I think I have a big reason why maps in POE 2 feels so lackluster compared to POE: the lack of a 'collection' mentality or goal.
In POE 1, you get to maps and you have this empty Atlas. You think to yourself, OK, I just have to fill this out by finding and completing all of these maps... cool, let's get started! And for each one you complete, and with the bonus goals of completing them white then blue then yellow then red, it gives you a clear sense of progression. It also gives you a clear idea of what you need to get to accomplish your goals. Once you've completed the atlas, then beaten the conqueror's/guardians, you can fight the end game bosses and get some cool stuff. Potentially.
It's easy to understand, incremental progression with a clear goal... beautifully done GGG.
In POE2 you get none of that. The only thing close is the quests you get to complete the various tiers, but that's it. Do you go in one direction? Do you make a spiral pattern? Do you just pick a random direction? Why do any of it at all? This last question is a little unfair, as all the content isn't there yet that might answer this question, but then again it's totally fair because EA should be a place where questions like this get asked and an answer is hopefully forthcoming AND satisfying.
Now, it could be said that POE2's maps system is more like delve in POE. OK, fair enough, but again it kind of breaks down in comparison. Delve has a clear goal: go down as far as you can, and the farther you go the harder things get, and there's practically no end to it. (I know there is now, but for most of POE's history there was effectively no end to delve). What's the clear goal of POE2's maps compared to that? There isn't one. It doesn't say have a goal of clearing as much of the fog as you can, or maybe uncovering X amount of a single type of map, as another example. There's finding the citadel's, and they're improving that, but other than that what do we have as a goal for the Atlas?
I'm not saying all is lost here, as they could easily add another type(s) of 'landmark' for lack of a better term that you need to try to hunt down in the map area besides citadels. But making it all RNG generated is going to most likely feel bad in implementation. IMO at least.
They could also add some extra threatening biomes that you need to path around if you're too weak or path to if you if you're strong enough to tackle the threat that lives there. Something like that would be better than yet another random desert/forest/coastal biome spawning in again. There IS potential here, but it needs a LOT of work to make it half as compelling as POE1's systems. I also think it needs more structure to hold it together than a pure RNG/procedurally generated landscape that could be bricked if the stars align just right.
I think they'll get there eventually, but it's always a bit concerning to see a company like GGG make so many unforced errors that they've previously solved and having to retread so much ground.
Chris
