I like the game, but...

[mackrealiv]

I really enjoy the game, but what I find most frustrating is the PC, the one character we the players actually create, is the most trash character in the game. Their one 'advantage' over the rest of your tribe is they can respawn, while the others death is permanent...and what do they do with this immortality? They are the weakest, most POS worthless character in the whole game. The level 1 outcast you enslave from a campfire has higher skill caps, innate abilities to give them bonuses, can be given tasks, and so much else. While the best use of the PC is? Build up to a bonfire, recruit the vagabond that shows up at the bonfire, then spend the rest of the time sitting at the bonfire eating food and drinking water waiting for the tribe member you're using to get killed so you can respawn to the PC, go use the outhouse, bring them back to their spot at the bonfire then switch to another far better character.

Oh, you can also do equipment-less exploration, so you can see where everything is without worrying about losing anything as you can just respawn, rinse-repeat, until you get bored of that.

[Rogue]

Demo version, your main character is capped... You should also do most tasks to earn EXP, both for mask and the related task proficiency.

[mackrealiv]

Originally posted by Rogue:

Demo version, your main character is capped... You should also do most tasks to earn EXP, both for mask and the related task proficiency.

Skill caps are not tied to level, this seems to be confirmed by comments from the developers on their Discord. From what I've seen from these comments the caps can be increased from 50 to 60 with some of the mask repairs, but yeah...the rando NPCs that get enslaved have higher skill caps (I have some that at level 1 their skill caps for everything was over 120, with the mask repairs can be increased to over 130.)

[Rogue]

That's why you need to level your mask as well...

[mackrealiv]

I've been leveling the mask, still doesn't change that the slaves/thralls/followers/outcasts always have better skill caps.
As I previously stated, on their own Discord the developers have made comments indicating the intent is for the player to use the other characters, not the PC, most of the time while the PC just sits around drooling on itself.

[Kaos]

Originally posted by Rogue:

That's why you need to level your mask as well...

Except that the mask repair that is needed to upgrade our caps requires defeating the Vajra Ape in the Plateau Pyramid and getting the Body Enhancement 3 repair to gain +10 in all proficiency caps of the initial body. Vajra Ape is also required to make crafted portals usable.

[FriedDuckling]

You were missing the point. You are the mask, not the avatar. You can change avatars. You grow your tribe, you become the strongest. Think of it as being a title. You are the leader, you choose who is the leader.

[Bar]

can i put the avatar to work or is he just useless? strongly thinking on getting the game and if i do and he dont work im just gonna perm murder him since he has no value to me at all

edit to add: no use leveling the weakest guy in the game. i plan on doing mass kidnapping anyway to make them all build my city

[WuZaA]

If that is the point to swap, why not make it so the MC can perform tasks as well and not just sit there being useless. Also since the other characters are far better at combat you should be using them for that as well. The problem there is that if you die on that far better character, you just lost a ♥♥♥♥ ton of progression...

[leonneddr]

Frustrating to me as well. Having said that .... I think its with intent to force you to play the core mechanic of the game. Control other Tribesman. Capture them, get the ones with good stats, train them, than play them.... till they die. Although they did say next patch will allow for resurrection of your favourite Villager intact with all of their skills/stats from before death. That than means you will be playing Tribesman and using your PC as a "magician" or "necromancer", soft as putty but the strength is in the minions they control.

[Oobaneko]

Originally posted by WuZaA:

If that is the point to swap, why not make it so the MC can perform tasks as well and not just sit there being useless. Also since the other characters are far better at combat you should be using them for that as well. The problem there is that if you die on that far better character, you just lost a ♥♥♥♥ ton of progression...

Swapping will be anyway, even with MC skill cap at 100. Just to train tribesmen.

[DiViOS]

I'm not that far into the game yet (Just at bronze), but I can already see this being huge disappointment later on. This is the ONE thing from Conan that I hated the most, that your thralls were always more powerful than your MC. Games are supposed to empower the player and the MC is an extension of the player. The moment you make companions/thralls/tribe mates more powerful, it diminishes that core component.

[starkmaddness]

Originally posted by DiViOS:

I'm not that far into the game yet (Just at bronze), but I can already see this being huge disappointment later on. This is the ONE thing from Conan that I hated the most, that your thralls were always more powerful than your MC. Games are supposed to empower the player and the MC is an extension of the player. The moment you make companions/thralls/tribe mates more powerful, it diminishes that core component.

I am not a fan of their design choice, but it is slightly different than Conan. It is like you have a thrall follower while also playing as a thrall. You are meant to basically just decommission your main character in this game. I don't like it, but that is the current design.

[Thandius]

Originally posted by FriedDuckling:

You were missing the point. You are the mask, not the avatar. You can change avatars. You grow your tribe, you become the strongest. Think of it as being a title. You are the leader, you choose who is the leader.

No offense, but you are missing their point.

This isn't about a game function i.e. they way the dev intended it to be played, this is about basic gaming psycology: Most gamers identify with the character they play.

And you are correct: technically we are playing as the mask, but still: people identify with the human they create and it feels bad to them if they are mostly worse than every other NPC - it's as simple as that.

No developer's concept will ever change how people work.

[DiViOS]

Originally posted by starkmaddness:

Originally posted by DiViOS:

I'm not that far into the game yet (Just at bronze), but I can already see this being huge disappointment later on. This is the ONE thing from Conan that I hated the most, that your thralls were always more powerful than your MC. Games are supposed to empower the player and the MC is an extension of the player. The moment you make companions/thralls/tribe mates more powerful, it diminishes that core component.

I am not a fan of their design choice, but it is slightly different than Conan. It is like you have a thrall follower while also playing as a thrall. You are meant to basically just decommission your main character in this game. I don't like it, but that is the current design.

It doesn't even make sense contextually. Why would any tribe member follow the weakest member of the tribe? When you control another tribe member, your MC is useless, they just sit there like an immortal slacker. Sure you can do some light mental gymnastics and say "you are the mask", but that's not how most people play. They want to identify with their character and "be the best and most powerful". That is the single most common goal of any game, to give the player their dopamine fix.

[Loot]

Originally posted by DiViOS:

Originally posted by starkmaddness:

I am not a fan of their design choice, but it is slightly different than Conan. It is like you have a thrall follower while also playing as a thrall. You are meant to basically just decommission your main character in this game. I don't like it, but that is the current design.

It doesn't even make sense contextually. Why would any tribe member follow the weakest member of the tribe? When you control another tribe member, your MC is useless, they just sit there like an immortal slacker. Sure you can do some light mental gymnastics and say "you are the mask", but that's not how most people play. They want to identify with their character and "be the best and most powerful". That is the single most common goal of any game, to give the player their dopamine fix.

Well, the player character is exponentially more intelligent. Intelligence is very important for a leader. Brawn will only get you so far. You might not be as strong, but you can beat any of them in a fight, just by out-thinking them.

Hell, you had to beat them in a fight, just to recruit them.