I’m always super skeptical whenever anyone pulls out the “I believe in freedom” argument. More often than not it’s a rhetorical cop-out meant to paint your critics as anti-freedom rather than actually address their criticisms.
I actually give Vavra a bit of a pass on the GG stuff. He's coming from a whole different angle than the GG people from the States. GG in the US is afraid of something that doesn't exist, while Vavra is afraid of things going back to the way they were when he was younger.
However, if anyone wants to avoid the game because of Vavra, I'm certainly not going to stop them.
Not needing to address your critics' concerns is precisely what freedom means, especially in terms of producing commercial items.
Not to create a straw man here, but would anyone really want them to add Africans and other folks into the game just because we live in a multicultural society now and despite reportedly there being no good proof that those groups existed in that area in significant proportions at that time nor having any real impact on its history? It looks like they will, on the other hand, thoroughly represent whatever nomads/Roma and Turks were there. Likewise, the historical record probably supports concluding that women attempting to live whatever kind of adventurous life the game's protagonist will would be like trying to pass for walking around a small town with two heads today. I needn't remind folks that Hollywood is just now finally facing the awful sexual realities, so we can't logically apply post-Weinstein sensibilities to a game set in the middle ages. There are times and places for equal depictions, and it's yes very annoying that so many games are DUDEBRO by default, but if you happen to want to make a realistic medieval action game set where the Czech Republic would be, that's not the project to explore those themes.
Being a developer and even carefully communicating the paragraph above, which he of course did not do with his many Tweets, makes one way too easy of a target to be taken out of context and made the enemy of the GG movement.
“realism” is a blurry line, you already need to make a ton of concessions to gamify the setting, why draw the line in the sand at representation? It’s set in 15th century Europe, but it’s not a product of it. We can do better.
EDIT: but maybe we can hold off this convo until the game actually comes out, rather than railroading it into Cleveland without context.
Moving on for now, please. - Certis
Yeah, I can't really comment on the content of the game yet. If there's a strong desire to talk about the person behind the game or tangential implications vis a vis freedom of speech and/or GG please start a separate thread for it.
Yeah, I can't really comment on the content of the game yet. If there's a strong desire to talk about the person behind the game or tangential implications vis a vis freedom of speech and/or GG please start a separate thread for it.
When is the embargo end? Can't wait to hear your thoughts about this.
Tuesday morning. I'll try and have some video ready too!
Very interested in this. Looking forward to your take.
The first person perspective is the only thing causing me to hesitate. Bard's Tale, Wasteland, and Dragon Wars were great for me, and technically in first person. I have never been able to get in to Skyrim, even though I like everything else going on in it, due to the first person piece. If the rest of the game is strong enough, and the combat interesting, I'll end up trying it out for myself!
Excited for tomorrow!
The first person perspective is the only thing causing me to hesitate. Bard's Tale, Wasteland, and Dragon Wars were great for me, and technically in first person. I have never been able to get in to Skyrim, even though I like everything else going on in it, due to the first person piece. If the rest of the game is strong enough, and the combat interesting, I'll end up trying it out for myself!
Excited for tomorrow!
I'm the complete opposite. I prefer first-person and find it way more immersive. That said, first-person melee combat is very difficult to pull off. I feel like the combat system is going to make or break this game.
I’ve played 16 hours in the last three days.
I choose to see this as a positive sign. 
Why would Certis spend over 5 hours a day in this game (and not in Monster Hunter World :)) if he wasn't enjoying it?
He couldn't believe how awful it was and he kept playing to see just how bad it could get?
Been looking over some media and the whole "authentic 1405 Bohemia" angle is the biggest draw for me.
It appears the devs have painstakingly recreated the time-period from top to bottom. That attention to detail is quite refreshing as well as its grounded nature (no dragons & wizards...yippee!).
That and the sim aspects (have to eat/sleep, etc.) feels like a pretty powerful combo.
Now I'm Just curious how the story aspects play out.
I'll be keeping an eye out for reviews to see if it delivers, but I'm pretty optimistic with what I've seen thus far.
It’s past midnight on the east coast, that counts as tomorrow morning, doesn’t it? 
It’s past midnight on the east coast, that counts as tomorrow morning, doesn’t it? ;)
12pm EST 
Re: video......sees world map scroll and scroll at 8:30. Cool, looks big enough. Will watch the rest later. Can't wait for the conference call.
It’s not a story that has much time for women. Since you play the pre-designated character, Henry, it’s down to the supporting cast to provide different perspectives. Unfortunately, female characters typically fall into the categories of maidenly love interest, prostitute or surrogate mother, in keeping with the portrait of a “purely patriarchal” society described by Kingdom Come’s historical database. I don’t know enough about 14th century Bohemia to address this, but I’m not sure the defence of historical accuracy extends to blokier character buffs like “Alpha Male”, which confers a +2 charisma boost when you visit the brothel.
As entirely, tediously, predictable. Skiiiiip.
Website showed a counter for 12pm EST for their launch but right before heading into work i checked and was able to start installing the game. So it may be playable now.
RPS wrote wrote:It’s not a story that has much time for women. Since you play the pre-designated character, Henry, it’s down to the supporting cast to provide different perspectives. Unfortunately, female characters typically fall into the categories of maidenly love interest, prostitute or surrogate mother, in keeping with the portrait of a “purely patriarchal” society described by Kingdom Come’s historical database. I don’t know enough about 14th century Bohemia to address this, but I’m not sure the defence of historical accuracy extends to blokier character buffs like “Alpha Male”, which confers a +2 charisma boost when you visit the brothel.
As entirely, tediously, predictable. Skiiiiip.
That with all the GatorGoob baggage makes this a big skip.
Received my Kickstarter rewards yesterday via DHL - havent seen a DHL truck in ages :), wish I would have backed it at a higher level to get a sword and shield just to see my wife's WTF expression. Very nice items and I was impressed with the quality. Im looking forward to playing the game - it takes forever to unpack on Steam (1st World problems and all). Some interesting tips on the STEAM store page (minor spoilers) if you plan on doing dark deeds during dark times like I do. I got some good chuckles from Certis' video as well - thanks for posting it.
Edit: You have to be a real sh*tbird to miss your own coronation as Emperor.
SpyNavy, did you get the right KS rewards? It sounded like most of the physical rewards got mostly reneged and there were a lot of upset people about it. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects... For example "Metal box was maybe nice idea, but not that practical. Limits in the production, big weight and high price were against it and we rather choose the nice paper box." ....and yet there is a metal box version on sale....Europe?...so, rightfully pissed people on that one.
They're in Europe, so mailing a metal box inside of Europe is probably a lot cheaper than mailing them overseas.
We skipped the printed manual, and focused on the nice in-game help instead.
Now that I would be mad about. At least with the paper box you're still getting a box, but here you're getting nothing.
SpyNavy, did you get the right KS rewards? It sounded like most of the physical rewards got mostly reneged and there were a lot of upset people about it. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects... For example "Metal box was maybe nice idea, but not that practical. Limits in the production, big weight and high price were against it and we rather choose the nice paper box." ....and yet there is a metal box version on sale....Europe?...so, rightfully pissed people on that one.
No - I was affected like everyone else. Am I pissed no - disappointed yes, but I have a higher tolerance for changes in KS rewards than some folks. I look at KS money in the same way I do personal loans to family/friends - dont give it if you cant afford to never see it again. Im out the box and manual. Did I get my $100 dollars worth. Retail game - $59.99, expansion (if delivered) $25, Poster $5, Wooden dice $20, Artbook $15, T-shirt $10, Coin $5, Early Access to A/B versions of game $25 (my personal "value"). Roughly $165 estimated "value" not accounting for actual time spent with game and "fun delivered". If I had an issue it is with the way the studio conveyed the changes to delivered goods - the "just be happy you got the game" is probably not the best messaging and means to foster and maintain goodwill. I think had they messaged the shortfalls better they would have less of a sh*tstorm in the consumer relations department right now.
Important tip for new players! Not even going to spoiler this one because it's super essential. As part of the story you're going to be trained in sword combat at one point. You NEED to revisit that trainer to unlock some other moves you won't be able to do until you visit him. The game does a really poor job of laying that out for you.
Important tip for new players! Not even going to spoiler this one because it's super essential. As part of the story you're going to be trained in sword combat at one point. You NEED to revisit that trainer to unlock some other moves you won't be able to do until you visit him. The game does a really poor job of laying that out for you.
I'll be checking out your video later tonight, but in the meantime what did you think of the combat?
I do want to chime in on the game's representation of women and the patriarchal nature of it. Karla has been watching me play quite a bit (it's the odd game she ASKS me to play so she can watch) and we've been chatting about the era, the in-game codex and how it represents history.
It most definitely has problematic elements in the perk system. The RPS quote is interesting because I was just looking through the perks list (there's a lot of them) and I don't see "Alpha Male" in there*. I wonder if I'm missing it or it was patched out. There is a Troubadour perk that gives you a 50% reputation boost when talking to women and "free bathwench services." There's another called "manly odor" which boosts your charm with women but you smell so bad you get 30% less stealth. They tend to have a tongue in cheek Fallout flavor to them and often the perks are mostly "more of this but less of that" with stat modifiers.
I think it's a "historical sim" in the sense that history is mostly written by men and we know for sure a lot of "this is how it was" historical takes (like how Cleopatra was written about in her era) are colored by the chauvinism of the writers. I don't doubt that Warhorse means it when they said they've made a game based on what the history books say, I just doubt they brought anyone in who might dig deeper on the patriarchal view of the historians.
My character (Henry) went on a date that had the following happen: Dinner at an Inn, she pulls you up to reluctantly dance, rough dude shows up, woman stand up to him and tells him to push off, dude gets more aggro, Henry steps in, fist fight, after date is dabbing wounds on your face and tutting while you flinch and say it stings. You hold hands, she chooses to kiss you then goes into her house.
In Karla's words it's painfully hetero normative. I think that's as good a framing of the ethos of this game as any. The era it takes place in and the perspective of the histories (and probably the devs) has lead to a very white, patriarchal, hetero-normative game. Some of the women I've encountered are actually written well, show plenty of autonomy and push against the patriarchal structure they live in. It's not the progressive, pushing the envelope reinterpretation of history I'd like to see - it's just so damn typical. I do see women Traders and such in the game, so they're not all just housemaids, wives and "bath wenches." God I hate that term.
I'm enjoying the game despite the problematic elements (and occasional eye rolling it elicits) in kind of the same way I need to hold my nose at elements of anime sometimes.
I 100% respect anyone who finds it a total non-starter and the last thing I want to see in this thread are people arguing about that buying decision in either direction. It's really easy to feel defensive when you're playing something people point out has issues, but it's just something you gotta sit with and think about.
* -update finally saw it. It's not a "perk" you pick, it's something that happens after you have sex in the game. I saw it at the end of a romance plot line.
Certis wrote:Important tip for new players! Not even going to spoiler this one because it's super essential. As part of the story you're going to be trained in sword combat at one point. You NEED to revisit that trainer to unlock some other moves you won't be able to do until you visit him. The game does a really poor job of laying that out for you.
I'll be checking out your video later tonight, but in the meantime what did you think of the combat?
It's way more technical that "slow attack, fast attack" like you see in other games. I find the melee combat pretty challenging and I'm still getting my head around it because they actually don't give you a TON of opportunity to fight. Often you're either running from someone in full armor or using your bow and arrow when you can. I can dispatch a bandit or two in leather, but a fully kitted out solider remains challenging. You need to time blocks and if you also move your weapon to the direction of the incoming attack you can do an unblockable counter. There's a lot of things to juggle at once but I am starting to feel a bit more automatic and flowing than just scrambling to keep my stamina meter from tanking.
It rewards patience and practice. Player skill is a big factor, not just your weapon stats. Definitely not easy to pick up and play like Skyrim.
Certis, thanks for your thoughts. Does tgis give you a Souls vibe with its combat requiring patience?
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