Should I Keep My Second Character? :: Kenshi General Discussions

Store Page

Kenshi

All Discussions Screenshots Artwork Broadcasts Videos Workshop News Guides Reviews

Kenshi > General Discussions > Topic Details

Swindle

Aug 6, 2019 @ 12:44pm

Should I Keep My Second Character?

So I've started my first play-through as a slave in Rebirth. Of course, that start gives you 2 characters. Initially I liked the idea of having someone to help me get past bag checks as (according to a video I watched) you could just drop any stolen loot from atop the walls down to somebody below. The idea though was that I wanted to start with a solo play-through because having one person to focus on is a lot easier than 2.

I'm torn. I'd like to get an experienced opinion as to whether I should tough out training two people, getting gear for two people, trying to keep two people fed, ect or just ditch the dead weight and go our separate ways. It's also been super helpful to have someone to pick me up when I try to work on my toughness because most fights I've run into with Dust Bandits and Hungry Bandits have left me in a Recovery Coma which pretty much might as well be death. By now though, I could probably just knock out a Hungry Bandit, disarm them, have them kick my ass which will almost gauranteably not kill me, and then dust myself off and do that again.

Thoughts and opinions please?

< >

Showing 1-14 of 14 comments

Undead Rufus has Kenshi

Aug 6, 2019 @ 1:07pm

Obviously, playing with one character means your chance of death is higher, and your already abysmal odds in early combat are even worse. The game isn't friendly to loners, even by its own standards. Mechanically, the main focus is squad management, after all.

Your best bet for a lone wolf is to focus on athletics, I think. Train toughness and combat under highly controlled conditions only.

All that said, you make it sound like training, feeding and gearing two people is somehow substantially harder than just having one. It's really not. There is a point at which population can exceed your ability to acquire resources. I don't know what that number is on average, but I suspect it's far greater than two.

Swindle

Aug 6, 2019 @ 1:10pm

I didn't mean to make it sound substantially harder or anything. I'm just weighing the pros and cons. If anything, I'd say it's harder to start off as a loner BECAUSE I don't have the safety net of a friend coming to pick my ass up when I'm down. Sorry for the confusion. Mostly I'm just feeling like it'd be easier for me to focus my attention on one person for now, being a beginner and all.

tutufuzi1

Aug 6, 2019 @ 1:15pm

i would keep them, even if it's just for survivability. you'll get knocked out in the beginning, all the time. and if you're unlucky you'll just bleed out cause there'll be no one to patch you back up and get your lifeless body out of the danger zone.

i find it easier in the beginning to get a little group together and have strength in numbers. you won't be facing a single hungry bandit or a lone dust bandit that often, they'll be moving in groups.

it's easier to manage food/equipment for one person, of course. but it's also easier to make money with more people.

now, with all that said it's possible to play with one or two people and still be alright, but for a first time player i wouldn't go solo. of course you can play how you want to and see what works and doesn't.

Rusted Cake has Kenshi

Aug 6, 2019 @ 1:18pm

Originally posted by Swindle:
I didn't mean to make it sound substantially harder or anything. I'm just weighing the pros and cons. If anything, I'd say it's harder to start off as a loner BECAUSE I don't have the safety net of a friend coming to pick my ass up when I'm down. Sorry for the confusion. Mostly I'm just feeling like it'd be easier for me to focus my attention on one person for now, being a beginner and all.

I have played many a playthrough. Much easier to have a wingman. If you are merely a beginner then even more so.

If you wish to solo you can, just be sure your wingman stays out the fighting.
Basically treat him as your emergency aid. Lost a leg? Wingman.
Lost both your arms? Wingman. Need someone to do research? Wingman.
Need a human pack mule? Wingman. Need an archer to shoot the big mean giant monsters?
Wingman.

Your second unit can be used to specialize where your main character does not & save an arse load of time researching for your main character.

Last edited by Rusted Cake; Aug 6, 2019 @ 1:19pm

Undead Rufus has Kenshi

Aug 6, 2019 @ 1:37pm

Originally posted by Swindle:
I didn't mean to make it sound substantially harder or anything. I'm just weighing the pros and cons. If anything, I'd say it's harder to start off as a loner BECAUSE I don't have the safety net of a friend coming to pick my ass up when I'm down. Sorry for the confusion. Mostly I'm just feeling like it'd be easier for me to focus my attention on one person for now, being a beginner and all.

If you're a beginner, definitely don't try to solo. Rusted Cake's advice above is sound. If you must be a lone wolf, then just keep your second guy out of the way until you need an EMT. And at some point, you probably will. ;)

Swindle

Aug 6, 2019 @ 1:54pm

Yeah, that's all true. Basically what I've been shooting for is a pair of thieves. Like I said, a duo can smuggle things like Hashish and stolen goods in and out of cities easier. On top of that, they can also patch one another up. Plus, it's always better to have two bad-asses instead of just one.

crazyorse

Aug 6, 2019 @ 3:31pm

A recovery coma means you are lunch for Fogmen Beaks and Spiders.
I think you really do need two.
I started with a dog (intending to go solo) and it was a struggle to get from Bast to Stoat. I thought long and hard and gave up solo.Joined up with an escaped slave I unshackled and could not count the amount of times we have avoided death simply because there is someone else.
No need for a base just a house in town.

Swindle

Aug 6, 2019 @ 4:06pm

Solo can definitely be precarious at first but, with a lil' luck and a lil' save scumming it can be doable. Really and truly, two hasn't been very hard but then again we're really stealthy after escaping Rebirth. Truth be told, I should have leveled my Toughness there. Didn't think about that at the time.

happy

Aug 7, 2019 @ 4:13am

Your game will be richer with 2 characters as you will make up stories and relations between the 2 according to game events.
2 is no more difficult nor more of a hassle than 1, or at least it's negligible.
Stick with 2, If you ask the question it's probably because it does not fall into your initial plan but ends up being fun.
Fun is superior to plan.

Swindle

Aug 7, 2019 @ 4:23am

Originally posted by happy:
Your game will be richer with 2 characters as you will make up stories and relations between the 2 according to game events.
2 is no more difficult nor more of a hassle than 1, or at least it's negligible.
Stick with 2, If you ask the question it's probably because it does not fall into your initial plan but ends up being fun.
Fun is superior to plan.

That's very true. The story I've come up with so far was that Dogun was in Rebirth for trying to make a living as a thief, Elise for simply being a lone woman in Okran territory "spouting heresies" or whatever. After escaping, Dogun teaches Elise what little he knows of thieving but mostly the two learn together and watch each others' backs.

#10

SkyofRunes has Kenshi

Aug 7, 2019 @ 7:17am

What you are really asking is whether to be a man or a boy if you wanna be a man kick your second character to the curb and brave kenshi I assure you that if you survive it feels much more rewarding albeit its a big if in the beginning but will get easier.

Last edited by SkyofRunes; Aug 7, 2019 @ 7:18am

#11

Swindle

Aug 7, 2019 @ 4:57pm

Originally posted by DarkruneZ:
What you are really asking is whether to be a man or a boy if you wanna be a man kick your second character to the curb and brave kenshi I assure you that if you survive it feels much more rewarding albeit its a big if in the beginning but will get easier.

Well see, that's the thing, after playing a bit of the game and finding some of the clothes and weapons in it, I TOTALLY wanna make Guts from Berserk. A 7 foot tall bad ass, bristling with muscle and grit and a blackened look of unadulterated nerve that would make lesser men quake with fear! ...But I wanna get my feet wet first and experience the game a bit more before that. Also, I should probably mention, another pro is that when I was making her I maxed her boobs to try and get them to look normal. Totally didn't realize they'd fill out when we got more nourished after escaping Rebirth. So now it's my Katana wielding attempt at Garret from Thief and this lady with big tits. ._.

#12