Only characters you load are converted to the expansion.
So in your scenario, don’t play the level 10 character with the expansion installed and it will remain as a non-expansion character.
If you do load it for some reason though, you could always wipe out the expansion save file (characters with 2 _ are pre-expansion backups, ex. __charname, while characters with 1 are expansion saves, ex. _charname)
Ah perfect, that works. Thanks!
I tried to downgrade today but without the expansion I had zero chars.
I looked in the save game folder (steam cloud backup) and there were no backup chars (with 2 __) so all my chars were converted to the expansion without a backup.
Any idea what to do ?
I think the only time you get the 2__ is when a pre-expansion char is loaded into the expansion so the game creates the 2nd folder then.
As for why your chars aren’t showing, double check you still have cloud saving enabled in both GD and Steam and verify your game files via steam as well.
Edit…what’s the location of your game save folder? Cheers.
I think the old solution that you had in Titan Quest would have solved the issue that is being laid out.
The Titan Quest expansion didn’t overwrite the original game, but instead created a new .EXE and save folder. You could load up the original or expansion, and you could import characters from the original game to the expansion. It worked pretty well.
steam…\219990\remote\save\main
Maybe the problem is that I didn’t play for a few months and then directly upgraded to the expansion?
is there a way to disable the dlc without having to download/install it again every time i want to re-enable it?
Sorry it took me under 1 minute to find your holy data in the dark side of the web.
I bought the original game and the expansion. All I want is to continue the original game without expansion with my 3 friend who don’t own the expansion. We have a traditional Christmas lan and last year we started to play grim dawn. We decided not to lvl that char witch we started together at this time. So there was a mighty lvl 25 Char waiting for the next lan.
Ok I love the game so I created many new chars and spend a lot of time in this game. My friends don’t love this game as I do so they don’t buy the expansion but we still want to finish this game this year 
What I find a bit asinine about this situation is it appears to have a simple fix. (might be wrong and its harder then I think after all I am no programmer) I am surprised this game doesn’t have a expansion check box like Diablo 2 when creating a character for the game to treat the character as an non-expansion character.
Right now this is the ONLY thing that is keeping me from buying the expansion right now because since I spend quite a bit of time playing this with a friend (who is too cheap to buy the expansion unless its 80% off, which I wouldn’t even dream off so close to release, you guys got to pay the bills and mouths to feed.) and simply installing and re-downloading 2GB worth of data whenever I want to play alone is just out of the question on my internet.
Anyways that is my thoughts on the situation, thanks for taking the time to read this.
Programming a checkbox is easy. Programming a checkbox that compares vanilla/expansion content is far more complicated and way more work than it is worth.
If you want to play with your buddy, buy the expansion for both of you, problem solved.
They had an easy solution in Titan Quest. The expansion had a new save folder and .EXE. You could simply play the old game, or the expansion and import old characters to the expansion. A checkbox could be used in a similar fashion. If checked to play the original game, it calls a different .exe and uses a different folder for the save. It would be an easy fix. Well, relatively speaking. It still would take a little time to do it.
With all do respect I would find that a satisfying answer if not for the simple fact that a game made 17 years ago managed to do that just fine. Also while I would buy the expansion asap if this wasn’t an issue, that doesn’t mean I have the income to drop $20 each time I have a friend who decides to be cheap. Granted Crate has made a great game and if I could I would buy the game for anyone who wanted it just to support them, however that is not an option.
Edit: I also think there may be some confusion on what is actually being asked. Was the person asking to be able to use an expansion character with a non-expansion character? Because why would the game need to compare content between the base game and the expansion if only the base game content is being used?
This is a matter of determining worth/effort. Yes, compatibility is an expected thing and customer has right not to care if it is hard to implement or not. They only expect results that is it. But it is also company’s choice to whether implement it or not. It does not make it any worse. So customer is rite to complain while Crate has rite not to implement because they didn’t list in feature list. Though, a good gesture to customers are always welcome.
Crate should just include AoM in the base purchase, like Dying Light did with The Following. It’s not like AoM is “optional” DLC like Crucible anyway.
Just buy the darn expansion…it’s 17$!!!
If you’re that broke then you shouldn’t be playing games anyways… i could afford the expansion busing tables when i was 13…i’m sure people can now.
I bought the expansion… my friends wont and not because of the money.
If there isn’t any solution I will do it like in the old days when there was an annoying copy protection I disabled it by using cracks.
Crate,
I bought the expansion thinking “hey I enjoyed the base game and now I can play with two more classes.” So I convince two friends to buy the base game. 
Guess what? They cannot join my game… furthermore I find I cannot use the two new classes at all if I want to play with them. 
So I run a search pertaining to this problem. I find this thread. Within the thread I find Crate employees basically saying ‘we didn’t design the game to allow customers without expansion to play with customers that have the expansion.’
I would think this is an obvious issue that should’ve been considered previous to release of the expansion. Now I find Crate employees essentially saying ‘well, because we didn’t think ahead and consider our customers important enough to find a way to make this work we now refuse to go back and fix the issue to what would obviously be a point of discontention for our customers. Instead, we’ll make excuses.’ :furious:
I’d like to point out that you have FAILED to advertise that the game requires both players to have the expansion for either to play the new characters. Due to this issue my friends missed the sale and I falsely assumed we could play together. Please advertise this on your store page in an obvious place. :furious:
Now I understand that by doing what you did it forces those without the expansion to buy it to play with friends who want to use the new character classes. Sure, this makes financial sense for money grubbing companies. By not advertising this obvious flaw however your company has gone from being something I hold respect for to something I may start to associate with the same discontent EA has been viewed with recently. Is that what you want? :undecided:
I’d like to suggest implementing the idea where players with the expansion can play with those without the expansion as far as using the new character classes go. Map access would be limited to the base game however in such a scenario. This would in theory (without knowledge of the code’s current status) solve the problem that is so clearly creating discontent among your customers and an overall loss of respect for your company. Regardless of how much ‘work’ it would be the fact is that this issue should’ve been considered in the pre or early development phases of the expansion if not before. Crate, you dropped the ball on this one. I guess you need to decide if being a money-grubbing company or a company people respect and return to buy new games from is more important. I’d rather see your company well respected. Please fix this issue.
that is not what they said… they said they did not design it in a way that someone who does not own the expansion can play with someone who does and be able to play the expansion areas and get expansion items or play with expansion masteries, and they gave many good examples for why that would be difficult.
You can play with them but are then limited to the vanilla game areas, items and masteries.
I would think this is an obvious issue that should’ve been considered previous to release of the expansion.
it was, what I describe above is the result of that 
I’d like to point out that you have FAILED to advertise that the game requires both players to have the expansion for either to play the new characters.
they definitely did not say that you would be able to, also GD behaves the exact same way TQ does in that regard, so it is not really a surprise.
If this important to you then spend the 5 minutes to figure out whether it is possible or ask in the forums instead of now complaining that ‘no one told me’
Sorry, but why would you think your friends - who haven’t paid for the expansion - would be able to play it with you just because you have bought it? 
Do you expect Crate to effectively give the expansion away for free because some people with the expansion want to play with people who haven’t bought it?
It says quite clearly on the Ashes of Malmouth GOG page that to play it you need the base game as well. Steam says the same. On the main Grim Dawn game page on Steam it clearly shows the downloadable content which you pay extra for if you want them - the Crucible, Steam Loyalist Pack and Ashes of Malmouth. No suggestion that the expansion is included in the base game. And guess what, GOG says exactly the same - optional content which has to be bought separately - the Crucible, GOG’s Loyalist pack and Ashes of Malmouth.
In the same way that Titan Quest players couldn’t play with Immortal Throne players, you need both Grim Dawn and Ashes of Malmouth to be able to play with the expansion. Why you think it would be otherwise is a puzzlement.
If Crate to encrypt the game, I think it would be possible to play with non-expansion players, but probably, forget about modding after that