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Path of Exile is an incredibly complex game with many complicated systems and mechanics interconnecting with one another. On top of that, the game itself does a poor job of teaching newcomers how to come to grips with these systems. While any MMORPG can be daunting at first, reading a few guides and adopting a certain mindset is all it takes to start grinding in one. Path of Exile has a lot of content to offer anyone willing to dive deep into its depths, but it first asks them to gather the necessary skills to get started.
This guide is written as an introduction to the necessities one might need when starting on Path of Exile.
First steps for a new Path of Exile player
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Due to the lack of in-game guides and tutorials for many of the mechanics and systems of the game, it is highly recommended that you follow as many directions and wikis as possible and use other third-party software.
1) Get a build guide, a loot filter, and leveling guide
The first thing that will terrify a new Path of Exile player is the skill tree the game tells you to open at the end of the first area. It is a vast sprawling web of skills that players must put points into every time they level up. The number of options can paralyze someone who doesn't fully grasp the game.
The solution is to follow a guide that tells you where to put your points at what level of the game. To do this, you will need to follow a build guide. The guide will also tell you which abilities to use and what gear to craft and equip.
There are some things to remember when choosing which guide to follow.
- Ensure the guide is current and based on the latest major patch of the game.
- Make sure you like the playstyle of the ability used
- Make sure that the guide hand-holds you through every aspect of the game, like telling you where to put your skill points during the early stages and how to get the essential pieces of gear necessary for the build.
- Path of Building is third-party software that will significantly help you when following a build guide.
Many will argue that players should not follow a guide and experiment and trial and error their way to success. If you enjoy playing the game that way, then please do so. This post aims to guide the players into the smoothest possible game experience.
Failing with your first build will mean starting with a new character, as Path of Exile doesn't provide any easy way to reset a character.
You won't think you need a loot filter until you see a screen full of item names and don't know which to pick or throw away. As a looting game, Path of Exile drops a lot of items. A loot filter is a simple and lite config file that will help the player differentiate between good and trash items.
Another optional guide to follow is a leveling guide for Path of Exile. Such a guide will tell you which quests to do in what order and which areas to go to. This will allow you to skip very few unrewarding quests and stick to the most efficient path to completing the game's Acts.
2) Picking a character and league
When choosing to create a new character, the game will ask you which league you would like to play in, and there are a couple of options. Players should primarily go for the current league with Solo Self-Found Disabled.
Leagues are like seasons of Path of Exile; they last for three months and then transfer your character to the permanent league known as Standard. The ongoing league often has the newest league mechanics along with most players, which is why it is recommended.
Choosing Solo Self-Found will lock away player interactions like partying up or trading. This mode is for those that want to experience the game in single-player form. Inexperienced players shouldn't go for this mode, as trading is a significant game aspect. Finally, Hardcore mode gives your character one life. Upon dying, that character is permanently sent to Standard. This mode is also not recommended for newcomers.
If you are following a build guide, you already know which class to go for; if not, pick whichever suits your playstyle best. The Marauder, Witch, and Ranger are your classic warrior, mage, and rogue archetype, while the others are hybrids of two of the three archetypes. The Scion, permanently unlocked after completing a quest in Act 3, is more like a jack of all trades.
All of the classes eventually get access to all the game's abilities. All the classes also share the same skill tree but start in different areas. For example, the melee damage nodes are mainly near the Marauder, and the magic skills are primarily near the Witch, but both of them can travel to the other's area as long as they have enough skill points.
There are also Ascendancies, which are like subclasses, but that is out of the scope of this guide.
3) Getting through the Acts and reaching the endgame
Getting through the 10 Acts of Path of Exile shouldn't be difficult if you have followed the steps. For new players, it should take roughly 10-15 hours, while for more experienced players, it takes 6-8 hours.
Completing the Acts truly starts the game as the "meat" of Path of Exile is in its endgame. That doesn't mean one should rush through the acts the first time. You can play the campaign at your own pace.
Once you have reached the endgame, you will be overwhelmed with the game's new mechanics and systems. The course of action here would be to understand mapping and completing the Atlus. There will be other league mechanics that you should learn at your own pace.
After reaching maps, you should have a long-term goal in mind, which could be any number of these.
- Completing the Atlus
- Beating all the bosses in the game
- Seeing all the content
- Completing the achievements and getting the cosmetics
- Min Maxing a character
- Making a lot of money in the game via grinding and trading
- Experimenting with build
And much, much more. You can also have smaller or even bigger goals than those if you want. Goals are necessary to know where to go or what to do once you are in the endgame.
Conclusion
Path of Exile is an overwhelming game; being overwhelmed is part of the experience. It is a looter action role-playing game with many items for the player to grind for and some of the most profound character customizations a game could have. Due to all of this, it can be a pretty challenging game to get started in.
