A happy 2014! Welcome back to Grim Misadventures, new year edition! 2013 saw us releasing our Alpha build to eager backers, gradually opening up access to everyone that purchased the game. Since then, we released eight builds ranging from small quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes to significant additions to gameplay and content. With the feedback provided by all of you, we improved everything from the environments to the itemization. We tweaked drop rates, added incentives to explore, revamped animations, updated textures, added new art sets, implemented localization support, the list goes on.
I can say without a doubt that the game we had back in May 2013 has grown and improved immensely, and it is in no small part thanks to the feedback and playtesting provided by our players. So thank you, to all of you. 
We can only hope 2014 is just as productive!
Now moving on to what we still have in store for you. Area B, commonly called “Act 2”, has entered the playtesting phase. We are now in the process of fixing any bugs and issues that arise from the playtesters’ sessions. This includes everything from fixing pathing issues to problems with content or layout. One key reason for this phase is to make sure we do not break existing characters with an overlooked quest bug. We are currently trying to address one such case.
We’ve also realized, from tester feedback, that the current content and the way it is presented results in a somewhat anti-climactic ending. The problem is that we didn’t plan for this area to be a full act and, even though we call it “act 2”, it is still more of a large region filled with sidequests that you pass through on your way to Homestead. The major story quest in this area is completed about midway through it, which leaves a significant portion of the area at the end without any major quest line beyond just trying to find your way to Homestead and, of course, not being able to actually get there since it isn’t finished yet. Since it seems like this doesn’t meet people’s expectations and, we can understand why after hearing the feedback, we’re looking at what we can do to rework things a bit to make the story in this particular area more involved and extend to a more climactic end to this particular chunk of content. We’re not sure yet whether that will push out the delivery date much or not. It depends how much we need to do to reach a satisfactory result.
The upside is that it might also give us time to work in crafting, at least in some initial form for you to play with, which is what we would like to talk about today!
***As with any preview, all of this is work-in-progress and may change. We are still working on final art for the crafting UI and recipes.***
Blacksmith:
The Blacksmith will be the heart of the crafting system. He, like many others NPCs in Devil’s Crossing, will not start out in town. You will have to venture out into the world and find him! Once you have unlocked the Blacksmith, you will be able to use your Blueprints to craft new items.
Blueprints:
Blueprints in Grim Dawn will come in the form of loot, and sometimes quest rewards. These recipes will not be used up in crafting. Instead, by right-clicking a Blueprint that drops for you, you will permanently learn it and add it to your collection within the Crafting UI. Any subsequent copies of the same recipe that drop can be sold or traded with other players. You do not have to worry about transferring recipes to your other characters as any recipe you learn is automatically unlocked across all characters you create.
An Example Blueprint
In addition, the Blacksmith is already an experienced craftsman who can create many wondrous creations for you. Even if you do not find any Blueprints out in the world, you will still be able to craft items from his repertoire.
Some of the items you can expect to craft right away include:
[ul][li]Random Weapons, Armor and Accessories[/li]
[li]Difficult to acquire Components[/li]
[li]Low-Level Epic Item Sets[/li]
[li]Relics[/ul][/li]
In fact, the Blacksmith will also serve as a means to gamble. Want to try your luck at crafting a random Medal? Toss the Blacksmith some Scrap and hard-earned Iron Bits and he will do his best to craft you a powerful item. Note that you do not have to place any ingredients into the Crafting interface. All crafting is done from within your inventory. As long as you have the required materials, you can press the Combine button and retrieve the product.
Work-in-Progress Crafting Interface: Luck Not Included
Relics:
Many of you are probably wondering what that remaining gear slot to the left of your Iron Bits is for. The answer to that is Relics. Relics are powerful artifacts and talismans which can bestow potent effects and granted skills. With the exception of one Relic which is given out as a quest reward in Act 2, all Relics are crafted. In fact, the most powerful Relics in the game will be made of lesser Relics you create.
That’s it for today! Check back on 01/20/2014 for the next update!
