Path of Exile 3.25: Settlers of Kelgar League and Gladiator Rework

The Path of Exile patch 3.25 introduces the Settlers of Kelgar League, which brings major changes to Gladiator and Champion ascendancies.

### Path of Exile 3.25 "Settlers of Kelgar" League and Gladiator Rework Discussion
* 🏰  The "Settlers of Kelgar" Challenge League introduces a **city-building mechanic**, **real-time resource management**, and **NPC map running for loot**.
* 💱  The most anticipated feature is the **Currency Exchange Market**, allowing players to **trade currency without the need for manual whispers**.
* 🎵  New boss fights and unique items are highly anticipated, with the community excited for the **potential power and creativity** they offer.
* 🛡️  The Gladiator Ascendancy rework is praised for its focus on **bleed and block mechanics**, introducing the new "**aggravated bleed**" effect.
* 🎮  The asynchronous nature of the league mechanic is seen as potentially **equalizing the economy for players with limited playtime**.
* 🎼  The quality of the new music tracks for the league and boss fights is highlighted as a **consistent strength** of Path of Exile updates.
* 💬  There are concerns about potential time-gating mechanics in the league, but developers have emphasized that it's **not designed to be a chore**.
* 🔮  Speculation arises about potential future expansions, with some players feeling that the **3.25 update could have been labeled as a "4.0" release**.

### Path of Exile: Scourge League Discussion
* 🎮  The upcoming Scourge League in Path of Exile introduces **significant changes to ascendancies**, including a **reworked Gladiator** and a **new Warden class**.
* 🗡️  The Gladiator ascendancy now focuses on **dual-wielding and retaliation skills**, with the new Warden class representing **right-side melee with tinctures for elemental damage**.
* 🌲  The Chieftain ascendancy received a major overhaul, making it a popular choice for league starters with **new slam skills** and **tree adjustments**.
* 🔒  Changes to physical damage reduction, including the removal of "**physical damage taken as X**" mods, shake up the defensive meta for right-side characters.
* 💰  The introduction of new base types for armor, evasion, and energy shield items, along with changes to tinctures, creates a **new gear meta**.
* 🏆  The league's endgame content, such as **Tier 17 maps** and the **Void mod**, offers challenging and rewarding experiences for **high-level players**.
* 💼  The addition of **console native ports** for both PoE 1 and PoE 2 demonstrates Grinding Gear Games' **commitment to long-term development** of the game.
* 🎒  The discussion also touches on **supporter packs**, **league mechanics**, and potential **league starter builds**, with Dream Core considering a **Chieftain slam build** as his league starter.

### Path of Exile: 3.15 Expansion Discussion with Dream Core and Silver
* 🔥  Dream Core and Silver discuss potential builds for the upcoming 3.15 expansion in Path of Exile, focusing on **Chieftain and other classes** for **hardcore and softcore play**.
* 💼  Dream Core plans to start with a Chieftain build, considering **Slam Ignite** and other mechanics, while Silver explores **Ele Hit Warden** and **Bleed Lacerate Gladiator**.
* 🛡️  In their hardcore discussion, they emphasize the importance of **defensive choices, resistances, and playing slower** to mitigate risks in the challenging game mode.
* 📊  They analyze the upcoming 3.15 expansion, praising GGG's **bold approach of introducing potentially unbalanced changes** to shake up the meta and encourage experimentation.
* 🎮  The conversation extends to Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2), with speculation about the upcoming **closed beta test** and its potential impact on the game's **release schedule**.
* 🧠  Dream Core and Silver appreciate the different styles of GGG's game directors, Mark and Jonathan, and how they bring their **unique personalities** to the community.
* 👀  They discuss the challenges of NDA testing for PoE 2, speculating on the **potential leaks** and **curated content** that may be part of the closed beta experience.
* 🎉  The podcast episode concludes with **mutual appreciation among the hosts** and plans for **future collaboration and discussions about Path of Exile content**.

EXCITING PoE 3.25 Settlers League Overview | Still Sane Podcast

Path of Exile's most positive and unhinged content creator.

Talkative Tri

25, "Settlers of Kelgar," has exceeded expectations with its extensive content updates and balance changes, bringing a city-building concept and real-time systems to the game.

The reveal has left the community stunned with its multitude of new mechanics, including resource gathering, rune crafting, and the return of recombinators.

The league's excitement has somewhat overshadowed the significant additions and changes to the game's fundamental mechanics, making it a major talking point for Path of Exile players.

In-Depth Discussion of the New POE League Mechanic

The new POE league mechanic involves a variety of tasks, including map running, ore collection, and NPC missions, providing a wide range of activities for players.

The Currency Exchange Market is expected to be a universally well-received feature, offering benefits for both POE1 and POE2.

The asynchronous time mechanics in the new league are anticipated to help equalize the economy and benefit average players, although there are concerns about potential time gates and their impact.

Discussion on New Game Mechanic and Its Potential Impact

The new game mechanic is seen as a way to equalize the market and is not intended to be a chore, as emphasized by the game developers.

There is anticipation for a lot of bug fixing in the initial weeks of the mechanic's launch, and players are advised to be prepared for this.

The mechanic brings excitement for players, especially those interested in solo self-found (SSF) play, due to the opportunity to farm specific divination cards and the introduction of Runesmithing with powerful modifiers.

Discussion on Unique Item Mechanics and Currency Trading in Path of Exile

The conversation revolves around the similarity between the unique item mechanics in Path of Exile and other games like Diablo 4 and Last Epoch.

There is a suggestion for a system where a unique item can be melded into a rare item, creating a reverse of the legendary item concept.

The discussion also touches on the new currency trading system in the game, emphasizing that it is a test and is likely to stay in the game if successful.

The participants share their experiences with trading in the game, with one player expressing admiration for the responsiveness of hardcore traders.

Discussing Path of Exile 2 and the New Gladiator Redesign

The speaker is excited to play hardcore and is considering multiple bingos in the game.

They are looking forward to the three new boss fights and the upcoming boss tracks in Path of Exile 2.

The discussion also covers the potential for Path of Exile 4.

0 and the speaker's thoughts on the new Gladiator redesign.

New Additions to the Bleed Mechanic in the Game

The new aggravated bleed mechanic adds a different dimension to normal bleed builds, offering a new way to deal damage.

The war of attrition node and the Jew wielding node bring interesting bonuses and a focus on a variety of weapons for bleed builds.

The introduction of retaliation skills brings a fun and explosive element to the game, although there are some concerns about building a character around these skills.

The changes to the block branch on Gladiator, including the buff to dual wielding, are seen as a positive improvement, making it easier to achieve high block values.

Overall, the updates to the bleed mechanic and Gladiator class are well-received, offering exciting prospects for future gameplay.

Unexpected Changes in Path of Exile Ascendancy Classes

The Champion class has undergone surprising changes, shifting towards a more supportive role rather than being focused on melee, which has caused a stir in the community.

The Chieftain class has also been revamped, providing more flexibility in skill pathing and offering exciting new possibilities for builds.

The introduction of the new Warden Ascendancy class has brought a fresh perspective, with a focus on thematic design and potential for enhancing attack-based Elemental builds.

Discussion on the New Ascendancy and Skill Changes in Path of Exile

The new Ascendancy offers a unique representation of right-side melee, with a focus on elemental damage and a strong design.

The changes to Bark Skin and its interaction with spells and elemental damage hits bring a significant boost, especially when stacked with other effects.

The update has led to a major shift in the meta, particularly affecting right-side characters' body armor modifiers and introducing new base types, providing a refreshing change for players.

Discussion on the Rarity of Tier 17 Maps in Path of Exile

Players are debating how rare the new Celestial base types will be in higher Maps, with the first one dropping in yellows and the strongest one in purple Maps.

The developers have made a significant reduction in the life and damage of monsters in t7 Maps, making them more accessible for players.

There is a mix of opinions on the rarity of tier 17 Maps, with some advocating for them to be rare to maintain excitement, while others suggest adjustments to the drop rates.

Changes and Additions in the Latest PoE League

The latest PoE league introduces a lower likelihood of finding rare items, but with the chance of encountering high-dopamine moments in regular content.

The patch notes also reveal the addition of double anoints in blighted maps and the rare finding of the Audience with the King fragment.

Additionally, the game developers' investment in optimizing both PoE 1 and PoE 2 for consoles indicates a continued commitment to the development of the game.

Mixed Reactions to the Penants Pack in the Gaming Community

Some gamers are excited about the map device and tracking features in the Penants pack, planning to achieve 40 out of 40 completion.

Others are hesitant to purchase until they know if the upcoming league is good, following a personal rule about supporter packs.

There is a discussion about starting the new league with Chieftain slams or leap slam ignite, with a focus on the changes to melee ailments in the game.

The upcoming Fist of War change is expected to bring a significant increase in damage, potentially making ignite slams very powerful.

With a focus on playing hardcore for the first time, the player seeks advice on how to react to character death and the importance of defensive choices.

Using a macro for hardcore play is recommended, as the game is balanced around it, although some players choose not to use it.

Path of Exile: New Patch Build Speculations

Players are considering trying out Warden for a melee build and Bleed Lacerate Gladiator for a defensive option in hardcore mode.

The upcoming patch is taking a bold and unprecedented approach to character changes, focusing on wild experimentation and potentially unbalancing the game.

This philosophy is expected to bring a fun and exciting period of experimentation for players, despite the potential for some builds to become overly powerful.

Mixed Reactions to the Path of Exile 1 Update

The speaker had mixed feelings about the recent Path of Exile 1 update, appreciating the steady improvements but feeling uncertain about the chaotic changes in the game.

They also discussed the contrasting styles of the game directors and their different approaches to game development.

The speaker expressed a liking for the genuine and unfiltered approach of the new game director, Mark, in contrast to the more detailed-oriented approach of Jonathan.

Speculations on the Upcoming Closed Beta Test for Path of Exile 2

The closed beta test for Path of Exile 2 may impact the release date for the broader public, depending on the smoothness of the test.

Speculations suggest the beta test could potentially take place around late September to mid-October, with a gradual increase in the number of participants and a possible NDA in place.

The developers may use the beta test to address issues with the game's economy and item mechanics before a larger, open beta release, possibly around the end of November.

The Impact of the Path of Exile 2 Testing and Release

The Path of Exile 2 testing phase is generating a lot of excitement and discussion among players, leading to a re-evaluation of their plans for the game.

The curated testing approach and substantial updates for Path of Exile 1 are keeping players engaged and interested in the game's future.

Content creators and the community are showing strong support and anticipation for both Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2 releases.