I personally couldn’t be happier if game forces me to be creative and find new ways to build my toons. If I go back to my old character will always notice something suboptimal, which can be changed to improve my character. And also new/changed gear fitting like a glove in my already assembled characters.
So new major patch is always exciting. But as you said the sad thing is that this is the last one.
Exactly as you write. Pure pleasure 
Well, I spent the last month farming hardcore SR 35-36 (and then 45-46 once I dropped the belt and the pants for the Krazy Kat build) on elite with the epic Covenant chaos pet set (because any higher trying to get as much as I could for that Krazy Kat build (I have cats and it sounded hilarious). And literally just Saturday dropped the fourth piece of the Beast pet set. I still don’t have the Tome or the best medallion for it and a second voidwhisperer. On Monday I took it for some test runs in 65-66 and was like, ah this is nice.
Then woke up to this patch. LOL.
I’m not complaining, I’m actually fine with it. But there are actually some people who FARM these builds. 
Oh and to rub salt on the wound I was stupid enough to also do @Leopold retal build with my warlord that just hit 100. I had all but one of the rings and the helm (obviously.) And yeah, I know. THAT one is my fault because it was obviously going to get nerfed. LOLFOF.
Retal builds are not dead at all, if anything only the ones that used Beronath sword got hit hard, which basically forces you to go for sandspitter+ korvan spaulders for conversion.
And that’s obviously harder to gear since Korvan Spaulders are annoying to farm especially if you are looking for retal affixes.
I keep seeing people saying that this is the final content update/patch but i can`t seem to find anywhere which states that officially. Where are people getting this information from?
This post details the current foreseeable future for Grim Dawn:
maybe, maybe not, but it is the correct design step.
yeah, totally. I’ve already done some playing with it and it’s MUCH slower but it’s still mostly tanky across the board. But still when I read the notes seeing 'reduced retal damage over and over again" was pretty damn funny, give the two characters I’ve been playing most were Primal Spirit pets and Physical Retal. And talking a bit out my ass, I haven’t gotten all the pieces for it yet so I haven’t been pushing any major content.
In other words, as I said above, I don’t have a problem with any of it. I never do with updates. Not trying to be chicken little.
I’m not convinced about the changes on The Obelisk of Menhir.
Now, to get the top node “30% Reduced… 18% Armor Absorption…”, you have to go through 2 nodes that are useless if you don’t have a shield or play retaliation.
That + the new (not positive) changes on Scales of Ulcama, it reduces the usefulness to go that way if you don’t even carry a shield.
It was already hard to get the 8 yellow affinities before (yellow devotions don’t give much). Scales give only 2, dryad only 3…
Could you swap the “30% Reduced…18%…” with the new retal node?
Isn’t it quite possible that this is actually intended?
Frankly, i don’t know what’s intended or not.
The successive patches seem to encourage and empower the exotic and unusual builds… But maybe it’s considered silly to go the yellow path if you don’t have a shield.
All i know is that it messed several of my characters.
it’s so maya doesn’t buttplug it into every build of hers
Hm… hm… I thought the patch was about making pets less reliant on sets. not nerfing sets to the ground…
Were the base pet skills buffed somehow and it didn’t make it to the patch notes?
Because if not, this is the last season of game of thrones for me…
I think it is mentioned here:
Unfortunately without numbers, there is no way of knowing by how much.
Does it compensate for the nerf to Items?
Grimtools has not been updated.
This for eg is pretty clear:
But what about say Lightning Strike? how much is the difference atm?
Take a naked char, GD stash it to level 100, open game, see what is written on the skills. I can do that for you if you are interested and impatient waiting for GT update.
Still seems to me that you are evaluating pet builds based on patch notes and not how they play in game.
I would appreciate it. I am on GoG and use offline installer and their patches have always been iffy since they are adamant on making their own patches and those rarely work, resulting in need of a full reinstall or updating through galaxy.
I doubt I update the game until I get confirmation that the build I’m spending ALL MY FREE TIME making is still as good and still as fun.
I only play pet builds and have been spending my time making a double brairthorn build just to see the set get nerfed. Not cool
I unfortunately may have to shift in a different approach or play a different game.
Kekw imagine how much time i have wasted in the past making and farming for builds that today are dead as stones 
Seriously. How hard is it to open game and play and see for yourself?