Research Folder

Purpose

Research notes, analysis, and guides for Path of Exile meta, theorycrafting, and strategy.

Folder Structure

research/
├── meta-analysis/      # Current meta trends and league analysis
├── theorycrafting/     # Build theory and calculations
└── strategy/           # Strategy guides and how-tos

Subfolder Guidelines

meta-analysis/

• League meta snapshots
• Build popularity analysis
• Economy trends
• Patch impact analysis
• Template: templates/research-template.md

theorycrafting/

• Build calculations
• Mechanic interactions
• DPS/defense optimization
• Experimental builds
• Template: templates/research-template.md

strategy/

• How-to guides
• Strategy guides
• Optimization techniques
• League start planning
• Template: templates/guide-template.md

Naming Conventions

File Names

Format varies by type:

League Meta Analysis:

• [league]-[topic].md
• Examples: 3.25-league-start-builds.md, 3.25-economy-week-1.md

Date-Based Research:

• [YYYY-MM-DD]-[topic].md
• Examples: 2025-11-04-meta-snapshot.md

Guides:

• [topic]-guide.md or [topic]-strategy.md
• Examples: atlas-progression-guide.md, currency-farming-strategy.md

Theorycrafting:

• [concept]-analysis.md or [build-archetype]-theory.md
• Examples: poison-scaling-analysis.md, low-life-theory.md

Template Requirements

Templates vary by subfolder:

For meta-analysis/ and theorycrafting/

template: "templates/research-template.md"
document_type: "research"
title: "[Research Title]"
status: "draft|review|published|outdated"
author: "[Your Name]"
created: "YYYY-MM-DD"
updated: "YYYY-MM-DD"
tags: ["tag1", "tag2"]
league: "3.25"
patch: "3.25.1"
research_type: "meta-analysis|theorycrafting|data-analysis"

For strategy/

template: "templates/guide-template.md"
document_type: "guide"
title: "[Guide Title]"
status: "draft|review|published|outdated"
author: "[Your Name]"
created: "YYYY-MM-DD"
updated: "YYYY-MM-DD"
tags: ["tag1", "tag2"]
league: "3.25"
patch: "3.25.1"
guide_type: "strategy|how-to|optimization"

Creation Workflow

1. Determine Research Type

Choose: meta-analysis, theorycrafting, or strategy

2. Check Subfolder Index

Read("research/[subfolder]/index.md")

3. Get Template

# For meta-analysis or theorycrafting
Read("templates/research-template.md")

# For strategy guides
Read("templates/guide-template.md")

4. Create Document

Write("research/[subfolder]/[appropriately-named].md", content)

Path Conventions

Always use absolute paths:

✅ CORRECT:

relationships:
  references:
    - path: "builds/marauder/rf-juggernaut.md"
      title: "RF Juggernaut Build"

❌ INCORRECT:

relationships:
  references:
    - path: "../builds/marauder/rf-juggernaut.md"

Relationship Types

Common Relationships

• references - Cites or uses other documents
• referenced_by - This research is cited by
• extends - Builds upon other research
• supersedes - Replaces older research
• related_to - Related research topics

Tags Guidelines

Category Tags

• Type: meta, theory, guide, analysis, strategy
• Content: league-start, endgame, leveling, crafting, farming
• Focus: builds, economy, mechanics, optimization
• League: 3.25, settlers, necropolis (league name)

Example Tag Sets

Meta Analysis:

tags: ["meta", "league-start", "builds", "3.25", "analysis"]

Theorycrafting:

tags: ["theory", "poison", "scaling", "mechanics", "calculations"]

Strategy Guide:

tags: ["strategy", "atlas", "farming", "currency", "guide"]

Quality Checklist

Before creating research content:

• [ ] Read this index.md
• [ ] Read subfolder-specific index.md
• [ ] Chose appropriate template (research vs guide)
• [ ] Included template: field in frontmatter
• [ ] Followed naming convention for document type
• [ ] Set current league and patch version
• [ ] Used absolute paths for all references
• [ ] Added descriptive tags
• [ ] Set appropriate status
• [ ] Included data sources or methodology

Content Guidelines

Meta Analysis

• Include data sources (poe.ninja, league stats, etc.)
• Snapshot date and league context
• Quantitative data when possible
• Trends and patterns observed

Theorycrafting

• Show calculations and formulas
• Explain assumptions
• Test results or simulations
• Limitations and edge cases

Strategy Guides

• Step-by-step instructions
• Clear objectives
• Prerequisites
• Expected outcomes
• Alternative approaches

Status Lifecycle

Research content has special status considerations:

• draft - Work in progress, incomplete analysis
• review - Ready for peer review or testing
• published - Current and validated for this league/patch
• outdated - Superseded by meta changes or new patches

Important: Research should be marked outdated when:

• New league mechanics change the meta
• Significant patch nerfs/buffs
• Economy shifts make strategies non-viable

Examples

Good File Names

Meta Analysis:

• 3.25-league-start-builds.md
• 3.25-economy-week-1.md
• 2025-11-04-meta-snapshot.md

Theorycrafting:

• poison-scaling-analysis.md
• crit-vs-non-crit-comparison.md
• low-life-energy-shield-theory.md

Strategy:

• atlas-progression-guide.md
• currency-farming-strategy.md
• league-start-optimization.md

Bad File Names

• analysis.md (too vague)
• My Research.md (has spaces)
• research_1.md (meaningless)
• guide.md (not descriptive)

Additional Resources

• poe.ninja: https://poe.ninja/ (economy and meta data)
• Path of Building: https://pathofbuilding.community/ (calculations)
• POE Wiki: https://www.poewiki.net/ (game data)
• Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/pathofexile (community discussion)