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

[FreshCorpse]

While I'm thinking about it, my main hopes for the sequel:

1. Travelling to some larger town or city, even if restricted to a small portion of it
2. No complete revamp of the combat system, but a safer way to travel between major towns (in groups, in a caravan, etc) would be great
3. Player stronghold, if present, better integrated into the main quest
4. More historical details. Like most people I know less about the medieval era than I do about the Star Wars universe so the in-game codex is brill
5. Fewer occasions where there is a false choice between a conversation option and getting mullered by a group of high level mobs. Could any non-metagaming player ever beat the three guys at the windmill?
6. Improved stealth system. Right now it works but it's a bit unclear when you have a chance and when you don't. For example I think there is an RNG/stats element in stealth kills? Been unable to get Theresa to stealth kill any Cumans wearing armour in her DLC - but unarmoured Cumans are not a problem.
7. Make it easier to sell stuff
   
8. Remove the "reputation lost"/"reputation gained" hints, they just make you feel like you've chosen a suboptimal conversation option
9. "Continue" the current savefile by default when you start the program. Waiting through one loading screen just to wait through another once you select "continue" is rubbish

 

[thesecret1]

Could any non-metagaming player ever beat the three guys at the windmill?

Just jump somewhere their pathfinding cannot get to you and kill them all with a bow. Or is that considered metagaming?

 

[FreshCorpse]

I should probably say that I haven't yet finished the original yet. Just polishing off the various DLCs before I head into the last section of the MQ. Done a Woman's Lot which I think was a kind of cool way to force you to play with a char with crappy combat stats again but overall had a lot of shitwork in it. Mines are not a great deal of fun and I got stuck for a while trying to retrieve some stolen silver from one. Now on to Band of Bastard's which opens pretty strong.

 

[thesecret1]

I should probably say that I haven't yet finished the original yet. Just polishing off the various DLCs before I head into the last section of the MQ. Done a Woman's Lot which I think was a kind of cool way to force you to play with a char with crappy combat stats again but overall had a lot of shitwork in it. Mines are not a great deal of fun and I got stuck for a while trying to retrieve some stolen silver from one. Now on to Band of Bastard's which opens pretty strong.

Woman's Lot is best played right after finishing the prologue, since it's in many ways an extended tutorial. A nicely done one for sure, but still a tutorial. I'd have found it a lot more annoying if I played at a time I had Henry all levelled up already

 

[FreshCorpse]

I should probably say that I haven't yet finished the original yet. Just polishing off the various DLCs before I head into the last section of the MQ. Done a Woman's Lot which I think was a kind of cool way to force you to play with a char with crappy combat stats again but overall had a lot of shitwork in it. Mines are not a great deal of fun and I got stuck for a while trying to retrieve some stolen silver from one. Now on to Band of Bastard's which opens pretty strong.

Woman's Lot is best played right after finishing the prologue, since it's in many ways an extended tutorial. A nicely done one for sure, but still a tutorial. I'd have found it a lot more annoying if I played at a time I had Henry all levelled up already

Yeah in retrospect you're completely right about that - particularly re: stealth.

I heard some rumblings that coding the dog into the game gave them trouble. Presumably that's why that DLC released last? Probably can't call the dog essential but very helpful given that most of it is low level archery so would make sense

 

[vota DC]

While I'm thinking about it, my main hopes for the sequel:

1. Travelling to some larger town or city, even if restricted to a small portion of it
2. No complete revamp of the combat system, but a safer way to travel between major towns (in groups, in a caravan, etc) would be great
3. Player stronghold, if present, better integrated into the main quest
4. More historical details. Like most people I know less about the medieval era than I do about the Star Wars universe so the in-game codex is brill
5. Fewer occasions where there is a false choice between a conversation option and getting mullered by a group of high level mobs. Could any non-metagaming player ever beat the three guys at the windmill?
6. Improved stealth system. Right now it works but it's a bit unclear when you have a chance and when you don't. For example I think there is an RNG/stats element in stealth kills? Been unable to get Theresa to stealth kill any Cumans wearing armour in her DLC - but unarmoured Cumans are not a problem.
7. Make it easier to sell stuff
   
8. Remove the "reputation lost"/"reputation gained" hints, they just make you feel like you've chosen a suboptimal conversation option
9. "Continue" the current savefile by default when you start the program. Waiting through one loading screen just to wait through another once you select "continue" is rubbish

Nice points but I think priorities should be

1. C&C that adds replayability. Right now you could just play as pacifist Henry or scumbag Henry that steal everything but "Henry has come to visit us" and everyone is happy. For C&C I not mean only decisions with different endings but choosing different path halfway (like New Vegas) and decide something more than the fate of Reeky that was cool he would die when you are too slow but he was just an NPC that you won't see him again regardless if he dies.
2. Train NPC. You are their captain Bernard.
3. Not maxing everything? Not sure if it is a good idea since it is quite unique in KCD unlike most of Rpg but if you can take great tactical decisions, being master banker, win every tournament and train you own men better than Bernard you are even more unstoppable than player character of Mountain and Blade and should conquer the whole world.

 

[Stavrophore]

Im wondering how much of mechanics they will retain in the next title, and how much new ones they will introduce. I doubt they will completely change the core gameplay loop. C&C can happen if they will not be adhering closely to historical events. I would like to see more failed events, battles, castles taken because of our choices. Give us some proper civil war, like Skyrim should have added. And if the story won't be so focused as in the first game, they could also add different starting characters, with different backgrounds. A nice touch that add some replayability.

 

[udm]

Just bought this during the Steam sale and already clocked in 12 hours. I've only reached Rattay and completed a few quests, but it's really good. The writing is solid so far, the combat is impactful with a high skill ceiling, there seems to be various ways to overcome a challenge, and more importantly the game world feels -- dare I say it -- immersive. The only games to have this level of player reactivity IMO are Deus Ex, Gothic and New Vegas, but then I didn't play Outer Worlds (because I'm not keen on nuObsidian's games) and I haven't started on Twitcher 1 and 2, so I wouldn't know how well those match up.

The part that really got me was when I ran through a forest in Rattay, talked to nearby village folk afterwards, and got complaints about about the condition of my clothes. Only then did I realise all that running through foliage caused my clothes and helmet to become ripped or scratched up. That was some top tier autism attention to detail right there

 

[udm]

OK I've clocked in about 42 hours since I first started playing it last Monday. It's crazy good and I can't stop thinking about it even while I'm working. The last game to really make me feel so invested was New Vegas. Hard to believe that was nearly 10 years ago.

KCD has a strong pnp feel, but I don't think it fits the traditional CRPG mold; I wouldn't call it an action RPG too. It's one of those "sum of its parts" games where everything blends well, from the story to the mechanics. I can see why it's not a game for everyone (although I'm butthurt that the Steam ratings only stand at 'Mostly Positive', the tasteless bastards).

I really like the quests and the world. Everyone and every city matters, unlike some open-world games where it feels like you're just visiting one theme park ride after another. Everyone has a role in some way; there's a strong sense of coherence and connectivity between towns and cities.

Combat is just crazy fun, especially with Mutt from "A Woman's Lot". OTOH 1-to-1 duels do get a bit too easy once you've learned all there is to know for basic and advanced combat. I would say it's QTE mechanics done right -- easy to learn but unscripted and difficult to master since there are a lot of layers to it. Added to that, there are some interesting adversaries like

Spoiler

Black Peter

which makes it very intense.

I like that there are different builds, but ultimately it seems like you can just grind until you're good at everything. That's probably one of the reasons why it doesn't classify as a traditional CRPG for me: you can just be a master of all trades if you put in enough time.

In terms of lore and setting, the attention to detail is insane. It really is autistic level, but in the best possible way. NPCs restock items even after you've stolen from them, people respond to you differently when you haven't bathed in a week, etc. I loved going through the Codex entries too. They're short but concise.

Again, how is this only at 'Mostly Positive'

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Jrpgfan]

I can see why it's not a game for everyone (although I'm butthurt that the Steam ratings only stand at 'Mostly Positive', the tasteless bastards).

Bugs and slow fast travel/time passing(which you do a lot in this game) are probably the main culprit for that(plus some unfinished questlines and some gameplay jankiness).

All-in-all, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm sure warhorse would be able to acomplish much more with a higher budget but I applaud them for what they tried to do here. There's nothing like it out there.

 

[Beowulf]

[...]

Again, how is this only at 'Mostly Positive'

Bugs.
For example at launch there were literally (minor) quest NPC's spawning in the air and falling to their death in front of your character.
But they quickly fixed most glaring issues. The game is just so complex that it still is janky.
But it's one of the best eurojanks in years.

That reminds me to revisit it and amend my review.

 

[GhostCow]

[...]

Again, how is this only at 'Mostly Positive'

Bugs.
For example at launch there were literally (minor) quest NPC's spawning in the air and falling to their death in front of your character.
But they quickly fixed most glaring issues. The game is just so complex that it still is janky.
But it's one of the best eurojanks in years.

That reminds me to revisit it and amend my review.

Not to mention that lockpicking sucks and so does the combat. I'm sure plenty of people like the combat but to me it's shit. I wish they'd ripped off the combat from a better game like Risen or Mount and Blade.

 

[SlamDunk]

GhostCow

You STILL haven't mastered lock picking? Sigh... you're a hopeless case.

 

[GhostCow]

>Implying I actually care to master a system that sucks when I can just bypass the garbage with mods

 

[Jrpgfan]

My main complaint with the combat system is the targeting which imo is really bad. Apparently there's a mod that fix it but I've never tried it.

 

[SlamDunk]

My main complaint with the combat system is the targeting which imo is really bad.

Yeah, it would have been a lot better if there would have been an option in the settings to permanently turn off auto-locking in combat.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[RK47]

Most memorable time was probably being stuck in some geometry. Tried reloading (ironman) and still stuck.
And there was no fast travel. I thought up of everything and realized I can probably chug all my supply of alcohol till Henry blacks out and wake up elsewhere.
Makes for an interesting detour.

 

[Wunderbar]

Most memorable time was probably being stuck in some geometry. Tried reloading (ironman) and still stuck.
And there was no fast travel. I thought up of everything and realized I can probably chug all my supply of alcohol till Henry blacks out and wake up elsewhere.

EMERGENT GAMEPLAY

 

[Tacgnol]

Fewer occasions where there is a false choice between a conversation option and getting mullered by a group of high level mobs. Could any non-metagaming player ever beat the three guys at the windmill?

Depends how late you do the main quest. I usually leave the MQ for quite a while and go gallivanting after learning perfect block and ripostes from Bernard. Admittedly, if you do that part of the MQ at the point where it's probably intended, then that fight would be almost impossible.

If you fight them later with good equipment and skills you can pretty easily defeat all of them. You just have to keep moving and do your best to separate them.

 

[Beowulf]

Fewer occasions where there is a false choice between a conversation option and getting mullered by a group of high level mobs. Could any non-metagaming player ever beat the three guys at the windmill?

Depends how late you do the main quest. I usually leave the MQ for quite a while and go gallivanting after learning perfect block and ripostes from Bernard. Admittedly, if you do that part of the MQ at the point where it's probably intended, then that fight would be almost impossible.

If you fight them later with good equipment and skills you can pretty easily defeat all of them. You just have to keep moving and do your best to separate them.

Agree. I'm not a metagaming player (it would be hard to do anyway playing at the release), but I don't remember that fight as being hard. I didn't go as far to learn perfect block and riposte if I remember correctly., but I did spend some time training with Bernard to be be better at combat.

 

[Tacgnol]

Fewer occasions where there is a false choice between a conversation option and getting mullered by a group of high level mobs. Could any non-metagaming player ever beat the three guys at the windmill?

Depends how late you do the main quest. I usually leave the MQ for quite a while and go gallivanting after learning perfect block and ripostes from Bernard. Admittedly, if you do that part of the MQ at the point where it's probably intended, then that fight would be almost impossible.

If you fight them later with good equipment and skills you can pretty easily defeat all of them. You just have to keep moving and do your best to separate them.

Agree. I'm not a metagaming player (it would be hard to do anyway playing at the release), but I don't remember that fight as being hard. I didn't go as far to learn perfect block and riposte if I remember correctly., but I did spend some time training with Bernard to be be better at combat.

I think you learn perfect blocking when you do the first training session with Bernard, ripostes I think you can learn as soon as you have any weapon skill to 5? I can't actually remember the exact thing that unlocks the training option with Bernard.

 

[Beowulf]

I think you learn perfect blocking when you do the first training session with Bernard, ripostes I think you can learn as soon as you have any weapon skill to 5? I can't actually remember the exact thing that unlocks the training option with Bernard.

You might be right. I just played it so long ago that I only remember that I noticed I suck at combat so I decided to spend some time on training sessions when it was possible (perhaps after returning from the first quest with Hans).

 

[Paul_cz]