KickStarter Kingdom Come: Deliverance - Dan Vavra's medieval chad simulator

[thesheeep]

thesheeep

At what point are you in the story? How many hours in the bag?

I did exploration and side-questing first, not really much with the main story. I think main-story wise I was somewhere after catching that killer in the village where you meet the drunk priest. Was that even the main story?
Either way, the game ran like shit on my system and I got fed up with the weird combat, so I just stopped. Will play again, though, once my new graphics card arrives.

But I'm not talking about the story (which seemed fine to me), I'm talking about the character himself.
In all the time I played, with LOADS of dialogues with Henry, I think I understood his personality very well. There just isn't much to it other than what I said already.
And I very much doubt the main character, the one that you play, changes his personality throughout the game.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Yeah, Henry was a terrible choice for a main character. It kinda set the tone for much of the game being boring, since being a peasant in Middle Ages was quite boring.

They should've went with some sort of Knight/Squire character, which would've put the emphasis on training, mastering various types of combat, jousting, tourneys, warfare, chivalry, etc. A book like Conan Doyle's The White Company or Sir Nigel would've been a great guideline.

Playing as a developing Knight during those times would've been fascinating. Playing as the village yokel, not so much. Especially since he looks like the prototype yokel.

Spoiler

henry isn't a peasant

Spoiler

the story heavily alludes to this the entire time

 

[SlamDunk]

But I'm not talking about the story (which seemed fine to me), I'm talking about the character himself.

I asked where you are in the story because Henry quickly grows as a man as the story progresses and is quite far from a "village idiot", as you bafflingly put it, at the end of the game.

I've never gotten that impression of Henry, by the way. To me, playing KCD was a refreshing experience partly because Henry is an "average Joe".

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

Spoiler

henry isn't a peasant

Spoiler

the story heavily alludes to this the entire time

I played it for over 40 hours, and at that point, he is a peasant. Maybe in the final hour, it is revealed that actually Darth Vader is his father.

 

[thesheeep]

But I'm not talking about the story (which seemed fine to me), I'm talking about the character himself.

I asked where you are in the story because Henry quickly grows as a man as the story progresses and is quite far from a "village idiot", as you bafflingly put it, at the end of the game.

I've never gotten that impression of Henry, by the way. To me, playing KCD was a refreshing experience partly because Henry is an "average Joe".

Why would I ever want to play an "average Joe" in a story driven game?

I mean, in the DSA/The Dark Eye ruleset, you can, in theory, play a farmer. Haven't met anyone in 15 years of doing PnP who would have wanted to do that.

Admittedly, he does grow as the story goes on, but that just means that he is an "average Joe" with more experience. But he doesn't suddenly develop interesting character traits.
A character like Henry would be more acceptable as an NPC or party member.

Spoiler

henry isn't a peasant

Spoiler

the story heavily alludes to this the entire time

I played it for over 40 hours, and at that point, he is a peasant. Maybe in the final hour, it is revealed that actually Darth Vader is his father.

Exactly.
He is just a boring person, even if his background was that of a knight, or squire, or whatever. His "role" isn't really the problem, it is his personality.
If I create my own character, I can at least fill the void with my imagination. But Henry is already filled, with nothing I find interesting.

 

[SlamDunk]

Why would I ever want to play an "average Joe" in a story driven game?

Really depends on the story. At this moment, Henry's story feels very interesting and I can't wait to find out more.

KCD is one of those games I'll be playing over and over through the years. Next time will be after all of the additional content is out. By that time I will have neatly forgotten, certainly not all, but quite a few things about it.

 

[vonAchdorf]

I mean, in the DSA/The Dark Eye ruleset, you can, in theory, play a farmer. Haven't met anyone in 15 years of doing PnP who would have wanted to do that.

There are people who like "Bauerngaming" (playing farmers (aka not classical hero types), a word play on "power gaming") - though "rat catcher gaming" is superior.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Just an average Joe who kills like 100 people everyday

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

It's not an "average person" vs "vidya game super-hero" thing. Mature games should have realistic, down to earth characters. But there is still a difference between a down-to-earth knight and a yokel.

If people wanted to play some commoner, they would just stick to RL.

 

[Paul_cz]

I like Henry precisely because he is a normal guy, no superhero, no super distinctive personality, but not a completely blank slate either. It is a refreshing change to 99% of other videogames.

 

[thesheeep]

If people wanted to play some commoner, they would just stick to RL.

Judging by the reactions and the fact that some people actually like to play boring human #99734589754, I've come to the conclusion that playing Henry is like playing Farming Simulator or Bus Simulator.
There is absolutely nothing interesting going on, but that lack of anything noteworthy to some seems to bring a kind of security, maybe a zen-like state.
You know, like the farmer who relaxes in the evening... by playing a farming simulator. A total mystery to me, but that happens, and not very rarely.

Just a theory, though.
That some people like or are able to identify with Henry is way more interesting to me than the character itself

 

[Fowyr]

Yeah, Henry was a terrible choice for a main character. It kinda set the tone for much of the game being boring, since being a peasant in Middle Ages was quite boring..

He is not a peasant. His secret heritage aside, he is the son of master blacksmith.
Also have you heard about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picaresque_novel?

 

[thesheeep]

Yeah, Henry was a terrible choice for a main character. It kinda set the tone for much of the game being boring, since being a peasant in Middle Ages was quite boring..

He is not a peasant. His secret heritage aside, he is the son of master blacksmith.

Sorry, but that is pretty damn close to a peasant to me.
Especially considering he definitely doesn't come after his blacksmith father, I mean you can not even DO blacksmithing in the game.
The only real craft you get is alchemy. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for that, less awkwardly intricate mini-games.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

He is not a peasant. His secret heritage aside, he is the son of master blacksmith.

Peasant doesn't mean farmer. It denotes all rural people of lower classes during those times, including craftsmen. And his secret heritage doesn't matter in this context, since you only find out about it much later (I never did through the first 40 hours), so you start the game as a peasant.

It's more than just a symbolic thing. The noble classes during the middle ages had a lot of very interesting flavor (in terms of entertainment value). Aside from Knights being highly trained fighting machines (imagine an MMA fighter today trained from early childhood, practicing every day, participating in armed conflics on a regular basis, that would be the equivalent of a Knight back then), there were also things like Chivalry and its various aspects (its relationship to romance and religion for example). All of this is lost when your main character is some yokel, who is basically like a modern yokel, and brings no flavor at all.

 

[Abhay]

Any indication of when they might release modding tools/editor for the game? Also, are they planning KCD2?

 

[Multidirectional]

Finished today. An uneven ride but a pretty memorable one. I'm already thinking of replaying it once all the DLCs are out. I left a few sidequests unfinished. When the ending of main quest felt so close it just didn't feel right traveling all over the map top perform various trivial tasks. And that would be one of my complaints - a lot of sidequests just weren't very interesting. Lots of traveling back and forth just to exchange few words with NPCs - felt like Witcher 1 all over again. Another reason I decided to get done with main quest is I was wanted in Rattay for god knows what. I ended up fleeing guards after failed persuasion attempt, even though my stats were like twice higher than theirs - does that shit even work? Anyway I didn't want to do jail the second time, after doing it once recently already, also for a crime of god knows what. They claimed it was murder but I was only killing people that attacked me first. Eh whatever. One of the unfinished quests was Masquerade - after running around collecting armor sets from Cumans the quest had the audacity to demand I also collect fangs and feathers and shit. At that point I said "fuck it". I really like the game a lot but some of the shit in it is just tedious. Realistic touches like need to sleep, eat, repair and wash your gear felt nice at first but eventually ended up feeling like pointless busywork that also led me to take more breaks from the game than I'd normally have. And why was that long-ass ride at the epilogue needed? Could've at least used that conversation between Henry and Hans to acknowledge some the stuff you did in game and choices you made. Henry could've told him about sidequests he did and you could even have Hans go "oh yeah, and I've heard that X went on to do Y afterwards" or something like that. You know, like game's version of ending slides. What we got instead was a short conversation between them at the start followed by long silent journey until the game prompts to end it.

All that said - game is very cool and I'll definitely be replaying it. This coming from a perspective of someone who gets bored with at least 95% of new games within the first hour and uninstalls.

 

[SlamDunk]

Also, are they planning KCD2?

Yes, and it will continue directly where KCD left off.

 

[HoboForEternity]

Also, are they planning KCD2?

Yes, and it will continue directly where KCD left off.

after henry left with hans or will that part of the story be continued in thr capon dlc?

 

[Paul_cz]

Also, are they planning KCD2?

Yes, and it will continue directly where KCD left off.

after henry left with hans or will that part of the story be continued in thr capon dlc?

Capon DLC is more like a new sidequestline in the game, it happens during it.

 

[Cadmus]

Yeah LOL HENRY IS A NIEC GUY WHAT A LOSER IDIOT NOOB
fucking faggots
Henry is p.cool
I want to be a dragon Henry

 

[Multidirectional]

A normal nice guy was actually a refreshing change for me after all the grumpy edgy tryhard protagonists that I've endured in games over last decade of gaming. "Ooh he has a dark past" - fuck off already. I got so into being a nice guy I didn't even steal stuff from folk. First RPG to do that to me, I think.

 

[thesheeep]

I want to be a dragon Henry

Aim low and you will always succeed.

 

[Hevnknekt]

Every 1.5 hours or so, the game starts stuttering. It only stutters when I move the mouse to look in different directions, not when moving straight forward.

I'm getting tired of restarting the game so often. Have any of you experienced this problem and somehow solved it?

I have a high-end rig with all the latest drivers.

 

[Commissar Draco]

Henry was no Rouge though just a an average peasant/commoner who happened to get luck in tragedy and get promoted to man-at-arms or Sargent.

Spoiler

I did not finished the game so don't know if he was knighted in finale (which did happened then but less often than in early middle ages) or not.

RP-ing a knight even a third or fourth son of minor noble would be far more interesting INMHO. One thing I do like is that he is not edgy fagot like Gerald was.

 

[Hevnknekt]

Henry was no Rouge

edgy fagot like Gerald

I was close to taking the first bait, but the 2nd one made me too suspicious.