POE 3.23 Patch Notes - Slams (Melee) Balance Issues Remain Unaddressed

Channel:

Cheato Vox

Subscribers:

121

Published on December 1, 2023 11:34:24 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApuceKoqNKc

Game:

Path of Exile (2013)

Duration: 16:30

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24

Hello all,
I recorded my initial takeaways from the Path of Exile 3.23 Affliction patch notes. I am disappointed, but not surprised, that Slams and most Melee gems are still not addressed from a balance perspective. While everyone is excited about the gem Quality updates, this patch fails to properly consider the melee problems that start in the campaign and persist through progressing the atlas. Most melee gems are bad, and fail to compete with the meta builds at any stage of progression. Skills that receive big buffs in Quality are still woefully behind on the trek to get to the later stages of the game.

As always, I tend to favor and reference Slams, but the failure in balancing definitely impacts lesser used skill gems with Melee tags. The early progression through the campaign and into lower tier maps has been a problem for certain melee gems now for over a year. Some gems have been completely unplayed since 2021 while other archetypes have received tangible buffs and power creep. This is evidence of not just minor balance issues, not just a "flavor of the month" as types fall in and out of fashion... its reflective of the fact that the archetypes are not comparable. If you are playing Slams, you are playing completely different game. One where you are worse, weaker, deal less damage, go slower, and so on. The gap between the meta and slams is so incomparable, it feels awful to even attempt to compete with these weak skills

Boneshatter has better numbers and better clear than any other Melee gem, and is an incredibly strong as an individual build. This has been the case for awhile now, and is beyond frustrating for the dozens of 0.0% played melee gems that simply do not receive comparable numbers. The numbers on the Boneshatter gem are simply better. There is no other way to phrase it. Why they don't make numerical changes I cannot comprehend. And as you can see in the video, it is starting to tilt me lol

I have lost some of my motivation to play my favorite archetype, just like last leagues patch notes. No one at GGG checks poe ninja or follows the meta builds, or else they would've thrown us a bone. Or, more likely, they don't actually care if an archetype is bad or slow or weak. Their concern is fun. Which I guess is a good thing for some people. But it feels really shitty as a Slams veteran with limited time to play, who actually cares about their progress and game balance.

Anyways, God bless,
Jesse

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