Similarities with M&B: Suggestions

[anubite]

Mount and Blade, Kenshi, and to a lesser extent The Last Remnant - are all squad-based RPGs. It's kind of a new genre - I don't know of any other games that fit this mold, where you start as a single man and build armies, roaming about while you build your character's epic story of power.

Mount and Blade, originally created by a husband&wife team, has found massive critical and financial susccess. I love Mount and Blade, and Kenshi looks like it could surpass that game in every respect. However, I just wanted to point out some features that M&B has that would improve this game, if they were considered for implementation in the future:

First Person Mode -- I have no idea what plans you have for the camera system, but even if you don't intend to support First Person Perspective (with the way buildings work, it may be a bit weird), you should at least provide limited support for it, so it can perhaps be improved upon by modders. Certainly, Kenshi lends itself to more of a third person view with its massive environments and RTS-like battles, but I think it should be acknowledged that many people love first person. It really helps immerse you in the game world.

Style of AI -- M&B's AI is what really holds back the game. It's easy to exploit. I think when the game is closer to completion, you should give it your all to create AI that is at least difficult to exploit (by that, I mean kiting, which will be possible when you add ranged weapons). But some advanced things to consider are multiple AI strategies that can be chosen by the AI in a given situation, like using terrain for cover, or turtling in their hideout/buildings for cover when they're outnumbered, using focus-fire tactics, and possibly more creative strategies (like segmenting their army into two and using different tactics with each segment).

You should also endeavor to give player squad AI. Players can have free-form control over their units, or, they could let the squad use default AI. Player-squad AI should be slightly different from regular enemy AI. Player-squad AI should not think for itself, only attacking what's close by if they're hostile, but outside of combat, Player-squads should be smart and form neat groups to follow behind their leader. You should consider implementing default formations for the player to tell his troops to walk in. You should also consider implementing various orders he can give to troops at once, like "stand your groud and fight" or "fall back X paces while attacking", or "take cover in this building" or even "retreat". Basic staples of older or more traditional RTS games.

Food - I don't know if this is planned, but with a desert like environment, food should become important for the player to manage for his army.

Mounted Combat - I'm not sure if this is going to be considered, but what makes M&B quite successful is how nice mounted combat works, with the ability to trample troops and charge with your weapon, adding bonus damage on your attacks depending upon how fast you're travelling. Mounts could be camels, alien or robotic? Mounts would speed up travel time and make the game a little faster paced if players choose to forsake walking everywhere, making the game more appealing to more casual players. Of course though, you can still have people who walk or roam the desert on foot.

Caravans - I think this should be implemented, to add that extra "real" element to it. Carvans travel between cities with trade goods, with humans or pack animals carrying goods on their backs. You can start your own caravan, use pack animals to transport mass goods to your settlements, or rob caravans.

Weapons alter your playstyle -- The plethora of different swords is good, I would like to see a few spears, staves, axes and maces though. These weapons would have different attack animations and "weight" behind their attack, making them more unique and altering how you fight with them. Crossbows will be good when you add them, though it might be fun to add other missile weapons (if there are going to be robotic implants, perhaps some creative non-gun weapons could be added, that have various effects), throwing weapons would be great too, though perhaps a luxury.

[Blxz]

A little confused by your requests for first-person mode..... You have played kenshi right? It can hardly even be called '3rd-person'. Anymore than say fire emblem or any of the 'tactics' style games can be called 3rd person (unless you play it solo with the camera stuck to one guy....which is unusual for this game). This makes a request for 1st person sound quite bizarre.

[toaster Assassin]

1:It would be hard to command multiple units on first-person mode. (Without adding some type of ARMA II style unit interface).

2:Squad AI is currently basic, but there is room to improve.

3:mounted combat, if I recall, Chris said that there will not be mounts or wagons so the backpacks would be for hauling the cargo. (Think of your newest member as a pack mule)

anubite said: Mounts could be camels, alien or robotic?

http://www.lofigames.com/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=53
Chris said under Severed limbs? Will there be severed limbs??!!!1!1!?
"II am still thinking about this, I have a way but it may damage performance, and I need a feasable way for limb replacement in a game world too low-tech for robotics."

I don't think that there will be aliens or robots.

4: Caravans already exist.

5:More weapons would be nice. (Toasters wishlist: beards,axes and maybe furry Russian hats (Ushankas) (I would wear one in that scorching desert heat(Don't judge me!))

[Prezo]

Pretty sure that it's been decided that cybernetic replacements are in ( considering there is a trade good called robotics)

first person mode is stupid, it's just not that kind of game.

ps toaster you forgot to close one of your parentheses (don't judge me (I'm a programmer))

[Blxz]

ps toaster you forgot to close one of your parentheses (don't judge me (I'm a programmer))

I like your usage of double parentheses to make your point. Very classy.

[Prezo]

t'was an opportunity not to be missed.

[toaster Assassin]

Prezo said:ps toaster you forgot to close one of your parentheses (don't judge me (I'm a programmer))

I did forget one. ( )

[BloodyNex]

I've thought a first person perspective could be quite interesting too. It would probably be a bit unwieldy, but it would at least be great to see the fight from the eyes of your troops. Reminds me of POV mode in Bushido Blade: confusing as hell but so worth it.

And eventually I think the caravans could use some extra traders and such. As it stands, it's just one trader and some guards as opposed to a group of traders as a traditional caravan would be.

[anubite]

I understand that first-person mode would be unwieldly. Though you could design a basic system for giving allies commands from that perspective, I suppose development time is better spent elsewhere. Perhaps I'll mod it in when the game's closer to being released... provided we're allowed to mod the camera.

From a design perspective though, I think it makes sense for the player to start out in first-person mode until he acquires his first ally. Would be a nice way to introduce the player to the world, through the eyes of his character, then rapidly expand out as soon as he purchases a mercenary. It'd make the hugeness of the world that more weighty.

[Dimler]

From a design perspective though, I think it makes sense for the player to start out in first-person mode until he acquires his first ally. Would be a nice way to introduce the player to the world, through the eyes of his character, then rapidly expand out as soon as he purchases a mercenary. It'd make the hugeness of the world that more weighty.

I think what you meant to say was it makes sense from an artistic and cinematic perspective. because it doesn't make sense from a design perspective.

you want the interface to start simple and build on itself as the game progresses, teaching the player how everything works as they play and setting them up to learn the more complex stuff later. so you don't want to spend time teaching a player how to interact with the game only to throw all of that away once something changes. in this case adding a party member.
in first and third person you use a WASD setup to move and interact, but in Kenshi (and other strategy games) WASD is a hindrance because you are directly controlling several units and squads. it doesn't lend itself to the kind of precise control you need in a tactical game. and what happens if your squad gets decimated and you go from 10 guys all the way back down to 1? do you go back into first person changing the controls all over again? no of course not.
I like Mount & Blade it is a fun game, but Kenshi is completely different from it and would not benefit from a similar control scheme.