Apocalypse+ gear levelling - Am I missing something fundamental?

[Crispy_Oglop]

So i'm slowly pushing my way through Apocalypse+ levels and it really feels like a bit of a crapshoot in terms of how functional increasing gear score works. The fluidity of gear progression at this stage feels really counterproductive to how a diablo-style looter should run. The thing is, I don't really know if it's just me not getting how Apocalypse+ levelling is meant to work, or if the game progression itself is completely underoptimized.

 

Assuming it's not me having trouble grasping the way it works - The game is looking at my average gear score and recommending a particular apocalypse+ level to enter and complete. Based on my average gear score, this should present a surmountable challenge for me to get through and come out on the other end with some good gear to show for it. Similar to how difficulty tiers work in Diablo: Reaper of Souls. This is how it should work for something appropriate to its genre.

 

But the reality is that even though the game is effectively telling me I can do it by offering that recommendation, the true difficulty of the level is way over-tuned for my average gear score. So the way the system recommends a mission is completely flawed and superficial because it doesn't take into account anything other than average level - and doesn't recognise boosted or under-boosted stats brought about by gear. I could be way under the recommended level, but be lucky enough to have found a weapon and piece of armor with a perfect bonus combination making it a breeze. Or I could be unlucky and be told a level should be doable when in fact I was unlucky with my armor / weapon / artifacts and get my ass handed to me.

 

I could upgrade stuff at the blacksmith, but the level I get back is determined by the loot level of the last 3 levels i've run. Which renders that strategy seemingly pointless.

 

There are tonnes of videos on how to level up through Apocalypse+ tiers, but they all hinge on having the perfect build. And I can't get the perfect build if all of the 'level appropriate' stuff is just one shotting me.

 

Am I missing something fundamental here? Either the system is just shite or there are one or two strategies / gameplay loops that are just passing me by.