Kenshi - open-ended sandbox RPG set in a desert world

[Agame]

Kenshi is male nerd's farmville basically. Just as meaningless and just as addictive.

Yea I see that now, but its very cleverly packaged in a seductive veneer of interesting setting and "RPG". Thankfully I got bad vibes from it almost immediately before wasting X amount of hours on it. Its a shame as the same world setting using the Gothic model of single player character + quests/narrative would be fantastic. Anyway I understand why some people are sperging out on this, but I cant stand all this base building shit in games so its really not for me.

Its one of those games where I ask myself "Why am I wasting my precious time playing this?".

Applies to every game ever.

Yes, that is correct. And the games I enjoy are the ones that make me keep playing despite that. Kenshi fails completely in that regard.

 

[mondblut]

the same world setting using the Gothic model of single player character
I cant stand all this base building shit in games

Way to ruin the fun parts about it.

100+ characters and bases all over the place is what makes Kenshi awesome. Another generic ARPG in an oh-so-different setting? Wouldn't touch it with a 10 feet pole.

 

[Smoker]

Dis gaem looks preddy shit tbh.

Even on lowest settings I get average 5 fps.

Compressed Textures Project will bump you up to 20.

 

[turkishronin]

Holy shit this game has the most awful trailer I have ever seen. Even by 2008 standards it looks like shit
How's the actual gameplay

 

[titus]

Spoiler

Nugget factory?

 

[Arulan]

Story time.

I decided it was time to venture north. I knew my destination -- Mongrel.

I set off from one of the villages of the Western Hive. A few hours in and there was no one to be seen. No bandits, escaped servants, or nomads. Nothing. All except large rusted-out pieces from the old world. I made it to the fog. I'd heard a tale about this fog from a group of Hiver traders. They tried to con me into buying a magical lantern to pass through it. I didn't believe them until the moment a group of crazed figures started coming after me. I ran out, and prepared to fight them. Fogmen!

After a chaotic fight I stood victorious. I prepared a camp on a nearby hill to recover Ruka's wounds. Perhaps the Hiver traders were right? I decided I would leave the rest of my party here to recover, and run back alone to buy one of these magical lanterns the Hivers spoke of. I managed to run back and acquire a lantern, and Ruka was resting while Hobbs and Bones looked out over the camp. All was going well, until I saw them...

Cannibals heading straight for my camp! I couldn't run. Hobbs and the rest of camp would have to make their stand. I was still making my way back from the village. Ruka held her own for some time, but one unlucky blow knocked her out, and then Hobbs fell. Bones scurried off into the woods, but eventually fell as well. Nothing about this was going well.

I made it to my dog Bones, but another as luck would have it, a large group of hungry bandits saw me and knocked me out before I could carry my dog to safety. Most of them left as I played dead. The last one was trying to carve up my dog! I got up to try and stop him, and with an unlucky hit I was back on the ground... Nooooo! There was nothing I could do but watch as this piece of scum butchered my dog as I lay there. But wait, Fogmen?! As if appearing out of the trees themselves two Fogmen attack the bandit and finish him off. My dog still lives!

That moment of hope was short-lived. As I continue to lay there a group of patrolling cannibals scoops me up. For the next few minutes I watch as cannibals finish hauling all (except Bones) of my party to their camp. One by one, we're reunited once again, but tied to polls and in front of a large roasting pit. We're not alone either, but in the same company as unfortunate bandits, outlaws, and fogmen.

I began to think about how did it come to this. Of all the horrible fates in Kenshi, from being forced into slavery to being eaten by Beak Things, having to wait around until your turn to be dinner was horrifying. Everyone was unconscious and recovering. There was nothing I could do but watch. Then it happened...

Oh no... Not like this...

I knew I had only one chance. Hobbs and Ruka managed to wake up. They'd have to pick their locks, free me, and somehow sneak away without being seen by the dozens of cannibals nearby. I'd have to wait for night, but at any moment I could be next to go. The wait was unbearable. I watched as four other prisoners got their turn. I just needed some advantage, anything to give me a chance.

And there it was! A large group of outlaws got into a fight with some cannibals not far from the camp itself. The rest of the cannibals fled off to join in. This was it! Hobbs and Ruka picked their locks. Hobbs freed me, and some able-bodied bandits and escaped servants just in case we needed another distraction. Hobbs with me on his shoulder and Ruka ran like never before. They didn't stop running until I was absolutely sure. As I turned around one of the escaped servants was following me. Overjoyed by my help in his escape, he decides to join us. I just had one last thing to do. I rescue Bones, and got the fuck out of cannibal country.

 

[Mustawd]

Awesome story. I bet this would make a great LP.

 

[mondblut]

Stories like that make me feel that I am missing something by not being everyone's bitch.

Then I look at my army of 200 str 90+ lads and lasses in masterwork armor, and realize I wouldn't have it any other way. After all, I still end up like that, given enough friendly fire incidents

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

the best moments are always those when you start to be able to afford "something". not much, just something, the bare essential. unfortunately from there kenshi quickly snowballs into "unstoppable killer army of deadly death".

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I think they need to make weapons and armor more expensive.

Edit: I mean higher end stuff should cost more. Like 100K+ cats cost for a Skeleton Mk III.

 

[mondblut]

I think they need to make weapons and armor more expensive.

Edit: I mean higher end stuff should cost more. Like 100K+ cats cost for a Skeleton Mk III.

What, you don't make enough money from selling dozens of those Skeleton Mk IIIs that you have crafted or stolen?

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

I think they need to make weapons and armor more expensive.

Making weapons and armor more expensive would simply result in the player being able to obtain money even more easily by burglarizing weapon and armor stores.

 

[toro]

Story time.

And that's why no other game can deliver what Kenshi does.

Kudos for the big balls of not loading. If I was in your place then I would have reloaded like a weakling.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

I think they need to make weapons and armor more expensive.

Edit: I mean higher end stuff should cost more. Like 100K+ cats cost for a Skeleton Mk III.

i played with mods which made stuff sell for 1/10 and buy for 10 times more. all it did was legthening the initial grinding phase, that's it.

 

[Dawkinsfan69]

Guys what's another game like this? I don't wanna replay this cuz I think I'd be bored but I want something similar helpppp

rimworld looks ok but I don't think I can get over the weird mobile graphics

 

[toro]

Guys what's another game like this? I don't wanna replay this cuz I think I'd be bored but I want something similar helpppp

rimworld looks ok but I don't think I can get over the weird mobile graphics

You can try but there are none like Kenshi.

Edit:

Mount and Blade - it works if you find the right mods.
Rimworld - didn't click with me.
Dwarf Fortress - did not try.
Rise to Ruins - did not try.
The First Men - not released yet.

 

[Arulan]

I'm glad some of you enjoyed reading my previous post. I thought I'd share a little of my recent adventures.

After my escape from the cannibals, I decided to go anywhere but north. I saw the ocean, I swam in its acidic waters, and I nearly died stealing Beak Thing eggs. Just your regular day in Kenshi, but then I decided to enter The Swamp...

The walk to its largest city -- Shark -- was fairly tranquil. I saw Swamp Turtles and River Raptors, and marveled at the wildlife here. Both seemed content to ignore me as I passed.

Shark itself was busy with life. Merchants yelled out to sell their swamp drugs and fish. There were places of commerce all around. They even cultivated their own crops. One of the bars had an interesting sign. And nobody called me a flatskin! This is a place I could live in!

I'd come to regret that thought in the following the days. You see, there is something they don't tell you about the swamps -- the Blood Spiders. These things are vicious. They'll spot you a mile away and rip you to shreds. And once they've done that, they'll proceed to suck the life out of you. I once saw one rip someone's arm clean off!

Throughout the next few days I'd meet new companions, explore my surroundings, and run away from Blood Spiders. The few times I did have to fight them were horrific. I count myself lucky I still have all of my limbs.

As awful as it was, I came to understand The Swamp. The Swamp Turtles roam peacefully, but are hunted by us for their meat. We grow crops and think our walls will protect us, but the Blood Spiders still find a way. And the River Raptors eat what is left of Blood Spider corpses and our crops. Not even Shark was safe, as it was common occurrence to see Blood Spiders break through. Only the strongest survive here, and that's not me. Let's get the fuck out.

I packed up my things for the long trip ahead, and just as I was about to leave nature comes knocking... The River Raptors aren't my problem, I'm getting out while I still can.

I thought it wise to hire some help, and little do they know, they're going to earn those cats. Meet the Mercenaries.

Nature it seems did not want to let us go. Seconds after leaving Shark...

Already we'd suffered significant wounds. Green and the Escaped Servant's limp were sure to slow us down. The journey wasn't easy or quick, and the Mercenaries certainly earned their pay fending off several attacks along the way.

We were nearly there when the Mercenaries rushed off out in the distance. I didn't even have time to see who they were attacking when I saw something else... Blood Spiders, and a lot of them. I panicked and ran, I was in no condition to fight, and I thought I could get away, but someone didn't make it. The Escaped Servant's previous wounds slowed him down too much. There was nothing I could do without risking everyone's life. He had escaped cannibals only to now be sucked dry by Blood Spiders...

I don't know what happened to the Mercenaries, but the swamp was behind us now.

 

[Martyr]

Guys what's another game like this? I don't wanna replay this cuz I think I'd be bored but I want something similar helpppp

rimworld looks ok but I don't think I can get over the weird mobile graphics

personally, I think Kenshi is UnReal World meets Mount & Blade in a Fallout-like setting with RTwP gameplay.

so naturally, my primary recommendation would be UnReal World because itz main focus is also getting strong and surviving (via agriculture, hunting, building huts).
for all your edgy needs: UnReal World also has slavers and afaik if you're starving you can eat human meat (some years ago you could be a cannibal right from the start, but they removed that in an update).
the main difference is that UnReal World is a single character, turn based game with tile based movement. and it is a roguelike, but copy a safe save file and paste it into the main folder after you've died and it is a roguelike no more.

but imo: make URW real time with pause, change the setting to desert/ low-sci-fi-esque post-apocalypse, remove seasons and add M&B-like troop managment and you've pretty much got Kenshi.

 

[Black Angel]

Bros, how do I improve performance so I could at least have stable 30 FPS? I already add the game into NVIDIA Control Panel (got GeForce GT 640M), set the Rendering Device to integrated graphics because the note pointed out the drivers are behaving strangely, set most of the in-game graphical setting to the lowest possible, and installed Less Foliage And Rocks x4 + Texture Option 512 by Ashlander001 from the Nexus. It's a little better now, but still the performance felt like ass.

I know the best solution to this is to get new PC since the laptop I'm playing on is such an old ass ancient rig, but I'd like to know if there's an alternative solution to my predicament, like some software tweaking or a mod that I haven't yet known.

 

[Jimmious]

Performance simply sucks. You cant do a lot. Wait till they use the new engine..

 

[HoboForEternity]

i5 4670 k and gtx 1080 cant run this game above 45 fps

 

[thesheeep]

Performance simply sucks. You cant do a lot. Wait till they use the new engine..

How many engine changes are they planning?
I know they started with Ogre, then changed to whatever they are using now (afaik), and now they want to change again?

 

[Efe]

i thought kenshi was over.
whatever change they are planningis for kesnhi 2

 

[PrettyDeadman]

Performance simply sucks. You cant do a lot. Wait till they use the new engine..

How many engine changes are they planning?
I know they started with Ogre, then changed to whatever they are using now (afaik), and now they want to change again?

They are using Ogre v. 1.xx in Kenshi 1, they want to switch to Ogre x 2.xx in Kenshi 2 and port Kenshi 1 to new version of Ogre aswell.

 

[Black Angel]

they want to switch to Ogre x 2.xx in Kenshi 2 and port Kenshi 1 to new version of Ogre aswell.

Really? Will they upgrade the copy of current owners to new version of the engine when it happens?