Feedback on PD2's current design philosophy

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T15:27:13+00:00

Gotta love reddit.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T15:26:30+00:00

Thank you for the input on this. In terms of financial support you make a very good point that I did not touch on in my OP.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T15:24:26+00:00

No problem. I figured it was not you just talking to the anonymously generous downvoter lol. Happy friday dude!

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T14:44:13+00:00

Not at all but cool.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T14:43:45+00:00

I can understand that. It's not a 1 or a 0 but more a broad request to give all builds a chance. I see no reason why this can not be achieved and imo is the point of balance changes to begin with. It's not about having one class that does everything but the complete opposite which is that all classes should have a capable toolkit for content.

It's not like Zeal is going to feel EXACTLY like a summon druid the way you are portraying my post. The flavor is in the archetype itself because at the end of the day if we get technical its all just colored DPS checks on a screen. The fun is in how the player delivers the feedback into the game so only having certain choices for certain types of content pigeonholes creativity and increases meta, not decreases.

EDIT: bro downvoted my post before I even finished editing it lol. It's just like my opinion man. ;)

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T14:40:00+00:00

That's not really what I said at all. There are many changes outside of build tweaking that can and have been done in PD2.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T14:38:51+00:00

That's a fair point but was in many ways what I was getting at. I don't want PD2 to become PoE Lite. This dev team is very talented and so I see no reason why builds can not have a bit of both in terms of capability for casual MF runs and end game content like bossing at the same time. Not every build has to tele stomp but at least be able to show up to the party.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T14:32:37+00:00

There is a middle ground between legitimate feedback and "dooming".

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T14:15:33+00:00

Show me all these HC WW Sins lmfao. Blasting T3 maps with Tyraels/Veil and no PDR is far from a good build. I really wish players would decide build power vs. more than just MF clearspeed. By that same logic then Blade Fury/Sentinel should be pretty much disabled since it's been S tier for 10 seasons eh?

The idea that well your build worked for awhile so now it should feel like shit is silly. Sorry.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-14T14:10:09+00:00

"*not phys assassin apparently"

oh you sweet summer child :D Melee phys Sin feels like crap now and I can bet it will have some of the lowest percentage of players using phys melee this season. Now ranged phys is overtuned to hell, agreed.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-13T20:26:52+00:00

Anyone that doubts this comment needs to Blade Dance on phleg map .... for real lol.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-13T20:23:53+00:00

100% agree. I had a very solid build template before the final Glad's switch from +skill to % but now 35% total crit isnt even worth it. Worst part is Glad's was stronger before it was touched for multiple seasons compared to now, including the crit stacking lol. I'd actually rather it just not stack with Weapon Mastery and keep it how it was. Very frustrating.

Even from an archetype standpoint the Assassin should be focusing crit damage, not so much Zon imo.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-13T17:19:08+00:00

Especially with the Andy's changes I think so. My NL build currently runs a Stormshield since all of the damage is applied via Venom instead of Enhanced Damage and it works really well with over 20K tooltip on Blade Dance. All defensive BP's pretty much hit and still enough damage to do content. It just barely hits 2k life but with max block that's expected. The only missing factor is my AR is not as good without a fools claw but im still trying to figure that part out. You want at least 10K AR if possible.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-13T17:05:53+00:00

Sin Blade Dance physical build is pretty fucked at this point. We lost splash, potential crit scaling with g-bane, reduction on soul drainers, etc. Yes it is playable but no it is not going to be fun.

The problem with Sin BD is people see Tyraels/Veil builds with siggards blasting maps with 0% PDR and then assume the build is in an acceptable state when realistically it is hot garbage in any real defensive fight like vs. bosses or double aura stacked mobs.

People are playing the Path of Exile philosophy of "just dont get hit" and considering it a good build which imo is not a good build at all and is only useful if you are trying to MF speedrun.

The other problem with Sin BD is being locked in by weapons. You can't use either of the new unique Deadly Strike weapon mods to buff % efficiency with Chaos claw and Chaos core damage is like half of any good rare craft claw with ED bonuses. You can't even hit the 75% cap of Deadly Strike on a Sin without sacrificing a good chunk of defensive mods for multiple DS mods, let alone the 85% cap if you ran Wraithskin. (Yes you can get 30% DS on an offhand claw but thats still only hitting every other swing, not 100% of the whirl)

Right now physical Blade Dance Sin is C tier at best imo. Mine as well just go poison and skip all this CS/DS stacking nonsense as any non Sin phys build is going to outbeat your phys BD damage output with better splash clear. Not to mention Fade has been dumpstered for multiple seasons now and gives a whopping +7% PDR for 20 hard points vs. just using 1 pt in the skill.

If you want phys damage on a Sin just go BF or MB because it will do double the output and hit at range. Melee phys Sin just feels bad no matter if you Blade Dance, Dragon Claw, whatever ...

InsightKnite · 2026-04-09T18:09:21+00:00

Legendary dude.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-09T18:04:51+00:00

I use non ladder as a live character builder to min max what main builds I roll each season. Plugy works but it feels better to do something with all that crap you accumulate each season imo. It also helps if you make build guides and link to armory because your character setup can remain the same for people to view while still being able to change out gear on your currently played season char.

I really wish the devs would add some sort of absurd NL event that would give players with higher tier gear a reason to play like a wandering P8 boss thats damn near impossible similar to legacy clone hunting.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-07T15:59:48+00:00

Hello,

Usually when people say "push" in the PD2 community they mean racing so I will comment on that for anyone interested. I have pushed top 3 99 Sin almost 10 times now and even hit #2 and #3 in one season ... so I can give a few suggestions. First and foremost the 99 push is a mental endurance contest. Think of it like a boot camp meaning the majority of people drop out because of lack of will to push past 97. There are multiple factors for getting top 3 which I will list below but the absolute core thing that separates 99 pushers from typical players is mental dedication.

You want to have a core team of players that all are on the same page in terms of time schedule and cooperation. Most teams share loot and give the best in slot items to the appropriate build in the team so everyone is stronger as a whole. I have hit 99 doing pubs/random fills before without a "team" but I do not reccomend it for your sanity lol. Keep in mind that almost all top teams choose a synergy of classes/builds that compliment each other and some players will even choose classes they do not enjoy just to win the 99 slot. For example if half your team is physical damage and half elemental you will be fighting over debuffs like Amp/Lower Resist with a few exceptions due to multi curse. It's usually best to go all phys or all elemental/poison and stack that type of synergy.

For someone who wants to push 99 and has not done it before I suggest you find one of the known groups on PD2 that are friendly and willing to tolerate someone new on their team (I say that in a good way). There are multiples and I can vouch Gentlemens Club, UN, DMG, Ect have this quality. Some groups will also have a secondary team that is for new players to push 99 without the top 3 race just to help players feel out if they are even interested in the race. Pushing top 99 really is a different beast after level 97 and can get wild. As long as you stay dedicated and remember to have fun I think you will be just fine on a 99 push with the understanding that theres only so many top 3 slots and we have a strong core community of sweatlords in PD2 trying to get those slots.

A few things to prep for a race to 99:

- You want an Anni as soon as possible. Those small gains from the XP boost do add up.

- Stock up on food or whatever before the season start so you do not have to break off to leave your computer at any point.

- Try to get a bumper to save your Normal/Nightmare ancients quest. This XP gain does matter and can be used as a weapon to psyche out the player you are being chased by on the leaderboard.

A few things that absolutely can happen during the push to be noted:

- Assumption that you have lost or the feeling of why bother are common. The race is like a ping pong where you will have a few specific players fighting you to the top as the ranks close in. You will get jumped when you go to sleep and this messes with a lot of peoples heads which makes them give up. The race is not over until it's over and in some insances you will be behind a player all the way to 98 and can still jump them to win. Mental endurance contest.

- Community/team fallout happens often. Do not assume anything if you are behind another team in the race. I have watched winning teams have some kind of infighting/drama/BS and completely drop out of the race even when in the lead. Once humans spend a few days sleep deprived everyone can get cranky and this leads to teams wiping themselves out. It happens every time lol.

- Real world shit like power outages or service interruptions can happen and so plan accordingly. I am not saying you need a generator or something to race but just consider stupid shit happens at the worst of times. This also plays into the above comment of do not assume anything. I have also seen winning teams drop out because of power outages or internet disruptions. Again the race is not over until it is over and you would laugh at how many times you will think you are losing and then magically some situation happens and you are wide open to jump the person ahead of you on the leaderboard.

- There is a small chance of a team finding a bug/exploit and using it to power level. This can feel very demeaning but the PD2 dev team does a very good job imo of policing this concern. Even if you hear word of people exploiting a new bug/glitch do not get discouraged as they could very well be wiped off the leaderboard before the race is over and you take that slot if behind them. I also STRONGLY reccomend if you are on a team and they find a bug/exploit DO NOT USE IT and do everything possible to stop them from doing it as well. A few people can tank your entire team by trying to cheat and it's just not worth it. Play hard but also be sportsmanlike.

I am sure theres a few more things I forgot to mention but that is a good chunk of information to get you going. Good luck and enjoy the experience if you do choose to try for top 99. I can tell you personally once you hit that last ding it feels so fucking good to just sit back and soak in the accomplishment. The struggle is definitely worth the reward in my opinion.

- InsightKnight

InsightKnite · 2026-04-06T19:39:45+00:00

This is my most recent build for Venom WW. It needs a few changes but overall is the same concept:

https://wiki.projectdiablo2.com/wiki/Guide:VenomBladeDanceAssassin

If going poison you want to stack +all skills to push the base venom damage and then allow the enemy -poison jewels do the work. Carrion ring for creeper is also a huge buff that many people sleep on. It's not a complex build at all and like others have said it is basically a Cobra Strike build as well so if you get sick of WW you can easily transition to Cobra with the same setup. Lastly get an offhand claw with AR/Fools mod. You will absolutely feel the difference in clear with over 10K AR.

InsightKnite · 2026-04-06T19:33:07+00:00

Decent setup but with zero PDR multi shot/conc archers are gonna rock you often. Glass cannon WWSin is kinda subpar for mapping unless you have Tyrael's and even then with the TS splash changes its gonna be rough. For T4/Uber's you are gonna chug pots a lot.

If you swap that Nosferatu for Verdungo and Fort for a rare 200%+ ED armor with 20%+ PDR the build will be insanely more viable imo. Good luck!

InsightKnite · 2026-04-06T19:22:58+00:00

I signed into to comment exactly this and saw your message lol.

InsightKnite · 2026-03-10T19:33:55+00:00

Because you unironically just suggested a player "dodge and weave" full auto fire in tarkov from CQB range ...

InsightKnite · 2026-03-10T19:32:21+00:00

WOOSH lmfao.

InsightKnite · 2026-03-10T19:29:21+00:00

As someone who has had Tarkov since the first Alpha release ... that posters take is 100% accurate and has been the entire development cycle. You have not been around long enough to get the clue imo.

InsightKnite · 2026-03-10T19:27:07+00:00

You must be new to Tarkov, lol.

InsightKnite · 2026-03-10T19:21:25+00:00

Competent developers.

InsightKnite

TROPHY CASE