

Legacy throw sure sure but either way

even if we did do that it would

certainly be a different boss like even

thematically it would be like oh the

shape is back because he's doing X and

he's got different and stuff so it would

be effectively a different boss at that

point but I mean I once again I have

zero plans for that I'm just kind of

saying like you know no promises no

promises about that but one way there

fair enough I'll see him soon I guess

now here's something that I'm going to

mess up the quote but Chris famously

said something along the lines if you

make it to Maps we have your soul yeah

now when I think about that it's very

true I got to maps and then I got

completely hooked on just wanting to

dive deeper and deeper do you expect the

point of where they've played this game

enough they're in it do you expect that

to be before maps in pee to um honestly

it's hard to say but I mean the thing

with the map system is it's really where

the game sort of starts to open up and

like you really sort of understand some

of the stuff that you can do so I think

it really is it's not so much that it's

the that it's a amount of time or

anything like that it's just that the

map system is like when you start to

sort of like if you can understand maps

and why they're cool then you are a Poe

player some level you know like you're

there so therefore that's why and so I

think it's yeah it's not so much the

time it's the it's the system itself

like you understand the systems you like

if you're enjoying that you're like yeah

you're going to you'll probably want to

come back again and play that now

obviously we're playing an early cut

demo of couch Co-op here and with that I

have to say I'm pretty impressed in

terms

of making the information that overloads

you right away putting that kind of in

the background and there was a lot of

skills where I didn't even go and look

at the description I'm normally that's

someone to do it and I put it on I start

playing with it um I think that is

hopefully your target it is to try to

get to that ease of access of going from

campaign start to end of campaign

outside of the uncut gem system and

other things in the early game in terms

of

transitioning understanding items is

there any other things you're trying to

do uh to that ease of approach access

like getting people on boarded I mean so

yeah it really is part of the stuff you

mentioned so the way that the skill gem

system is presented now is in a way

where it feels like a skill tree you

know like it look like like you know you

get this thing and it looks like oh this

is like a D2 skill tree I just pick the

skill and then when we're doing support

gems you um you use that and it feels

like oh it's just a pick list of here's

some supports I could use and you don't

really think about the fact there's 100

other supports you could have picked

that um would have technically worked we

just didn't show them to you when we're

looking at the skill so having those

things where it feels that way is very

important the other thing as well is

that um when people do want information

we need to be able to get it to them and

an easy way so um we've got the system

now where you can um hold open a hover

um Mouse over M yeah exactly the inbu

dictionary thing now we I don't think

we've explored fully yet all the

capabilities of what that system could

do for us I really want to make sure

that everything is explainable that in

the game plan that there is no actual

hidden information that isn't somewhere

it's keyword that you wouldn't

understand in natural English exactly

but um on some level that stuff isn't

really what helps new players like what

helps new players is effectively like

guiding them towards a like an easy

enough path where they feel like their

choices haven't expanded too much and

like the passive tree is always going to

be the passive tree so that's always

like a you know a crazy thing like that

but at least with the skill system now

you can kind of feel like okay here's

some sort of obvious choices some simple

things I can just pick and if I do that

I'm probably not going to go too far

wrong I can probably finish the campaign

if I without really having to you know

like lately dig into some build guide to

be able to do that if you know what I

mean and then when you see the build

guides later you're like oh there's all

this other I couldn't done I didn't

realize I could pick stuff from other

classes I didn't realize I could mix the

skill gym with that with the support and

so on um and then that's the stuff when

you kind of really start to take off um

but at least for the kind of like you

know for for the new player you should

be able to um to to to get enough

through to understand that with just

what we're showing well I'm hopeful I

know I've even talked to my brother who

initially was the first one who invited

me to go try Path of Exile and I got it

completely hooked he's even talking

about previously I didn't bring it up

and he's thinking I'm going to try a

Path of Exile too we've seen a lot of

the demos and stuff you guys are putting

out showcasing the characters and stuff

and I think that'll probably be a

selling point for somebody like him who

didn't really want to dive as deep right

away with all the overload of

information right um so we'll see how

the fans on I'm excited for it now I

want also ask quite a few questions here

but I want to make sure I pick and

choose ones that are um things that I'm

quite curious about

um way back when first exilecon and I'm

not going to remember this 100%

correctly but there was some sort of

idea in an ascendency that had the

ability to use it was either bow skills

with a melee weapon or it was using

melee skills with a bow or something

like that um my animators really don't

like this one are they are they have

they r over it uh well I mean so like

that's the kind of thing that I love cuz

I like just like coming up with weird

stuff like that um we might still do it

I don't know um it's we kind of like

have done a lot of other ascendency

class design since then and we're not

really talking about ascendency classes

too much so I don't really want to

promise anything but I do know that our

animators aren't very happy with that

one CU like we have to animate all these

different things for all these stuff but

as I said I love that sort of stuff um

it might come in more with uniques um we

have all sorts of weird uniques that do

weird stuff like that um yeah I I guess

I can't really spoil anything right now

but uh effectively um like I I I like

weird like use the skill with other

weapon type type interactions I think it

opens up more builds that you can

potentially do would there be any world

where there's unconventional gear sets

like for example one I always hear about

is dual wielding Shields some weird

something like that um I mean look I'll

Never Say Never um that's odd for sure I

would have to think about how that could

work um but uh I mean as I said I like

that kind of stuff um we've got a few

already thing weird things like that

going on in our uniques that um I don't

know if any of them actually in the

build you're playing and as I said the

unique's quite rare at the moment anyway

okay um but yeah there's some kind of

weird stuff uh I'll take that as a

probably yes yeah even though it's a

maybe no yeah yeah all right fair enough

um another question I'm pretty curious

about getting your um your input on is

given the strict limitation of flash

generation and there's a clear uh

emphasis on certain flas are basically

just for removing like chill if you've

been chilled and the limitation there

ways to deal with ailments and are we

to basically believe that going forward

ailments are going to be quite a bit

more difficult to deal with or just rare

that we encounter them in general for so

they are I do want um what we're trying

to avoid with the way the flas work is

the sort of flask piano thing where you

just be constantly pushing flasks and um

in order to do that we do have to make

it so that things like elments are a bit

rarer to apply to you but when they do

happen they are nasty and therefore

you're going to want to have a way to

deal with that so yes absolutely um but

the thing is is that um I also am still

a believer in you actually using health

and Mana flasks so there which I know is

something

isot people I mean I know in pee one

that's like practically Sac religious

but um the a lot of people myself

included that aren't necessarily flask

enjoyers yeah yeah but um ultimately um

the uh the yes

effectively you should have to care

about ailments it shouldn't be something

that is just happening to your character

all the time it's like an event that you

know you have to worry about and like it

can matter on certain bosses and so on

um one thing that I would say is that in

pee1 even from the player applying side

I think that um you get a situation too

often where just everything is affected

by every ailment all the time um even

lightly and um then you've kind of got

this thing I don't really like that like

I I I want to make the the ailments

harder to apply so that then you

actually it becomes a more conscious

thing when you do it seems like a

meaningful thing that happen yeah

exactly exactly so um like uh things

like with the uh the the um siphoning

strike you saw earlier it's like shock

is easy to apply with that skill shock

is hard to apply with just a

runof-the-mill lightning skill um it's

like the kind of thing where like then

you actually think about okay if I want

shock I'm using this skill as opposed to

that one and sure there'll be support

gems that allow you to kind of do both

anyway you know different things but

it's not going to be the case that's

just like oh I just every like because

I'm doing so many elements all the time

with so many skills I'm just constantly

getting everything's on

fire yes I really don't like that so um

I think in general what we want less

debuffs more meaningful debuffs that do

more okay I appreciate that I was mainly

thinking about the aspect of if it's

going to be harder for us to deal with

ailments then it' be hopefully uh

something that we encountered less often

I think we'll finish up with one last

question I'm GNA have to choose

hopefully a decent one to finish

on

um I'll talk about this question this is

a personal curiosity of mine and I'm not

sure you'll have a good answer on this

but something I missed out when I

started I started in breach leag towards

the end of it something I always just

hear about in Pas time is race events

and the Race Rewards do you think that

is something that will be returning for

Path of Exile too I would love to do it

but unfortunately it was one of those

things that just never really moved any

needles like it was really cool and like

we didn't really see any increase in

players from it we didn't really see

like like even though it was cool and

everyone liked it it kind of just didn't

do anything um so what I would say is is

that if we had so the person who used to

do that to run those was Mark and Mark's

kind of got a lot of other stuff on his

plate so basically if Mark just did that

I'm sure they would be great and we'

still have them but we'd need to find

another person like Mark just to run

that who has like a good understanding

of like what it would mean to run Poe

seasons and for them to be able to do

that without having to like uh you know

like derail everyone else on the design

team because effectively all it was is

literally Mark could make another Race

season or he could make another boss and

we'd rather have the boss and that's

literally all it was um so yeah as I

said no philosophical issue with them or

anything like that I'd love to have them

I did enjoy playing them myself um but

uh yeah it just kind of wasn't worth the

time that we had for the people who

needed to be making it to be doing it

right well I guess we can hope that

maybe some Mark finds extra free time y

well thank you for uh letting me do this

interview with you today and I'm sure

everyone that got these answers are

really really appreciate of it I really

uh thank you thank you for taking your

time yeah all right take care peace out

exil