Last weeks Grim Dawn Misadventures post from Crate Entertainment shares information on the new game environments introduced in the recently released Act 3.
More information.
Grim Dawn - Grim Misadventure #61
- Thread starter Couchpotato
- Start date
Sad to say I still haven't played the game yet? So any opinion from our various members as I remember a few of you always talk about this game on my news-posts.
irongamer
Watchdog
- Joined
- September 6, 2013
- Messages
- 65
I finally picked this up on a Steam sale. The game is a solid aRPG that feels like a mix of Titan's Quest and Path of Exile.
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Combat / Class / Respec
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Combat has good feedback and most attacks really feel like they hit. I've been disappointed with the sword and board build. You can mix two classes at level 10. I have enjoyed the following mixes so far:
There appears to be a good variety of skills and classes to build a play style you enjoy.
You can respec skill points in the upper part of the tree. You cannot change classes once you have placed points into mastery (the bottom line of the tree). You cannot respect points placed in mastery. Mastery points give you basic stats and unlock skills along the tree. So, make sure you "want" to unlock that skill deep in the tree as the mastery points spent cannot be undone.
This respec system feels like a compromise between a full on respec and no respec, but leaning to the no respec side. It at least allows you to change up the active and passive skills.
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Crafting / Components
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There are a lot of components that you can attach to items. Most components have 3 parts allowing you to combine them into more powerful versions. A full component may have a skill attached to it. This allows you to add skills to an item and grants you access to skills that are not in the class skill trees. Components can be removed from items in 2 ways, you keep either the item or the component the other is destroyed in the process.
Augments allow you to add more stats to an item. While I've been to the end of Act 3: Chapter 1 I haven't seen many of these so I don't know what all will be on them. They are different in that you can always apply these to an item, they just override the current one on the item.
Crafting is done by using fully constructed components, scrap found around the world, and special drops by boss mobs.
Quality of life features include an auto sort for the inventory and an auto combine components in the inventory.
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Loot / Money / Potions / Meals
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Money early on in this game is difficult to get. This seems to change around the late 20's. This could just be me learning the game as well. The stores really stick it to you for buying and selling. They buy very low and sell extremely high. This does keep money fairly important (it is also used for crafting) for a bit longer than other games. Playing longer and finding a good farming spot may change this.
Loot drops seem pretty good. My first play through I had horrible drops and my character really suffered. All my other attempts have had some amazing loot.
Potions are much more rare than in games previous to Path of Exile. If you build a character correctly though you can almost get away without using them, until you start hitting more difficult boss / mini boss encounters.
Meals are unique to Grim Dawn. You have a constitution bar that speeds up your health regen out of combat. So if you end combat with hp missing it quickly refills but drains constitution. If you are out of constitution your hp regen is very slow. You must find meals to keep up your constitution.
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[Quest / Consequences]
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This was a nice addition to the aRPG. I haven't seen consequences of choices to the extent that they are done in Grim Dawn in past aRPGs. Your choices will affect events in the game world. You may or may not even see certain boss / mini bosses. I'm fairly certain the faction system will play into this more later and perhaps be related end game content.
This has perhaps been the most surprising and unique feature I've enjoyed so far. Grim Dawn is a very competent aRPG but this addition, as simple as it is, really makes the world feel a bit more dynamic. However, many of the choices you would not even notice if you didn't play through the game and try the other options.
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End Game
——————————————————-
I've had my eye on this game for a long time but haven't followed it that closely. So, I don't really know what the end game would be. I believe I may have seen a hint though. There are items you can craft that allow you to enter special areas that are a one time run, for extra special loot. Once you enter these areas your ability to portal is disabled. So you either finish the special area or you die and can't get back until you make another item and find the special area again.
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Summary
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A competent aRPG with strong skill mix match features, crafting, and a consequence system that does change the game world a bit. If you like the theme / setting and enjoy most other aRPG it is worth picking up.
I'm looking forward to the future updates.
——————————————————-
Combat / Class / Respec
——————————————————-
Combat has good feedback and most attacks really feel like they hit. I've been disappointed with the sword and board build. You can mix two classes at level 10. I have enjoyed the following mixes so far:
There appears to be a good variety of skills and classes to build a play style you enjoy.
You can respec skill points in the upper part of the tree. You cannot change classes once you have placed points into mastery (the bottom line of the tree). You cannot respect points placed in mastery. Mastery points give you basic stats and unlock skills along the tree. So, make sure you "want" to unlock that skill deep in the tree as the mastery points spent cannot be undone.
This respec system feels like a compromise between a full on respec and no respec, but leaning to the no respec side. It at least allows you to change up the active and passive skills.
——————————————————-
Crafting / Components
——————————————————-
There are a lot of components that you can attach to items. Most components have 3 parts allowing you to combine them into more powerful versions. A full component may have a skill attached to it. This allows you to add skills to an item and grants you access to skills that are not in the class skill trees. Components can be removed from items in 2 ways, you keep either the item or the component the other is destroyed in the process.
Augments allow you to add more stats to an item. While I've been to the end of Act 3: Chapter 1 I haven't seen many of these so I don't know what all will be on them. They are different in that you can always apply these to an item, they just override the current one on the item.
Crafting is done by using fully constructed components, scrap found around the world, and special drops by boss mobs.
Quality of life features include an auto sort for the inventory and an auto combine components in the inventory.
——————————————————-
Loot / Money / Potions / Meals
——————————————————-
Money early on in this game is difficult to get. This seems to change around the late 20's. This could just be me learning the game as well. The stores really stick it to you for buying and selling. They buy very low and sell extremely high. This does keep money fairly important (it is also used for crafting) for a bit longer than other games. Playing longer and finding a good farming spot may change this.
Loot drops seem pretty good. My first play through I had horrible drops and my character really suffered. All my other attempts have had some amazing loot.
Potions are much more rare than in games previous to Path of Exile. If you build a character correctly though you can almost get away without using them, until you start hitting more difficult boss / mini boss encounters.
Meals are unique to Grim Dawn. You have a constitution bar that speeds up your health regen out of combat. So if you end combat with hp missing it quickly refills but drains constitution. If you are out of constitution your hp regen is very slow. You must find meals to keep up your constitution.
——————————————————-
[Quest / Consequences]
——————————————————-
This was a nice addition to the aRPG. I haven't seen consequences of choices to the extent that they are done in Grim Dawn in past aRPGs. Your choices will affect events in the game world. You may or may not even see certain boss / mini bosses. I'm fairly certain the faction system will play into this more later and perhaps be related end game content.
This has perhaps been the most surprising and unique feature I've enjoyed so far. Grim Dawn is a very competent aRPG but this addition, as simple as it is, really makes the world feel a bit more dynamic. However, many of the choices you would not even notice if you didn't play through the game and try the other options.
——————————————————-
End Game
——————————————————-
I've had my eye on this game for a long time but haven't followed it that closely. So, I don't really know what the end game would be. I believe I may have seen a hint though. There are items you can craft that allow you to enter special areas that are a one time run, for extra special loot. Once you enter these areas your ability to portal is disabled. So you either finish the special area or you die and can't get back until you make another item and find the special area again.
——————————————————-
Summary
——————————————————-
A competent aRPG with strong skill mix match features, crafting, and a consequence system that does change the game world a bit. If you like the theme / setting and enjoy most other aRPG it is worth picking up.
I'm looking forward to the future updates.
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2013
- Messages
- 65
Current end game is called Steps of Torment that has 5 levels. Levels 1 to 3 are open to all and always available. Lvl 4 and 5 is only accessible with a special key that you need to craft with items that are not common drops (so you cannot spend all day only farming SoT lvl 4 and 5) and you get they key for free the first time as part of a quest. Lvl 4 and 5 spike in difficulty compared to lvl 1 to 3 and as said if you die you are out and town portals don't work inside.
Lvl 4 and 5 also have side area which are optional content (you don't need to enter it to get to last boss and complete these two levels) which are called challenge rooms. On Veteran difficulty this is where you usually die
The full game will have something similar of a end game but in the Chaos realm. There is also supposed to be some kind of survival mode.
The game will also feature a real faction system where players will choose which faction to support and which one to piss off. Some factions are more neutral to each other and some are direct opposite.
One more thing irongamer missed in his otherwise awesome preview are skill transmuters. Each class has couple of these. When you choose a main active skill you want to use, soon after you can choose to put points into a transmuter version that changes a skill in interesting ways. Skills from spammable become cooldown ones but with 200% more damage, or their damage is completely transformed into another element or a fun one is one that makes you AoE DoT do 300% damage but those affected get a 50% bonus to move speed, attack speed and damage (I seen people curse their ally in MP games for causing party deaths in Hardcore with this transmuter)
Lvl 4 and 5 also have side area which are optional content (you don't need to enter it to get to last boss and complete these two levels) which are called challenge rooms. On Veteran difficulty this is where you usually die
The full game will have something similar of a end game but in the Chaos realm. There is also supposed to be some kind of survival mode.
The game will also feature a real faction system where players will choose which faction to support and which one to piss off. Some factions are more neutral to each other and some are direct opposite.
One more thing irongamer missed in his otherwise awesome preview are skill transmuters. Each class has couple of these. When you choose a main active skill you want to use, soon after you can choose to put points into a transmuter version that changes a skill in interesting ways. Skills from spammable become cooldown ones but with 200% more damage, or their damage is completely transformed into another element or a fun one is one that makes you AoE DoT do 300% damage but those affected get a 50% bonus to move speed, attack speed and damage (I seen people curse their ally in MP games for causing party deaths in Hardcore with this transmuter
)- Joined
- Oct 3, 2014
- Messages
- 3,819
Thanks for the replies. I'm going to wait till the game is completely finished to finally play it. At least based on this thread the game sounds like it will be worth it.
irongamer
Watchdog
- Joined
- September 6, 2013
- Messages
- 65
One more thing irongamer missed in his otherwise awesome preview are skill transmuters. Each class has couple of these. When you choose a main active skill you want to use, soon after you can choose to put points into a transmuter version that changes a skill in interesting ways. Skills from spammable become cooldown ones but with 200% more damage, or their damage is completely transformed into another element or a fun one is one that makes you AoE DoT do 300% damage but those affected get a 50% bonus to move speed, attack speed and damage (I seen people curse their ally in MP games for causing party deaths in Hardcore with this transmuter
Yeah, these are presented as another node on the skill trees, but they can make a huge difference in how the skill functions. I haven't played all classes but my play style so far has found more use of the trasmuter on skills that make them stronger but on a cooldown vs the spammable defaults.
And thanks for explaining the end game (and future end game) aspects.
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2013
- Messages
- 65
Wenzil
The Real Sasquatch
I've been awaiting Grim Dawn for a while. I helped Kickstart it when it was "close" to being ready. They are taking their time but I prefer that to a uncooked release. I've played alpha (only Act 1 was available) but have decided to wait for it to be finished before starting again.
Overall, even in alpha, what was available was pretty polished.
Overall, even in alpha, what was available was pretty polished.
greywolf00
Keeper of the Watch
I picked it up awhile ago an wasn't that impressed with it. It just felt too slow paced and uninteresting.
However, I booted it up again the other day to kick the new tires and it feels quite a bit better. I don't know if they tweaked animations since last time I played or what, but it feels much quicker and smoother than I remembered. Drops have gotten much better too (more rewarding). Looking forward to seeing the final product whenever they finish.
However, I booted it up again the other day to kick the new tires and it feels quite a bit better. I don't know if they tweaked animations since last time I played or what, but it feels much quicker and smoother than I remembered. Drops have gotten much better too (more rewarding). Looking forward to seeing the final product whenever they finish.
I own it but haven't played: TOOO MANY DANG GAMES. Anyway I plan to try it after the final release or maybe sooner if there is a gap between DA:I and POE; hum but I also want to do legend of grimlock 2 and child of light (which I started briefly and i suspect is fantastic). Hum.... choices we have to make.
Embolus
Sentinel
- Joined
- December 12, 2007
- Messages
- 211
I picked it up this Christmas and am equally impressed. I've always been Titan Quest's stanchion but this game impresses on its own. I enjoy encounters taking place within the game-world (rare for a hack and slash) as well as the entertaining classes. Grim Dawn has a certain scale that thus far makes it big amongst many games that are.
My friend asked why he should pay for it when Path of Exile is free and my answer was "entertainment is usually something you pay for, but I'd maintain your opinion until full-release and then we can debate it".
My friend asked why he should pay for it when Path of Exile is free and my answer was "entertainment is usually something you pay for, but I'd maintain your opinion until full-release and then we can debate it".
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2007
- Messages
- 211
Fun game indeed. I've logged about 80 hours.
There is a shared inventory screen for your characters, so don't sell a great shield that your Arcanist can't use. Throw it into your stash and a smuggler will make sure your warrior gets it. This is another way to item farm. Play several characters and you can swap gear between each to make all finds worthwhile.
You can still do boss runs like in Titan Quest, but it isn't really necessary; just an extra. Some of the best bosses are far from spawn points and while you can save anywhere, you'll always start off in town and can only portal to the nearest rift gate. While within the game, you have a personal rift that will let you travel to/from anywhere, but this is lost at reload.
Also like in TQ, you can filter out treasure that you don't want to see. At level one you'll want to see everything, but at level 5 you won't pick up whites. By level 20 you may drop yellows too, though I wouldn't. I've found yellows that beat blues sometimes.
White-non-magical
Yellow-1 or more magic
Green-3+ magic
Blue-3+ magic with a power/ability
Purple - quest or unique
Oh! Another cool idea is there are chests that are one shots. This means that the chest is only available one time for each character; it never respawns. These can have awesome stuff in them in the latter part of the games.
There is a shared inventory screen for your characters, so don't sell a great shield that your Arcanist can't use. Throw it into your stash and a smuggler will make sure your warrior gets it. This is another way to item farm. Play several characters and you can swap gear between each to make all finds worthwhile.
You can still do boss runs like in Titan Quest, but it isn't really necessary; just an extra. Some of the best bosses are far from spawn points and while you can save anywhere, you'll always start off in town and can only portal to the nearest rift gate. While within the game, you have a personal rift that will let you travel to/from anywhere, but this is lost at reload.
Also like in TQ, you can filter out treasure that you don't want to see. At level one you'll want to see everything, but at level 5 you won't pick up whites. By level 20 you may drop yellows too, though I wouldn't. I've found yellows that beat blues sometimes.
White-non-magical
Yellow-1 or more magic
Green-3+ magic
Blue-3+ magic with a power/ability
Purple - quest or unique
Oh! Another cool idea is there are chests that are one shots. This means that the chest is only available one time for each character; it never respawns. These can have awesome stuff in them in the latter part of the games.
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2006
- Messages
- 8,836
I'm definitely going to pick this up when it is (finally) done, looks very good and have had an eye on it for a long time.