Grim Dawn - Kickstarter Launched

Crate has launched their Kickstarter for Grim Dawn, looking for $280,000 in funding. It has literally just started, so it's too early to say anything about the pledges, but we'll watch the progress as it proceeds.
From the blurb:

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…

More information.

I have spoke to Arthur Bruno lead designer on the phone a number of times and he wants to make a game that is better than TQ. They want to give us LOTS of content .Dig deep guys.

What else can be said, I wish them good luck and I wonder when Dead State will make an attempt to.

You hae to respect this:

How are we different?

We also set out to make a game we were passionate about, guided by old school design sensibilities, for traditional gamers. The difference is that we started Grim Dawn over two years ago with no funding except for our personal savings.

Sigh. Just when the bills are piling up for renovating the house… I liked TQ. Not deeply, deeply loved it, but it was/is a great easy-play diversion, I love to sink half an hour into when I don't feel like playing a more complex RPG.

Backed them up. DRM free and map editor in addition to the other features are very attractive compared to Diablo 3. Wish them all the best and hope they achieve their target.

Backed!

I always thought this was supposed to be post-apoc but I guess I was mistaken and now I'm much more interested in this. Since it is a Victorian era setting is it going to be Steampunk?

PS. They need to fix the video since it cuts off mid-sentence.

Hmmm, I really like the sounds of this too. I may have found the first game that sounds interesting enough to back with my moolah

Backed! That number's going up pretty decently quickly. Luckily there should be a paycheck or two between the end of Wasteland 2 and the end of this one for most people.

Yeah, ponying up again for this one. These guys sound like they mean serious business.


-Carn

Originally Posted by Carnifex
Yeah, ponying up again for this one. These guys sound like they mean serious business.


-Carn

Yeah - this last couple of months keeps getting better and better. In that time, Kickstarter projects have meant there will be more CRPGs in development and funded at the same time- ones which I am actually interested in and excited about - than any other time I can remember.

didn't like TQ don't like this. I guess its a matter of taste, didn't bother to decompose the issue. Well, I wish them good luck either way.

I have been following and supported this game for the last year and a half, it has been a slow process to get to this point, but that they are this far with 2 full timers and some part time crew is amazing. I hope that Kickstarter pays off in a big way for Crate. It will make the game that much better for all who buy it.

Surely hope this goes the distance considering how long they've been hard at it—-with various other prominent ones ending, I reckon they've got a chance beyond the people that are simply out of money from going crazy on Shadowrun or Wasteland 2 or the other big ones.

Unfortunately funds are a little tight for me, but this is definitely a project that I will back before it ends. I would imagine they will easily clear their asking price as it is a well-known product and development group already.

I do like the game's graphical style and the developers have given me a good first impression. Unfortunately, it is a hack 'n slasher and I really dislike that kind of gameplay. I have already backed several projects but I see no reason to back this one as it is not my cup of tea.

Anyway, I do wish them luck in their endeavour. Although I am not sure whether the timing is chosen well. After all, many people are a bit poorer at the moment .

Its now or never for Crate .With D3,TL2,P.O.E popularity this game will get the genre back in full stride .Grim Dawn is the ONE to rule them all.

Originally Posted by rich ruffo
I have spoke to Arthur Bruno lead designer on the phone a number of times and he wants to make a game that is better than TQ. They want to give us LOTS of content .Dig deep guys.

I've pledged $135 ($85 + $50). My highest KS pledge so far. For me this is the most interesting KS project, and no matter what you think of ARPGs you have to give them a lot of credit for their efforts so far.

I don't think they've chosen the best presentation though. Personally I prefer the melee video to their "occultist". They should also have more screenshots, to capture people's attention straight away.

IIRC they blamed the publisher for design choices on TQ. I read an article of his complaints (I believe we reported on it) but I couldn't say I agreed with all of them.

Is Grim Dawn then, at attempt at that idea? Doesn't sound like it if its going to be steampunk or Victorian.

Pledged. I both played Titan Quest and its expansion. It had simplistic quest design, a cliched story and linear progression. But action, skills, loot system was top notch. Quality Diablo clone.

Also when I played the game, I tought this will be a great engine for action RPGs. I'm glad they didn't abondon such a quality engine.

Devs says Grim Dawn will be more nonlinear, and there will be several choices in dialogues. Two of the downsides of TQ.