Master Archer + Other Builds

[Clarence Boddicker]

IS this game an rpg where I can make different builds or does basically everyone have a sword and shield? Can I be a master stealth archer one playthrough and then be a 2 handed monster the next?

[Bamsmacked]

There really isn't much limiting how you play TBH, you can continue to level up your abilities even at max levels.

If you wanted to go down the stealthy Archer type route, you can. However stealth is much different in this game than it is in other RPGs, at low levels it sucks and you would want to use darkness to enhance your likely hood of being undiscovered.

You'll probably focus a lot on Agility, and some Strength because Bows require strength to use. Early on bows suck because before level 5 without Vambraces you don't hold the bow properly. Also you will have tons of arrow drop at low levels, and there is no crosshair to help you aim so it's entirely skill based. At higher levels of archery you arrows drop less, and you can zoom.

Shortsword will be your primary melee choice, since it's favored attribute is Agility and you'll have access to some decent combos.

Stealth, Sword, Bow, Maintenance, and Alchemy should be your primary skills. Stealth tree has perks that make you much less quite, and so does Maintenance by combining the two perks you can produce next to no noise and noise is usually the main culprit for detection. Alchemy will give you some good pots that will increase your combat abilities especially with bow, and a lot of other useful buffs.

Reading is a decent skill to have as well, because you can develop a perk that makes it easier to convince a guard.

You'll want to wear light and darkened armors, in early game you probably won't have the best protection, but later on with the perks from stealth and maintenance you can start to wear heavier armors and have a lot less noise penalties associated to them.

As for a combat based build, there are no "two-handed monsters".... There are no greatswords, you instead have Longswords, which are basically used with two hands but can also be used with a shield at lower effectiveness. Longswords overall are probably the best weapons in the game, they scale with Strength and have the most combos of any other weapon. For a longsword build you'll probably want as much Strength as possible with heavier armors.

[Clarence Boddicker]

Originally posted by Bamsmacked:

There really isn't much limiting how you play TBH, you can continue to level up your abilities even at max levels.

If you wanted to go down the stealthy Archer type route, you can. However stealth is much different in this game than it is in other RPGs, at low levels it sucks and you would want to use darkness to enhance your likely hood of being undiscovered.

You'll probably focus a lot on Agility, and some Strength because Bows require strength to use. Early on bows suck because before level 5 without Vambraces you don't hold the bow properly. Also you will have tons of arrow drop at low levels, and there is no crosshair to help you aim so it's entirely skill based. At higher levels of archery you arrows drop less, and you can zoom.

Shortsword will be your primary melee choice, since it's favored attribute is Agility and you'll have access to some decent combos.

Stealth, Sword, Bow, Maintenance, and Alchemy should be your primary skills. Stealth tree has perks that make you much less quite, and so does Maintenance by combining the two perks you can produce next to no noise and noise is usually the main culprit for detection. Alchemy will give you some good pots that will increase your combat abilities especially with bow, and a lot of other useful buffs.

Reading is a decent skill to have as well, because you can develop a perk that makes it easier to convince a guard.

You'll want to wear light and darkened armors, in early game you probably won't have the best protection, but later on with the perks from stealth and maintenance you can start to wear heavier armors and have a lot less noise penalties associated to them.

As for a combat based build, there are no "two-handed monsters".... There are no greatswords, you instead have Longswords, which are basically used with two hands but can also be used with a shield at lower effectiveness. Longswords overall are probably the best weapons in the game, they scale with Strength and have the most combos of any other weapon. For a longsword build you'll probably want as much Strength as possible with heavier armors.

Thank you for the free information.

[jasta85]

With enough time you can basically master everything, you level skills up by doing them. So shooting lots of stuff with a bow levels up archer, beating them with one hande dweapons levels that up etc. It will take a loooong time to level up everything but it is possible.

[Clarence Boddicker]

Originally posted by jasta85:

With enough time you can basically master everything, you level skills up by doing them. So shooting lots of stuff with a bow levels up archer, beating them with one hande dweapons levels that up etc. It will take a loooong time to level up everything but it is possible.

Well I see in the trailer that sword fights are not quick and maybe it takes a while to master the melee. Can I just level up bows and headshot these fools? Can I even 1 hit kill people with headshots?

[BushiNeko]

Originally posted by Chonchy:

Originally posted by jasta85:

With enough time you can basically master everything, you level skills up by doing them. So shooting lots of stuff with a bow levels up archer, beating them with one hande dweapons levels that up etc. It will take a loooong time to level up everything but it is possible.

Well I see in the trailer that sword fights are not quick and maybe it takes a while to master the melee. Can I just level up bows and headshot these fools? Can I even 1 hit kill people with headshots?

Combat is tough to learn game wise if your coming from ' other ' RP type ones involving aim and mouse for swords blocks and archery.

It becomes really fun and easy to learn as a player with just a little play time. Even without using combo's having skill and the requirements for different weapons make you more effective. But the combo use makes you able to fight better and end fights sooner. It's a game where as a solo fighter you dont want to head on 3 people, as they will circle you and hit you while your distracted etc. But you learn how to control the battles. Or you die. :P

Your not really limited at all to how you make your build, other than learning how the system works. Not uncommon tho'.

>>>> Archery can be a very deadly skill. You have various types of arrows, IE Hunting for game, Piercing for hitting heavy human targets, wounding etc. Unlike most games you have to choose what type you like for what situation for the most effect. You can get your aiming reticle back also via .ini change or a mod, and I dont think that's cheating. I am too spoiled from gaming to not use one myself. You can easily use stealth ( if your not a lumbering plate armor knight rattling like a kitchen ) to take out enemies, and as normal you can kill sleeping or knocked out foes easily. YES. Sometimes you can one shot. More often the unarmored of course.

I prefer a Mace ( morning star to be exact ) for my character, with chainmail base armor other than my full helm. It's a nice combo for me. Plus there is satisfaction in bonking bandits / Cumans over the head with a heavy spiked ball. My archery is not the greatest, but good enough now to use it to seriously injure enemies before I finish them off.

Overall, it's frustrating at first, but a short while into it you probably will like how the whole combat system works.

[Bamsmacked]

Originally posted by Chonchy:

Originally posted by jasta85:

With enough time you can basically master everything, you level skills up by doing them. So shooting lots of stuff with a bow levels up archer, beating them with one hande dweapons levels that up etc. It will take a loooong time to level up everything but it is possible.

Well I see in the trailer that sword fights are not quick and maybe it takes a while to master the melee. Can I just level up bows and headshot these fools? Can I even 1 hit kill people with headshots?

Against skilled enemies duels can take a minute, because better fighters will parry and counter attack quite often, it's sometimes difficult to break their defenses.

I know with medium tier bows and a decent bow skill, headshots will drop unarmored enemies with a single shot, however enemies with full helmets on might take a few. Early on though bows prolly won't do a lot in head shot damage, you just have too much drop.

Combat in this game is very rewarding and satisfying, I love a good brawl against a good fighter. Combos are based on actual martial arts techniques of the time and are really fun to pull off, and they are your primary way of breaking defenses of higher skilled enemies, because once you execute a combo the technique itself can't be blocked, only the sequence strikes prior to performing it can be.

[Clarence Boddicker]

Originally posted by Bamsmacked:

Originally posted by Chonchy:

Well I see in the trailer that sword fights are not quick and maybe it takes a while to master the melee. Can I just level up bows and headshot these fools? Can I even 1 hit kill people with headshots?

Against skilled enemies duels can take a minute, because better fighters will parry and counter attack quite often, it's sometimes difficult to break their defenses.

I know with medium tier bows and a decent bow skill, headshots will drop unarmored enemies with a single shot, however enemies with full helmets on might take a few. Early on though bows prolly won't do a lot in head shot damage, you just have too much drop.

Combat in this game is very rewarding and satisfying, I love a good brawl against a good fighter. Combos are based on actual martial arts techniques of the time and are really fun to pull off, and they are your primary way of breaking defenses of higher skilled enemies, because once you execute a combo the technique itself can't be blocked, only the sequence strikes prior to performing it can be.

Thanks for the reply but I need to point out that there are/were no combos in actual sword fights. Sword fights were quick and brutal. This whole notion of blocking a strike with your sword etc etc is Hollywood myth. Movies like Braveheart or The Warlords(Jet Li) are about as real as we can expect. Even in high level fencing it's over in 1 strike.

[Bamsmacked]

Originally posted by Chonchy:

Originally posted by Bamsmacked:

Against skilled enemies duels can take a minute, because better fighters will parry and counter attack quite often, it's sometimes difficult to break their defenses.

I know with medium tier bows and a decent bow skill, headshots will drop unarmored enemies with a single shot, however enemies with full helmets on might take a few. Early on though bows prolly won't do a lot in head shot damage, you just have too much drop.

Combat in this game is very rewarding and satisfying, I love a good brawl against a good fighter. Combos are based on actual martial arts techniques of the time and are really fun to pull off, and they are your primary way of breaking defenses of higher skilled enemies, because once you execute a combo the technique itself can't be blocked, only the sequence strikes prior to performing it can be.

Thanks for the reply but I need to point out that there are/were no combos in actual sword fights. Sword fights were quick and brutal. This whole notion of blocking a strike with your sword etc etc is Hollywood myth. Movies like Braveheart or The Warlords(Jet Li) are about as real as we can expect. Even in high level fencing it's over in 1 strike.

Not 100% true, I don't know what kind of fencing you've seen but I've seen plenty of professional fencers going at it and I've seen tons of ripostes and parries.... Hollywood and video games certainly romanticized it a lot and made it a lot more pretty and delicate than what it actually is though for sure.

Also when I mentioned "combos" I didn't literally mean combos... They are simply manuevers and techniques based off sword fighting martial arts back then.

[Lieste]

Originally posted by Chonchy:

Thanks for the reply but I need to point out that there are/were no combos in actual sword fights. Sword fights were quick and brutal. This whole notion of blocking a strike with your sword etc etc is Hollywood myth. Movies like Braveheart or The Warlords(Jet Li) are about as real as we can expect. Even in high level fencing it's over in 1 strike.

This is absolutely absurd.
In the unarmoured fight, the norm is to countercut, seeking edge on edge binds to provide the necessary dynamic and structural 'presence' to make a good parry against a hard attack, and to provide a threat.

The fighting treatises and manuals demonstrate the techniques of the cut and thrust, and link multiple attacks into 'devices' which chain the learned position and actions from it in various ways. These are not 'standard' routines which only work that way, but are learning tools to gain muscle memory, so a sudden threat or opportunity has a recognisable reaction and subsequent actions which can proceed from it.

As an example, Leckuchner has 23 'techniques' for the langes messer and these are examined over 432 pages, many illustrated, most showing the work from the bind, with winds, grapples and other techniques to control the opponent's weapon, to avoid his control of you, to immobilise and provide a safe opportunity to strike without being hit.

All of the other fightbooks have similar in depth treatment of what to do after the initial onslaught, including the likelihood that you have to defend during the withdrawal if you landed a strike.

With armoured fighting, the likelihood of wounding goes down, and the fight becomes even more about control and eventually about bypassing protection, but the number of actions to obtain this is still potentially varied and have both actions and counters.

[Clarence Boddicker]

Well according to YT this is the best fencing match ever and each round is over after the initial collision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGearEu2PlU

I don't think those ancient sword fighting manuals were meant to be taken literally. We have know way of knowing. It was probably like fencing, not fighting to the death. This video shows drawings etc but this ♥♥♥♥ would never work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0n2JaRXIF0&t

[theSeb]

Yes, in fencing you score as soon as you hit an opponent. Citing fencing as historical sword fighting techniques does give your argument any credibility

[Clarence Boddicker]

Originally posted by Lieste:

Originally posted by Chonchy:

Thanks for the reply but I need to point out that there are/were no combos in actual sword fights. Sword fights were quick and brutal. This whole notion of blocking a strike with your sword etc etc is Hollywood myth. Movies like Braveheart or The Warlords(Jet Li) are about as real as we can expect. Even in high level fencing it's over in 1 strike.

This is absolutely absurd.
In the unarmoured fight, the norm is to countercut, seeking edge on edge binds to provide the necessary dynamic and structural 'presence' to make a good parry against a hard attack, and to provide a threat.

The fighting treatises and manuals demonstrate the techniques of the cut and thrust, and link multiple attacks into 'devices' which chain the learned position and actions from it in various ways. These are not 'standard' routines which only work that way, but are learning tools to gain muscle memory, so a sudden threat or opportunity has a recognisable reaction and subsequent actions which can proceed from it.

As an example, Leckuchner has 23 'techniques' for the langes messer and these are examined over 432 pages, many illustrated, most showing the work from the bind, with winds, grapples and other techniques to control the opponent's weapon, to avoid his control of you, to immobilise and provide a safe opportunity to strike without being hit.

All of the other fightbooks have similar in depth treatment of what to do after the initial onslaught, including the likelihood that you have to defend during the withdrawal if you landed a strike.

With armoured fighting, the likelihood of wounding goes down, and the fight becomes even more about control and eventually about bypassing protection, but the number of actions to obtain this is still potentially varied and have both actions and counters.

There is no norm, and the norm is definitely not a cutting or slashing motion, but a stab or thrust. Stab/thrust are kill shots while slicing(even to the head/face) almost never kills. A mace is even more deadly than a slash/cut.

Never heard of Leckuchner. Unless I see it in action then it means nothing, like learning from a wing chun dojo master who's never fought in his life.

Lol this? This is a freakin joke m8.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jxHnphJMB8

[Clarence Boddicker]

Originally posted by sebastian.me:

Yes, in fencing you score as soon as you hit an opponent. Citing fencing as historical sword fighting techniques does give your argument any credibility

I know it "does". Thank you.

[archimeter]

Fencing is a little different, and a bad example of realistic combat.

Specifically, fencing has a concept of priority that doesn't really mesh with 'not wanting to get stabbed'. to quote wikipedia:

"In foil and sabre, there is a rule known as priority, or "right-of-way." The first fencer to commence an attack gains the priority. If the attack results in a successful hit, only the fencer who has the priority is awarded a touch (regardless of whether the fencer without right of way has made a touch). A successful parry causes the attack to fail, and hence the priority is transferred to the defender (who is now the attacker)."

So what this means is that if you parry someones attack in fencing, it doesn't matter if they follow through and hit you after, because you have priority and your riposte (if taken immediately) lands you will still get the point.

This results in defense not mattering after a quick parry, or other things like counterattacking being useless.

The weapons in fencing are also super light and fast, which is great as a sport but terrible if the other person is wearing armor.

Something more realistic would be the SCA fighting or things like it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkDDBL7jNew

[Marcos_DS]

Actually Warhorse itself (Studio behind KCD) released a nice documentary about their sources, here is the trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no2tg49Oz0g

That said, fights can indeed be over really fast, esp. vs. unarmored. Here is a technique demo from Lichtenaur fencing manual

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln94E9AGYTc