I have wrapped up my league goals for Synthesis. Overall while I enjoy various aspect of the leagues, it's definitely starting to feel overstuffed in the game with all the various league mechanics. Next league I want way more QoL and optimization changes rather than crazy new league ideas. Definitely don't want more high end crafting at least not for a league.
The main thing I am looking forward in the new league is the Melee rework with Life/Armor changes, hopefully something about Evasion as well. If they do what they did with spell in Synthesis, then this is going to be a total disaster. Melee needs more changes, both nuance and dramatic. You can't just give a bunch of skills more damage, you are just going to get a bunch of melee skills like Double Strike (great single target but terrible clear unless you use Multistrike/Ancestral Call/Melee Splash).
Here's what I want to see and expect from the Melee work (on top of what they have stated):
*Melee Splash support gem needs to give some damage bonus as well so you aren't super punished for having it. Something like 30% more damage would be enough, you wouldn't use it for single target but it's still not as punishing. But the main thing is that we want MORE sources of Melee Splash in the game. Definitely could use some nodes on the tree for Melee splash so you aren't forced to use the Skill gem.
*Way more defensive melee options. Not just on the Ascendancy but through support gems, skill nodes on the tree, buffs like Fortify. It's not really fair that ES and MoM based characters get to be more tanky than life based melee characters. Need way more life nodes around the Ranger tree and Slayer tree.
*Ascendancy Reworks/Buffs: Slayer, Berserker, Raider, Gladiator, Chieftain all need some reworks or buffs. But not just damage ones but defensive buffs as well.
*I really hope they change the whole chance to hit/crit double roll stuff. It doesn't really make sense that if you have 100% crit chance and 50% hit chance, you only crit 25% of the time. They are saying they are doing some sort of accuracy rework so let's see what they got.
*IMO life based leech needs to be WAY better than Energy Shield leech. Right now Energy Shield leech is kinda insane and there are sources all over the tree and on jewels plus other sources. This is what it needs to be for attack based skills as well only even more powerful. Oh and buff the Life Leech gem already.
*A lot of the melee skill needs more unique attributes or mechanics to them. Some of them like Heavy Strike are just a single strike, that's antiquated in Path of Exile now. More Melee skills need to have some sort of built in AOE/melee splash into them. If I do Heavy Strike, it hits a single target and then does a mini shockwave behind the target because you are hitting so hard. And for GOD'S SAKE someone rework Sweep already, it's a poor man's Reave.
*I would like to see a Totem that does melee skills (only instead of being static, it hops around like the Vaal A. Warchief totem). I think they can do it and would be cool to make a Lightning Strike Totem build. This would give people a good reason to play something like Chieftain.
*Buff Bleed. Enough said. And try to make it so that you aren't forced to use just Gladiator to make it work.
*Buff Resolute Technique keystone especially if you plan to rework accuracy. I like that it makes you not Crit but it needs to give a damage bonus to compensate.
*In general make Melee faster, tougher and stronger. That's what you need to make it so that you can compete with these spell/ranged skills that safely one shot the screen.
*Nerf Molten Strike already you cowards. So god damn sick of so called "Melee" players who use this skill as a crutch and not even scale anything melee related! It's a god damn Projectile skill you frauds!
*Change up weapon stats/distribution so that it's not as punishing leveling up with attack based skills. They said they were going to modify attack speeds at lower levels to make them feel better.
*2H buffs please.
*A lot of melee skills simply are not visually impressive, lack feedback, sounds corny or just look/feel lame. In many cases a visual buff is going to get more people playing a skill than just numerical changes. Sunder for example sounds really cartoony when used with a mace/mallet because you get this hollow wooden sound, it's not meaty at all and you aren't really convinced that you are doing big boy damage.
*Need a Keystone that rewards players for going Physical only. Right now physical only builds are in a poor shape because Ele conversion is so god damn strong.