Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is nothing but a big grind

[snotnose]

Kingdom Come Deliverance is nothing but grinding for hours on end before you can do anything. Wanna get good with a horse? Ride your horse for hours. Wanna get good at alchemy? Brew potions for hours. Wanna get good at lockpicking? Pick locks for hours Rather, look for locks you can pick for hours. My lockpicking sucks because all the locks I find are 'hard' or 'very hard'. etc etc etc.

So why is this game so much fun?

 

[dettociao]

I recently got the first game on a steam sale, and, yeah, it's basically a giant medieval life simulator. Honestly it's sort of fun, but any combat is destroying me. I keep getting jumped by bandits while I'm just running errands and I get murdered right quick.

The second game is the same?

 

[nquinnell]

I've been waiting for someone to do a post on this. I've been deciding if I want to play it.

 

[Shanrak]

It's on my watch list. I'll probably pick it up when it goes on sale.

 

[snotnose]

You can get the first game on sale, I got it a few years back for $10. The new one is pretty much more of the same.

It's one of those "just one more..." games that are hard to put down, and I just realized laying in bed last night the whole thing is basically the very thing everyone bitches about in an RPG.

 

[Mortus]

I was initially going to play Stalker 2. But after an hour of it, I realized it still needs more time to bake (buggy and chunky fps). So I booted up KCD2 instead. Just got done with my first session. Having just recently finished the first game for the first time (in December), everything is still fresh in my mind. And after almost 4 hours of play (which felt like an hour), I can say that it is KCD but everything feels more refined. I appreciate that they have a "save and quit" function now. But I can already tell I'm going to get engrossed in this game and lose all sense of time whenever I play it.

 

[Mortus]

I recently got the first game on a steam sale, and, yeah, it's basically a giant medieval life simulator. Honestly it's sort of fun, but any combat is destroying me. I keep getting jumped by bandits while I'm just running errands and I get murdered right quick.

The second game is the same?

I'll be honest, I modded the first game with some QoL combat mods to make it less painful, because I had the same experience. At its core, it's still the same combat system in the second game. But I find it to be much more responsive and intuitive this go around. It's not the sort of thing you can button mash to victory, but rather each swing needs to be deliberate, which I'm still trying to train myself to do.

 

[MichaelC]

I recently discovered I had the first game in my library. It was a free offer from epic I picked up some time ago. So I installed it. Most games I like to play vanilla at least once. This one... no I almost immediately looked for mods to make lock picking reasonable and allow me to save the game anywhere and anytime. And usually I am ok with weight limits, but this time around the limit seemed to be bugging me so I raised the limit considerably.

Lock picking is still a chore even with a mod. There is an instant success mod, but that can actually prevent progress in some missions. There is another that is supposed to make it easier but for me it doesn't.

But I was like ok .. I don't really feel like this guy is going to be picking locks nor pickpocketing. It just falls outside who he is. So... I think I am just foregoing that altogether.

Combat is... I'm not good at it yet. It ends up mostly being button mashing with attempts at doing some of the moves.

But bows have no reticle!!! The rabbit hunting mission was... interesting. I did kill several, so it can be done without a crosshair/reticle. But at one point I did try to chase them down and kill them with a sword. But there is a mod that adds a crosshair. I have not yet installed it.

I don't know how far I will get in it. I have bounced back and forth between that and Red Dead Redemption 2... Which, oddly, seem similar in gameplay. They seem to compliment each other.

 

[Ed209]

I don't know how far I will get in it. I have bounced back and forth between that and Red Dead Redemption 2... Which, oddly, seem similar in gameplay. They seem to compliment each other.

Never really thought of this, but this is actually a really good comparison.

I Kickstarted the original KCD way back when (2019ish?). It's been a long time since I've played it, but I remember the devs were really, really into recreating realistic sword-fighting in the game, which I remember as something you actually had to learn and practice to get the whole thing down correctly. I may have to give it another shot.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no2tg49Oz0g&t=1s

 

[Thorvard]

I recently got the first game on a steam sale, and, yeah, it's basically a giant medieval life simulator. Honestly it's sort of fun, but any combat is destroying me. I keep getting jumped by bandits while I'm just running errands and I get murdered right quick.

The second game is the same?

There's some good mods to fix combat and other issues. I want to finish the 1st before moving onto the second but it's getting to be a slog. I'm half tempted to just watch a recap video at this point.

 

[Mortus]

So KCD2 not only gives you a recap of the first game, it does so in a very immersive way. I would say that you have no need to play the first game to enjoy the second. And it asks you if you are familiar with the game and tunes the tutorials accordingly at the start.

 

[dettociao]

So KCD2 not only gives you a recap of the first game, it does so in a very immersive way. I would say that you have no need to play the first game to enjoy the second. And it asks you if you are familiar with the game and tunes the tutorials accordingly at the start.

Yeah but what if I'm not wanting to continue playing the first game because it's like a 3D medieval spreadsheet on hard mode. Is the second game more of the same?

Edit: I see from above that yes, it is. Hard pass! At least I got the first game for a few bucks and am not disappointed by a $60 purchase. Seems like a very carefully crafted experience I'm just not into it.

 

[gothmog1114]

I don't mind some of the jank, and honestly, some of it is pretty endearing. It makes sense that a peasant would absolutely get their ass handed to them by any group of two or more fellas who have swords. I was also pretty entertained by how KCD2 manages to pull a Ripley from Metroid and erase all the gains I made in the first game from squatting to pick flowers. I also kept using Pebbles, and was pleasantly surprised by the reward the game gave me for it.

Additionally, the guy who plays Hans is on tiktok and twitch and has really been enjoying all the memes from the game.

 

[Mortus]

After 9 hours of squirreling around on side quests, I've finally retrieved Mutt. I love that you can have a conversation with him. But I really loved on the side quest for the shepherd earlier, that Ignatius was literally just a dude making ram noises instead of actual ram noises, like every other animal in the game so far.

 

[Thorvard]

So KCD2 not only gives you a recap of the first game, it does so in a very immersive way. I would say that you have no need to play the first game to enjoy the second. And it asks you if you are familiar with the game and tunes the tutorials accordingly at the start.

Huh, I had no idea. I'm going to add it to the shopping list now.

 

[mogbert]

Is there another thread for KCD1, or is it all one big hodgepodge like it is on reddit?

 

[pauli]

Is there another thread for KCD1, or is it all one big hodgepodge like it is on reddit?

You can use this one. That used to be three, with the same name.

PM me if you want your existing posts in this thread moved over.

 

[mogbert]

You can use this one. That used to be three, with the same name.

PM me if you want your existing posts in this thread moved over.

Naw, that's okay. I'll be getting KCD2 eventually. I don't want to necro a 2018 thread. I'll just... sit over here. By myself. Watching you guys have fun. While I'm learning all the wrong things to do in the game.

 

[Mortus]

Only took me 27 hours to reach the first milestone of the story. I may or may not already be overleveled.

 

[snotnose]

Only took me 27 hours to reach the first milestone of the story. I may or may not already be overleveled.

This. I'm the explorer type, haven't even gotten to the weddding yet, and I can pretty much knock bandits over just by spitting on them.

that said, I still can't figure out fighting for shit. Never did in the first game either, not in 3 playthroughs. I just get big armor, a heavy sword, and beat the crap out of them.

 

[Mortus]

that said, I still can't figure out fighting for shit. Never did in the first game either, not in 3 playthroughs. I just get big armor, a heavy sword, and beat the crap out of them.

Yeah. I don't do combos. I just riposte until they fall over. Or I just coat some arrows in bane poison, hit them from afar, and laugh at them as they slowly walk towards me until they fall over.

 

[nquinnell]

I can pretty much knock bandits over just by spitting on them.

... I would play this game

 

[DovePig]

Naw, that's okay. I'll be getting KCD2 eventually. I don't want to necro a 2018 thread. I'll just... sit over here. By myself. Watching you guys have fun.

Heh. Recently I got all the KCD1 DLCs on sale for a few quid, so I am tempted to replay the first game just to get to the DLC content – you won't be alone here then ;-)

Anybody, is it even worth it? What do you all think?

There is obviously no "start at the DLC" feature, so I'd have to either find my old saves (unlikely) or play through all of it again. I'd probably use cheat mods and console to get through to the DLC missions fast, do those and stop right there, not bothering with the endgame again (as once you max out stealth, the game stops being any fun – enemies 2 metres away in full view of me shouting "where has he gone?" somehow strains credibility)

 

[mogbert]

Heh. Recently I got all the KCD1 DLCs on sale for a few quid, so I am tempted to replay the first game just to get to the DLC content – you won't be alone here then ;-)

Anybody, is it even worth it? What do you all think?

There is obviously no "start at the DLC" feature, so I'd have to either find my old saves (unlikely) or play through all of it again. I'd probably use cheat mods and console to get through to the DLC missions fast, do those and stop right there, not bothering with the endgame again (as once you max out stealth, the game stops being any fun – enemies 2 metres away in full view of me shouting "where has he gone?" somehow strains credibility)

Since I'm playing for the first time with the DLC all installed. I'm not entirely sure what is DLC content and what is base game.
And though I've done a bunch of stuff and gotten decently strong, I'm really at the beginning of the story (main quest 8 I think). There are things all over saying "DLC quest here" and such, but I've done very few side quests.

I'm hoping KCD2 is the same way, but I'm really enjoying hunting. However, I think the meat spoils WAY too fast compared to reality. I'll probably have to get perks for it. But it is just relaxing kicking back in the woods and grinding levels. Picking flowers. Running from The Man.

 

[DovePig]

Since I'm playing for the first time with the DLC all installed. I'm not entirely sure what is DLC content and what is base game.
And though I've done a bunch of stuff and gotten decently strong, I'm really at the beginning of the story (main quest 8 I think). There are things all over saying "DLC quest here" and such, but I've done very few side quests.

I'm hoping KCD2 is the same way, but I'm really enjoying hunting. However, I think the meat spoils WAY too fast compared to reality. I'll probably have to get perks for it. But it is just relaxing kicking back in the woods and grinding levels. Picking flowers. Running from The Man.

Well, the last time I played it, it was often the sidequests that were all the fun. Grinding flower picking to get XP was just dumb, since it only broke the game's difficulty progression, IMO (especially at the start, where you could get really OP really quickly just from farming flowers and punching cows!). And there was a point with too much XP where you get really OP'd for most random encounters, unless using mods. Which is no fun.

 

[MichaelC]

Heh. Recently I got all the KCD1 DLCs on sale for a few quid, so I am tempted to replay the first game just to get to the DLC content – you won't be alone here then ;-)

Anybody, is it even worth it? What do you all think?

There is obviously no "start at the DLC" feature, so I'd have to either find my old saves (unlikely) or play through all of it again. I'd probably use cheat mods and console to get through to the DLC missions fast, do those and stop right there, not bothering with the endgame again (as once you max out stealth, the game stops being any fun – enemies 2 metres away in full view of me shouting "where has he gone?" somehow strains credibility)

Did you have cloud saves enabled?

Since I'm playing for the first time with the DLC all installed. I'm not entirely sure what is DLC content and what is base game.

If you look at the map legend, dlc has specific markers I believe.

 

[DovePig]

Did you have cloud saves enabled?

Different system, don't think they work there(I tried).

Anyway, I was mostly asking about whether the DLCs are worth it – a replay, I meant (even if using cheats)

 

[Mortus]

36 hours in and I have completed the prologue. Now I get a much larger playground to lose all of my time not progressing the story in.

 

[MichaelC]

KCD II is now available on GOG

https://www.gog.com/en/game/kingdom_come_deliverance_ii_gold_edition

 

[AltoClefScience]

I just started the original KCD, literally minutes ago. Just going through the Codex is giving me a wave of nostalgia with the music and text/menu design, I grew up playing every medieval and renaissance themed game I could get my hands on - Darklands, Merchant Prince, Stronghold, etc. TBH I was always hoping for a Darklands remake, the Witcher series kind of scratched that itch with its Slavic/Germanic inspired mythology, but was far too heavy on the grimdark fantasy without historical context. Here's hoping that KCD delivers, and I'm not afraid to turn down the grind mentioned by the OP using mods for anything that annoys me...

Let's see how the gameplay works out but I'm gonna have to spend a good hour or two on the Codex alone, with associated Wiki jaunts and cross-referencing to the Darklands manual and game map...

 

[MichaelC]

When I grabbed KCD (for free), I thought it was just another fantasy game. It was not until I installed it and fired it up that I thought... wait... is this fantasy? Is this historical? What? No elves nor dwarves? No magic? I could be interested in a more grounded game.

I have been playing more RDR2 than KCD, but KCD is interesting.

 

[mogbert]

When I grabbed KCD (for free), I thought it was just another fantasy game. It was not until I installed it and fired it up that I thought... wait... is this fantasy? Is this historical? What? No elves nor dwarves? No magic? I could be interested in a more grounded game.

I have been playing more RDR2 than KCD, but KCD is interesting.

Well, no magic other than somehow mixing dandelions and marigolds mean you take half the damage from being hit with swords...

Also, finally had my first fight with poison on my weapon, and I think I'm doing that for now on.You want a one-on-one honorable fight, sure, I'll switch my weapon out. But you want to beat on me five-on-one, then don't expect me to play fair.

 

[DovePig]

Well, no magic other than somehow mixing dandelions and marigolds mean you take half the damage from being hit with swords...

Also, finally had my first fight with poison on my weapon, and I think I'm doing that for now on.You want a one-on-one honorable fight, sure, I'll switch my weapon out. But you want to beat on me five-on-one, then don't expect me to play fair.

I do wonder if all the KCD1 exploits got ironed out – like maxing out stealth really easily early on by just smothering all your inn bedfellows to unconsciousness (at least not to death!) night after night, allowing you to basically avoid any* sword fight after reaching Stealth 20 level and wearing the appropriate gear with the lowest visibility stats...

* the opponents couldn't really see you at night even with them wielding a lit torch on max level using stealth gear, unless they had basically bumped bodily into you, while you were basically free to massacre them with a bow from a metre away. Which pretty funny at first, but only for around five minutes...

I think I even got the stealth dialogue response of "Where TF are you!" during the Rattay tournament from the opponent, though that might have been quite a few versions ago, so possibly a bug.

KCD1 poisons were pretty OP'd as well, I'd say. Anything that defaults you to using one on all your blades and arrows all the time is just bad, IMO.

 

[mogbert]

I do wonder if all the KCD1 exploits got ironed out – like maxing out stealth really easily early on by just smothering all your inn bedfellows to unconsciousness (at least not to death!) night after night, allowing you to basically avoid any* sword fight after reaching Stealth 20 level and wearing the appropriate gear with the lowest visibility stats...

* the opponents couldn't really see you at night even with them wielding a lit torch on max level using stealth gear, unless they had basically bumped bodily into you, while you were basically free to massacre them with a bow from a metre away. Which pretty funny at first, but only for around five minutes...

I think I even got the stealth dialogue response of "Where TF are you!" during the Rattay tournament from the opponent, though that might have been quite a few versions ago, so possibly a bug.

KCD1 poisons were pretty OP'd as well, I'd say. Anything that defaults you to using one on all your blades and arrows all the time is just bad, IMO.

Okay, but in a group, even the peasants are dangerous. A group of them can kill you pretty easily, Speaking of which, that is how Sir Radzig Kobyla died in real life. Chopped up by a group of peasants and the pieces of him stomped in the streets. I don't think they have that in the game, so it shouldn't need spoilers. Also, it happened a few centuries ago...

 

[MichaelC]

Also, it happened a few centuries ago...

Spoilers!

 

[DovePig]

Okay, but in a group, even the peasants are dangerous. A group of them can kill you pretty easily, Speaking of which, that is how Sir Radzig Kobyla died in real life. Chopped up by a group of peasants and the pieces of him stomped in the streets. I don't think they have that in the game, so it shouldn't need spoilers. Also, it happened a few centuries ago...

My only gripe was about at times OP'd stealth, not really about the combat – that was pretty much perfect and multiple opponents were quite terrifying at times. Still, making an RPG with any sort of level progression is really hard when going with even a resemblance of any realism, as levels don't really exist in RL. KCD1 did a pretty good take of that, while still being a game, but I am still "desperately" waiting for that medieval or fantasy life simulator without any level progression at all (skill progress for sure, of course).

And you are right that fights against groups of bandits could be pretty heave, especially with mods. Which is at it should be, as I am really tired of the usual fantasy tropes of the lone hero single‑handedly taking on the whole enemy army and winning...

KCD1, for all its many historical faults (perhaps paradoxically even more criticised because it tried to be more historical, unlike other RPGs), at least tried to give that feeling. Even if it failed for me (since it's still a game and the "winning" strategy of stealing everything is not discouraged nowhere enough), it tried. Which counts.

Mind you, there were all other kinds of problems with their CEO spouting some GamerGate fascist bullshit which almost got me off the whole game (unfortunately after already bought it), but at least from the previews, the second game does seem to be without all that shite. Or at least I really do hope so, because that shite can be really tiring for us historically minded (the medieval times were quite diverse in all the things, even if fascist fuckers say otherwise).

Basically, there is 1992 Darklands, and there is everything else...

 

[Mortus]

Sharing this delightful video in case people haven't seen it yet. I can only imagine how much fun those mocap sessions must have been (when they weren't grueling).


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqv-mtXP5Ao

 

[mogbert]

ARRRGGGGG!!!
I spend an hour on alchemy, made hundreds of potions. I couldn't hold them all, had to put them on the horse. And then I crashed to the desktop.

Is KCD II fairly stable? Cause KCD I isn't very stable.

 

[mogbert]

OK, I'm a day late because I did it yesterday, but without spoilers (for two different series) I'd like to say that "Where's... my... SWORD?!?" has very "Where's... my... COW!?!" vibes.
GNU Terry Pratchett

 

[nquinnell]

So, is it worth it? Do I buy this when I finish my current game?