Joenwalker

1. When Will Patch 0.5 Arrive? Current prediction: Announcement likely the last week of April (Thursday, as usual), with patch release around May 8th. Why? Previous patches followed a ~4–5 month cycle. Dawn of the Hunt ran April through late August (~5 months). 0.5 should follow suit. Some sources (POE1DB) speculate a delay to early June, but May remains the most realistic bet. 2. Swords, Dualist, and New Weapons – Not Coming (Yet) Jonathan Rogers stated: Releasing a new weapon is harder than releasing a new class. In PoE1, every class is tied to a weapon (Monk → Quarterstaff, Sorceress → elemental staves, etc.). New weapons (swords, flails, axes, daggers) would require their corresponding unreleased classes (Dualist, Templar, Marauder, Shadow) at the same time. Prediction: No new weapons or classes in 0.5. Save Dualist for 1.0 launch to maximize hype for POE orbs. 3. What We WILL Get: New Ascendancies for Everyone Adding ascendancies is “super easy” per Jonathan. Each class currently has 1–3 ascendancies; the third slot will likely be filled in 0.5. Predicted New Ascendancies: Huntress: Companion-based ascendancy (bottom-right tree has underutilized companion nodes). Druid: Minion summoner – shapeshift into a tree that controls treant minions (mirroring Infernalist’s demon form). Ranger: Arcane Archer / elemental damage scaling (lots of elemental nodes nearby, currently missing). Monk: Physical/combo-based ascendancy – unarmed (Hollow Palm), stun buildup, blind, or improved combo mechanics. Warrior: Already has rage/tank; may get a bleed or warcry-focused option. 4. Endgame Problems – And How 0.5 Must Fix Them Current Issues: T1–T16 progression feels meaningless – most players skip to buying gear in trade league. Currency bloat – 90% of catalysts, emotions, and tablets are useless for most builds. Boss rewards are unrewarding – low drop rates on chase items (e.g., Adorned jewels from Trials of Chaos). Excessive friction – too many steps to juice a single waystone (currency, delirium, corruption, etc.). Inventory management – identifying hundreds of trash items for one usable piece. What Players Want (Your “Hail Kingdom” Fixes): Token system for bosses – exchange tokens for guaranteed chase items instead of pure RNG. Most items drop identified – only special items (e.g., Uniques) remain unidentified for excitement POE goods. Loot filter integration – highlight only good mods on ground drops. Auto-pickup currency / minion MTX – reduce inventory bloat. Single waystone tier – scale maps with character level instead of 16 tiers of friction. 5. Will 0.5 Repeat the Same Mistakes? Risk: Yes, if GGG focuses only on adding content without fixing core loot/progression systems. Opportunity: Reduce friction → more players trade → more stash tabs sold → GGG makes more money while players have more fun. Warning: Diablo IV is improving its endgame and loot systems. PoE1 cannot afford to ignore meaningful progression.

⚔️ Swordsman Summary Sword & Shield = Main tank (taunts, ally buffs, thorns, counterattack). Dual Blades = Off-tank / stagger destroyer (Shock debuff, taunt, block). Greatsword = Burst DPS / AOE cleave (hyper armor, CC chain). Class 3: Ranger (Ranged DPS / Melee Hybrid) Role: The only consistent ranged damage class in the beta. Uses Vigor (not Rage). Weapons Weapon Playstyle Unique Mechanics Special Move (RMB) Crossbow High attack speed, shorter range than bow. High DPS. Precision (buff: +3% crit rate per stack, up to 10x, 5s duration). Spirit Venom (various poisons: DoT, defense reduction, movement slow, root, stun). Trick Shot (front/back flip or barrel roll + arrow barrage, costs stamina). Bow Longest range, complex resource management. Arrows (resource, ~5-6, replenish over time). Alt key = select arrow type (Impact, Flaming, Frost, Poison, Explosive) to modify right-side abilities of Chrono Odyssey Gold. Frost Arrow applies Chill (same as Berserker's chain blades). Aim Down Sights + charge arrow (longer charge = more damage, range, and elemental stacks). Rapier Only melee weapon for Ranger. Applies poison and team buffs. Mark (Counterattack ability: enemy takes +10% damage from all sources for 8s). Blade Song (buff: +20% attack to self & nearby allies for 15s). Charging Thrust (dodge + damage; passives can add poison or stun on crit). Note: The Bow is considered weaker early game (scaling issues) but offers unmatched range and large AOE (Explosive Arrows + Arrow Shower). Ranger Class Mastery (Beta) Level 10 Passive (choose 1): Increased dodge distance. Increased jump distance. Level 15 Active (choose 1): Windstep Strike: Two-part kick + shot (knockback). Use while moving backward to create distance. Wind Dance (15s): Increase special move damage (bow/crossbow/rapier) + reduce dodge cost by 50% for Chrono Odyssey Gold for sale. Verdant Snare: Summon roots to immobilize enemy for 5s + small damage. Level 20 Passive (choose 1): Fruit of Perseverance: Increase attack while standing still. Evasive Gale: When you dodge within 5m of an enemy, damage them and reduce their movement speed.

Camera Modes Aion 1 mode: Fixed camera, you rotate with mouse. Aion 2 Kinah mode: Mouse directly controls camera (similar to Guild Wars 2 action camera). Easier for combat, but may cause jitter and motion sickness. Mounts You get your first mount quickly. Available mounts include stags, golems, trolls, slimes, trees, even a star – but most are behind paywalls or expensive on the auction house. 5. The Business Model: Pay-to-Win? (Crucial for New Players) Aion 2 is free-to-play but has three monetization pillars. Western players should expect changes before global release. Pillar Cost (Approx.) What It Does Comfort Membership Part of ~€47/month total Unlocks account trading & auction house access. Seen as mandatory. Content Membership Part of ~€47/month total Increases daily dungeon limits & Abyss time. Massive gameplay advantage. Premium Battle Pass 28-day duration Sells resources for gear upgrades, not just cosmetics. Cash Shop Variable Sells resurrection stones, buffs, and premium currency. Indirect Pay-to-Win Buy premium currency → trade for in-game gold → use gold on auction house → buy upgrades. "Whales" (unlimited budgets) can reach max gear level in days, while free players grind all season. Developer Note: The monetization is currently being tested in Asia and may differ for the Western release. 6. Current Problems & What Needs to Change for Global Release Based on Taiwanese server feedback: ❌ Major Issues Bots overrunning the economy. Korean servers use real-name verification; Taiwan server (where many Westerners play) is flooded. Upgrade mechanics rely on luck (success rates), not just loot. Materials become scarce; success rates drop. Real money bypasses this Aion 2 Kinah for sale. Rigid animations – cannot be canceled smoothly. PC veterans call combat "clunky." Overloaded menus – dozens of submenus with red exclamation marks. You'll spend hours clicking just to clear notifications. Lag in hubs – Dawn Legion Base drops to ~10 FPS with multiple players (may be VPN-related). No English voice-over – currently Chinese with English subtitles. Full localization expected for global release.