The recent CoF changes in the test patch made me realize how much I don’t like a certain aspect of ARPG design: buffs and curses.
Curses would be things like Curse of Fraily, skills that you cast that reduce enemy stats.
Buffs would be things like Lethal Assault, skills that you cast that increase player stats.
Now what’s wrong with these two types of skills? Well they are boring. Using them is a chore, but one you have to do to keep your character functional. Every time you approach a new group of enemies, you have to curse them and buff yourself. Every 5 seconds you have to press those buttons that don’t do anything gameplay wise, and simply keep your stats in good condition relative to the enemies.
I like two button(move and attack) builds in Grim Dawn, and that is because there’s less busywork casting those chore skills. But more importantly, it really matters where you move and what you attack. Each time you click the mouse, you have to make the right decision. Makes for fun gameplay.
I don’t hate longer buffs like Pneumatic Burst. They’re always up, and they have a long duration, so they feel like a permanent aspect of my characters. They’re kinda like Battle Orders or Burst of Speed from D2. I will say, casting them is a pointless click, but I’ve adjusted. Although if I had more than 2 of these buffs, I’d start getting irritated.
Trigger buffs like Deadly Aim are okay by me because they don’t cost an extra click. There’s a nice rhythm to where they activate when you engage a group of enemies, you kill most of the enemies with your stats buffed, and by the time you meet the next group, your cooldown is up and your skill is ready to go again.
So to summarize: I’d like my button presses to be meaningful. Grim Dawn is pretty good when it comes to that, but could be better.
Some ideas how to fix this: add a transmuter to curses that auto casts them or makes them apply on attack. Auto casting buffs like Pneumatic Burst could also be considered. Also make RR devotions activate of all attacks. In fact, make lots of devotions activate of all attacks.