Edit: My review below is based on v1.2.0.25-R. How much, if any of it applies to future updates... well, I guess we'll see as they happen. I would be a very happy camper if Cleve can fix the issues. I would be even happier if he lifted the very unreasonable ban (see below the review)
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Pros: Great dungeon design, fun, has a nice atmosphere and sense of fantasy.

Cons: You don't have the time to read them, and I don't have the patience to write them all.

Broken combat, broken levelling system, no real progression, itemization is a joke, combat is a joke, and the interface is like someone tried to win an award for how not to design one.

Played Wiz 5-8, MM1-10, Bard's Tale 1 and 2, Ultima blah blah etc etc, so it isn't as if I am a noob to the genre. Clunky is clunky, broken is broken, and promises... well, it took him 20+ years and a dozen or so patches to get us to here, so I am not holding my breath for the game ever to be anything but a 'what could have been'. It is a mishmash of great ideas and poor to horrid implementation.

tldr
An unfinished classic. Cannot recommend, even though I really really would like to.

Edit: A couple of days later...

The dev added me to the long list of people he has banned. I linked back to his own post http://steamcommunity.com/app/650670/discussions/0/1473095331487565310/#c1473095331505987397 where he says that he "doesn't remember" programming a "death date" into NPCs. This link to his own post got me the ban, for (in his words) " You were banned by a Grimoire : Heralds of the Winged Exemplar developer.
Reason: "General purpose troublemaking, undesirable"

Given the buggy nature of this game, and its lack of manual, I think that this behaviour is beyond the pale. Apart from this actual review, I have only made three posts here

http://steamcommunity.com/app/650670/discussions/0/1471967615887955939/#c2579854400738443657
http://steamcommunity.com/app/650670/discussions/0/1471967529573105851/?ctp=44#c2579854400735264252
http://steamcommunity.com/app/650670/discussions/0/1471968797465160274/?ctp=2#c2579854400734564660

and as you can see, none of these could be takne as being "General purpose troublemaking, undesirable"

Essentially, the dev is banning anyone and everyone who in any way points out any flaws in his game, even though in this particular case, all I did was point at the dev's own post.

I basically want the ban to be lifted, since without the ability to ask questions or get support, this game is unplayable in its current state, especially given the lack of a manual.

Edit: My review below is based on v1.2.0.25-R. How much, if any of it applies to future updates... well, I guess we'll see as they happen. I would be a very happy camper if Cleve can fix the issues. I would be even happier if he lifted the very unreasonable ban (see below the review) ------------------------------- Pros: Great dungeon design, fun, has a nice atmosphere and sense of fantasy. Cons: You don't have the time to read them, and I don't have the patience to write them all. Broken combat, broken levelling system, no real progression, itemization is a joke, combat is a joke, and the interface is like someone tried to win an award for how not to design one. Played Wiz 5-8, MM1-10, Bard's Tale 1 and 2, Ultima blah blah etc etc, so it isn't as if I am a noob to the genre. Clunky is clunky, broken is broken, and promises... well, it took him 20+ years and a dozen or so patches to get us to here, so I am not holding my breath for the game ever to be anything but a 'what could have been'. It is a mishmash of great ideas and poor to horrid implementation. tldr An unfinished classic. Cannot recommend, even though I really really would like to. Edit: A couple of days later... The dev added me to the long list of people he has banned. I linked back to his own post http://steamcommunity.com/app/650670/discussions/0/1473095331487565310/#c1473095331505987397 where he says that he "doesn't remember" programming a "death date" into NPCs. This link to his own post got me the ban, for (in his words) " You were banned by a Grimoire : Heralds of the Winged Exemplar developer. Reason: "General purpose troublemaking, undesirable" Given the buggy nature of this game, and its lack of manual, I think that this behaviour is beyond the pale. Apart from this actual review, I have only made three posts here http://steamcommunity.com/app/650670/discussions/0/1471967615887955939/#c2579854400738443657 http://steamcommunity.com/app/650670/discussions/0/1471967529573105851/?ctp=44#c2579854400735264252 http://steamcommunity.com/app/650670/discussions/0/1471968797465160274/?ctp=2#c2579854400734564660 and as you can see, none of these could be takne as being "General purpose troublemaking, undesirable" Essentially, the dev is banning anyone and everyone who in any way points out any flaws in his game, even though in this particular case, all I did was point at the dev's own post. I basically want the ban to be lifted, since without the ability to ask questions or get support, this game is unplayable in its current state, especially given the lack of a manual.