I started playing this game again with the 1.1.7.0 patch, and I love the new monster infrequents that they have added. This is probably the best Diablo-esque game I've played! (Second in the list for me being Van Helsing.)
So I started with an Arcanist/Necromancer and am in Wightmire now. Levelled up Panetti's Replicating Missiles all the way upto 16 and I'm shredding things in blinks, and using those level 1 skeletal summons as meat shields (I'm really surprised by how tough they are even without upgrading them). Investing points in the Quill constellation because it seems really cool.
One thing I'm thinking about is enabling Veteran mode, but I'm not sure if it'll make the game too hard later on (I'm finding things very easy currently). Can someone who played the game more share their opinions about that mode? Should I turn it on?
I mean, nearly ALL ARPGs like this are too easy on normal mode. Veteran is designed to provide challenge to the first run-through that is only really there on the two higher difficulties. The only problem is you level too fast if you are exploring all the maps. That being said, I find it necessary to stay engaged. Normal mode is just sightseeing as far as I'm concerned. It's not THAT bad difficulty-wise on veteran, but you can't just plot your skills and devotions wherever you feel like it. You're gonna want to have an actual build you are following.
I find normal difficulty to still be pretty hard starting with the Ashes of Malmouth expansion. The only time I tried veteran difficulty, I managed to get all the way there without dying, but I started having to kite extensively and died a few times in the expansion when I got stuck in a corner. I also found the special challenge areas to be too hard for my tastes, even on normal. If I have a character die more than once or twice, I always consider it a failed character and I want to start all over.
Nowadays I just stick with normal level the first time through with a character. A lot of people enjoy needing to find the perfect build and having a constant adrenaline rush from the danger of higher difficulty levels, but I like to relax while I play. I only want it hard enough that I have to concentrate and I can't just fall asleep and left-click through everything while still winning.
I find normal difficulty to still be pretty hard starting with the Ashes of Malmouth expansion. The only time I tried veteran difficulty, I managed to get all the way there without dying, but I started having to kite extensively and died a few times in the expansion when I got stuck in a corner. I also found the special challenge areas to be too hard for my tastes, even on normal. If I have a character die more than once or twice, I always consider it a failed character and I want to start all over.
Nowadays I just stick with normal level the first time through with a character. A lot of people enjoy needing to find the perfect build and having a constant adrenaline rush from the danger of higher difficulty levels, but I like to relax while I play. I only want it hard enough that I have to concentrate and I can't just fall asleep and left-click through everything while still winning.
The challenge areas are brutal, the 4 or 5 rogue-like ones where you only get one shot at them even more so. Grim Dawn, more than anything, took the resistance necessity of Nightmare and Hell Diablo 2 and cranked it up to 11.
Keeping a few spare jewelry with certain resists, ie vs the chaos or ethereal damage, when you are in such areas (though I've forgot the exact name of those resistances, the red and the greenish ones equivalent to the two main antagonist forces) worked for me. And I'm a very, very casual player in GD. I never specifically hunt for items nor for "monster infrequents", the latter I even never bothered to read what it is.
My first guy was an occultist/shaman that ended up after respecs to be mostly pure shaman.. or is it druid? forgot the name, hehe.. Using almost purely lightning damage. That guy was a bit of a glasscannon but I finished the normal incl. malmouth at around level.. 60? My second char was a necro/occultist pure summoner and that run was very easy. The summons does all the work and my lazy guy is just standing there and throws a few healing spells etc.
My experience on these two playthroughs, which are my only ones, was that normal in GD was one of the most balanced game play I ever encountered in a game. It kept me on my toes, I could die, but if I played my cards right I very rarely did. As you can understand from the above I haven't even read up so much on the game mechanics, played it fairly blindly and just learning what is needed and what isn't from my own experience. It wasn't too easy, nor to hard. I never tried Veteran and probably won't. I own the latest DLC but haven't played it yet, perhaps Normal will be harder in the higher level areas there?
One reason I wouldn't turn on veteran is to avoid the item hunting. Sure, finding items is kinda what the game is about, but farming for them isn't my cup of tea in a SP game. It was fun in DII, but that was because the trade scene was vibrant and engaging (before the dupes), In GD I've never personally found it very exciting to hunt and farm for one specific piece of gear.
Comments
I mean, nearly ALL ARPGs like this are too easy on normal mode. Veteran is designed to provide challenge to the first run-through that is only really there on the two higher difficulties. The only problem is you level too fast if you are exploring all the maps. That being said, I find it necessary to stay engaged. Normal mode is just sightseeing as far as I'm concerned. It's not THAT bad difficulty-wise on veteran, but you can't just plot your skills and devotions wherever you feel like it. You're gonna want to have an actual build you are following.
Nowadays I just stick with normal level the first time through with a character. A lot of people enjoy needing to find the perfect build and having a constant adrenaline rush from the danger of higher difficulty levels, but I like to relax while I play. I only want it hard enough that I have to concentrate and I can't just fall asleep and left-click through everything while still winning.
The challenge areas are brutal, the 4 or 5 rogue-like ones where you only get one shot at them even more so. Grim Dawn, more than anything, took the resistance necessity of Nightmare and Hell Diablo 2 and cranked it up to 11.
My first guy was an occultist/shaman that ended up after respecs to be mostly pure shaman.. or is it druid? forgot the name, hehe.. Using almost purely lightning damage. That guy was a bit of a glasscannon but I finished the normal incl. malmouth at around level.. 60? My second char was a necro/occultist pure summoner and that run was very easy. The summons does all the work and my lazy guy is just standing there and throws a few healing spells etc.
My experience on these two playthroughs, which are my only ones, was that normal in GD was one of the most balanced game play I ever encountered in a game. It kept me on my toes, I could die, but if I played my cards right I very rarely did. As you can understand from the above I haven't even read up so much on the game mechanics, played it fairly blindly and just learning what is needed and what isn't from my own experience. It wasn't too easy, nor to hard. I never tried Veteran and probably won't. I own the latest DLC but haven't played it yet, perhaps Normal will be harder in the higher level areas there?
One reason I wouldn't turn on veteran is to avoid the item hunting. Sure, finding items is kinda what the game is about, but farming for them isn't my cup of tea in a SP game. It was fun in DII, but that was because the trade scene was vibrant and engaging (before the dupes), In GD I've never personally found it very exciting to hunt and farm for one specific piece of gear.