Hello new exile! This guide will help orient you to the complex structure of Path of Exile and give you a heads up to some of the more obscure mechanics in the game.
In no particular order, the tips!
- HAVE FUN and don’t worry if you’re using the best or most optimal builds! The game is designed for you to create multiple characters and explore different item and skill combinations. Your first character is almost guaranteed to suck. So go with it and just enjoy the ride.
- Pick an AOE skill early on and USE it! You can thank me when you’re not 30 levels behind everyone else.
- To link an item in chat hold control + alt and then click the item.
- You can use ANY gem as ANY class as long as you meet the stat requirements
- Some reasons to not level up a skill gem – the mana cost of the upgraded skill may become too prohibitive or you may not have the stats required to use the upgraded skill gem.
- Control + click an instance allows you to reset that instance. Useful for farming.
- Empty instances are reset after 15 minutes. Keep those town-runs quick, and if you need to be AFK for longer periods of time do so in a safe part of the instance and not in town.
- If you die in hardcore your character will be moved to the regular(softcore) league and you can continue playing them there.
- Exalted Orbs, Divine Orbs, Gem Cutters Prisms, and Chaos Orbs are the most valuable currency. Best bet is to hoard everything until you get a good understanding of values in this game.
- White items can be insanely valuable. This is because some of the best items in the game can be crafted from a white item using the aforementioned currencies. Example: Find a high base quality white weapon. Increase its quality by +20% using Blacksmith’s Whetstones(a currency item), then use an Orb of Alchemy on the item to make it a rare!
- Pick up: all currency items, quality skill gems(hover over the gem, if it has a Quality bonus, no matter how small, pick it up), uniques(duh), items with three color links(ex. red, blue, green socket linked together, these vendor for chromatic orbs, a valuable currency item).
- White items to keep a lookout for – any item with 5+ links, 5+ link items are very rare and can be sold/upgraded well. And of course three color link items.
- Dual wielding grants +10% increased attack speed and +15% increased block chance
- There are now three acts with three difficulty types(normal, cruel, and ruthless). Pretty much normal, hell, inferno. Each increase in difficulty and act makes the game noticeably more difficult.
- You need elemental resistances. An easy way to build up resists is through rings. It’s a good idea to carry around different sets of resist rings and swap them out depending on the mobs you encounter.
- Path of Exile can be unforgiving for those who neglect defenses(like elemental resistances). Sure you could make a full glass cannon build. But, would I advise that? Absolutely not.
- Be sure to pick up +100% life or energy shield from your passive skill tree.
- When making new builds plan for about 60 skill points. No need to get all crazy with a 120 point build. By the time you have 60 you’ll have a much better understanding of where the skill points should be going. Also, this keeps your head from exploding.
- Look out for puncture. This is a skill enemies use that does five times more damage while you are moving. You are effected by puncture if you’re leaving a giant trail of blood behind you, and you HP is dropping like a rock.
- Don’t know how to build your character? Check out the official path of exile forums for ideas.
- You can join other player’s games by visiting the message-board in town. Friends who slay together, stay together!
Sources: http://blackrabbit2999.blogspot.com/2012/07/path-of-exile-loot-guide.html http://en.pathofexilewiki.com/wiki/Diablo_Players_Guide_to_Path_of_Exile Forum poster IronRooster2