PoE beginner tips to consider.
Path of Exile presents a brutal challenge to players. There’s an overwhelming passive skill tree, an itemized skill system, and a whole game’s content to go through. Then there’s the fact that it uses a barter system that can trip up anyone unused to it. They might use expensive PoE currency in trivial things that would cost them later. It’s understandable why beginners would feel daunted by this game, and it refuses to hold anyone’s hand.
So here are some tips and tricks to consider when starting to play Path of Exile.
Consider Why You Want to Play Path of Exile
If you’re wanting a chill, lighthearted experience, stay away from Path of Exile. It doesn’t shy away from gore and the grotesque and touches on some dark themes and topics seriously. Aesthetics aside, you’ll really have to put effort into leveling, crafting, and building the character. Also, as a looter game, you’ll need a bit of luck to get the proper gear.
The game’s overarching story can be a bit dragging at times, but interesting overall. Its main problem is the form of storytelling used. Other ARPGs’ influence resulted in the story being told in a rather haphazard manner.
Players who thrive on a challenge and like putting in the effort would enjoy this game, though. Grinding is pretty much all you would do at some point in this game. The point is, playing this game would be a better experience if you’re genuinely interested in it.
Look at Path of Exile Guides
Once you’ve chosen to play it, you’ll be faced with a choice of picking a class. There are seven, with the last one locked until one character in the account gets to a certain point in the story. After that, they start the game’s tutorials.
Some veterans would say don’t worry about your first character, it’ll suck anyway. Others would say follow a guide to a T. There is a third option, to research. Research about PoE builds, how skills interact with each other, and what passives to get. You may be a beginner, but reading ahead can get you an advantage straight away. Mistakes are inevitable, but by researching beforehand, you’ll get farther than if you just experimented by yourself.
For the sake of research, you can use a starting character to figure out what skill to base a PoE build on. You’ll never know, a skill may sound good on paper but have a lackluster effect in practice. The skill system is very flexible, and sometimes you won’t know what works and what wouldn’t until you try it.
Even with research, your first character will eventually start to suck as you figure out the holes in your Path of Exile build. It happens to everybody, and you can learn from your mistakes. Your next characters should get progressively better as you learn more about the game’s mechanics and systems.
Manage Your PoE Currency Well
Since the game operates on a barter system, some PoE items have become currency. Yet they’re also used in crafting endgame gear. Do not use the following early in the game, unless you’re keeping the gear for a long time as you level.
- Exalted Orbs
- Chaos Orbs
- Divine Orbs
- Mirror of Kalandra
The more common ones you can use in moderation. When you’re starting out, the above PoE items are better used for getting better gear as you level. However, you should save up for future use, when you start crafting or using PoE trade for your endgame PoE build.
Keep Your Defenses Up
One common mistake among PoE beginners is not investing enough points in Life or Shields. An all DPS build might brute force the early game, but it’ll stop working in later acts, at least without the proper care. That only comes with experience, so don’t try a glass cannon build when you’re starting out. Those are actually also quite expensive, requiring a sizable stack of PoE currency.
The basic principle is to prioritize Life nodes on the passive tree. Then if there are applicable damage nodes nearby, get those as well. Later on, when you’ve got a grasp of how to PoE build, you can slowly increase the focus on dealing damage.
Enjoy the Easy Part, Because It Only Gets Harder
Sure, you can always make a new character to go back to the starting areas. However, it will never truly be like your first time stepping onto Wraeclast’s shores. That sense of wonder and discovery will never be replicated again, so savor it. Later with more experience, you might end up rushing toward PoE currency farming, the endgame challenges, or new content.
Of course, you should also still enjoy the game as a whole. There are already 10 expansions for the game, and even more, is coming up in the future. That’s content for what amounts to maybe about 6 games, and it’s all free! It’d be a shame to not enjoy it.
Have fun, and don’t worry about what other people think. Enjoy the game the way you want to enjoy it.
