The random elements that can be attached to a map involve everything from monster density to item drop rates. Modifying map aspects and quality is a major aspect toward creating loot-laden playgrounds filled with challenges and discoveries, and experimentation is critical to success. Feeling spicy? Use a Vaal orb to spike a map into something completely unpredictable. Add scarab beetles when you open the map to add other elements like more loot, higher drop rates, bigger challenges, and more. Have a magic map? Make it rare and change the modifiers. For instance, maps are items and come in various rarities, and like everything else in Path of Exile, these can be altered with other consumable items. The Atlas is Path of Exile’s endgame system, structured via map items that the player can find and alter. You find various maps and attempt to fill out your Atlas by completing each one, but it’s nowhere near that simple. It’s a great way to create risk, reward, and advancement while keeping an element of surprise throughout. Ritual has all the slot-machine hooks via spotting an exalted orb or a premium anointed talisman in your ritual shop and adds some method of choice and controlled progression to a world ruled by chance. Instead of relying on a complete roll of the dice as to what you can find, you get to pick from a potent selection of goods in each and every area, and save stuff that’s too expensive for later.
Completing rituals adds a controllable progression path to a world of randomness in a meaningful, smart way. As you select gear or currency to purchase, it makes every location interesting and even overpowers whatever else you may be doing in the area in terms of priority.
The downside of course is that the Tabula Rasa is truly a “blank slate” with no stats, so it’s a replaceable piece much later down the line.Īnyway, the key point here is that each and every area you enter is chock full of interesting choices to make. Tabula Rasa is a huge early-game boost, giving the player access to a 6-link chest piece that you can slot in any color of gem. You can defer items as many times as needed in order to get them at a reasonable price, which allowed me to snag a Tabula Rasa early on my character. Can’t afford the big power items? You can defer the item to a future area, meaning you’ll see it again soon at a discount.
Ritual lets players purchase items with ritual points that you earn in each area. No longer are you hoping for a good drop, you’re selecting exactly what you want and earning it, maybe over the course of several maps. Ritual gives players access to extremely powerful gear, high-end currency, and essentially agency over their own progression path as you bust through each screen, which adds a lot to the overall progression arc. However, instead of gathering up a boatload of Chaos Orbs and trading for powerful items, I love to find my own gear and make do as I work my way through the campaign and the Atlas. Unfortunately, when I play in that mode, I can’t use the guild bank to gear up all my friends, so standard leagues is generally where I end up. While trading is part of the game, I’ve never enjoyed that aspect and prefer to find my own gear, up to and including playing in Solo Self-Found league.
With Ritual league, you really get to have it your way when it comes to loot.