How's the Actual "Kingdom Building" in this game?

[There is no Spoon]

So I know kingdom building is a big thing in this game and that is what mainly got me excited about it. I mean dont get me wrong, I love CRPGs but I kinda already have my fix with Divinity 2 and Pillars of Eternity 2. So when I heard about this game, I initially wrote it off until I heard that you can actually do kingdom building ♥♥♥♥♥. So the real question for me is how good, immersive, and in depth is it? I feel like the only two games I played that had any semblance of kingdom building was Dragon Age Inquisition and Ni No Kuni 2 and I hated them both. Why? Three reasons

#1. It was linear for both: Inquisition gave you maybe a handful of minor options on how to develop your stronghold but they were like "what do you want to build in this room, option #1 or option #2, option #1 will provide you with a handful of minor items and option #2 will provide you with minor items that are slightly different" There really wasnt much choice to it. Same with the outposts throughout the open world. Once you settled an outpost, it really just acted as a fast travel point and a rest stop but thats it. Ni No Kuni's system was also kinda linear in the buildings you created with only minor benefits to whatever choice you made,

#2. Both were not immersive and instead artificial. I was under the impression with both games that you would feel like you actually were a king/inquisitor. However when Inquisition came out, aside from the main story quests, your inqusition influence felt artificial. Camps literally had one or two guards who rarely ever moved and thats all youd see in the region. You had to go out into the world yourself and collect herbs and ♥♥♥♥, you decided what actions to do as an inquisitor through a facebook like map where you click an icon, read a little paragraph about something, make a pointless decision on some of them and wait on a timer for it to get done. When it got finished, depending on what minor options you chose on how to handle an event on the map, youd get some minor materials, or influence etc. Ni No Kuni 2 felt similar with the fact that your kingdom felt like a mobile game layout. You couldnt really see the power of your kingdom or inquisition grow and evolve, you would just be told about it and everything else remained static.

#3. Not really in depth. Both games placed a focus on building a kingdom or inquisition but really they only benefitted your main character with minor upgrades, materials, and occasionally new story related stuff. The only thing I liked about Inquisition was deciding the fate of story related characters or minor characters and acting as judge, jury, and executioner. Ni No Kuni 2 didnt really have any of that though. None of them felt like I was building a kingdom because I am a king and want to grow and develop the land around me. Both felt like "well if I build this building, it will increase my stats or if I build this building, I will get some crafting materials." Just. Fuc king. Boring.

So I have three questions for the devs (though anyone can answer if they themselves can explain it)

#1. Will Kingdom Building actually change how the map around you is shaped? Meaning if you start from nothing but a shack or one building and expand it to have multiple streets and buildings, can you actually SEE that? Like exist in your kingdom and see the land develop? Im not talking about seeing it on a world map of sorts or seeing it grow on a static picture but actually walk through your kingdom as your main character? Seeing people tending to their every day lives? Seeing farms, military buildings, etc?

#2. Will Kingdom Building give you various structures with which to create with tangible benefits that reward not just your character but give positive rewards for your kingdom as a whole? Example: Can you choose between building a defensive wall or more farmlands? The benefits for a wall could obviously be repelling bandit attacks or more farmlands means you see more people come and settle into your city.

#3. Will Kingdom Building actually be dynamic? Meaning can random events happen which could threaten your kingdom or a part of it? I.e Random bandit raids on farms or armies trying to seige your walls? Or trade disputes between you and your neighbors? Or your military patrolling the streets of your kingdom?

If the devs or anyone can provide answers to these questions, I would greatly appreciate it. I am tempted to buy this but if the kingdom building is at the end of the day just artificial or cosmetic, I think I will just stick to Pillars and Divinity as the kingdom building would not be substantive enough for me to have yet another CRPG in my game library. Dont get me wrong. I like everything else about it and the propsect of actually building a kingdom you can actually see grow and change not just on a picture or world map but in the game's actual engine is very appealing to me.. I have longed to play a game where kingdom building actually matters for the world you are in and not just for your character or solely for the plot. Any feedback for these questions is appreciated thanks

[Amigo]

You can have a look at kingdom building in youtube videos. One guy has a rather long playthrough available with like 90 videos. Check this one for example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMaWAOQKcj8&list=PLq8l1iN1OxRwTnxBMBm7Q5B7_zHsZJhrf&index=40

[paulharries1957]

Hi

Haven't seen any 'Kingdom Building' parts yet. Just explored the map doing missions.
Have done all the missions, (now lvl3), is there something I'm missing?

Thanks

[Gregorovitch]

I think that vid answers OP's question rather well. It is certainly a big step up from PoE's keep.

[Astareal]

Originally posted by paulharries1957:

Hi

Haven't seen any 'Kingdom Building' parts yet. Just explored the map doing missions.
Have done all the missions, (now lvl3), is there something I'm missing?

Thanks

Kingdom building is introduced in chapter 2, which is after where the localization beta ends.

[JODEGAFUN]

Originally posted by Gregorovitch:

I think that vid answers OP's question rather well. It is certainly a big step up from PoE's keep.

several steps, PoEs keep was useless money waste in late game (but you had more than you ever could spend this time).
You had masses of bandits and lost all income too them even you had build all stuff and had several better defenders. And the only usefull thing were the bountys, all other buildings you do not really need (even the resting bonus were blank)

[Grifta]

It's like a more complex version of Dragon Age Inqiosition keep management.

[Average Citizen (Not FBI)]

Originally posted by JODEGAFUN:

Originally posted by Gregorovitch:

I think that vid answers OP's question rather well. It is certainly a big step up from PoE's keep.

several steps, PoEs keep was useless money waste in late game (but you had more than you ever could spend this time).
You had masses of bandits and lost all income too them even you had build all stuff and had several better defenders. And the only usefull thing were the bountys, all other buildings you do not really need (even the resting bonus were blank)

The most useless parts of that "stronghold" were the walls and gatehouses. Might as well have not existed because whenever it got attacked they just walked right in through the permanently open gates. A wattle and daub cottage would have been a more secure "stronghold."

[JODEGAFUN]

Originally posted by Average Citizen (Not FBI):

Originally posted by JODEGAFUN:

several steps, PoEs keep was useless money waste in late game (but you had more than you ever could spend this time).
You had masses of bandits and lost all income too them even you had build all stuff and had several better defenders. And the only usefull thing were the bountys, all other buildings you do not really need (even the resting bonus were blank)

The most useless parts of that "stronghold" were the walls and gatehouses. Might as well have not existed because whenever it got attacked they just walked right in through the permanently open gates. A wattle and daub cottage would have been a more secure "stronghold."

yes most was really optical kosmetic.

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Amigo:

You can have a look at kingdom building in youtube videos. One guy has a rather long playthrough available with like 90 videos. Check this one for example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMaWAOQKcj8&list=PLq8l1iN1OxRwTnxBMBm7Q5B7_zHsZJhrf&index=40

That's an old let's play, though. It's like 1 or 2 Betas behind the current build of the game.

[Marcos_DS]

Originally posted by JODEGAFUN:

Originally posted by Average Citizen (Not FBI):

The most useless parts of that "stronghold" were the walls and gatehouses. Might as well have not existed because whenever it got attacked they just walked right in through the permanently open gates. A wattle and daub cottage would have been a more secure "stronghold."

yes most was really optical kosmetic.

Each defensive stronghold extension increases land security by 10 which is beneficial for peasant growth iirc. Same as road extensions improved road security which helps with merchant growth. Most build orders back in the day were smithy -> road extenstions -> land extensions -> rest. So they are actually useful, just not in actual defensive battles... ;-)

[Neme]

Whats the point of building a so called kingdom when you cant even continue playing around with it after the main story..

[4rrakis]

Originally posted by Neme:

Whats the point of building a so called kingdom when you cant even continue playing around with it after the main story..

To play around with it during the main story?

[texhnolyze]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by Amigo:

You can have a look at kingdom building in youtube videos. One guy has a rather long playthrough available with like 90 videos. Check this one for example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMaWAOQKcj8&list=PLq8l1iN1OxRwTnxBMBm7Q5B7_zHsZJhrf&index=40

That's an old let's play, though. It's like 1 or 2 Betas behind the current build of the game.

What has changed? Any newer footage of kingdom management?

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by texhnolyze:

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

That's an old let's play, though. It's like 1 or 2 Betas behind the current build of the game.

What has changed? Any newer footage of kingdom management?

Sadly, no. At the time the 90 episode series was going on, the beta covered the game up to Chapter 3. The current beta only covers up to chapter 1. It ends after you become Baron, which means we don't get to explore the kingdom management system.

[Neme]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by texhnolyze:

What has changed? Any newer footage of kingdom management?

Sadly, no. At the time the 90 episode series was going on, the beta covered the game up to Chapter 3. The current beta only covers up to chapter 1. It ends after you become Baron, which means we don't get to explore the kingdom management system.

I guess thats why I can't find anything newer myself haha