End Game Stuff and +skills

Grim Dawn Ideas and Feedback
1

In resume :
Replace the +skill class on end game items with +1 All skills

Why :
This WE, I tried to find what end game stuff can fit my current character and it’s really hard to find stuff optimized for him.

One of the main problem is the lack of +all skill on 75 legendary or epic gear.
All this items add +1 to one class, and if you don’t play this class, you loose a lot of power (and lot of skill points)

My example : A Trickster (shaman+nightblade)
I use 2 handed weapon, dealing physical and frost damage mostly.
Nightblade : for amarasta’s blade burst, Ring of steel (frost), Veil of shadow (night chill) and some utilities
Shaman : for 2H damage and life regeneration, with savagery.

https://grimcalc.com/build/4zYCOVR

If I look what stuff exists, +shaman give mainly bleeding damage or pet damages, and +nightblade give bleed or frost, but mainly for 2 Weapons fighting.

The only 2H weap suited for my class is the Bane of the Winter King, which give + shaman and nightblade, but also pet buff.
For Armor the only frost set for nightblade buff 2w and need at least 1Hand weapon to activate the +1 skill, 2W for the whole set bonus.

My build is by far the best 2H build I ever build, so in a way he is fully viable. But I’m not sure I can make my way in late Ultimate because of lacking those + skills :confused:

With + all skill instead, it will allow custom builds to get same advantage of any end game items combination.

I don’t like to play games like someone else decide how to play, so I rarely use obvious combinations :slight_smile:

2

+skills are fine like they are in my opinion.

I’m using a +1 to all skills in Soldier relic (Juggernaut) for a cold spellbreaker because it has some health regen.

3

To clear any confusion, the campaign is balanced around yellow green and maybe blue, getting all the cool purple stuff and various sets with all the + skills and all the right bonus would make you overpowered. Which is fun too in its own way, but not necessary to beat the game.

I agree that having tailored sets and gears for some specific combinations can pose to be problematic, it enforces a metagame, put obvious combinations ahead and leave less obvious ones behind. It is known that players are always better at the game than the developers who made said game, thus when the developers step in to decide what you get to play, some players will inherently be left disappointed. But it’s just so difficult to create a flexible yet diverse, tangible yet deep, and balanced game system that also feels rewarding for everyone, and making a lot of unique sets for everyone is an easy way to get around that.

Thankfully, Grim Dawn has -a lot- of items, that it should be possible even if a bit more difficult or time consuming in some cases, for everyone to find something that matches the character they are playing, even if it’s not picture perfect.

My advice would be not to worry about it and make the best of what you find. If that’s not enough, I would suggest to have a look at some items database, i’m sure there is one somewhere, and once you have found something you like, use a cheat engine to spawn said item for you.

4

Hybridization and unique concepts have always and should always require some sacrifice to be made on the part of the character being developed.

5

The end result of the design philosophy you’re proposing is that every item would boost every attribute and skill. Item diversity is only meaningful if there are difficult tradeoffs to be made.

If your complaint is that there isn’t itemization supporting your particular build, then ask for itemization supporting your particular build, rather than asking for a redesign of the entire game economy.

6

I don’t ask a +1skill on every items…

+specific skill on item don’t bother me.

I understand that +1skill boost both class, so it’s a bit powerfull, but not much than building a class around what designers create as powerfull. Some classes with some skills are too powerfull, because it exploit some “premade” objects combinaison.

But there are some objects, giving +1 to 2 classes like Bane of the Winter King.
In this case, why not giving +1 all skill instead, it’s exactly the same but not linked for trickster.

Adding items for all combination of class and gameplay, seems for me, far more difficult to do and balance than +1 on some objects.

If you try to figure why some templates are powerfull, you can see that in a lot of cases, it’s because of specific items empowering it and with +skill giving a lot of skill points.

Some other templates, more “legit” can’t get to this point and have to deal with more challenge with some enemies.

I just have the feeling that adding more +1 all skill on certain end game items can remove some holes and unlock some templates.