.4 chrono - feedback or how to suffer

TLDR: Don't play chrono, unless you have a high budget. We need more flat damage and less remnant combos.


Current PoB: https://poe.ninja/poe2/pob/13b73

Campaign feedback

The go fast and not mess around method - I don't play arpgs to go slow and hate life, i want action not a slog. Also where did my rpg go from my arpg?

General - NoN chrono issues

Pros
- adequate currency drops
- adequate gem drops (supports/uncuts)

Cons
- length (transition zones/size)
- crafting -> inability to create useful items within current crafting system (save currency for maps/trade problem)
- gear -> reliance on smart drop system can create gear deserts
- inability to pivot easily


Chrono specific issues


Damage - In general most ability combos accessible to a caster in campaign fall off dramatically the further you progress. Cooldown or sands ascen choices lead to mana issues so don't solve damage issues alone. Remnant comboing playstyle feels horrible as the pay-off doesn't exist, you end up doing more because that's all you can do for a small damage increase.

Survivability - As you progress everything starts to become a one-shot, temp rift while useful is pro-active not reactive and recoup is negligible without gear to support.

The problem in campaign for chronos comes in the later acts as damage falls off and full glass cannon is to risky. The risk v reward is out of whack and the level of player ability and sanity gets tested greatly (can you dodge everything for 5 mins straight?). Add in the requirement to press multiple buttons to do weak dps and it's a slog.


Early map feedback

Not much to add here, comets and decent access to aoe abilities leads to decent clear speed. One shots are normal till a decent es pool/es nodes filled out and boss damage is still a joke till gear catches up.

Conclusion

Classes problems can be overcome with better gear, other wise it's a fun spammy caster that isn't very strong at one aspect. Chrono is missing identity in actual gameplay, the theme is cool, but you are just a bad storm weaver with meme potential. Chrono i feel needs to be more "Setup and blast" which would be a nice step away from the remnant combo stuff of the stormweaver.

Chrono has been a meme ascendancy since release that needs a metric ton of currency to be mediocre. i always recommend that you avoid that ascendancy till ggg decides to give it something meaningful.

Someone needs to test it sadly

Spells in general still miserable crap in campaign. Chronomancer on top of that is more like an endgame ascendancy to me. Nothing really changed since 0.1 in that regard.

I guess i am fighting a losing battle, i like some of the ascens but i don't like the idea still that we have certain ones for certain periods of the game. Kinda ruins the whole rpg element for myself, it's an aspect i don't really like in PoE1 either.


Ascens should be defining the base class as something else entirely, defines the theme of the build and progression of the chosen class. It should't be "To be a blasty time mage i first have to be a elemental infused storm mage". That aspect i love of PoE1, i can take an idea (skill/ascen/item) and build around it to create my unique build.