In this article, we take a look at the hotly debated topic of Magic Find, or Increased Item Rarity (IIR), in Path of Exile 2 (PoE2). We aim to cut through the hysteria and misinformation and provide clarity on how IIR works with diminishing returns and its real-world impact on gameplay strategies. This exploration includes a mechanical breakdown, data analysis from community experiments, and a discussion of the implications for build diversity.
Magic Find Mechanics Overview
Diminishing marginal returns:
IIR in PoE2, like its predecessor, has diminishing returns. For example, an item with a 50% IIR may not increase rare drops by 50%, but rather by 35%. This effect becomes more pronounced at higher IIR percentages, essentially limiting the benefit of stacking too much Magic Find.
Functionality:
Grinding Gear Games (GGG) has indicated that the mechanics are designed to avoid making extreme IIR stacking necessary or overly beneficial, aiming for a balanced gameplay experience where players don't feel compelled to sacrifice all other stats for rarity.
Data Analysis
Community experiments:
Several creators, including notable figures such as "my dear YouTuber" and Slippery Jim, have conducted extensive testing. These experiments have largely confirmed that once you reach around 100-200% IIR, the benefit in terms of increased item drops becomes less significant.
Data points and observations:
By tracking different currency gains at different IIR levels:
At 100% IIR, there's approximately a 50% increase in the drop rate of items such as Exalted Orbs.
Between 200% and 300% IIR, the drop increase is minimal, and sometimes negative due to the randomness and small sample size of these tests.
Atlas Rarity:
There is a hypothesis that the atlas's rarity multiplier works separately and multiplicatively, which doesn't significantly interfere with the diminishing returns of player IIR, suggesting a more complex interaction between different sources of rarity.
Sweet spot for IIR:
Recommendation:
Based on the data, the optimal IIR for most players seems to be between 100% and 200%:
Minimum: 100% IIR provides a significant benefit without overly skewing your build towards Magic Find at the expense of other critical stats.
Maximum: Beyond 200%, the return drops off sharply, making further investment in IIR less efficient unless you're aiming for the absolute peak of drop rate optimisation or have extra currency to spend.
Discussion of build diversity and Magic Finding
Misconceptions:
The idea that IIR inherently kills build diversity is disputed. The argument is that any perceived reduction in diversity may be due to the disparity in build effectiveness rather than IIR itself.
Comparison with other mandatory stats:
Just as resistances are considered essential for survival, IIR has become a focal stat for loot optimisation. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that it limits build variety, but may highlight other balance issues within the game's mechanics.
Final thoughts
The debate around IIR may be somewhat overblown, with the core issues possibly stemming from other areas of the game's balance. Players are encouraged to aim for 100-200% IIR on gear as a sweet spot, balancing rarity gains with other gameplay necessities.
Call to Action:
Engage with the community by liking, subscribing and commenting on this topic. We promise to revisit the IIR discussion as new data and insights emerge, fostering an ongoing dialogue about the mechanics of PoE2.
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