O.O
How in the heck? I think my first playthrough took about 40.
I really breezed through the first one and half acts (of 4) on just Normal Difficulty before kicking it up to Veteran - not sure if that would explain the discrepancy. I normally am not a speed demon through RPGs…
Getting the hype train rolling, one more week.
kerzain
2686
Hell yea. In order to get back in the groove, a few days ago I started a Soldier/Nightblade and am specializing in dual wield+bleeding right now. I’m level 32 at the moment.
Funny thing is, I might not have any characters that can play in the new expansion if I need to get through Malmouth first since I picked up on Black Friday but haven’t tried it yet. I’ve been trying to get the most out of the base game before moving on and obsoleting it. But I do look forward to playing with new classes in the mean time.
Best way to play might be to start a new character anyway. (Instead of using an existing character and taking them through the new area). That way you get to check out the new class, and get to see what systems and loot changes are in the game. Then when you get to the expansion area, you’re really ready for it!
So in preparation for the expansion, I fired this up a couple weeks ago and was immediately enthralled. A game hasn’t grabbed me like this in a long, long time.
Level 85 Witch Hunter (Nightblade + Occultist) specializing in acid and poison.
Things that are great:
The size of the world. I mean it is huge including the first expansion. I’ve gotten most of the way through ultimate and have not been everywhere. I have entered only one aetherial gate and have yet to try crucible. Gives me the feeling that there is always something new to do. With two expansions… geez.
Choice choice choice. Some famous designer (ultima guy?) stated that giving the player choice makes the fun. This is a great example. You have skills for two classes, both complete in themselves. You have skills from devotion shrines, totally different than class skills (or not if you want to buff what you have). Then you get skills from weapons. The synergies between all those creates a delightful complexity that is so fun to plan out. So many of the combinations are viable. Weapon skills can be based off a completely different class, while buffing your own class. A new weapon can give you a synergy that urges you to rethink everything!
Moment to moment play. So good. With my acid/poison character shit just explodes on the screen. I obliterate everything in my path, and anything that doesn’t melt in the first seconds falls over dead from poison shortly after. I always wanted to play a game where I could get powerful enough to just walk through earlier levels and monsters die from my godly presence alone. This game does that. I don’t have to attack. If I go back to normal / early levels all the retaliation attacks which trigger from monsters deigning to touch me leave a swath of destruction in my wake without effort. lol such satisfying progression. And the world is so big, it has been rewarding for me to go back! To pick up a shrine I missed, or a quest now that reputation is maxed out with factions, going back to earlier difficulties is ideal…
Ability for a rewarding ten minute session. Dinner is cooking. I have a small time window. I hit go and ten minutes later have a new legendary that gives me options to completely change my build. There’s the oven timer. More often it’s been “I’ll play for ten minutes”. Four hours later I’ve blown my next day through lack of sleep without even realizing it.
I love this game. It is the height of ARPG for me, a genre I’ve enjoyed since Diablo 1. The passion that has gone into its creation is plain to see and It is a joy to play. I’m sure I’ll burn out soon and move on, but am happy to know when the ARPG bug bites again, it will be there waiting.
I haven’t played since before the 1st expansion so I prepared last night too. I went in and deleted all my characters and cleaned out the shared inventory. 340 hours and tomorrow I start from scratch
Well said Anklebiter. It is the best game of its kind, which is amazing.
I just went into the game for the first time since last May. I can’t delete stuff, but I did turn on Steam cloud backup, and so all that stuff that I offloaded to Grim Dawn Item Assistant can go to hell. Whatever I have in my shared inventory is enough for me. That should make for a clean start tomorrow with a new character.
I guess the main thing I have to decide is: Hardcore or Immortal character?
I think I might create an Immortal character first, just to learn the ropes with the new class, and see the new content at least once.
Yeah, that’s the right call, gonna clear out all mine as well. Can’t wait!
Your guys are clearing out your stashes… what, are you all insane? Of course I’ve used about 2% of what’s in there, but it’s the principle of the thing!!!
Yeah, they’re crazy. Last year, when I started playing hardcore for the first time, I had to go through the pain of not having anything in the shared stash, including basic stuff that I need for recipes. Now that I finally have my hardcore stash built up, there’s no way I’m clearing it. I don’t mind losing gear, that I can always find again. But all the little doodads you need for recipes? Never!
kerzain
2695
Thank you! Unless the citizens of Devil’s Crossing are calling A&E on a daily basis trying to get you featured on the show Hoarders, then I can’t even understand why you’re playing these types games. Get back to me when you’re buying additional copies of the game to hold more of your stuff.
Soooooo this comes out for XBO tomorrow too? Anyone in? How the hell do I juggle this and Division 2?!
Edit: Bah, still TBA?
LeeAbe
2697
What’s that? Something new, or am I forgetting something?
The default characters are immortal. They can “die” an infinite number of times but never die. The hardcore characters have only one life.
LeeAbe
2699
Ahh ok thanks. My “duh” moment of the day.
Bateau
2700
Yeah it’s normally called softcore. Does the game have its own terminology for it?
As with most games of this sort a character is either hardcore or not, the default being not. It’s not called anything, specifically.
I’m looking forward to the expansion - just finished the first expansion for the first time with a new character a couple of months ago, so will likely pick up from there rather than restarting. My co-op partner and I had both been wanting to keep playing new content when we wrapped up (going back through on a higher difficulty didn’t have all that much appeal) so this is timed quite well.
Steam says approximately 4 hours to go. I guess I’ll buy it tonight after work.
