Terrible unarmed combat

[Nightbringer]

So, I got beaten badly by Kudash and second time isn't much better. I'm appalled just how bad melee combat is. I press to block, my character don't seem to bother blocking. Then he immediately gets his head kicked by a knee. For some reason, I can't do the same nor defend against it while actively defending against it. AI is also terrible as it perfectly dodges all shots. It doesn't seem that I'm fighting a drunk at all.

What is the worst part is just how unresponsive everything is. I try blocking, my character do not block. I try attacking, my character does not attack. I don't know. Maybe I'm just out of touch with how it is for normal people as I'm a body builder and had martial arts training during teenager years, but I can instantly block hits or launch them when I want them. Not after second of thinking how to do it.

All of this added up to ruining my terrific first impression of a game. Unarmed combat sucks. It sucks that I couldn't talk my way out of the quest as it always fail. I hate unarmed combat, because it is unresponsive and characters fight like drunks. It is also ineffective, block doesn't block. You are locked to a character and are sort of on rails. You cannot switch from defense to attack and melee attacks are so floaty than enemy can just walk backwards from your swings...

[SympliKrazi]

Henry's level at every thing is 0-1, even the town drunk is tough. This is comparable to fighting rats or goo in the sewers in fantasy RPG's. Kunesh is beatable, but not easy because he is stronger than Henry. The Knee kick to the head happens because of proximity(dont get to close to each other), and the stronger opponent wins the grapple/clinch.
Block and sidestep or back step is a must(learn to react as you see the incoming punch animation begin). Kick and jab is the key(R-click). Don't use normal attack (L-click)

Honestly though, i wouldnt worry about it, just survive and continue to train Henry in whatever way you see fit. He pretty much gets exp from doing everything in some way shape or form. As Henry levels up, you will also be learning the mechanics of the game. Also, Henry's main level means nothing, train the thing you want Henry to get good at and it will get easier.

Last but not least, every newb has this experience. Henry isnt the Hercules hero who beats minions by the horde. He's a regular guy who can barely handle a 1v1 fight, and 1v2 he's already outmatched, until later. He'll have to use wits and cunning or just plain take heel or hopefully take a horse and skedaddle like crazy, especially in the beginning.

Edit; spelgram

Also, it's rng+ Henry's skill + attributes and a dice throw vs opponent's defense/block and a dice throw.
and vice versa, Henry's Defense skill/block(but only if you hit block button) vs opponent's Combat skills
No block = free hit (so block or dodge any incoming attack.

[Nightbringer]

The problem is from immersion perspective. Henry is an young adult. Kudash is town's drunkard. I don't know why everyone is pretending that you are an underdog. A young adult is on equal terms or stronger than a drunkard. Those people tend to be notoriously weak because their bodies and mind are atrophied due to alcohol abuse. They are probably have a hangover over drinking last night too. I'm stronger than him or at least on equal terms. I would understand that if I pick on a guard and get beaten, but this is nonsense. I might as well be beaten by a little girl.

The problem from proximity attack is that it takes a significant amount of your health. He can do that automatically while you cannot. That is unfair and makes combat frustrating. I tried various tactics to beat him, but nothing works. The problem is that he has way too much health. He can beat me easily with several hits, but I have to land at least twice that amount and it doesn't help that AI always auto blocks everything.

Eventually I figured out the solution. When you lose, just go behind him and hit him again. You might lose again, but keep on repeating it. Then Kudash will eventually fall on the ground. This is when you rob him of everything he has. Go into his house, unlock everything from a chest. Then sell his items to trader. That will more than cover the cost of charcoal.

Game left a very poor impression. Especially when you are given a choice to throw feces at German house, but I refused. However game never bothered to address my choice. When why give me an arbitrary choice in a first place if I'm going to get lectured for doing the right thing? Or how I magically learned how to ride a horse? That was frustrating experience, because game loves to give you confusing controls in life and death scenarios.

Jeez, game is really rough around the edges. I see the same issue as with Mount and Blade game. Crap game, but it has passionate community, because it allows them to roleplay a fantasy in an underserved niche.

[Païtiti]

So the great thing about this game is that there are multiple ways to do things. I got my backside handed to me by Kunesh as well the first time. Henry went home to get patched up by his mom and then went to his friends for help. Together they beat him up.
Why would Henry, a young man, win against a seasoned brawler and woodcutter. It doesn't make sense. Later in the game there are several fights, like a bar brawl where you can shine.
It's a progression. Henry grows as you go along in the story.

[Païtiti]

Originally posted by Nightbringer:

The problem is from immersion perspective. Henry is an young adult. Kudash is town's drunkard. I don't know why everyone is pretending that you are an underdog. A young adult is on equal terms or stronger than a drunkard. Those people tend to be notoriously weak because their bodies and mind are atrophied due to alcohol abuse. They are probably have a hangover over drinking last night too. I'm stronger than him or at least on equal terms. I would understand that if I pick on a guard and get beaten, but this is nonsense. I might as well be beaten by a little girl.

Ah, there's the issue. You never had a fight with some seasoned veteran of the fist dance. Kunash is not a lightweight as I said earlier. Henry is not stronger than him. He's a 17 year old boy that had been sucking on mama's teat not so long ago. Kunesh is a grown man that has been cutting trees his whole life. In the middle ages. He has working man strenght.

[SympliKrazi]

Originally posted by Nightbringer:

s pretending

This is an RPG, Kunesh's stats are better than Henry's. Also, some drunks are stronger than others, it's a question of body mass, and Kunesh is fairly big fella, while Henry is lightweight. It is what it is. If you want to play according to you're own rules, there are mods for that.

And another one, and another one bites the newb wall's dust

[Nightbringer]

Originally posted by Païtiti:

Originally posted by Nightbringer:

The problem is from immersion perspective. Henry is an young adult. Kudash is town's drunkard. I don't know why everyone is pretending that you are an underdog. A young adult is on equal terms or stronger than a drunkard. Those people tend to be notoriously weak because their bodies and mind are atrophied due to alcohol abuse. They are probably have a hangover over drinking last night too. I'm stronger than him or at least on equal terms. I would understand that if I pick on a guard and get beaten, but this is nonsense. I might as well be beaten by a little girl.

Ah, there's the issue. You never had a fight with some seasoned veteran of the fist dance. Kunash is not a lightweight as I said earlier. Henry is not stronger than him. He's a 17 year old boy that had been sucking on mama's teat not so long ago. Kunesh is a grown man that has been cutting trees his whole life. In the middle ages. He has working man strenght.

But a counterpoint. He is a blacksmith apprentice. He was shown to know how to work in a forge. That makes a person rough and strong. Also, Henry is shown as someone who constantly gets into trouble and has a tendency for physical activity as shown with his sword training. Also, Henry in game is shown as being 18 to 20 years old. A time period when an young male starts peaking in his physical strength naturally.

His opponent is a drunkard. I don't know your cultural background, but I'm from Eastern Europe. I had seen plenty of drunkards. They are really feeble men. Even ones which get by by occasional manual labor.

This is why I automatically assumed that he is weaker than me or at least on par with me. In my mind, it doesn't make any sense for him to be stronger than my character. This is why I took a route to fight 1 versus 1 against him and expected an easy tutorial fight.

Btw: This strikes doubly so for me, because at that time period in life, I also had to challenge a drunkard to a fight. I did so, because he pissed me off and I felt confident in being stronger than him. He did not wanted to fight me.

[DargonBlak]

Originally posted by Nightbringer:

So, I got beaten badly by Kudash and second time isn't much better. I'm appalled just how bad melee combat is...

No - incorrect logical conclusion

The melee combat isn't bad because you were beaten...

You were beaten because you are bad at KCD combat

Yes, the combat is different - learn it, figure it out, or get used to dying

maintain stamina, time your moves based on the cadence (do not spam), back step often

learn Master Strikes from Bernard, and fight defensively

[Nightbringer]

You needed to continue reading before posting that cookie cutter comment.

[DargonBlak]

Originally posted by Nightbringer:

You needed to continue reading before posting that cookie cutter comment.

no i didn't,

but i read it anyway, and it all seemed to follow that idea of "it's too hard, therefore it's bad"

the combat's not easy, as described in ur examples - but that's not the reason it's bad

Kunesh is easy in the prologue once you learn the combat

and there's enough clues, tips, hints, and even instruction given to understand basic combat during the prologue - as well as visibility of Henry's stats to understand ur chances

[vine]

Henry is 14. Kunesh is a grown man.
you need to help Henry be good
but that won't be from the start of the game
RPG baby

[SympliKrazi]

Originally posted by Nightbringer:

You needed to continue reading before posting that cookie cutter comment.

He's trying to be helpful. you're being disrespectful

You think you said something unique and different from every other newb? chill bro

[Nightbringer]

Originally posted by DargonBlak:

Originally posted by Nightbringer:

You needed to continue reading before posting that cookie cutter comment.

no i didn't,

but i read it anyway, and it all seemed to follow that idea of "it's too hard, therefore it's bad"

the combat's not easy, as described in ur examples - but that's not the reason it's bad

Kunesh is easy in the prologue once you learn the combat

and there's enough clues, tips, hints, and even instruction given to understand basic combat during the prologue - as well as visibility of Henry's stats to understand ur chances

Like, literally all you say is wrong. You posted initial reply with no relationship with what I had said. Just had a fanboy response of how everyone critiquing game is wrong. Then even after reading my comment, you got the wrong idea what I was complaining about. And even your last statement is questionable. I tried multiple times and it wasn't easy at all. He has several times more health than you and can just get free shots at you taking significant portions of your health if you get too close. By it being easy you probably mean having better stats which trivializes the encounter.

[Nightbringer]

Originally posted by vine:

Henry is 14. Kunesh is a grown man.
you need to help Henry be good
but that won't be from the start of the game
RPG baby

He is 14 now? Every person who wrote his age to me had a different number. And they all are wrong. At no point his age was mentioned and from in game he looks like an young adult rather than a teenager.

[Nightbringer]

Originally posted by SympliKrazi:

Originally posted by Nightbringer:

You needed to continue reading before posting that cookie cutter comment.

He's trying to be helpful. you're being disrespectful

You think you said something unique and different from every other newb? chill bro

I see it as an opposite. Writing an out of touch comment without addressing what is being said and coming up with your own scenario of a conversation is disrespectful to me.

[Nightbringer]

Except that a person wants to talk down to me than to give help. Other people are just making false claims or rather we are discussing a subjective topic about immersion. Henry in game and from narrative standpoint is portrayed completely differently than people want to admit in forum.