Katana discussion and training of new recruits for combat.

[Peregrine]

So, I wanted to take a quick second and ask a few questions.

Starting with this.

Do you guys perfer Katana with Shirasaya or ones with Koshirae?

I personally like Koshirae.

Secondly, for training, do you guys use training dummies, or just send the new guys right into the fray? In battle, do you give everyone the best possible gear and seek to win quickly, or give them junk to make them fight longer?

At what point do you consider your characters to be "Combat Ready" and have some confidence they will survive?

I ask this because.

I start my new guys with lightweight but good armor. (Blackened Chainmail or Dark Leather Shirt, High Grade because that's what my Armor Smiths make) I give them a -1 Helmet and Usually Samurai Clothpants (High Grade) with Geta (the wooden sandals) And I do not send them directly into combat if I can help it. I use training dummies to raise their skills, and I alternate that with forced marches under load, long range runs, and manual labor to raise their running speed and STR. When I have them (they keep despawning) I also use captured enemies in good armor with crappy weapons to spar with my new recruits (after training) in a locked building to raise their DEFENSE and ATTACK stats. Once they reach a standard, I will issue them better weapons and field gear, and then assign them to a unit.

How do you guys do it?

[Peregrine]

My standard enemies are Dust Bandits, Bone Dogs, and Beak Things.

[f03n1x]

When I used to train guys with katanas and such (which I'll do again when I get the time) is I'd let my weaker guys tag along on runs with my stronger units for the added help in case things get out of hand, but I'd start off with letting them block only to improve their defence and then their attack "best offense is a good defence" or at least for the start.

This helps them improve their Dex so when they fight even if they don't do as much damage they can survive.

I think taking on hungry bandits then dust bandits could work with weaker guys by themselves.

I have to test if this still works since I used it last on the old map (a long long time ago lol)

[My What]

I can't answer the katana bit, but for the rest
Training: In the Newlands version I don't really train my guys on dummies, I throw them right into the fray, I desperately save who I can and they'll be far stronger for it, Old Lands I didn't have to worry about hunger so I can tab out or take a short break and they'll be ready to thump some hungry bandits
Usually in the beginning, I loot what I can and give it to my guys, otherwise they're usually fighting with light armor and a average quality sabre or katana until I feel brave enough to farm the Armories, or settle down
Speaking of which, I usually recruit to my max limit before making an outpost, and even then I usually don't equip them with homegrown goods until I get the best possible, so they're usually fighting with good quality weapons or otherwise the best, wide array, and with okay to good quality armor, assasin rags, samurai plate, black jackets, whatever I find to be worthy, but I leave the pants and boots to be light, usually drifter, to keep mobility

I consider my guys to be combat ready at the 20's, they'll only hold their own against weak mobs of similar strength, but barring huge cuddle puddles or something unexpected, they'll usually pull through, and if I have any, there'll always be a veteran travelling with them, mid 30s tends to be when alot of doors open, and you have relative safety when travelling through the more civilized parts of the Kenshi world, by that point they tend to remain conscious alongside the veteran, since they only need to survive long enough for the best in their group to clean house

[Peregrine]

Originally posted by f03n1x:

When I used to train guys with katanas and such (which I'll do again when I get the time) is I'd let my weaker guys tag along on runs with my stronger units for the added help in case things get out of hand, but I'd start off with letting them block only to improve their defence and then their attack "best offense is a good defence" or at least for the start.

This helps them improve their Dex so when they fight even if they don't do as much damage they can survive.

I think taking on hungry bandits then dust bandits could work with weaker guys by themselves.

I have to test if this still works since I used it last on the old map (a long long time ago lol)

Unless you are the master of the low blow and the gang up, it tends to not go well 1 V 1 even vs hungry bandits for new guys.

That's why I train them a bit with dummies before sending them out. I'll usually give them a Katana and Wakazashi if I have enough. I tend to give the best Katana or Wakazashi available to them and the worst of the other. A Wakazashi I think may be better at first due to the defense bonus, and throw that on with BLOCK and they can get decent quickly. I'll then use the Katana. (Unless that's what they started with) Most of my characters have .90 or 0.98 Katana now, though several have better. Interestingly, I have a large number of Wakazashi (Found, looted, bought or stolen) that are better than 1.00. Due to frustrations over quality, I am about to start making my own weapons.

[Peregrine]

Originally posted by My What:

I can't answer the katana bit, but for the rest
Training: In the Newlands version I don't really train my guys on dummies, I throw them right into the fray, I desperately save who I can and they'll be far stronger for it, Old Lands I didn't have to worry about hunger so I can tab out or take a short break and they'll be ready to thump some hungry bandits
Usually in the beginning, I loot what I can and give it to my guys, otherwise they're usually fighting with light armor and a average quality sabre or katana until I feel brave enough to farm the Armories, or settle down
Speaking of which, I usually recruit to my max limit before making an outpost, and even then I usually don't equip them with homegrown goods until I get the best possible, so they're usually fighting with good quality weapons or otherwise the best, wide array, and with okay to good quality armor, assasin rags, samurai plate, black jackets, whatever I find to be worthy, but I leave the pants and boots to be light, usually drifter, to keep mobility

I consider my guys to be combat ready at the 20's, they'll only hold their own against weak mobs of similar strength, but barring huge cuddle puddles or something unexpected, they'll usually pull through, and if I have any, there'll always be a veteran travelling with them, mid 30s tends to be when alot of doors open, and you have relative safety when travelling through the more civilized parts of the Kenshi world, by that point they tend to remain conscious alongside the veteran, since they only need to survive long enough for the best in their group to clean house

I like your answer.

I'd advise trying the training dummy Mk II at the minimum though, since it gives 10 to attack. I find they stop being COMPLETE morons at that point and can dish out a hit, but I do favor blocking too for new guys so they can gain valuable defense skills.

BTW.

Shirasaya means storage sheath. (Guardless Katana) She rests in a Storage Saya. She's ready for long term storage or display in the saya, which has no frills and is unpainted, though maybe a Sutra or Poem will be inscribed, and the blade information will be on or with her. In general this means she is not ready for combat and you're not expecting to need her.

Koshirae is the BEAUTY or BATTLE Fittings. This is the image that usually comes to mind when people think of a Katana. She will have her laquered scabbard, spacers, guard, and strings all attached and she is ready for war.

Kenshi features both, they're called Katana and Guardless Katana (I think Guardless used to be Slim Katana before the update in 0.93.28 added all the new weapons and changed some of the old ones.)

[Temper]

Originally posted by Peregrine:

So, I wanted to take a quick second and ask a few questions.

Starting with this.

Do you guys perfer Katana with Shirasaya or ones with Koshirae?

I personally like Koshirae.

Secondly, for training, do you guys use training dummies, or just send the new guys right into the fray? In battle, do you give everyone the best possible gear and seek to win quickly, or give them junk to make them fight longer?

At what point do you consider your characters to be "Combat Ready" and have some confidence they will survive?



How do you guys do it?

1.I haven't noticed a difference in Katana art design in game to be honest,I rarely play That closely zoomed in.I'll go with Koshirae as presumably the artwork would be of Katanas being worn and in use.

2.No,I don't use any training devices at all and just throw them into the adventure for experience.They start with whatever they come with and the junk they loot along the way,until such time as they can craft better stuff of their own.

3.The moment the party consists of more than one member.Combat readiness depends on the area/foes one wants to do combat with.

4.There are many playstyles and long term strategies of varying effeciency that are capable of achieving the end goal of *kicking ass* in Kenshi ... but to be completely honest,the best one is whichever one the player enjoys most,and that isn't necessarily always the most effecient or powerfull way.

=)

[My What]

Probably the Koshirae, I have a lax grip, constantly adjusting and so on, I'd prefer to have something between my hand and the blade

[Peregrine]

Originally posted by Temper:

Originally posted by Peregrine:

So, I wanted to take a quick second and ask a few questions.

Starting with this.

Do you guys perfer Katana with Shirasaya or ones with Koshirae?

I personally like Koshirae.

Secondly, for training, do you guys use training dummies, or just send the new guys right into the fray? In battle, do you give everyone the best possible gear and seek to win quickly, or give them junk to make them fight longer?

At what point do you consider your characters to be "Combat Ready" and have some confidence they will survive?



How do you guys do it?

1.I haven't noticed a difference in Katana art design in game to be honest,I rarely play That closely zoomed in.I'll go with Koshirae as presumably the artwork would be of Katanas being worn and in use.

2.No,I don't use any training devices at all and just throw them into the adventure for experience.They start with whatever they come with and the junk they loot along the way,until such time as they can craft better stuff of their own.

3.The moment the party consists of more than one member.Combat readiness depends on the area/foes one wants to do combat with.

4.There are many playstyles and long term strategies of varying effeciency that are capable of achieving the end goal of *kicking ass* in Kenshi ... but to be completely honest,the best one is whichever one the player enjoys most,and that isn't necessarily always the most effecient or powerfull way.

=)

you're correct about Koshirae.

I have a lot of fun in the game, and I've mixed up how I train because sometimes there was just no time for training and they had to go as is where is. It's how the first group trained and fought.

Now days I have enough money and logistics to outfit recruits before they must fight, though they have to survive reaching the Depot first!


One guy mentioned food.

I use the "Breadbag" concept. I buy Small Backpacks and fill them with food. I give them out 1 per character as standard issue. Inside each bag I have 4 Gohan, 2 Food Cubes and 2 Dried Meat for rations. For Medical I add a Standard First Aid Kit and Standard Splint Kit. Once they're out and exploring though, they're on their own for food.