Info about Grim Dawn - Crucible Mode DLC:

Official game description:
About this Content
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The Crucible DLC introduces a challenging new arena gameplay mode to the Action RPG Grim Dawn. Enter the Crucible, a harsh battleground filled with waves of Grim Dawn’s deadliest fiends. There you will engage in magnificent combat for the amusement of the Crucible’s mysterious overlord, Lokarr. But he is not a cruel master: endure his trials and be rewarded with vast wealth; fail, and know only his scorn.  
Countless combatants have fallen prey to the Crucible’s brutal machinations. Will you survive where others have fallen? Or will the arena’s monstrosities, traps, and dark magic get the best of you?  
The Crucible is an alternate game mode available to all Main Campaign characters, starting at level 1.
Key Features
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*   Multiple Arenas – Battle across six deadly arenas (four additional arenas are included with the Ashes of Malmouth and Forgotten Gods expansions) filled with Grim Dawn’s most vicious beasts and monstrosities. Each arena features a different layout with varied defensive positions.  
*   Conquer 150 Unique Waves – Wage tireless battle against 150 unique waves of Grim Dawn’s monster menagerie. The farther you go, the more challenging the combinations become, with the possibility of encountering multiple bosses at once! Progress through the first 100 waves to unlock additional difficulties, which present an even greater challenge but also more reward.  
    Owners of the Ashes of Malmouth expansion can contend with an additional 20 challenging waves, bringing the total to 170!  
*   Vast Wealth Awaits – The more enemies you defeat, the more treasure and Tributes await you at the end. Cash out your reward and claim your prize, or push farther for even greater wealth; but know that failure also means less treasure.  
*   Earn the Favor of the Celestials – Spend hard-earned Tributes to activate powerful arena-wide buffs which empower you and your allies in battle against the Crucible’s fiends.  
*   Forge Powerful Defenses – Spend Tributes and Iron Bits to bolster the arena with defenses that aid you in battle. Upgrade them for even greater power!  
*   Endure Cruel Mutators – Deadly minions are just the beginning in the Crucible’s arsenal. As you progress through the event, randomized Mutators will become active, amplifying your foes (or you) in one way while weakening them in another.  
*   Personal Leaderboard – Keep track of your performance in the Crucible with a personal leaderboard that stores your scores based upon the monsters defeated, the game difficulty and a score multiplier earned by defeating waves of enemies before the bonus timer expires.

Release date: Aug 3, 2016

Categories: Action RPG, Character Progression, Wave-based Survival, Looter Shooter, Endgame Content, Horde Combat, Multiplayer, Cooperative Multiplayer

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The reviews for the DLC indicate a generally positive reception regarding its pricing and lack of negative impact on the main game. However, there are some concerns about the content value and the need for improvements to make it worth buying. Overall, the sentiment is mixed but leans towards a positive outlook due to fair pricing and no adverse effects on the main game.
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game appears to run well on Linux with Proton, with users reporting no significant issues. The overall experience seems smooth and reliable.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that users find the game worth purchasing, but primarily when it is on sale. This indicates that while the game is valued, the current price point may be considered high by the community. The repeated mention of waiting for a sale implies that a fair base-game price range would be lower than the current price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: 350.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several key points that help to estimate the playtime metrics. The mention of 'well over 350 hours' suggests a high level of engagement and replayability, which is indicative of extensive endgame content. The reference to spending 'about two hours playing it earlier today' suggests a typical session length. The mention of '150 waves in a run' provides insight into the structure and potential duration of a single playthrough or session. However, there is no direct evidence provided for the typical time to finish the main story or campaign, nor is there specific evidence for the typical time to complete the game fully.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is initially fun but becomes repetitive and boring over time, especially in solo play. Multiplayer significantly enhances the experience and replayability.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Multiplayer engagement
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Repetitive gameplay; Solo play can be tedious
  - Unlock drivers: Multiplayer mode
  - Conditions: Playing with friends; Multiplayer settings
- Player Archetypes:
  - Enthusiastic Builder (buy)
    - Motivation: Testing out builds and enjoying the gameplay mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys experimenting with different builds and engaging in repetitive gameplay for loot and rewards.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Grim Dawn fan; Build tester
    - Reference games: Grim Dawn
  - Reward-Driven Grinder (sale)
    - Motivation: Gaining levels, loot, and other in-game rewards.
    - Playstyle: Engages in repetitive gameplay for the purpose of gaining rewards and advancing their character.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Grinder; Loot hunter
    - Reference games: Grim Dawn; Diablo
  - Casual Gamer (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and passing the time.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys casual and repetitive gameplay sessions for relaxation.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: Casual player; Relaxation gamer
    - Reference games: Grim Dawn; Diablo


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Challenging and strategic gameplay (weight 0.87): Players highlight the challenging and strategic nature of the gameplay, with waves of enemies that test skills and offer high replayability.
- Rewarding loot and farming (weight 0.73): The mode is noted for its extensive rewards, loot, and opportunities for farming rare items and gear, making it a great source of loot and experience.
- Build testing and experimentation (weight 0.58): The game mode is frequently praised for providing an ideal environment to test and improve character builds, resistances, and overall strength efficiently.
- Quick leveling and progression (weight 0.48): Players appreciate the ability to level up quickly and efficiently, making it a good place for grinding experience and improving character levels.
- High-quality addition with hours of content (weight 0.35): The DLC is seen as a high-quality addition that adds numerous hours of gameplay, revitalizing the experience for those seeking extra challenges.
- New maps and locations (weight 0.2): The DLC introduces different maps and arenas, providing varied locations for gameplay.
- Flexible reward system (weight 0.12): Players can choose to cash out rewards at any time or continue playing, adding a layer of flexibility to the gameplay.

Common complaints:
- Technical issues and bugs (weight 0.56): Players report various technical issues, including crashes, inventory rollbacks, AI bugs, and performance issues, especially in Crucible mode.
- Monotonous and repetitive gameplay (weight 0.46): Many players find the gameplay loop repetitive and tedious, with waves feeling monotonous and arenas lacking variety.
- High difficulty and artificial challenge (weight 0.43): The game's difficulty is seen as artificially high, requiring very specific builds to survive and making it less enjoyable for new or casual players.
- Disappointing rewards and loot (weight 0.4): The rewards and loot system is criticized for being bland and disappointing, with low drop rates for decent items and minimal experience gain.
- Slow pacing and boring (weight 0.38): The game's pacing is criticized for being very slow, leading to boredom quickly. Players find the experience uneventful and dull.
- Lack of meaningful content (weight 0.37): Players feel that the DLC adds little to no new content, lacking new classes, items, or monsters, making it feel shallow and linear.
- Grind-heavy and time-consuming (weight 0.31): The game is criticized for its inhumane grind, requiring a lot of time to reach the end and amass useful gear, making it feel like a waste of time.
- Lack of language support (weight 0.26): The game lacks official support for certain languages, including Chinese and Portuguese, causing issues for non-English speaking players.
- Not ideal for farming (weight 0.25): The game is not considered ideal for farming high-quality items or leveling, with other game modes being preferred for these activities.
- Not suitable for all player types (weight 0.2): The game is not recommended for new players, hardcore characters, or solo players, making it less accessible and enjoyable for a wider audience.
- Pricing and value concerns (weight 0.15): Some players feel that the pricing for the DLC is too high for the content it offers, making it less valuable compared to other updates or the main game.
- Lack of narrative and lore (weight 0.12): The game is criticized for its almost complete lack of narrative, lore, and exploration, stripping the Grim Dawn experience of its story elements.
- Visual and optimization issues (weight 0.11): Players report overwhelming visual effects and poor optimization, especially with full parties, leading to lag and instability.

Gameplay feedback:
- Wave-based combat system (weight 0.78): The game features a combat system centered around waves of enemies. Players engage in arena-based combat with successive waves of enemies, including endgame content and survival modes.
- Arena gameplay variety (weight 0.56): The game offers multiple arenas with different layouts, providing variety in gameplay. Players can experience random arenas and different arena types.
- Loot and rewards system (weight 0.45): The game features a looting system where players can earn rewards through combat and other activities. This includes a risk-reward economy and various loot drops.
- Character progression and builds (weight 0.28): Players can progress their characters through leveling up and achieving various milestones. The game includes character balancing and different builds.
- Defensive structures and towers (weight 0.28): The game includes mechanics for building and improving defensive structures and towers to aid in combat.
- Build and equipment testing (weight 0.23): The game allows players to test different builds and equipment configurations to determine their effectiveness in combat.
- Farming for experience and items (weight 0.22): Players can farm for experience points and items, including rare items, to enhance their characters and gear.
- Devotion points and tributes (weight 0.18): Players can spend tributes to gain devotion points, which can be used for various upgrades and improvements.
- Difficulty options (weight 0.17): The game offers three difficulty options, providing different levels of challenge for players.
- Ultra endgame and challenging modes (weight 0.13): For experienced players, the game includes an ultra endgame mode and other challenging modes to test their skills.
- Mutators affecting gameplay (weight 0.12): The game features randomized mutators that can either help or hinder the player, adding an element of unpredictability to the gameplay.
- Multiplayer and cooperative play (weight 0.12): Players can engage in multiplayer mode, including cooperative play, enhancing the social aspect of the game.
- Wave and bet-based rewards (weight 0.12): The game features a reward system based on waves and bets, providing players with loot rewards based on their performance.
- Wave survival milestones (weight 0.12): Surviving specific numbers of waves unlocks new difficulties and challenges, providing long-term goals for players.
- Offline and online modes (weight 0.11): The game supports both offline and online modes, allowing players to choose their preferred gaming experience.
- DLC content (weight 0.11): The game includes additional content through DLCs, providing more gameplay options and comparisons.
- Achievements system (weight 0.11): The game includes a dedicated achievements system, offering players goals to strive for and rewards to earn.

Performance notes:
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.2): Multiple players report experiencing crashes while playing the game. This issue seems to be widespread and affects the overall stability.
- Performance issues during battles (weight 0.2): The game tends to lag and stutter during dense battles, especially with full parties. This suggests poor optimization for such scenarios.
- Inventory rollbacks issue (weight 0.08): There are reports of inventory rollbacks, which can be frustrating for players as they lose progress.
- Network instability with friends (weight 0.08): Players experience instability in ping when playing with friends from other regions, affecting multiplayer experience.
- Hardware and software compatibility (weight 0.08): The game works well only on specific hardware and software configurations, indicating potential compatibility issues.
- Overwhelming visual effects (weight 0.07): Some players find the visual effects to be overwhelming, which might affect gameplay experience and performance.
- Incorrect playtime display (weight 0.07): The game does not display playtime correctly, which can be misleading for players tracking their gaming sessions.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for fans (weight 0.39): The DLC is highly recommended for fans of Grim Dawn and the hack'n'slash genre, as it enhances the overall experience.
- Offers new challenges (weight 0.25): The DLC introduces new ways to play and additional challenges, making it appealing for those who enjoy the main game.
- Good for farming and leveling (weight 0.14): Players find the DLC useful for farming items and leveling up, especially if purchased on sale.
- Part of Definitive Edition (weight 0.08): The DLC is included in the Definitive Edition bundle, adding value to that package.

Other player notes:
- Better regional pricing for India (weight 0.08): Players are requesting more affordable pricing options tailored to the Indian market.
- Community-made Chinese language patch (weight 0.08): A Chinese language patch has been created by the community, indicating a demand for localized language support.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.22): Players find satisfaction in the Crucible mode due to its challenging gameplay and rewarding structure. The DLC offers efficient training, item farming, and character progression, making it a valuable addition for those who enjoy grinding and leveling up.
- Frustration (weight 0.15): The high difficulty and inhumane grind for levels and items cause frustration. Players also experience repetitive gameplay loops, bugs, and poor optimization, leading to a challenging and sometimes tedious experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.15): Players enjoy the multiplayer aspects and the fun gameplay of the Crucible mode. The wave-based combat, loot farming, and build testing provide an engaging and entertaining experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.14): The Crucible mode excites players with its challenging and rewarding gameplay. The strategic combat, high replayability, and combination of different game elements create an exhilarating experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Some players feel disappointed due to the lack of new content and the grindy nature of the DLC. Issues such as language support, crashes, and unrewarding gameplay contribute to this sentiment.
- Positive (weight 0.07): Players have a positive experience with the efficient training and character balancing in the Crucible mode. The endless mode and farming opportunities add to the enjoyment of the game.
- Boredom (weight 0.05): The repetitive and slow-paced nature of the Crucible DLC leads to boredom for some players. The lack of variety and exciting content contributes to this feeling.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the developer's approach to game design and data privacy. The Crucible mode is also valued as a tool for balancing and testing character builds.
- Fun (weight 0.03): Customizing builds and testing character strength provide a fun experience. The variety of enemies and achievements adds to the enjoyment.}