Today, we sat down with community streamer and build guide writer Tripolarbear to talk about things inside and outside of Path of Exile. Check it out!

Hi Tripolarbear, thank you for taking part in the interview! Please introduce yourself:

Hey, thanks for reaching out! I’m TPB, a midwesterner who graduated to become a science teacher, but instead found some small success with YouTube/Twitch. You can find me over at https://twitch.tv/tripolarbear.

When did you first get into Path of Exile?

I got D2 for Christmas one year and fell in love with the genre. A few years later a friend told me that a new game like D2 was in beta, so I paid the $20, downloaded and logged in, and had a bit of fun. Then I played some Diablo 3 when it launched but it just didn’t scratch that same itch so I went back to Path of Exile very casually. I didn’t really stick with it until Warbands/Tempest league where I started getting characters to maps. Once I got a few characters to maps I was absolutely hooked, only skipping Prophecy and Blight league since.

What one thing caught your attention in the beginning and what one thing kept you coming back?

The skill gem system and passive tree were so cool. The customization you can give your character made it so neat to me back then. Even just taking a random spell, and turning it into a trap or totem was mind blowing.

What kept me coming back was definitely the league/ladder resets. I loved fresh starts on new MMOs or ladder resets from Diablo 2, so to have that for Path of Exile made it so much easier to just login and grind with everyone else.

Are there any highlights from your time playing Path of Exile that stand out in your memory?

Definitely the day I identified 100% global defense on a grasping mail, then hit the ⅓ to fracture it. After that I pulled a Headhunter from Gwennen and promised I would double corrupt a Mageblood if I pulled one. I ran out of her artifacts, but bought more from Dannig and then pulled a Mageblood, double corrupted it and had it poof. Chris givith, Chris taketh away.

Do you have a favourite build?

My favourite build would have to be self curse self poison BV from Ritual league. Getting hundreds of movement speed from the poison sextant, and becoming this towering giant from Headhunter buffs was just an absolute pleasure. Surely someday we’ll find a way to break the game like that again.

Which expansion has been your favourite so far?

I think it’d have to be Sentinel league. The freedom of build creation was through the roof with the addition of multiple essence/incursion/fractured mods and the ability to create some now impossible gear. I also loved how the league mechanic could be used even if you’re bossing, farming blighted maps or logbooks, heisting blueprints, or even down in the delve.

What's one thing every Path of Exile player should hear?

Investing into your build is just like compounding interest. When you have more damage and die less, you’ll be farming faster, making more currency, and having way more fun. Too many players never upgrade past the first 5c item they put on their body. Imagine never updating your wardrobe past middle school, and that’s pretty much what you’re doing. Trust me on this, buy fractured bases to spam essences on, or purchase a 1+ Divine item for every slot and your build is going to feel so much better.

What can people expect from your stream and schedule?

It’s a little raunchy, kinda funny, and a good ass time. I'll be testing and learning new builds, or grinding/exploring some new currency strategy, but mostly I'm just hanging out, joking around, and blasting content most days around 4 PM Chicago time. What were you doing before you started streaming?

Before streaming I was a fresh graduate looking for a teaching job, and found out I could be an online English tutor to Chinese kids. The tutoring job was god awful, with classes at 11 PM and 4 AM but eventually I got good enough at it that I could surf reddit or play Path of Exile while tutoring.

What hobbies or interests do you have outside of streaming?

I’ve been going to the gym for a few months now, and outside of Path of Exile I enjoy playing games with my friends Walliwalls, Reznov, and Joe. I’m also in a DND group, but that’s always on a few week break when the new league drops.

Are there any up and coming streamers that you'd like to shine a spotlight on?

Carn for bone(shatte)r blasting.

An SSF/Ruthless focused GIGACHAD Manni.

The Ventrua for some SSF/Hardcore knowledge.

When you need crafting tips head to Spicy Sushi.

Do you have any projects on the horizon you'd like to talk about?

I’ve found a lot of fun in my new editing style from before league start, and I’d like to get back to that after I have some more time post league launch rush. I have a few projects/events ideas, but the only other solid plan I have is to release more high quality, hand holding build guides on http://Maxroll.gg and http://Youtube.com/tripolarbear.

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Thank you so much for participating in the interview! If you'd like to follow Tripolarbear, you can do so on Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch. Also, don't forget that you can support both Tripolarbear and the development of Path of Exile by buying microtransactions from his Nexus page!