For those of us who bought the game weeks, months or even years ago, do you regret playing during early access instead of waiting for version 1.0? I have to say I do a little, the experience first time players get now is so much better than what we had. I feel like I ruined it for myself a little, although I did enjoy the ride so I’m not mad.
*Waited, not waiting
No I had way too much fun in my 600 hours up to this point.
And I am still not out of ideas for new builds, since every big build made way for new ideas or made me drop some builds.
Not at all because it was interesting to see how GD evolved. All the minor and major balance changes, and the reasons behind them. And the excitement when new content was released and the level-cap raised and all that. Really wouldn’t want to miss that.
I first preordered this game about 2.5 years before their Kickstarter campaign. I knew it was going to be a long road going in. But considering the roots of Crate Entertainment, I took that chance and I would have done it again.
I’m glad I was a part of the community which helped bring us the game we officially received yesterday. I have greatly enjoyed the ~110 hours I spent in the alpha/beta builds, and I hope I have time for another 110 or more.
It’s really nice to witness or be privy to a good development process with devs who have 2-way communications with supporters, appreciate community feedback, suggestions, and where the end result is a game which goes above and beyond what we expected when the project was initially announced. Who among us expected to receive things like additional character classes, or a full 4th Act to Grim Dawn?
All in all, it’s been a great experience these ~5.5 years. I don’t know whether this can be considered a financial success for Crate Entertainment, since I don’t have access to their books, but I genuinely hope this can be a model for how future independent developers can realize their goals – even if those goals may have been delayed beyond expectation. With so many Early Access and/or crowdfunded types of games taking a dump (I’m looking at you, The Unsung Story), it’s refreshing to see things like Grim Dawn come to full release.
It was an awesome ride to completion and I’m glad i got to be a part of the process!
Fuck no. I’ve made numerous suggestions which made their way into the game, can’t beat that!
I was a kickstarter backer and had alpha access.
I played it a bit periodically over the course of development but I waited until it was content complete before sinking into it.
If I had played it like crazy during alpha/beta I think I would have regreted it.
nah. Maybe if I approached this game from the perspective of a passive bystander I would have regretted playing it a lot during alpha, but being active in the community and seeing the changes that you suggest make it into the game is a rewarding experience. After all, a lot of the alpha players weren’t just players, we were shapers, critics, fans, and reviewers of the game as well. I welcome the days of gamers and developers collaborating and brainstorming to create the best possible game as opposed to simply being a bystander/consumer in the process.
This is a bit of a rant, but that is exactly why I like video games more than movies or television. The player is given a chance to work with the game and to shape it instead of simply experiencing it. Interactivity is a hugely important quality to me, and that’s why I loved being a part of the alpha. It wasn’t just about playing the game early for me
To me, playing this game was like receiving new sheet music from a composer. The developers scribbled away at the score and allowed us to test the product from time to time. We, as an orchestra, plucked away at our keyboards and mice and played along to the tune of Grim Dawn. And so we, as a community of gamers and developers, have spent the last 3 or so years composing, playing, and rewriting the score of Grim Dawn until yesterday, the day of the first performance. I can only hope that a sizable segment of the gaming community will be able to listen to our little song
I played it only 100 hours while in early access and I knew it would be my favorite game so I stopped playing and waited untill now. Them 100 hours gave me an idea of the game though so I could play now without making a mistake and having to start all over or something.
I actually wish I were wealthy, and could spare money and got the chance to back GD when she was on Kickstarter. I’d honestly, without hesitation, given at least $1000 towards the project.
Alas… I don’t have thousands of $$$ coming out my arse, but I really would have pledged $50 rather then getting GD on sale back in 2014 on Steam.
No, it was awesome seeing the game grow! I didn’t put in nearly the hours most people did, only 300 or so; mainly just logging at each build and then steamrolling near the end to grab recipes/faction goodies.
As much as I would like to forget and experience the game fresh, no.
It’s all medierra’s fault. I was very loosely following Grim Dawn back then due to unfortunate circumstances (hence no KS, sorry), but one day I noticed some pre pre pre pre pre alpha video thread. I click on it, and what do I see? Medierra, bashing around zombies and beholders in a dark village somewhere. Shameless PUNK! How could he do this to me? Inexcusable, unforgivable, I was really pissed. So I take out my wallet (was still drawing breath back then) and I purchase the pre pre pre pre alpha. That showed him, ever since it’s me who’s been bashing zombies. If I hadn’t stood up, I don’t know where I’d be today.
And balance was restored.
I have over 1k hours played and I’ve never even stepped foot in ultimate difficulty. I’ve started from scratch nearly every update. Until yesterday I’ve never played the same build twice. I play my characters until they’re high enough level to know whether or not my build will work/be fun then i start anew. The game never really got old for me and i still have ultimate/legendaries now that release is official. And modding, can’t wait to do some modding! 
Me personally, a little but I can overlook that.
By that, I mean losing some of the unknown element when first stepping blind into this game genre. Not knowing what’s around the bend, that sense of wonder.
But boy am I glad I did play through various builds and iterations. I think this game might be pretty overwhelming to some who just now started playing at release. There’s so much to absorb and learn, and that’s one of the reasons why I have loved playing this game so much.
I really thought I might regret playing a lot before release ( I have beta tested other games and once release came I barely played them). I have almost 2000 hours in and like Paavo’s post above me I haven’t even finished Ulrimate.
I keep getting distracted…Usually from skill on some equipment or a Devotion and think…hey, I can make a build around that ! And off I go making another character. You would think that after all those hours I’ve played about every build out there…Not even close…hardly touched Arcanist or Occultist yet.
So to have invested all those hours and still have things to try, really exposes how much depth Crate has put into the game…
So no regrets…probably got another 3-4000 hours to give
That is a interesting question, so I’m sort of at 50/50 on this matter, but I voted no and I’m gonna say why.
For me, this while EA experience was a completely amazing and unique journey through all these years… Looking at Grim Dawn slowly shaping up to the incedible game that it is right now, with each build bringing up new content and features made me feel like as if I was part of the developer’s team… This my sound odd, but I have become attached to Grim Dawn, due to always helping the game shape up with ideas and feedback, and quite frankly, if I had the chance to do this again, I would gladly do it without a secound thought!