Sorry if this was already suggested in this thread, but can’t read the whole thread at the moment.
Wouldn’t it be possible to have a chance to add a bonus when the component is placed in an item? You place the component, no bonus, but there is an option to pay the blacksmith (or Darlet, as stated above), to add the component, a chance for some REALLY cool bonus, or none at all, and maybe even a chance for the component to be destroyed.You would have the best of both worlds, but you also don’t get to pick what bonus goes on the item as it would be random. I think that would be a cool solution, giving those that wanted the bonus to have them, just maybe not the exact one they want, or none at all.
I like the idea of having bonuses, but I think it really distracts inventory management. That makes me prefer not having bonuses at all. And personally I think if the bonuses are random and you want a specific bonus, it can be a huge pain to get just the one you want.
Anyway, for that inventory problem, I have an idea (dunno if it’s new though): have a separate stash for components, where you can stash components only. For such a stash, I don’t see why its size sould be limited at all, i.e. it could be unlimited in size for all I care. Or maybe there’s a reasonable maximum, why not, but I wouldn’t consider it harmful to balance to be able to store all components.
I just started after the patch, but I think I have a pretty good idea of what the old bonuses were. It would probably be pretty easy to put the same power and/or randomness back in without extra clutter. A couple examples I can think of…
Adding more components: After completing a certain crafting-oriented quest, you are given the ability to add a second component to each item. It would add some power back in, plus interesting customization, but no randomness.
Chaos Stones: You can find a single (or maybe up to 3 different power levels of) uncharged Chaos Stone, which can be charged through certain components. When crafted, it creates a random mod for a random equipment type. Basically just a completion bonus you put on later, and only takes up 1-3 slots of stash/inventory space as the uncharged stones could stack.
If you really wanted to actually help inventory space even more, you could create the Chaos Stone with 1 uncharged stone, 1 or 2 rare crafting items, then 3 components of the players choice. The game would take the bonus type and equipment location randomly from the properties of the components used (you could get a head armor buff with reduced freezing duration using a Runestone and Frozen Heart). It gives the player some control over the bonus, but is still randomized. And also helps use the hordes of extra components you have stacked in your stash.
I’m still stinging from the loss of completion bonuses. I was constantly buying pieces for crafting and collect the best bonuses on all those my characters used. So now instead for instance +11-12% resist Roiling Bloods I have a big stack of all the same damn thing. The new added stats added are not commensurate with those lost, at least not to people like me. Also ever since I bought this game Crate’s plan for more storage has always been “wait for release and mods will do it.” This close to release it is hard to swallow player convenience as the motivation for the change
I understand the company’s concern over reviews though and Grim Dawn is still my favorite game so I won’t quit over it. I do wish there was some way to add the bonuses back in at some point, even if only in the expansion.
It’s a new thing that’s called “a different opinion.” They know how much space it uses. Some want the bonuses. Some prefer the expansion space. Myself i would like the best of both worlds. That’s why I suggested what i did earlier. I don’t save the items my character finds for uses in another character. I play a character only with what they find. I don’t hand down anything other than the relics that are in the stash. I buy nothing except from the blacksmith to craft certain relics. I do like the way the relics are nice & tidy and in a very small amount, but getting that little bonus you wanted on a relic for a certain weapon or armor piece was oh so sweet. A lot of people miss that.
Not sure if anybody proposed this before, but…
Generate a completion bonus when applying component to an item, remove when extracting from an item.
No space issues, bonuses still there, but less predictable.
Honestly, I was quite surprised that removing something from the game can make it so much more enjoyable. A lot of boring inventory micro-management is gone, and collecting components is actually fun again.
So what you would do is “add component, oh crap, remove, repeat” until you have depleted your storage? No thanks. I really like the feeling of “Oh nice, I completed a component!” instead of the old “Oh, thing is complete, but most likely it’s crap anyways”.
I agree with the changes as well, the bonus was over complicating things, it was unnecessary, took up so much espace in the vault and made a min-max of ‘‘this component is good to use, this component will be used for craft’’, just a lot of work for a small gain…
But I really thought that without the completion bonuses we would not see parts of components drop, just the complete version not in the same rate of course, this looked the logical approach, strange that the ‘old’ system was half removed and we have to stick with the other half
Also a bit sad that the bonusses were scrapped, but I do understand the reasoning. Best solution would be to add more components? Maybe add some empowered/epic/legendary ones of the existing stock?
I’d like to see some higher tier versions of the components. It feels half finished as it is like you get to level 20 and then that’s as powerful as the components ever get. My personal favorite is the serrated spine and then the vicious spine…it feels like there should be more at higher levels.
I am caught between it feels like there are too many and then at the same time I like all the variety. I just wish there was a quick way to sort for what stats you’re looking for on them.
Hold that thought, and now take another look at stash space for all of the unique gear.
The fact that you eventually came around on this gives me at least some hope. And reading this also makes me glad I didn’t play before release, would’ve burned me out pretty quick.
Also, if you ever feel like streamlining this some more, partial components now serve no purpose apart from adding clutter and busywork.
Hey, what about having some hidden rift gates? On my first playthrough I went to hidden cultist cellar in act 1 and there was this salt circle with marks similar to ones you make when you discover riftgate and activate it and I thought it was hidden gate but it wasn’t, but this idea seems cool
I’m not sure but I think getting rid of partial component might be a good idea, it is true that it adds “clutter and busywork”…
One thing for sure, partial component should auto-complete without the need to click that button in the inventory. I don’t see the point to manually merge the components.