Help me understand something about this game.

[Spartacus115]

This is being regarded as one of the greatest entertainment products in the past fifteen years, one of the best RPG's ever made in history.
$70 later and 12 hours in, yet here I am ready to pull my ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ hair out.

What am I missing? What is the exact approach the game wants me to take with the missions, so i'm not instantly dying and or failing everything? I've read of other people having 100 hours in the game and they can't even get to the wedding yet even though their trying. I do not want to be put in that position. What do I do. What's y'all's advice?

[WastedTrojan]

Go to the Miller or the Blacksmith and get a job. They will give you a permanent room and teach you valuable skills, especially the Miller. You should visit them both at some point.

[Donaldo Trumpado]

You're trying to play this game like Elder Scrolls, where you're used to the game bending over backwards to sell you a power fantasy from the moment it starts. This game isn't like that. You have to build momentum and actually DO things to get good at them. Figure out some leveling goals and work toward them deliberately. The game gives you two job directions at the start. I'd recommend the blacksmith. This is a much slower game at the start. Don't worry, you'll be sword Christ before too long, but it takes a minute

[Peahatche]

do the blacksmith jobs - i'm sure he sends you to the game keeper at some point (whats happening around here?) - when you go, have money to buy a cheap bow and a ton of arrows and shoot at the targets (as far away as possible) for 1 game day - that'll build your strength warfare archery and vitality up to a point where you'll have a chance with a sword and a fair chance to learn the master strike from Master Tomcat

buying the bearded blade axe recipe and making a few will get you money quickly.

[Spartacus115]

Originally posted by Peahatche:

do the blacksmith jobs - i'm sure he sends you to the game keeper at some point (whats happening around here?) - when you go, have money to buy a cheap bow and a ton of arrows and shoot at the targets (as far away as possible) for 1 game day - that'll build your strength warfare archery and vitality up to a point where you'll have a chance with a sword and a fair chance to learn the master strike from Master Tomcat

buying the bearded blade axe recipe and making a few will get you money quickly.

I'll try that, but I do have a question. How come despite the fact that I have stanima, my blocks still do nothing and I just get hit anyway?

[duncanjmcintyre]

Originally posted by Spartacus115:

Originally posted by Peahatche:

do the blacksmith jobs - i'm sure he sends you to the game keeper at some point (whats happening around here?) - when you go, have money to buy a cheap bow and a ton of arrows and shoot at the targets (as far away as possible) for 1 game day - that'll build your strength warfare archery and vitality up to a point where you'll have a chance with a sword and a fair chance to learn the master strike from Master Tomcat

buying the bearded blade axe recipe and making a few will get you money quickly.

I'll try that, but I do have a question. How come despite the fact that I have stanima, my blocks still do nothing and I just get hit anyway?

Just play the game.

[Azor]

Originally posted by Spartacus115:

Originally posted by Peahatche:

do the blacksmith jobs - i'm sure he sends you to the game keeper at some point (whats happening around here?) - when you go, have money to buy a cheap bow and a ton of arrows and shoot at the targets (as far away as possible) for 1 game day - that'll build your strength warfare archery and vitality up to a point where you'll have a chance with a sword and a fair chance to learn the master strike from Master Tomcat

buying the bearded blade axe recipe and making a few will get you money quickly.

I'll try that, but I do have a question. How come despite the fact that I have stanima, my blocks still do nothing and I just get hit anyway?

combos bypass blocking. But that is not a problem for you. You may look like one but you're not a filthy peasant. You should always either PERFECT BLOCK or MASTERSTRIKE like a proper knight.

[Centruo]

Originally posted by Spartacus115:

How come despite the fact that I have stanima, my blocks still do nothing and I just get hit anyway?

Until your warfare and preferred weapon skills are much higher (20+) don't bother trading parries with an opponent (parry-counterstike-parry-counterstrike, as suggested by Hans) because Henry just isn't good enough at it yet. All it does is waste your stamina and once your stamina is gone your health will drop. Small sidenote here is that, just like the first game, Warfare is based on your combined weapon skills, so if you're wanting to grind warfare you're going to have to build up all the weapons skills you don't like, including Unarmed. Though it should also be mentioned that Unarmed has a perk that builds up your Strength, Vitality, and Agility 50% faster.

Pay attention to the middle of your weapon star. When it turns green that's the time to "perfect block." If it turns red that means you missed the mark and will take the hit. This is likely the reason you're getting hit while blocking, if it is poorly timed. Gnarly in Semine and Thomas in the Nomad camp can spar with you to get you used to this. Speaking of Thomas, don't sleep on going to see him, as he can teach you masterstrikes which makes swords far and away superior to other weapons for a large portion of the game. If you've never heard of Thomas then talk to Bara in Troskovitz after getting out of the stocks with Capon. Odds are he's a yellow mission marker in the west of the first map, and north of the finding Mutt marker.

One thing the combat tutorial does not do is explain dodging (outside a page of text). If you're unarmored it's easier to dodge (than it is when armored) and it works just like a perfect block, when you see the green shield, go left, right, or backwards while holding whatever button your chosen control system tells you (for PS5 controllers it's the Circle button).

Last bit of advice is that once your Alchemy skill hits 16 you can pick up Secret of Secrets that allows you to craft level 4 (Henry-level) potions, which gives the opportunity to craft Henry's Fox which adds an additional 50% exp to everything you do. Just like the first game, if you know the recipe and have the required ingredients you can craft it without owning the recipe or having it in your book. Do with that information what you will. But using Henry's Fox it's very possible to be level 30 (max level) in most of your skills before you ever leave Trosky and head to the second map.

[Sir Diealot]

the fun is in moving towards the goal. not actualy achiving it. in the beginning of the game you are a beaten injured lowdog. you might have to run from a fight. to survive. take your time to get the combat rigth. train with tomcat.. if you do not enjoy the grind, this game might not be for you. otherwise take you time to grow the charcter. dont rush it

[Trickst3r83]

The starting is harsh, very harsch. You should avoid big fights, even 1 vs 1 can be tough but as you will get better skills and gear it will get easier. Try to practise fighting in the Nomads camp or archery in the archery range, do that ocassionaly while doing side-quests and you will get there. Yes the start is really tough but as you're leveling up and understand how fighting works the game starts to be very interesting, in the Nomad camp you will learn the basisc and other stuff combat oriented like master strikes and counter-attacks, blocks etc

[Haethei]

Originally posted by Spartacus115:

Originally posted by Peahatche:

do the blacksmith jobs - i'm sure he sends you to the game keeper at some point (whats happening around here?) - when you go, have money to buy a cheap bow and a ton of arrows and shoot at the targets (as far away as possible) for 1 game day - that'll build your strength warfare archery and vitality up to a point where you'll have a chance with a sword and a fair chance to learn the master strike from Master Tomcat

buying the bearded blade axe recipe and making a few will get you money quickly.

I'll try that, but I do have a question. How come despite the fact that I have stanima, my blocks still do nothing and I just get hit anyway?

the combat is exceptionally difficult to learn, you need to treat it like you are actually a beginner swordfighter and don't try to actually kill people without dedicating time and money to training with someone. you get a quest very early to find a trainer to help you learn, just fight with him until your stats increase, but more importantly you need to learn how the combat actually works: completed combos are unblockable on the final hit, but can be interrupted mid-way with a perfect block, stuff like that

there are also plenty of quests that just arent meant to be easy and you'll come across them when you are weak: just reload a save prior to starting it if you find yourself too deep, if its a main quest then go do side quests/train until you are stronger

[makbthemf]

Originally posted by Spartacus115:

What am I missing?

Your Jindro has a partial amnesia after 18,5 metres cliffall. He has lost all of his skills of a great warrior he had in the end of the KCD1. You need to gain them back.

Originally posted by Spartacus115:

What is the exact approach the game wants me to take with the missions, so i'm not instantly dying and or failing everything?

Different. If you see 6 fully armored blocks, just strangle them and kill after. If you see 2 vagarbonds in civilian clothing, pull out your sword. If you see some legit person, who could help you, just talk. It's not a TES franchise, where you should just run and kill everything you don't like (but nobody forbids it).

Originally posted by Spartacus115:

What do I do. What's y'all's advice?

There are two superpowers in the KCD franchise, just like in the real-world XV century - money and armor. The economy is broken, so you have tons of ways to make easy money.

My way is:
1) Brew as many potions as possible and sell them in Troskowitz to buy the best linen armor.
2) Then go to the blacksmith, learn how to smith, and exchange products for metal armor - full-metal, mail is too heavy for low-level, just like IRL.

And voi la - your Jindro is almost invincible. Add some potions - and he is invincible indeed.