The method of ascension is truly terrible. Zones are way too big.

Mapping:
Mapping used to be something that you kind of built up a character and then got into a zen mode and chugged through maps to grind towards boss fights. Now the zones are so enormous that it gets tedious. Maps are mazes and missing a rare in some tiny corner of the map and having to run for 15 minutes to get to it feels awful. You have essentially made every single map into "cell" (which everyone hated in POE1) but force the player to clear every square millimeter of it and then multiplied the size by 20.

Crafting:
You wanted more crafting orbs to drop so people could use them as they played but it is already smarter to just save them and buy items from other people. It is completely RNG to get anything good and 99% of the time it will be trash. You will get thorns or something stupid most of the time. I just save currency and buy items from someone else that actually got lucky with a drop.

Ascending:
Title says it. Its actually awful. You are forcing people to engage with types of content that people active avoided in POE1 when they hated it. Its not just "hard" but its completely unfair for some classes. Having the bird spawn a tornado on top of you as a warrior and instantly kill you is dumb. Having total RNG with the sanctum trials because you were forced into a curse that makes you unable to see what you are going to have to deal with is dumb. Traps were always dumb but getting randomly cursed with faster traps is mostly a run ender when you dont have enormous movement speed. Trying to get the last ascensions on my warrior is just stupid. Yes, warrior is bad but come on.

Not to mention that the time investment is waaaaaay too long for something that is RNG. Blowing through several floors of sanctum and getting RNG cursed with a run ending curse is dumb. It isn't "challenging". It is unfun. Locking the class mechanics behind it is a truly awful idea. I would rather run POE1 trials all day over this and I never loved those either but they are way better. RNG festivals in something this important to character feel is bad. If you insist on keeping these, at least offer a method of ascension that isn't annoying RNG nonsense.