Abilities should give class resource, not player level.

[Erik Dirk]

At the moment there's not much incentive to choose a variety of active abilities. 90% of the time you'll just use the same 2 abilites and exhaust your pool.

Solution: selecting an active ability on level up gives more resource. You no longer get additional resource with PL, but higher level abilities give more resources.

Alternatively give every ability a free use per encounter.

[SonicMage117]

How very true.

 

Know this, Obsidian are watching. Safe journey!

[Takkik]

I agree that taking more active abilities is counter intuitive, specialy since as you progress often the ability cost increase too. In the old system, all abilities were per encounter, so more abilities more stuff to use. But at same time you didn't get reel choices because you could just spam all your aviaible use / encounter.

 

It really depend of the class. Casters get more spells to use as they progress (in my opinion, I'm not really fan of the 2 cast per spell levels. I think a caster should use more low level spells (more use) and use less ogten high level spells (harder to place, longer casting time / easier to interrupt. Or have the ability to cast low level spells with a highter spellslot). Cypher & Monk have unlimited resources because they can generate some of their resources etc...

 

The problem really rise with a class like the rogue that have many attack skills that compete each others and lot of ability that cost 2-3 pts.

 

Way to solve the problem?

Add some modals/stance to classes that don't have them (more active/involving that plain passive but don't take resources)

Developpe the dual resource system like the monk to other class. A rogue could have a traditional resources for skills like invisibility/mobility, but a different resources that renew for all their attacks.

Use a focus/phrase like system for most classes.

Use a caster system for other class. Exemple rogue : divide abilities in different categories, each categorie have it's own use per encounter.

 

All the tools are already here. But biggest poe2 problem right now it's difficulty/balance (and bugs). What the point to a complete resources spending/generator when you can finish most fight with 1 empowered spell?

[Elric Galad]

The problem is that Multiclass characters basically trade less PL for more ressource (+ possibility to choose from 2 ability tree instead of higher level ones)

Linking pool to ability would leed to a big balance shift toward single class cause Multiclass won't get double pool increase.  That is something to take into consideration even if I agree with OP.

The worst case might be Single Class Rogue : you might be tempted to pick almost no Guild-Related ability and save your pool for Gambit only...

 

A couple of abilities with Cooldowns, other ressource pools or Per Encounter Use would help.