Staff crafting in Path of Exile 2 stops being "fun RNG" the minute you try to carry damage into late maps. You'll burn time, and you'll burn more PoE 2 Currency than you planned if you don't set rules for yourself. I treat it like building a loadout: lock one piece in place, then move on. If a step isn't stable, don't "just see what happens." That's how you end up with a fancy-looking staff...