Path of Exile | Day 1 Hardcore Race Update
So far I have taken things extra slow. Since playing hardcore is something that is rather new to me I rather spend the time and not have to start over again if it can help.
League start I always forget to grab a screenshot of me sitting in the queue! After getting the patch out of the way I was 10,040th in the login queue. Not too bad for being an hour and a half early!
Bestiary League
I did spend some time checking out the new stuff and sightseeing. While everyone is rushing to their deaths I listen to the lore text and even visited some of the new stuff to see what was up. I have even captured a few beasts along the way. I need more nets! I have yet to sacrifice any of the Blood Alter for items since I had a feeling I would get flattened like a pancake with how bad my gear has been.
My first capture and I am really digging that portal effect when the guy comes in to collect it. You can’t see it well in this screenshot but it is amazing!
Two of the cages in one of the side areas in Menagerie where all my captures will be held for this league.
There are several different holding areas and one cage have some of the beasts I have captured so far. They are all very low level but I just wanted to start collecting them. Not that this brings back ANY childhood memories of me wanting to capture every SINGLE thing I come across. Shame I cant use them to battle others beasts.
How I Love Spike Traps
During leagues, I always skip over doing the puzzles that are required to unlock the Labyrinth till later on where I go back and do this. Every time I just feel silly about how much time I’m wasting having to run back to each one when I could have done them when I find them. This time I ask myself “when was the last time I died to spike trap in one of these.” While it was not last season I can say that streak has come to an end and my first death!
Act II Boss – Vaal
I have been going very slow not even being under leveled by three or four levels like I would in softcore. When I got to the end of Act II’s boss I noticed my damage was not going be enough for this fight. I even tried to force it a little bit but it went really bad. I at least escaped that round alive.
So I went back a couple of zones and did some farming to try and replace my gear with both drops and some crafting. Seem a little strange to have to be crafting already at this level but I just want to move forward without having to start over again. So I felt some time invested was worth trying.
Up to this point I was running with my main skill just with 1 other gem. Freezing Pulse with Added Cold Damage. Before I make the switch over to my final build skill I’ve never really had great plans and I just pushed forward in the past in softcore. This time around I added Faster Casting (I really should have done that sooner), and vender recipe a magic wand to have +1 to socked cold gems.
It’s really not ideal at all but hey in a couple of levels I’ll be making a switch over to Glacial cascade on my shadow.
I'm used to my chest being my worst slot since that tends to be where I hold my main skill. Why did I run so long on such a bad item? Well, I was hoping for a better link so I could use another skill. I did see faster casting speed on one vender when checking what skills I could use and was happy to switch this over to my wand.
This chest not being very good was at least better than one I had been holding. In hopes of upgrading into by making it a two or three link. Thankfully I did not need to do that!
For the boss fight, I did loot this ring and I even tried to roll it a couple of times. I ended up just sticking with life since I did not want invest too much and I did not have much to spend rerolling anyway.
I also found this while leveling up more for the boss fight. It had life and some cold resistance which I was looking for. It was also much better then whatever junk helm I was wearing I think only had some life in it.
I also reroll some socket colors to move my gems around to fit into my new gear.
I ended up more than doubling my damage and instead of having to evade every single attack this time I was able to even face tank some of it so I could get more damage out since I crafted some bigger flasks that had double the healing amount.
Deaths And Currency
My second shadow made it to level 26 and it resting with none of the third act started. It took me longer than expected to get to that point and I elected to get some sleep and work on some other things before I go back tonight and press onward. My first guy only made it to level 9. Some say he just wanted to die because who dies to spikes I mean really!
For those who don’t play this game once your hardcore league character dies it gets moved to softcore standard . I’ve only log into standard league in last year to manage my bank space! Who even plays standard when new leagues are so much fun!!!!
My total end of the day currency count. Nothing really amazing drop as of yet. I did open a chest that drops 4 silver coins which were an ok find.
Information
Screenshots taken and content written by @enjar. Recap of my day 1 for Poecomp.
Screenshots from Path of Exile a free to play game developed by Grinding Gear Games.
If you would like to know the results you can find them here— Recap Of My Hardcore Experiences
Looking for more Path of Exile content? Check it out at my new site Enjar Games | Path Of Exile
Good Luck! Hope you don't die :)
Hehe, I've had so many close calls on current fight I'm stuck on. I'm off reclearing the same zone a few times trying level up a bit more :)
Nice. I noticed your first death. The standard char with the 'SHR_' prefix is a dead giveaway. @holoz0r lost his first ever char to those spikes, but that was during practice a week ago.
It'll be interesting to see what pays off in this comp.
Rush and hope has to catch up to you eventually, but slow and steady can leave you in fourth place.
You're looking for a happy medium, like Navali ;)
If nothing else this is forcing me to learn how to play the game better which is really the reason i'm doing it.
I would love to rush but I know I'd be dead. Which most time I'd be ok with expect this is not softcore! hehe.
Softcore bores me now; in other games too. I might make some converts, perhaps.
Games certainly last a lot longer.
Nicely done. I'm hoping I'll get through Act II on my next session of play. Ended day 1 at Level 21 (couple of hours more play after my post) but today is unlikely to see much play with other life things to do.
I’ve had a few things to do today as well. I took a few breaks yesterday other than being around for the very start i don’t have to many hours played this season yet.
I think it’s best to take it easy when it comes to something like this we do have an entire 7 days. Unless one of them hits level 100 but I’ve never even come close on softcore doing that in a league. I would prefer to keep playing long after the 7 days so I don’t want over do. Hardcore as centrally made me rethink my playstyle and how I approach things a few times.
In past I’ve seen a few people pull 24-30 hours in the first day to only rip an hour or two before they get some needed sleep. Every season I swear people hit level 100 faster and faster. It just crazy how fast some of these people are moving these days. I just don’t put in the kind of hours some of these guys do.
Good luck and have lots of fun :)
You have fun too. My highest ever character level is only in the high 50s, so I'm hoping to break that this season, and will certainly be playing after the week ends. Playing Ranger has made me adjust my play style far more than playing HC has, as I've always been a "don't want to die" kind of player, even in softcore.
There's no way I can do the sort of hours I used to do either, and they certainly do get to L100 much faster than they used to. Possibly due to power creep, but also due to knowing the zones and what you're likely to face when you get there. A bit like that first time you face a boss vs the 20th time. You know their attacks, you know their patterns, you know their vulnerabilities, so you've gotten prepared before getting to them, rather than having to find out first and then go hunt the right gear down
There are a few fights I am scared of getting to. I never could do them without dying in fact some of them I would just chain die to get past lol.
I've had a few close calls today. Out trying level up a bit more and hope that enough to progress where i'm stuck.
I remember being eaten alive by Daresso and wondering how anyone could possibly beat him in a single life.
Now I grind him for gear to hurt Malachai.
Its all about practice.