{
"post": {
"title": "Path of Exile 2 Mechanic: Active Block (Dreamcore)",
"selftext": "",
"url": "https://youtu.be/JezvBElIWXo?si=9se67ghmqpjvY6sa"
},
"comments": [
{
"body": ">Hey so I asked viperesque and he has confirmed on the community discord that passive block is still active while your rasing your shield\n\n* AbdulRehman-hm5do\n\nNote that Active Block only blocks in the direction the shield is facing, hence the point of having passive block as well (before anyone brings that up). Also neither will protect you from a giant AoE boss slam. Dodge those!"
},
{
"body": ">The projectile knows where it is at all times. It knows this because it knows where it isn't. By subtracting where it is from where it isn't, Or where it isn't from where it is (whichever is greater), it obtains a difference, or deviation. The guidance subsystem uses deviations to generate corrective commands to drive the projectile from a position where it is to a position where it isn't, and arriving at a position where it wasn't, it now is. Consequently, the position where it is, is now the position that it wasn't, and it follows that the position that it was, is now the position that it isn't. In the event that the position that it is in is not the position that it wasn't, the system has acquired a variation, the variation being the difference between where the projectile is, and where it wasn't. If variation is considered to be a significant factor, it too may be corrected by the GGG. However, the projectile must also know where it was. The projectile guidance calculation scenario works as follows. Because a variation has modified some of the information the projectile has obtained, it is not sure just where it is. However, it is sure where it isn't, within reason, and it knows where it was. It now subtracts where it should be from where it wasn't, or vice-versa, and by differentiating this from the algebraic sum of where it shouldn't be, and where it was, it's able to obtain the deviation and its variation, which is called error.\n\n- HaPKoMaTo3\n\n***P.S.:-*** A reference to [this](https://youtu.be/bZe5J8SVCYQ?si=WpsX6LY5yzy5j-Ob), for those who haven't heard this masterpiece of pedagogy before. :D"
},
{
"body": "I absolutely love the concept of active block and I'm really excited to give it a try. Suddenly the idea of actively looking for stun threshold affixes on gear to make your shield really reliable sounds plausible.\n\nAs a shield enthusiast i really appreciate that they are actively usable, unique, and powerful.\n\nI do wonder if maybe they should just double your block chance from the front instead of making it 100% (at least that's how i think it works atm) that way block offers an increasing breaking point at 50% after which you only increase passive block.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I think this could be cool for some other weapon types possibly. Maybe let a quarterstaff also block but rather than do a full block it adds to your block chance for the front? I always love both block/parry style gameplay and quarterstaffs so just want to be able to mix them here I think lol."
},
{
"body": "That would make it underwhelming to use early game where poe2 wants to make a great impression immediately.\n\nLots of new players woupd get annoyed and never try it again.\n\nRight now its very intuitive and feels great immediately.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "That is true, i hadn't considered that"
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "That magma barrier block looks sick\n\nI bet the zoomers hate this stuff. The game has to be slow enaugh and have fewer enemies to even make use of this."
},
{
"body": "Dang man, this game just keeps looking cooler and cooler"
},
{
"body": "I love how this game seems to be taking features from other genres in unique ways. The boss design and dodge roll in order to make bosses feel more like Elden ring, etc.\n\nNow we have a straight up parry in an ARPG. Super neat, and all in service of making these classes fill out unique fantasies"
},
{
"body": "Great concept, adds benefits to actually look at what is happening!"
},
{
"body": "seems cool, but lets see, i personally think i would always prefer the attack them before they attack me approach.\n\nunless we face some bosses with pseudo invulnerable fases where the only thing we can do is defend or avoiding getting hit ( just like in souls like games).\n\nhonestly i cant see other scenarios where standing holding parry would be better than counter attacking, if ggg manage to it out of this context i honestly will be blown away.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I think there will be plenty of builds with downtimes, and for them shields sound like a really good way to bridge the time between their big damage skills.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "there is no cd on skills in poe 2 with some minor excptions, where this downtime come from?",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Certain DoT builds for example. Hard to say without knowing the full extend of skills and mechanics."
}
]
},
{
"body": "You are meant to be attacking then block in between with good distance control and timing to break the flow of enemy aggression and counter attack or riposte. It's a basic technique in combat sports. I like that they have this."
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "So its like a free defend skill gem"
},
{
"body": "There are skills like Magma Barrier which trigger when you block a hit while having raised your shield moments before the hit, and the timing is set at 250 milliseconds according to PoEdb (which could be outdated by now), but I feel like 250 ms is a bit too low for it to be comfortable to use.\n\nAs much as I like the slower and more methodical combat in PoE 2, I don't want to see it turning into \"Dark Souls\" with precise timings being required for blocking or rolling to let us avoid an attack. Molten Blast already has as internal cooldown to prevent frequent triggers, aside from our character's stun threshold limiting how much we can keep our shields raised, so I feel like they should just remove the 250 ms timer or at least increase it to 500 ms so we don't need to be focused in the game so much in order to trigger the skill properly.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Man I must be completely insane because the inclusion for options for skills that require timing just seem so damn cool to me. I'm assuming this is again one of the reasons they're maintaining POE 1, cuz POE2 is trying to take risks and change a bunch of stuff"
},
{
"body": "Keep in mind you can probably link increased duration or similar gems to it to get the time up, shouldn’t be difficult to make it more comfortable"
},
{
"body": "Yeah he talks about that skill in the video. We've also seen what it looks like in one of the gameplay showcases (which he shows)."
}
]
},
{
"body": "This is really cool, but I can't help but feel that this narrows the design space available for endgame - if active block is a required defensive layer, and it is directional, then it wouldn't be able to deal efficiently with mob density at levels equal to juiced PoE1 maps; either this mechanism falls off as you get further into endgame, or the endgame is going to be much lower density.\n\nA compromise might be that there are a lot of mobs, but only a few mobs with really dangerous telegraphed abilities that must be blocked - I think that could work with active block. Bossing would probably work as well, although I'm assuming most boss abilities would be unblockable.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "What makes you think it's required? You need to equip an appropriate shield to even have it, and there's plenty of skills and builds that won't allow that. So it literally can't be required or those builds won't work.\nSince everyone is comparing this to the Souls games, shields aren't required in those either. Plenty of players use 2H or dual wield.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I mistyped - I didn't mean to suggest it would be required. I still think that active block is in an awkward spot as a defensive layer if we are judging by the PoE1 endgame. I know this probably isn't a fair comparison since PoE2 is a different game, but we don't have much else to go on."
}
]
},
{
"body": "I think it depends on how they tune stun buildup. If you have to invest into stun threshold and recovery for extensive shield use and can only really afford to block single bigger attacks (with risky timing) otherwise then the opportunity cost might prevent them from becoming mandatory.\n\nAlso depends on how monster speed scales."
}
]
},
{
"body": "Active block is the worst idea they've shown for this game. This is a great example of can we versus should we. \n\nIt's not a fun mechanic and it just makes things clunky. It just feels like more consolization of the game. The game should not have been designed for a controller.\n\nThe game is not dark souls. The game is drifting further away from being an arpg with changes like this.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "This game is the ARPG of the future. Active block is one of the coolest additions shown so far, and I certainly hope that they include more parry-like abilities to make swords feel like actual swords as well. Let the game evolve the genre, don't cling to the past. POE 1 is still there for you to play.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Agree. Active block, roll, these are actions and the idea of having another Action RPG that revolves around pressing two buttons and flasks is just... Almost feels like tab target of old MMOs, nostalgic but archaic. Looking forward to some action skill along with skill building.\n\nAlso, not entirely sure why any PC gamer wouldn't also have a PC controller for the most variation.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Picking up stuff and inventory management is shit on controller. Also global chat is the best part of the game for me",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Yeah, but I have a mouse/keyboard hooked up right in front of me, so could easily switch. Controller is just another thing that PC can use was all I meant. The game should work great on kb/m though as it's wasd, hotkeys, and point click with isometric view.\n\nI intend to play Kb/M."
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": ">POE 1 is still there for you to play.\n\nI hate this argument. POE2 was dangled for years in front of POE1 players about why wouldn't get certain things. Now that they split, POE1 is objectively getting less resources and we have to just hope they backport the improvements people wanted."
},
{
"body": "It's turning into an action game. Not all changes are positive. Just because something is new doesn't mean it's the future or a positive addition to the game. It is adding unneeded clunk. I'd rather not see another rpg turn into an action game clone. \n\nConsoling a game isn't futurizing or evolving it. The game has to feel good to play. Changes like this make it look like a bastardization of third person survival games that are unfun to play. You know what are fun to play? Arpgs, which is what POE is. I don't want POE(V) rising. \n\nAlienating the base isn't the right direction. The whole POE 1 is still there is the worst cliche on this sub. I want an evolved POE. What I don't want is it to feel like another genre. The bindings alone are going to feel like shit bc to play wasd you already need both clicks bound for attacks and an MMO mouse or gamepad. Throw block in there on an unnatural key and it's bad. Block would normally feel decent on R click in a game where you basically have one attack. You won't even get the tactile feel of q-t finger placement on your keyboard bc of wasd and now you're adding this. Slow walking holding block isn't exciting gameplay.\n\nMaybe the genre isn't for you or the people that like this. Poe won't be there for you but dark souls action games are. Stop trying to co opt POE and this genre.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Oh so you’re coping about pressing more than one button lol. Why did you start off as if you only had a problem with active block?",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Ah children and their misplaced and simple language. Yes, I'm coping. Very intelligent conversation we have here and very perceptive observation."
}
]
},
{
"body": "I played the game at TGS it is 100% not an \"action game.\"\n\nI think the people who keep saying things like that or calling it dark souls are going to be very surprised that the ARPG company actually made an ARPG.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I don't think it's there yet but they are putting in mechanics that are not translatable to arpgs. Every time anyone has any criticism you get \"well POE 1 is there\". I just don't want it to lose its identity which has happened to some of my favorite series. \n\nThey start trying too hard to appeal to the Preach's (masses and non genre streamers) and not satisfy their core audience. Everyone says they trust GGG but people used to say the same about blizzard and Bioware (insert company here). \n\nI think I'm going to love POE2 but I think they are making some very slippery slope decisions like wasd and push to block. There's a certain comfort to the classic arpg control scheme and they've alienated that already. I'd rather them not fix what isn't broken and is quite good already than potentially lose the essence of their game trying to appeal to a broader audience.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I don't think it's fair to compare how people feel about GGG to what people used to say about Blizzard and Bioware. The big difference is that GGG is still the same people. It's not just the name of the company, it's Chris, Johnathan, Mark, Rory all those people are still the same people who gave use PoE1. \n\nI think they just want to make a different game. PoE2 will not be like PoE1 in a lot of ways. The shift of skill expression moving from planning and PoBing to in game execution is the biggest one and will be the most noticeable for a lot of people. But, even then I don't think it'll be as extreme as people thing. It's still an ARPG, you'll be able to out gear and out level most everything. We've only seen people playing in situations were they have time limits or other restrictions that make them play very differently than how most people will play when it's actually out.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I'm just thinking if i plug this block into current POE 1, not even juiced maps, how bad and out of place it would feel. The problem when you implement something like this is that even if it feels bad, if it's optimal, you'll be forced to do it. That or it restricts class choice if a class like say gladiator is designed around it. It's already concerning that certain classes look to be designed around wasd, which means if i want to use classic controls it's limiting choice. \n\nWe'll see. I'm not down on the game but i absolutely hate, from a purely speculative pov, the implementation of a push to block."
}
]
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "> I don't want POE(V) rising. \n\nI do, that sounds awesome. V Rising is one of the best implementations of ARPG-style combat, and V Rising without the tedious survival/elements sounds even better."
},
{
"body": "It certainly seems like the developers of POE disagree with you.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "So did the developers of Diablo and dragon age when they \"evolved\" their franchises. Homogenization isn't a good thing. I'll take a baldurs gate 3 that perfects the formula and makes improvements in the confines of their genre."
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
]
}