Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

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rittchard
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Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by rittchard »

Not sure how many of you still play or follow Grim Dawn, but their next (probably final) expansion Forgotten Gods is coming out on 3/27 for $15.99. Looks to be a little smaller than the last one, but still a ton of content and a new game mode. They also recently released a big patch for the game with some quality of life improvements such as a much more detailed item loot filter and a 64-bit executable that seems to run much more efficiently.

www.grimdawn.com
Torfish
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Torfish »

Thanks for the heads up. I will highly likely get this expansion. I have over 80 hours played in the past two years with Grim Dawn.
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Hyena
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Hyena »

Just like Titan Quest, I have just about every possible combination of characters. I've got over 300 hours in the game, I've played through the beginning multiple dozens of times, and I've only finished it once. I still haven't finished the first expansion.

So, of course I'll be picking this one up.
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Jaddison
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Jaddison »

I have finished the original a few times but find I get my ass kicked in the expansion......like dying rapidly before I even can try to make a run for it.
However the opportunity to get my ass kicked harder, even though have never worked my way to finish the expansion is to strong a lure.
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by hitbyambulance »

rittchard wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:00 pm but their next (probably final) expansion
then i do wonder what the company's next project will be
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Paingod
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Paingod »

hitbyambulance wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2019 2:52 pm
rittchard wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:00 pm but their next (probably final) expansion
then i do wonder what the company's next project will be
Grim Dusk

:mrgreen:
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Hyena
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Hyena »

Paingod wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2019 2:55 pm
hitbyambulance wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2019 2:52 pm
rittchard wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:00 pm but their next (probably final) expansion
then i do wonder what the company's next project will be
Grim Dusk

:mrgreen:
As long as Salma Hayek is in it, I dont care.Image
"You laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at you because you're all the same." ~Jonathan Davis

"The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives." ~Robert M. Hutchins
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rittchard
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by rittchard »

Expansion should be out tomorrow some time in the afternoon (rumor has it).

I have one Normal and one Hardcore Veteran character ready to go!!! Supposedly you have to have killed the Warden (essentially "Act 1") to be able to access the new content, but I have no idea if that's true.
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rittchard
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by rittchard »

I played a ton of GD (well for me anyway) this weekend and really enjoyed it. I did a rather non-conventional setup. Pre-release I leveled a normal character to 20ish and killed the Warden, leaving my second class unchosen. So this allowed me (I think) to jump straight into the expansion content with essentially a new character using the new Oathkeeper class. There's some story about an emissary to another dimension or something that needs help, blah blah blah.

Unlike Ashes (the previous expansion), Forgotten Gods plays more like a DLC or mod/conversion. Where Ashes feels like an extension of the main game, this one is more like a totally different world. For GD purists, it may be a distraction, but for others like me, it's a godsend (no pun intended). The maps and creatures are reminiscent of Titan Quest and Diablo 2. I think in the years of backlash toward D3, a lot of developers seemed like they had to make their ARPGs "dark" and there's no darker game than GD (PoE to some extent as well). The FG expansion finally seems free of this constraint, with much brighter and more colorful environments mixed in with the murky tombs/dungeons. There seemed to be tons of chests to open which was great. It's a really refreshing change and I personally loved it. Here's the bad news though: I blasted through the core new content in something like 3-4 hours. I am typically a much slower player than most people, so this was kind of disappointing. They've added a mode that is essentially like D3's Rifts, which is fun but I was really hoping for more from the main content. Now there are nooks and crannies and probably some additional tombs and stuff I didn't explore, but I definitely was not rushing.

So my dilemma was what to do next. I really wanted to re-do the whole thing again in Elite mode, but I had not unlocked it yet. Which meant I had to go back and complete the main game. I rushed through it as best as I could, but it was really noticeable just how repetitive some of the locations and mobs felt compared to the new content. I suspect somewhere around Act 2-3 is where a lot of players get bogged down. Anyway, I pushed through and am now in the middle of Ashes. I've unlocked Elite but most recommendations seem to indicate it's better to finish Ashes before going to the next difficulty.
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rittchard
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by rittchard »

After completing Ashes, I jumped into Elite and killed the Warden, which was a bit more difficult but went fairly well. I then tried to jump back into the FG expansion and got my ass handed to me. It took forever to kill anything and I started dying in the first open areas. So I went back to the main campaign and went through most of Act 2. But the game really started to slow down for me post level 50 or so. The problem is that as difficulty ramps up, levels take longer and give you less skill points post 50. While the potential for drops is better, it didn't seem to compensate enough for me, or perhaps my build just wasn't the best. I like to try out a ton of skills, which is really not the way to go in this game. Specializing in fewer skills seems the way to go.

So just in case anyone decides to pick this up, my recommendation is to play using the Smash and Grab mod, but start with Veteran difficulty. There are a number of variations to this mod, but I think the main one that adds support for the expansion is the safest to work with. Basically it increases the drop rates and makes leveling faster, and also gives you more points to play with sooner. With this combo I'm able to experience the game in more of the way I had expected Elite mode to play out. And I wouldn't say it is too much easier (I think because I'm doing Veteran mode) thanks to the way mobs are scaled. I just have more/better weapons to work with, both in terms of skills AND gear. Hopefully it will still be good in Elite mode.
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Paingod
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Paingod »

I don't think the game needs an accelerated loot & experience mod - but I'm strange. I like to feel like each awesome item was an accomplishment to find, not another drop in a bucket filled with rainwater during a hurricane. Veteran is a nice way to play, though. I do that consistently.

I've been heavy back into this one since purchasing the expansion. What's amusing is that I'm not very far into the story despite logging a lot of play time. I keep making new characters and fiddling with things. It's my fun - along with item hoarding.

My highest level character is a 47 Cabalist (Demons/Undead) with a swarm of minions. This character can be absolutely absurdly powerful and my big job while I play is just collecting items as they fall. When I find secret areas (like areas locked with Skeleton keys), my biggest challenge is not dying to traps. My pets mow down everything else with ease. When I hit up the arena mode, she can plow down to level 70 without breaking her score multiplier; I think my "high score" is around 330,000. Her focus is strictly pets - anything with pet bonuses, and items that grant special pets.

My newest character is a Commando. Soldier/Demolitionist. I'm trying a pure ranged combatant with no sparkly gimmicks or pets. She's up to level 17 right now and absolutely destroys enemies - one at a time. She's just doing the storyline/world quests and skipping the arena. Most enemies don't get to even try and hit her (except for bosses). Amusingly, after 50+ hours with other characters, this is the one that finds a Gunslinger's chest component - and I plan to use that and revel in Dual-Wielding pistols once she can wear it. It should be a hoot.

My biggest question is which LMB attack replacer to use. The Soldier's adds attack speed and penetration, along with damage. The Demolitionist adds gobs of fire damage. I think, in the end, attack speed and penetration should win out for a ranged character. I've read some people describing their dual-wielding Gunslingers as absolute monsters in open spaces, throwing disturbing amounts of lead around.
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Jaddison
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Jaddison »

I have a gunslinger that was magnificent in the first story and then was dying non-stop in the first expansion.
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rittchard
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by rittchard »

Paingod, I'm curious to hear about if/when you play in Elite (or Ultimate) difficulty, and also when you are in the level 60ish range. I was happy with the game pacing right until about reaching Homestead in Elite. That's when I started having more problems killing things, and they were having an easier time killing me. I know part of it is my own fault for spreading myself too thin, I wanted to be a pet class but I also wanted to play with Oathkeeper skills. I suspect if I focused more on one or the other I'd be more successful. But the gear drops have been pretty disappointing as well given that I'm around midway into Elite. I think I've had 2 Legendary drops total, may be 3, and very few specific to the skills/class I'm going with.

Even with the mod I'm using, I haven't had a single Legendary drop as of yet (at level 40), so I'm curious to see how that unfolds.
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Paingod
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Paingod »

My Gunslinger hit 20 last night and was able to equip the Gunslinger's chest I had found - and the killing power jumped. She was pretty good with a rifle, but feels like a monster with dual pistols and as much +Attack Speed as I can find. Before the end of the night I had found the Occult hideout (the locked door in the cliff in Act 1) and killed a couple "purple" (level 26 to my level 21) bosses.

I think what's interesting to me is that I'm almost moving through the game as fast as my Pet Smash character. Smaller groups of enemies on open ground go down almost as fast. I thought I'd feel like I was crawling because I didn't have a wave of pets fanning out in front of me, but it's not the case. I really need more +Attack Speed gear. It's in short supply. As my caster moved up through the game, I was keeping anything that looked "really interesting" but didn't have a build in mind for what I'd do with it. Very little does this character any good. Even the unique blue gear isn't as good for raw damage as a solid yellow handgun with +10% attack speed.
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rittchard
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by rittchard »

I'm still enjoying my time with GD. It's been an interesting ride since I started using the Smash and Grab mod I mentioned earlier. While in some ways I do agree that it gives away too much too quickly, I'd argue it also allows someone like me to experience the game very differently than I otherwise would have.

GD, D3, PoE - these are all what I consider "threshold ARPGs" - meaning you can play them in a basic way for more of a traditional run, or you can dive in really deep and keep playing into higher difficulties with multiple crazy builds and uber gear, etc etc. But generally you have to overcome sort of a mental threshold before you get to that state, otherwise you are more likely to quit before that.

The problem with GD is since there aren't persistent servers, there isn't really any sort of economy or worldwide multiplayer trade system to rely on. It exists but it isn't structured and doesn't seem to be worth the energy. All of which is a long winded way of saying overcoming the "threshold" is more difficult. In D3, you can complete the seasonal content to get really nice full set rewards, which you can then use to farm better and better gear. In PoE, the trade system is robust enough you can easily get gear that's good enough that can sustain multiple character concepts. With GD, though, I found that playing the vanilla version I was unable to get specific gear to improve my build concepts and leveling slowed too much post 50 that I wasn't really able to see if my concepts were panning out in the later difficulties.

Interestingly, even with the mod, things weren't as easy as it might seem. My first character got shelved after he kept getting one shot by a nemesis. My second one has picked up the slack and is now currently almost at 70 in Elite. I have tons of blues and purples stored up for future characters if I choose to go that route. Most of my core skills are maxxed out and beyond, so I really get to see the build playing out the way I'd imagined. There are still some parts that are too difficult but in general I seem to have built a winner. In spite of all the gear I've saved, I don't think I have a full set yet. I've had multiples of certain legendaries but can't seem to complete a set.

All in all I'm happy with the decision to go with the mod. At the moment it seems like it should have been toned down, but I have to say that not too long ago I was struggling considerably.
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Jaddison »

I have empirical evidence that my altoholic ways are probably unsurpassed.

Today I got my first Grim Dawn character to 50.....my first and that is with 566 hours played.

I have unlocked only 39 of 178 achievements.

This is with a toon I created about 6 days ago to see if I could find a build that did not eventually end in disappointment of being killed, killed and killed yet again after level 30 or so.

Ended up with a sword and board oathbreaker/soldier which is a warlord. Instead of diversifying skill points I gave myself on a few skills that needed action to invoke. I made sure to but base points in oathbreaker to keep the base in line with my level.

This turned out to be a tough build to kill.

anyway 566 hours to get to level 50 for the first time.....My name is Jim and I am an altoholic.
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by morlac »

There go my plans for the weekend...


With v1.1.5.0, Grim Dawn has received a staggering update to itemization, over 6000 database changes. If that alone were not enough, v1.1.5.0 also features the Tomb of the Heretic roguelike dungeon for Forgotten Gods and a series of smaller dungeons that will lead you on a quest to uncovering its entrance. The claim that this is Grim Dawn’s largest update ever is no exaggeration. For just a taste of all that’s in store for you, you can read the changelog below.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/219990/d ... 849847755/
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rittchard
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by rittchard »

Nice find! Pretty cool update thus far. I'm not really sure how much the itemization affects me, possibly my level is too low to feel it.

Took a while but I found the new dungeon (requires you to find and beat a few hidden location bosses, I don't know how people found them without help). I'm not sure why they call it "rogue like" except that it seems like if you die you can't get back easily. There was a message that seemed to imply portals wouldn't work but I didn't try. I made it all the way to the end boss, who promptly killed me and I was booted back to the starting spot from Forgotten Gods. It seemed like it might have some randomization elements to it, but it didn't feel much different from the shard content.

I'm running a dervish right now, he probably needs some beefing up to be more viable.
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Fretmute »

I've been running the Grimarillion mod, and now I've been spoiled by the mob spawns and would find it hard to go back to the base game.

I do appreciate all the work they put into this, though. This game is criminally underrated.
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Re: Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods

Post by Madmarcus »

I played the base game when it came out but I never finished it (a couple of different builds made it to Homestead but I always quit there). Yet now I'm suddenly hooked. I've played a ton of the past two weeks and have an Archon (shaman/oathkeeper - 2h melee) at level 70 in Elite.

I love the concept of these games but Grim Dawn is the first one to really suck me in (even if it took years of barely scratching the surface).
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