Hello! Fahita, Blademaster here.
After roughly my first 100 hours of plugging away at this wonderful game (honest, it’s great), I’d started to notice some things that really began to irk me. Some issues that took me out of the fun elements of the game, and landed me square into the areas of “why do I have to do THIS when I should be doing the more fun parts, and why do these fun parts feel unrewarding upon completion”. So I’ve tried to compile a list of some of the things I felt were in my humble opinion, at the very least incredibly tedious and could have this sort of this negative impact lessened.
These are just my opinions, things I’ve noticed, and think could be improved upon. So without further adieu:
1.Common Component Drops / Droprates
I enjoy the component aspect of Grim Dawn immensely, I think it adds to the overall customization of individual builds and characters, which is great. The issues I’ve faced with them isn’t with how they work, it’s the problem of collecting appropriate amounts of the right and supposedly “common” components in order to simply make my characters / builds work or function or craft the items necessary for steady progression through the various difficulties. I think this area has great room for improvement, possibly through addition of either (or both) of these ways:
(a) Allow % chance of “whole” common component drops, instead of just partial. For example: Instead of getting a partial Chipped Claw, you’d have a 20-40% of receiving a whole Chipped Claw. Thus cutting down on the overall time it takes to collect these common components.
(b) Create a Component Conversion NPC, allowing players to trade whole or partial components of one type that they may have an excessive amount of, for a component of equal value. For example, being able to trade Searing Ember partial / whole components for another partial / whole component of another type within the same “tier”. The reason being, I’ve noticed I’ve amassed a massive amount of certain components (Searing Embers, Polished Emeralds, etc.) Now, I may have use for these on certain characters, but on my own they serve little to no purpose, being able to trade them out for something I do have use for would be most acceptable. It gives my now “useless” components a use and cuts down on what seems like a rather unnecessary amount of grinding just for what are supposed to be “common” components. Rare components (Chains of Oleron, Mark of the Myrmidon, etc) could even be similarly traded out.
2. Steps of Torment / Bastion of Chaos Farming
I like these two areas, but I think the aspect of farming them can be improved. The issues I really have with them are the rewards not being worthwhile for the time spent clearing them, and the cost of doing them initially can be unnecessarily prohibitive. For example, you farm rare components to craft skeleton keys to then just get the ability to farm more SoT / BoC.
I feel as if the SoT / BoC farm would benefit more from simply being free to enter, no Skeleton Keys required. However, if you wished you could “boost” your SoT / BoC run with a Skeleton Key, perhaps increasing it’s difficulty but also it’s rewards. So far, in my experience of having done SoT and BoC runs, the cost of entry and reward for doing the content simply doesn’t match the time spent farming. A guaranteed Legendary for completing a run would be amazing, one tailored more for your class would be even better. I think “boosting” a run could add even more to the run, additional drops of rare components (Ancient Hearts, Blood of C’thon, Tainted Brain Matter, etc.)
3. Additional Rifts
For the most part I think the Rift teleport system is fine, but I think the farming and overall tedium and feeling of “grindyness” can be alleviated by the addition of new Rifts you can port to. Some areas I’ve noticed seem to be exceptionally or unnecessarily long treks from the closest rifts, making going there for bounties or other quests, or searching for Nemesis monsters more of a chore than they perhaps should be. Examples: Shaded Basin / Tyrant’s Hold, Steps of Torment, Arkovian Undercity Level 2, Immolation / Conflagration, Tomb of Archon Barthollem, Fort Haron and East Marsh.
4. Nemesis Spawns and Rewards
I like the Nemesis system. Each one offers you a challenge that is quite unsurpassed by most anything else in the game. I don’t necessarily have an issue with their difficulty, (with perhaps exception to Fabius, who seems like he’s might be a bit overtuned in comparison to the others.) That said, I think the game could benefit from more Nemesis monsters (ikr?), especially in Cthonic and Aetherial variety. Hunting these particular types of Nemesis mobs down is like pulling teeth. This wouldn’t be so bad if they rewards for finding and then killing them were adjusted, but regardless it can way too much time to just find either of those two Nemesis monsters in comparison to The Iron Maiden, Fabius, or even Moosilauke.
Speaking of Nemesis rewards, I feel like Nemesis monsters need to have their loot adjusted. I’ve killed all of them now several times over, with exception of the aforementioned Fabius. The time expenditure versus reward just seems out of whack at the moment. If Nemesis and SoT / BoC are how we’re supposed to grind for loot, yet the loot we’re seeking doesn’t drop for us, that takes a toll on the player. Today after killing Moosilauke for the upteenth time, opening his chest to find yet another a glorious blue item for a class I don’t play, I just had to shake my head.
After spending 10+ minutes to find a Nemesis, then another 3-10 minutes fighting / killing them, and then repeating this process multiple times with the feeling you’ve received no real reward to speak of, well, to be blunt, frustration begins to set in. I think this issue can be alleviated without much change to the core “grind” of the game, by simply guaranteeing a Legendary item drop from the Nemesis chest (if only on Elite / Ultimate, due to the level restriction on legendary items). It would also help if Legendary item drops were more likely to be tailored for the class you are currently playing (a.k.a “Smart loot”), but I don’t know exactly how this would be possible in Grim Dawn considering how it’s class system works, but I really don’t see it as impossible either.
5. Excessive Spirit requirements on items meant for non-caster jewelry.
I have two items specifically that are a bit of a bewilderment to me. Empowered Blackwatch Seal and Empowered Bloodmoon. Both are level 65 epics, a ring and amulet respectively. Yet both of them have seemingly excessively high Spirit requirements of 292 and 293. The stats on both these items seem tailor made for Blademaster, having +skills to Nightblade and various levels of physical, pierce and bleeding damage bonuses. Yet, I cannot wear them with the base level of spirit provided by the 50 points into both Nightblade / Soldier, unlike all the other gear.
It just seems slightly off, and I’m sure there are other jewelry that has the same issue. I know someone will say “Devotions!” or “Components!” or “Allocate a few stat points!” but I must admit, none of the other gear I’m wearing seems to have this issue, which is why I think it perhaps may be unintentional. I reach all the physique and cunning requirements for my gear from levels and class appropriate devotions, it should be the same (imo) or spirit requirements on jewelry. So, perhaps spirit requirements on jewelry across the board could be slightly reduced.
6. Resistances on Armor
For the most part I think itemization in Grim Dawn is great. Legendary items can define a build quite easily, and make it stand out from other builds even within the same class structure (more of this type of stuff please), but one area I think many items are lacking is resistances, especially resistance to physical / internal trauma damage. I noticed this on when I started farming The Iron Maiden, and I had to carry around a pair of Fateweaver’s Leggings (which has a 12second proc that gives +50% physical resistance every 45seconds). My otherwise maxed resistances didn’t work my 100% armor absorption didn’t work, I felt as if I may have not have been wearing them, but slap on this proc and suddenly I can function like my class was intended.
But therein lies my problem, I’m now carrying around one piece of gear, essentially taking up inventory space just so I can fight this one Nemesis during my farming runs. Not to mention this item has nothing in the way of stats that favor my class, I’m just using it for the proc so I can play my class the way it should be played (for 12 seconds, then I kite for 45). Otherwise I’m entirely kiting and feeling as if I’m cheesing the encounter with my Blade Spirit.
7. Legendary and Loot Drops in General
I want to take a moment an say that I like the Legendary items in Grim Dawn. From what I’ve seen so far, the vast majority will likely see some sort of use on various builds. Procs are powerful and granted skills can be game changing, this is great! I can only speak for my experience with it’s loot system, but of the 30 or so Legendary items I’ve found / crafted so far in my hundred hours, I’m currently using 4, 1 of which I crafted (Badge of Mastery, which didn’t even receive +skills of the class I’m playing) and another which I hold in my inventory for fighting 1 boss. Everything else? Caster items. Sword and board physique-based class stuff. I know, I know, RNGesus didn’t favor me. I spent Rare Consumables at the Legendary vendor (love the idea!), but nope… got a Legendary for a class / build I don’t use.
Some measure of targeted loot would be so very welcome, imo. I’ve always dreamed of an ARPG / hack ‘n’ slash that allowed you to target a specific piece of gear, and as Legendary or rare items drop, the chances you find that targeted Legendary increase until it’s finally guaranteed. You get that item, and then you target another. It could be a 1%, 2% or 3% increased chance each time (or less, whatever the devs feel is appropriate), but at least you KNOW you’re working towards your build’s completion and not just utterly relying on the hands of fate to deliver your needed gear for progression.
Someone might ask, “but why don’t you just trade some of your unwanted Legendary items for those you do want?”. Well, to be quite honest, and I hope it’s seen as a fair reply, that I simply don’t feel that I should have to. I just like finding the items myself, and feel that working towards them myself is more appropriate, but I also don’t think it should feel as much like a chore to do so.
So, that’s my list so far. I truly like Grim Dawn, it really is a great game. I want to drop another 100 hours into it, easily. With a few changes here and there, who knows, maybe I could end up spending 10,000 hours on it like I did with D2 / D2:LoD. I wholeheartedly welcome constructive criticisms or your own suggestions on how to improve the Quality of Life for Grim Dawn players overall.