We need to talk about sprint

POE2 introduced map sizes cranked up to absolute maximum, with lots of intersections and dead-ends what brings enormous amount of backtracking and overextended campaign time. We asked for any ways of decreasing map completion times and GGG heard us and implemented sprint mechanics.

But does sprint really improves gameplay? From one side - yes, it's clearly faster to run from one side of a map to another. From another side - previous is true on a map without enemies because a sting of a mosquito brings so much muscle pain in our Godslayer type of character they fall to the ground without a chance to survive gopnics who just found their best time to take revenge for their fallen millions of comrades by our hands. So now not only map is still same size as before, we need to run it again from last checkpoint (at least checkpoints been a good addition to the game) or right from the Act 1 if you play HC (or at least from main menu if you are even better HC player).

So does it improves whole gameplay? From perspective of developers - yes, since dead of our character is by our mistake. But does it need to be implemented exactly this way? Obviously not. This is just another annoying feature we, players, have to deal with. It should be a simple fix for annoyance of maps size, but now it just brings even more frustration.

So how to improve sprint?
I've seen topics where people suggested some additional gems / gear affixes that will remove muscle pain on sprint and it give me a good chuckle, because it's like accepting your fate being hanged, but asking Count Geonor to use more comfortable, soft rope, with cute pink fluff.
Obviously muscle pain been added as a punish for trying to avoid enemies instead of fighting them. So maybe just let us fight them? Instead of dropping character down just make it a stagger with slight debuff on movement speed and restriction on dodge roll for 2-3 seconds. This will force us to fight with enemies, not just die meaninglessly. There are dozens of ways to implement such mechanic in a good way but now this is too much Karui way.

I think they should change it so that it activates after holding the roll button for a bit longer. As it is now, it activates too easily when doing multiple rolls.

what they wanted was a way to disincentivize players from running away from everything to get to the "good stuff."

what we got was killed if we hold dodge for slightly too long after a dodge roll OR PRESSED IT TOO SOON BETWEEN DIFFERENT DODGE ROLLS.

I am fairly certain at the end of 0.3 we had a bigger window between the start of the dodge roll and "get your shit kicked in cause you're are sprinting in the middle of pack of enemies that are whaling on you."

It's not great, and it's worse when you aren't immediately sure why you are suddenly not moving and getting bodied because you can't see your prone body in the sea of enemies you were trying to dodge roll through.

I don’t know why adding some keybind options that give us a bit more control over when we sprint and when we dodge is so fucking hard for GGG to do.