Kinda disagree. If anything I think if they produced 3 potions / craft instead.
I dont think crafting is intended for casual player. GD can be completed without farming. At least TQ is.
Also, GD is intended to appeal for hardcore player. Farming should be only for player who strive for the sky. Badass! 
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Finding relic recipies and crafting them is certainly interesting, just like it was in the good, old TQ days. From the item selection, I only tried crafting a badge and I got to say that it is a pretty decent green item. Plus, I had the luck of getting the Gunslinger Talisman just when I was searching for some good pistols to try out dual-wielding with my Demolitionist 
I have spend most of my free time on the weekend (around 10h, veteran), running around both act areas, making holes in everything that moves with my 2 handed pistols (awesome!) and I found 7 recipies (1 for Olerons Blood, 4 Ointments and 2 Relics, not counting in duplicate drops), 2 Tainted Brain Matters (both from hero-class monsters, in like 6 runs, Warden didnt drop any at all, either it was my bad luck or maybe some tweaking is needed?), 1 Ancient Heart (from Shambler in Flooded Passage, no use for it now) and 5 Blood of Ch’ton (all from Salazar, no use for this either).
So it is not bad but also not that good giving the higher mob setting.
Costs are fine and at least there is a need for gathering money now (it was useless in most ARPG games I played, even in TQ it started to become useless at some point). And if someone is desperately low on iron, he can always go gather stuff to sale 
No opinion about Transcendent Relics, still need to see one drop.
I found several blueprints twice so far, you definitely do not only find ones you have not learned yet.
I did a self found run with a demo, finished all areas except for Steps of Torment and the Cultist’s Lair (cannot get the damn key to drop…), I am lvl 33 now.
I am satisfied with rate of blueprint drops, especially since it says they are account wide, and not character bound.
I crafted one Relic and a melee weapon (at lvl 15) that I am still using at lvl 33 
Oh and a medal (it is called differently but it takes medal spot).
I only had three Hearts drop and one Blood. Lots of Scrap and Shards (I don’t know what is gained by combining those shards into bigger one as nothing asks for the bigger one in crafting)
I have a huge problem with crafting components. Before B18 I would usually keep only rare completed components and sell all common ones beyond first. But with crafting I need to keep as much as possible because of crafting needing them. Half my 2nd small backpack space is filled with those, while one third of bigger backpack space is filled with unfinished ones. When you add to that other crafting components like Scrap and the rest not a lot of space is left for items I pick up.
Nah, way too long a minute or two max
I really like relics especially the fact that you need multiple materials to finally craft one. It does give crafting more of a dimension. Powerfull relics shouldn’t be to easy to get/craft.
A bit off topic, but:
How is farming “hardcore”, pray tell?
Monotonous, technical, repetitious, boring even - perhaps. But hardcore?
And what is it with people using “casual” as a semi-derogatory adjective, pointing it at anyone who doesn’t seem to have the exact taste in gaming as their “correct”, or “real” one?
Am I supposed to apologetically come up with proof of my prowess in the game, just because you’ve used the “C” word (that’s the safe-for-work kind)?
Trust me, friend, I’m not playing this game in any way casually, only differently from you. Less Number-crunching - more Roleplaying. Less Min/Maxing - more tactics, Less spreadsheet jockeying - more fun for me.
There’s no need to be so protective of your “way” of gaming. Demanding that certain aspects of the game will be accessible only to those who play it your way is not very open minded. I really hope that Grim Dawn doesn’t go the way of Path of Exile to become another ARPG catastrophe, which evolved into catering only for the “End Game stuff” junkies.
The course of the game should be where things are at. All of them - including a fair chance to find materials and craft relics, even a transcendent or two per game. And if you want to make your character truly exceptional, then by all means - farm and calculate away until your gear is really absolutely the best of the best.
tl;dr and an on topic conclusion
- Farming - not hardcore - just a choice of how to spend time in game
- The term “Casual” - Meaningless and shouldn’t be used
- Haven’t played dozens of hours yet on b18, but it seems that some blueprints and rare materials drop too infrequently along the way when not farming
I havnt gotten the ancient heart or the blood of Chton… not even once since i started farming… any suggestion on where those are most likely to drop?
Don’t know about the heart but the blood is a set drop if you kill Direni, otherwise I’ve heard that depraved sanctuary is possible to get it
@Xantax Just got an Ancient Heart off Viloth if you’re still looking.
I… don’t really think Relics are a good addition to the game. I think it’s just an extra bit of equipment that the player does not really need. I think badges and relics could occupy the same slot and have different base uses. I also think the game becomes a little too easy with relics.
They’re nicely designed, relics, but think the equipment slots could get squashed somewhat.
Also, what purpose does a belt serve other than another piece of equipment? Could it’s purpose be refined?
Are the Relics you are discovering interesting?
Yes so far they seem interesting.
Does the rate at which you are discovering new Blueprints feel rewarding?
It seems about right at the moment, but I farm a fair bit. I can imagine that it could be frustrating playing more casually.
Are you finding the cost of crafting Relics to be an appropriate challenge? Are Tier 2 (Transcendent) Relics an appropriate cost for the power they provide?
The normal ones seem fine. The transcendent ones seem to require some fairly rare drops (at least at current max level). The worry with this is that with more levels in the game it will be pointless (other than for twinking) in trying to get the components for these as they could be easily out-leveled - the scaling of item power versus leveling speed needs to be pretty balanced otherwise they become pretty much pointless.
Any other thoughts?
The resist potions could probably do with lasting a little longer (the damage buff ones seem ok).
As too the potential exercise in frustration in getting specific blue-prints (with so many available). Maybe an PC who lets you re-roll them i.e. put 4 in “Mr. Magic’s Box” (all of the same “rank”) get a new one back (preferably one that wasn’t in the box!)
It holds your pants up
How is it different from ring, necklace, badge, shoulder pieces with respect to simply being an additional piece of equipment, ie why did you pick belt for this but none of the others I mentioned ?
Not sure what other purpose you can think of, to me the purpose of pretty much all gear is to provide stats (armor or damage) and bonuses. A belt is no different there.
From a refinement perspective, I do find affixes on belts that I otherwise find on rings and necklaces only, not on eg pants, so they seem to be somewhat more refined.
That’s what I’m getting at. Rings / Amulets seem to be canon in RPGs but I struggle sometimes with why they’re there.
Belts, rings, badges, amulets serve no armour purpose. Shoulder is a location to be hit on with GD’s armour system. Belt’s serve no purpose other than extra stats. I accept rings and amulets, and not even badges so much (or relics as per previous).
So is it just to have more stuff?
If that was true, non of my female toons would wear one!
Yes, from my perspective it is to have more options, just like rings, end of story.
Either get even more damage or some kind of defensive bonus that makes sense for your build.
I like the fact that we have these many options / different slots. Granted, GD is approaching some kind of limit here, I would not want 4 rings or more for example, others might like to wear 20 necklaces at once (Barracus from the A-Team, or whatever his name was )
I would prefer less items and more of an effort to get good stats on the items you do have access slots to. These take some of that effort away and extend the top end too much for my liking.
Either way, that’s my feeling on relics.
The more item slots the more customization options you have.
Though too many item slots and it can be a problem but I don’t really see that in GD.
This is all based on VETERAN. I am getting less than 1 blueprint an hour, on a mix of characters.
In a Single game with no farming I only got 3 in 15+ hours.
It does feel a bit slow. I wouldn’t want it increase too much.
I like that it takes multiple games to unlock them all.
Component drop rate feels pretty high I have a full stash and a half since b17 in 30 hours
I really do love the relics, I’ve been using calamity on my soldier. It is a great booster with blade arc.
The scrap amount needed for crafting in general is somewhat high.
I have not done much with potions They don’t really seem worth while currently.
Cant comment on T2 haven’t not seen any.
Edit: One thing I think is important to add is, this new content only makes the stash smaller.
1/5 of the inventory is always full of components. My shared stash is full of finished ones.
My Stash is pretty much filled with blues, greens and overflowing components.
I really hope that homestead has another stash. Also that the shared stash is made as big a the players. A stash auto sort would be lovely.