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Grim Dawn Kickstarter project by Crate Entertainment [Ended, $537K funded]

PaulLFC

Member
photo-full.jpg


The Kickstarter campaign for Grim Dawn has just launched

Grim Dawn: An open-world ARPG!

Grim Dawn is an action role-playing game for PC and a spiritual successor to Titan Quest. For the past two years a small team of former Iron Lore veterans at Crate Entertainment have been developing Grim Dawn with their own, improved version of the Iron Lore engine and tools; the same technology used to create Titan Quest.

We’ve listened to years of feedback from the Titan Quest community and continue to do so every day on the Grim Dawn forums as we strive to improve upon past performance and make this our greatest work yet. The creation of Grim Dawn is guided by traditional design and old school sensibilities, with innovation only in the areas where we feel it truly improves the game and isn't just a gimmicky back of the box feature.

Grim Dawn will:

- Be DRM free!

- Include robust modding tools so you can create your own worlds!

- Be faster-paced, with much more satisfying enemy hit reactions and deaths.

- Allow you to fight house-to-house as you lay waste to enemies and the former owner’s furniture in the process. Break through walls to open up new areas of exploration!

- Feature a more open-world design with randomized elements that will greatly enhance replay-ability. Each play-through will be unique with "set-piece" spawners that can turn a patch of wilderness into different types of enemy camps, a traveling merchant caravan, etc, each with their own unique art.

- We don’t control where you go; you do! If you don't want to follow the main story, you aren't forced to. Non-linear progression allows you to unlock new areas by repairing bridges, defeating enemy blockades, etc, as soon as you have the resources and power to do it. Race ahead into higher-level areas and get pwned, we'll warn you but we're not going to stop you!

- Let you combine any two of five distinct skill classes, each with multiple skill trees in which to specialize. Spend money to reclaim skill points if you’re unhappy with your build.

- Have a refined loot system that drops far less junk-items, produces more uber randomized gear and ensures more consistent rewards from hero and boss monsters.

- Immerse you in a gritty, dangerous, Victorian era fantasy world where humankind has been pushed to the brink of extinction by warring otherworldly powers.

- Give players meaningful quest choices and the ability to visually change the starting town as they help to rebuild and secure the future survival of humanity.

- Let you ally with NPC factions to earn rewards and unlock new quest lines. Be wary though, aiding one group can make another your enemy!

- Join up with friends in coop-multiplayer through online match-making or play over LAN and experience the full game together.

- And so much more…

$18 for the game, $35 for the game, beta and soundtrack, there are higher tiers with physical rewards.

NOTE: If you've already preordered Grim Dawn before this Kickstarter campaign, follow the instructions on the official forums here to upgrade your preorder and get Kickstarter rewards.

The Tiers


PLEDGE $18 OR MORE
Digital download of finished game for PC, DRM free at a low price for your early support. Can be downloaded directly from us or via Steam and other distribution sites + Exclusive "Service Medal" in-game accessory, available only on Kickstarter.

PLEDGE $35 OR MORE
Early Access Edition with digital download of finished game for PC, DRM free + Exclusive access to the beta + Digital download of Grim Dawn original music + "Veteran's Medal" in-game accessory, available only on Kickstarter.

PLEDGE $50 OR MORE
Digital Collector's Edition with "Crate Story" downloadable PDF (Gives a behind-the-scenes look at the struggle of starting a new game studio and tells the story of Crate from the last days of Iron Lore to the development of Grim Dawn and the many challenges we've overcome along the way. Will include color photos and concept art from development). + Digital download of finished game for PC, DRM free + Exclusive access to the alpha and beta + Digital download of Grim Dawn original music + Name in the game credits + Officer's Medal in-game accessory, available only on Kickstarter. + Massively stylish George Washington style powdered wig in-game accessory.

PLEDGE $85 OR MORE
Digital Deluxe Edition with Special Will-O'-The-Wisp pet that acts as a light in the darkest of times. (cosmetic only) + Get our first expansion free via digital download when it is released + Exclusive, high resolution, digital map that could be used as a wallpaper or printed out for your wall. + Everything from the Digital Collector's Edition, including a digital copy of the game with access to alpha and beta. (This includes no physical goods to help international fans who want to support the project more but avoid VAT)

PLEDGE $100 OR MORE
Boxed Special Edition of the game with physical game disk and soundtrack. This is for those fans who just want the boxed game at a lower price without a lot of other physical goods. + Small fold-out paper map + Everything from the Digital Deluxe Edition including the expansion and a digital copy of the game with access to the alpha and beta. (Please add $10 for shipping outside the US & Canada)

PLEDGE $150 OR MORE
Boxed Deluxe Edition of the game with physical game disk and soundtrack. + Grim Dawn poster suitable for framing + Small fold-out paper map + Everything from the Digital Deluxe Edition including the expansion and a digital copy of the game with access to the alpha and beta, plus an extra copy of the final digital release to give to a friend or loved one.(Please add $10 for shipping outside the US & Canada)

PLEDGE $250 OR MORE (limited to 1500 pledges)
Hoarder's Edition includes a printed book edition of the "Crate Story" (Gives a behind-the-scenes look at the struggle of starting a new game studio and tells the story of Crate from the last days of Iron Lore to the development of Grim Dawn and the many challenges we've overcome along the way. Will include color photos and concept art from development). + Grim Dawn poster signed by Arthur Bruno + Everything from the Boxed Deluxe Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition but with 2 digital copies of the game with access to the alpha and beta. (Please add $10 for shipping outside the US & Canada)

PLEDGE $375 OR MORE (limited to 1000 pledges)
Enthusiast's Edition is mainly for fans who just wanted a way to contribute more and get a little something without extra physical merchandise. It includes 4 digital copies with access to alpha and beta + Your game box signed by the Grim Dawn team + Your book signed by Arthur Bruno + Everything from the Hoarder's Edition, except the extra game copies, which are included in the 4 copies above.

PLEDGE $1,000 OR MORE (limited to 250 pledges)
You get to name something in-game (must be suitable and appropriate)! Could be an NPC, hero monster, equipment, gravestone or in-game fiction. + Your name will appear in a special "boss" section of the credits. + Everything from the Enthusiast's Edition but with 10 digital copies of the game with access to the alpha and beta.

PLEDGE $4,000 OR MORE (limited to 20 pledges)
Create and name your own equipment set! You get to choose the name for a unique item set and choose the completion bonus! (We set the values for balancing reasons and can reject inappropriate names) + Everything from the Enthusiast's Edition but with 15 digital copies of the game with access to the alpha and beta.

PLEDGE $8,000 OR MORE (limited to 15 pledges)
Collaborate with Grim Dawn designers to create your own side-quest! Note that side-quests must be relatively simple and we reserve the right to reject ideas that don't fit the game (but if that happens, you can try again). + Skype lunch (or in person if you happen to be around Boston or want to meet in San Francisco during the week of GDC) with Arthur Bruno and other team members of the Crate team where we can talk about development and listen to your feedback. + Everything from the Enthusiast's Edition but with 20 digital copies of the game with access to the alpha and beta.
 

Des0lar

will learn eventually
Will keep an eye on it. Goal is relativly low but I fear that the timing is bad, with Diablo 3 looming.
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
So, what if Kickstarter didn't exist, or get popular with games, their project would fold after being in development for so long?

Anyway, I didn't like Titan Quest very much so I'll be waiting for this to be done rather than rush in head first.

I've been buying/kickstarting too many games.
 

Cirdan

Neo Member
Hope it goes well for the guys. I think you've been able to donate for alpha testing access (whenever it starts) for years already.
 

Card Boy

Banned
One i'm donating to, might just go for 18bucks as those 35 and $50 tier rewards don't seem interesting. I don't want to pay $35 just for beta access.
 

Dynoro

Member
So, what if Kickstarter didn't exist, or get popular with games, their project would fold after being in development for so long?

Anyway, I didn't like Titan Quest very much so I'll be waiting for this to be done rather than rush in head first.

I've been buying/kickstarting too many games.

Probably would fold without additional investment and I assume they have exhausted all other avenues so all that is left is Kickstarter to actually complete the game.

Given the status (videos and screens available) and the low funding limit I am very tempted to go for it (and I should have reduced playtime on D3 by August next year).
 

PaulLFC

Member
Could be rough on the timing, but with several things ending soon'ish I reckon they've got a shot alongside the modest target.

Here's hoping!
The funding has just jumped $1000 in about 10 minutes, I think they've got a very good chance of making their target, especially as it's quite a modest target and Kickstarters with higher targets have more than met them.
 

Haunted

Member
Everything about this sounds good.

But the timing... I don't think they'll be riding the Diablo hype wave as much as they'd like.

So, what if Kickstarter didn't exist, or get popular with games, their project would fold after being in development for so long?
Happens all the time.
 
I always thought it was more of a reskinned TQ but it sounds a lot more interesting with an open-world, faction system, etc...

And they basically explain their financial situation right on the page.
While we could still finish a fine little game on our own, that would be rough around the edges but very fun, we believe there is a much greater potential that could be realized if we were more adequately funded and staffed.
 

kevm3

Member
I thought the purpose of kickstarters was to fund creativity, or in other words to finance games that normally wouldn't find a budget otherwise... and not to give developers money to make a project that they were going to make/were already making anyways. I have a feeling that kickstarters are going to be oversaturated real soon.
 

PaulLFC

Member
I already backed this game in 2010. I wish I could get my money back at this point.
If you've not seen it yet, from the Kickstarter page:

Existing Grim Dawn Key-Holders - Please Read!

To ensure that you get the reward that you desire and are properly credited, you must carefully read and follow the instructions posted in the Official Kickstarter Project thread on the forum. It is important that you only pledge the difference between the value of your existing key and the tier you want. If you pledge more, we won't be able to refund you, so please pledge carefully!
 

Carm

Member
Pass, game has been in development for almost 3 years, with not even an alpha yet. They've been taking pre-orders on their site for a long time.

Doesn't mean I won't pick it up if it ever releases, and it's decent. I'm just not gonna fund something that should have been released already.
 

Xater

Member
I don't see Mac mentioned anywhere and I'll be palying Diablo 3 in less than a month. Guess that's a pass from me. :(
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
I bought the LFE over a year ago, so I'll probably just throw in a couple more bucks for the Digital CE.
 

PaulLFC

Member
Added a note to the OP about upgrading your existing preorder to receive Kickstarter rewards if you donated before the Kickstarter campaign.
 

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
With Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2 coming soon this is a pretty hard sell.

Titan Quest was only notable for being a decentish Diablo clone when the genre was all but dead.
 

SteveWD40

Member
I love me some ARPG, and feel that after a looooong drought we are finally seeing a few hit.

That said Path of Exile has spoiled me with their beta model, if I could play this even in some kind of semi open beta I would be game (so pay $10 and get a key) but as it is it's too fresh air right now for a game 3 years in development.
 

bee

Member
only kickstarter i've seen so far that i actually care about, might give them some more money as i paid them for the middle package on their website about 18 months ago
 
I'll support because I enjoyed Titan Quest and because of this:

Why do we need your help?

Though we have several experienced developers working on Grim Dawn, only two of us are in a financial situation where we can afford to support ourselves without a salary (albeit on a steady diet of bread and moldy cheeses). The other guys involved with Grim Dawn work day jobs at other game studios to pay the bills and contribute as they can on nights and weekends. As you might imagine, this makes for pretty slow going and it is certainly not ideal for creative collaboration. When critical team members end up in crunch at their day jobs, they can sometimes get tied up for weeks, causing certain aspects of our development to temporarily grind to a halt.
 

Patryn

Member
I already bought the legendary edition a year ago. May chip in the $2 to go for the full digital deluxe now.
 

Kayo-kun

Member
This is my Diablo 3. They deserve all the support they can get since I'm really impressed with what they've accomplished so far.
 
D

Deleted member 59090

Unconfirmed Member
I remember reading about this over a year ago and totally forgot about its existence up until now. Hopefully they get to finally finish it because it seemed like a vaporware at the time.
 

dude

dude
Looks like Diablo 3 more than Diablo 3 does :)

Still on the fence for right now, will probably jump on the 18$ reward eventually though.
 

bengraven

Member
I can't be supporting this, for two reasons:

1) I thought the point of KS was to help new games get from the idea stage to conception - this game has been hyped up for two years. Something about this really doesn't feel ethical. I understand they're trying to make it work while having day jobs, but I want to support stuff from the bottom up, not help people finish their games.

2) I'm pretty tapped out on Kickstarters - the mandatory $18 start point kind of rubs me raw compared to other KSs that have recently come out.

also: 3) I felt TQ got very boring pretty quickly. That said, I like the bullet points here and a steampunk horror game would be great to play this kind of game in. But I'll be waiting for a Steam sale a couple years from now.
 

erragal

Member
With Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2 coming soon this is a pretty hard sell.

Titan Quest was only notable for being a decentish Diablo clone when the genre was all but dead.

Actual fans of the genre know this comment couldn't be further from the truth. TQ as of this point is the best loot based RPG available. Unlike the endlessly overrated Torchlight they actually progressed the genre in meaningful ways with detailed attention paid to all aspects of the core game design.

As someone that's already paid for this game for quite some time I'm actually excited fornthe kickstarter. Their biggest problem has been getting the art assets created and having a large influx of capital should really accelerate that process. Also for those interested in modding the TQ modding community was quite dedicated and GD is expected to have even better mod support.

Might be time to up my donation!
 

dude

dude
TQ was a fine game with some deep problem. But I have faith that this game will be good and probably worth at least 18$.
I still need to recover from spending too much on Wasteland 2 though.
 
I'm sorry that this is catching so much backlash, it's the first video game kickstarter that I'm excited enough to contribute to. I don't see the issue with them seeking funding to finish and polish their game under more favorable conditions and coming out and saying so.
 

Nabs

Member
I just checked the ks video, and the game is looking damn nice. I'm glad they decided to jump on kickstarter.
 

parasight

Member
Spent so many hours playing TQ. It was my Diablo. But I'm not too interested in the new setting of Grim Dawn. I really enjoyed the theme of TQ. Will probably pledge $18 regardless just to support the guys who made one of my favorite games.
 

matmanx1

Member
I am all over this. Titan Quest is one of my favorite loot games and has been blessed with cool mods. I will support.
 
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