XP loss on death is seriously demotivating

I've been really frustrated with the way XP loss on death works in this game. Losing 10% XP every time you die just feels way too punishing, especially when the game throws so many random dangers at you. Sometimes I'm running a map, everything's going fine, and then I make one wrong move or get stuck somewhere next thing I know, I'm surrounded and dead. Delirium maps are especially brutal for this.

It honestly makes me feel like I have to play a super tanky character just to avoid the constant punishment. I know they’ve said in streams before something like “if your character isn't strong enough, you shouldn’t be pushing further,” but I don’t really agree with that. I’m level 94 right now — hitting 95 isn’t going to suddenly triple my damage or turn me into a god. But it still takes a long time to level up, and losing all that progress because of a single death just feels terrible.

And on top of that, this game is full of damage that lingers even after enemies die ground effects, corpse explosions, random degen zones. Sometimes it feels like you do everything right and still die to stuff you can barely see or react to in time.

All in all, the XP loss system just kills the motivation to keep pushing. I really think it could use some rebalancing.

Here we go again...

lvl 90 is available with dedication. I have 500 death and lvl88.
XP loss is not a concern. The issue is progress loss: events, keystone, juiced map.

I am not sure why you want to make yourself suffer by reaching lvl100?

I think ritual maps should have guaranteed omens that prevent death and xp loss

"

It honestly makes me feel like I have to play a super tanky character just to avoid the constant punishment.

In this endgame there are glasscannons and RuperTierdrop builds.

Btw... you play the tankier character and I am a shieldbearer Turtle Charm Thorn Warbringer. XD I need to be hit to get my skillsets activated. Check out what a ruper tierdrop is. Thats my poe2 endgame experience.

At some point you have to settle and accept that your current level is the "max" level, as soon as you accept this...exp loss won't matter anymore. Your character is pretty much done leveling.

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Oktexota#0414 が発言:

I've been really frustrated with the way XP loss on death works in this game. Losing 10% XP every time you die just feels way too punishing, especially when the game throws so many random dangers at you. Sometimes I'm running a map, everything's going fine, and then I make one wrong move or get stuck somewhere next thing I know, I'm surrounded and dead. Delirium maps are especially brutal for this.

It honestly makes me feel like I have to play a super tanky character just to avoid the constant punishment. I know they’ve said in streams before something like “if your character isn't strong enough, you shouldn’t be pushing further,” but I don’t really agree with that. I’m level 94 right now — hitting 95 isn’t going to suddenly triple my damage or turn me into a god. But it still takes a long time to level up, and losing all that progress because of a single death just feels terrible.

And on top of that, this game is full of damage that lingers even after enemies die ground effects, corpse explosions, random degen zones. Sometimes it feels like you do everything right and still die to stuff you can barely see or react to in time.

All in all, the XP loss system just kills the motivation to keep pushing. I really think it could use some rebalancing.

I think your giving a somewhat fair take, compared to most of the exp loss threads ive seen. It definitely can be frustrating, and to some extent it is supposed to be.

There are some basic principles for why removing exp penalty is bad for game design, I wont go on another rant explaining it here since it never sinks in.

What I will say is that alot of the things that you feel are "random" or "unfair" doesnt feel that way anymore when you continue to play and learn more about the game. I wont say that the game is perfectly balanced but even if it isnt then the correct path forward is to give feedback on the things that are unfair or unbalanced so they cant be fixed, the solution isnt to remove exp penalty.

Secondly the game isnt balanced around you reaching max level and your not supposed to feel that you have to keep leveling. Your character peaks at around lvl 90 and there are much more productive ways of progressing your character. The character power you will get from farming for a new gear piece or jewel will give you alot more character power then going up one level.

Thats not to say that you cant have reaching level 100 as a goal if its something you enjoy. But then you have to accecpt that its a long grind and can be quite punishing at times, and if thats not something you enjoy then it really shouldnt be a goal. Just farm better gear and focus on clearing content.

"

Oktexota#0414 が発言:

I've been really frustrated with the way XP loss on death works in this game. Losing 10% XP every time you die just feels way too punishing, especially when the game throws so many random dangers at you. Sometimes I'm running a map, everything's going fine, and then I make one wrong move or get stuck somewhere next thing I know, I'm surrounded and dead. Delirium maps are especially brutal for this.

It honestly makes me feel like I have to play a super tanky character just to avoid the constant punishment. I know they’ve said in streams before something like “if your character isn't strong enough, you shouldn’t be pushing further,” but I don’t really agree with that. I’m level 94 right now — hitting 95 isn’t going to suddenly triple my damage or turn me into a god. But it still takes a long time to level up, and losing all that progress because of a single death just feels terrible.

And on top of that, this game is full of damage that lingers even after enemies die ground effects, corpse explosions, random degen zones. Sometimes it feels like you do everything right and still die to stuff you can barely see or react to in time.

All in all, the XP loss system just kills the motivation to keep pushing. I really think it could use some rebalancing.

Honestly its fine, if you want more xp play either safer or tankier builds. if you want more currency/hr then do harder riskier content.

its the same give/take thats been around poe1 forever now.

I believe the intention is level 100 is meant to be an actual achievement not something that you are always guaranteed to do. many many people who reach end game in poe1 and grind turbo amounts of currency have characters sitting in level 94-98 since to level to 100 requires a dedicated effort and theres nothing wrong with it. its more build power but so is buying new gear or optimizing charms ect

"

...What I will say is that alot of the things that you feel are "random" or "unfair" doesnt feel that way anymore when you continue to play and learn more about the game....

10k+ hours into PoE. Feels exactly the same as the first random 1 shot I got.
Hands on Factual experience. Exactly the same.

Something glitched out.
Something did not render.
Some random rubberbanding happened.
Some tree obscured the vision of the mob or ability.
Some Boss/mob ability has janky hitbox and hits you when it should not.
17 minor abilities overlapped with a deadly one and it was not visible.

ETC
ETC

"

...All in all, the XP loss system just kills the motivation to keep pushing. I really think it could use some rebalancing....

I hear ya mate. It kills my motivation also. I might have a super tanky and solid build.

Chugging my way slowly along and then i die randomly to something at lvl 97. Once - Fine. Twice - F that league is over.

I have my build and my chase uniques and im slowly grinding and would grind until the end of the league. What makes me quit most of the times is the Exp bar going backwards.

Yep its just bad. +1

Needs to change. Either delete it or make it optional so people can choose to play with it on or off.

"

Kodavor#1200 が発言:

10k+ hours into PoE. Feels exactly the same as the first random 1 shot I got.
Hands on Factual experience. Exactly the same.

Something glitched out.
Something did not render.
Some random rubberbanding happened.
Some tree obscured the vision of the mob or ability.
Some Boss/mob ability has janky hitbox and hits you when it should not.
17 minor abilities overlapped with a deadly one and it was not visible.

ETC
ETC

All I can say is that I have prob around 500-600 hours played and Im having the opposite experience. Cant remember dying once where I didnt immediately know what killed me and what I couldve done to prevent it.

"

Nyon#6673 が発言:

"

Kodavor#1200 が発言:

10k+ hours into PoE. Feels exactly the same as the first random 1 shot I got.
Hands on Factual experience. Exactly the same.

Something glitched out.
Something did not render.
Some random rubberbanding happened.
Some tree obscured the vision of the mob or ability.
Some Boss/mob ability has janky hitbox and hits you when it should not.
17 minor abilities overlapped with a deadly one and it was not visible.

ETC
ETC

All I can say is that I have prob around 500-600 hours played and Im having the opposite experience. Cant remember dying once where I didnt immediately know what killed me and what I couldve done to prevent it.

Good for you. You are in the absolute minority of PoE players who "immediately know what killed me(you) and what I(you) couldve done to prevent it". Even streamers like Ziz and Quin get oneshots and have to go back and look at the recordings to understand what killed them. You are an absolute UNIT of a PoE player. Gratz to you.

Most of us play without recording the gameplay and have the exact opposite experience.

That being said, you are turning out to be THE ELITE and you are saying that the game should be balanced around players like you. I hope your wallet is THICK and you are super generous with your donations to GGG.

"

Warrax#2850 が発言:

At some point you have to settle and accept that your current level is the "max" level, as soon as you accept this...exp loss won't matter anymore. Your character is pretty much done leveling.

It's true. But this is not a kind of realism that you expecting from a game.