After Dark 355: Salty Mercs
Summary
The hosts discuss personal updates, including a "curse" where sports merchandise purchases predict player departures, and share stories about The Bay's closure and family camping trips. The majority of the episode focuses on Path of Exile, with one host detailing frustrations with a struggling Mercenary build, unclear UI stats, and Atlas passive tree mechanics. They also critique Grinding Gear Games' historical neglect of new players and analyze the All Flame league's crafting system compared to Heist.
Topics discussed
Intro and technical setup
Erin's sports merchandise curse
Nostalgia for the Bay store and wedding registry
Daily life, kids watching Boss Baby, and malware scare
Work issues and Ed Sheeran concert plans
Watching Up and discussing game choices
Path of Exile 2: Bow build frustrations
Critique of missing offensive stats in UI
Endgame progression and mercenary limitations
Comparing Path 1 and Path 2 player experience
Defense of Path 2's new player onboarding
Detailed analysis of mercenary stat display
Luminary class mechanics and build variety
Atlas passive tree and mercenary spawn rates
Struggling with single target and build criticism
Character levels and zombie build issues
Desecrate availability and Luminary class wait
Game update schedule and content release timeline
Game stability and crafting system changes
Item filter learning and game progression
Kids playing Path of Exile and episode outro
Salty mercenary mechanics and map modifiers
Mercenary support skill retention confusion
Zombie minion behavior and temporary mercs
Upcoming episode plans and world building
Gear swapping ease and chromatic orb crafting
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