Recent reviews by MeVII

Downloaded free game.
Played free game.
Didn't stop playing free game for 2.6 hrs.

Bought free game.

Dear Devs,
“The version number had nothing to do with beta, early access, or launch.”
Sure. Let’s just throw out that’s been the standard expectation and understanding of version numbers for the average consumer for decades.

“The reason why it was starting with a zero was simply because the guy making the build forgot to change the number (it's done manually). And this versioning has had multiple different variations throughout the development process.”
I think if it was understood what was being exposed there, it would not have been said.
So, the version starts with a zero, because, someone forgot? - Is that “quality”?
Then what was forgotten by one person, was not noticed or fixed by anyone else? - Was that “quality control”?

That explains a lot about the games current state.

“Reason for some of the features you list as "missing" from KoPP2 is the shift in design direction.”
By definition, anything that was present, and is expected, but is now not present, that results in reducing player options or control is indeed - missing.

“…there isn't a need for separate save files”
Need? Of course its not a need. Careful however, since no one “needs” to buy the game.
its not food, shelter or safety - its entertainment.
No. It’s a want. I, and not only I, want, more save slots, like there used to be, for our own reasons.
For example, I would like to start from the very beginning of the story with different characters.
Or, I would like the experience of unlocking characters again, but, don’t want to lose my high level party, and may want to return to it.
Many other players could list their own reasons.

Note - it was an option that was there, that is now removed … missing… from KoPP3.

“I don't think it's fair to say that something is "missing" from a game if it simply isn't a necessary addition to achieve an enjoyable experience.”
Currently, because the expectations (that KoPP 1 and 2 taught players to have for the title), were not met, about 80% of players disagree, and are not achieving “an enjoyable experience”. So if development wants to double down on what they are going to tell the players is a "necessary addition to achieve an enjoyable experience" - well, go ahead I suppose.

“… we made a patch…”
That’s a nice start. The game has gone from about 16% to 19% positive reviews.
The game has a long way to go.

-

(Original Review)
(Edited to officially change from a "Recommended" to "Not Recommended".
Devs need to know they have work to do, and it needs to be taken seriously.)

Ive played Knights of Pen & Paper 1 and 2 thoroughly.
Between both PC and Mobile I easily have 100hrs in each.
I can already tell the core game play, process, writing, presentation etc…
will all be, when all is said and done, enjoyable.

Do I recommend the game - Yes.

Oh, but that “when all is said and done” is the key point.

Do I recommend buying it now - No.

In the settings, by their own admission, it shows the game version is 0.244.
Thats ZERO.244, so, not even 1.0.
They have apparently decided its appropriate to release a beta game as a completed product.
Its not in early access is it? No. Or is it openly called beta? No.

KoPP1 eventually came out with +1 edition,
to fix what was broken, and to add what was missing.

KoPP2 eventually came out with Here be Dragons and other expansions,
again, to fix what was broken, and to add what was missing.

Nowadays, I really struggle to comprehend why every game, and developer, and publisher,
keeps needing to reinvent the wheel , ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

Video games have long past their infancy, and should have left their adolescence behind as well.
Yet, still, they all come out as if there isn’t 40+ years of history to draw on for the basics.

In the case of KoPP3…
... the ability to set how many creatures the player fights has been removed. (a core KoPP 1+2 feature)
... the ability to buy game room furniture that added passive upgrades is no longer present. (another core KoPP 1+2 feature)
... there is no way for a character to skip their action - a mainstay in both 1 and 2. Thats a big problem.
… there is no cloud saving
... there is only one game / save slot (Another reduction, since KoPP2 has three)
… there is no “hold down” to speed up animations.

… there is no mouse hover popup help.
There is in KoPP2, so, this was actually even removed.
Not only is there no hover, even clicking in many cases, for example, the quest rewards,
still does nothing to bring up information on what the item is or does.

… the descriptions for the players / characters are near useless.
Rather than tell you exactly what they do, such as how they already did in KoPP2,
example, in 2 “Human” says “Begin the game with 1 skill point”
in 3, it just says, “Human like you and me.”

This is also the same for all the classes.
So when considering a character build I had to click back and forth, over and over,
just to see what, and how what stats and other attributes were changing.

… there is no way to hide / disable the keyboard key tags.
So all the icons all over the screen has this cluttered “B” “R” “C” etc…
For what keyboard key - for the keyboard I’m not using - I need to press for that action.

There is much more, Im just not going to spend my time cataloging it all here,
and I think you get the idea anyways.

Silly little, functional, quality of life, basic GUI, intuitive, player controls and options and all the rest…
…they have been solved over and over again. In game after game - all like it’s the first time some developer has the sudden revelation, “Oh! Players really make use of this or that!”

Reinventing the wheel, yet again.

I suppose all those high school history teachers are right.
“If you do not learn from history you are doomed to repeat it.”

So Id recommend passing on KoPP3 for now,
and give them time to repeat history so they can learn from it all over again.

I picked it up only because by coincidence I had just installed KoPP2 again to kill some time,
so I was primed to be interested and curious as to all the changes in 3.

I can say I won’t be giving it any real serious play time for about a year.
Or until, you know…

…the game is actually at least v1.0.

Along with some other psychological schemas, this is mostly an exposition of the effects in being raised by a narcissistic parent not so subtly presented in a game.

Both the protagonist and the antagonist have parents who see them as extensions of their own will.
The protagonist results to surviving through rebellion and deception.
While the antagonist is dominated by the programming that they are supposed to be superior.

Since its a game, its written so that in the end, almost all major characters learn core life lessons, and overcome the developmental personality disorders and deeply ingrained behavioral conditioning due to past trauma (or at minimum embrace the truth of brokenness and the need for healing) in just a few days, and with very little friction or effort.

If only it worked that way in life as well.