Quality of Life and more Dangers! (3 Parts)

[Espa]

Devotion
(Spiritual Practice to enlighten one’s perception. Increases Factional Reputation, while reducing others.)
Rank 1: Initiate (No bonus. Praying at respective faith’s idol.)
Rank 2: Faithful (Learn Meditate, a shorter recovery method that you can do anywhere while boosting your Devotion skill.)
Rank 3: Devout (Meditate is much more potent, as well as gained passive bonuses)
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Holy Nation’s – (Light of Okran) Randomly heals a wound in battle, +5 Melee and Defense.
Darkness – (Shade) Randomly allows user to occasionally increase dodge significantly for a short while, passively increases stealth/assassination by 5.
Shek – (Peace in Chaos) When engaging in battle, the user may randomly go into a battle trance in which they are able to both block and attack for a short while. Passively increases all weapon styles by 5.
Robot – (Nanobites) Occasionally, the Skeleton may be able to activate long-since dormant protective systems and heal during combat. Passively Increases Defense by 10.
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Sample questlines for those who have obtained Devout status~ (Cats, Reputation+, Faction leveling, and possibly gear)

• -Holy Nation – Hunt down a group of Heretics with a small band of Paladins.
  -Darkness – Desecrate Holy Shrines, thus converting them to Shrines of Darkness where more Darkness nests are introduced (Allied to you and your crew)
  -Shek – Pilgrimage to the icy tundra and survive the onslaught of savages, returning with the head of high-level bandits’ head for success.
  -Robot – Jack into an old CPU while having to fight off scavengers/Holy Nation. Result increases all stats by 1 as well as other benefits listed above.

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Player-Run City alterations according to Faith.
Player with Devout status may build large statues, or Temple, devoted to their Faith, thus passively and slowly increasing the populations’ perception of the religion until they have gone full fanatic and act accordingly with dialogue sets and all.
Pros: This will improve the reputation of certain factions, thus inviting their people and soldiers to your city for trade, vacation, and looking for work.
Cons: Will reduce your reputation in the eyes of others, which may invite their ire and wrath upon you and your people.
Fluff: Bonus items that may be created that would buff the cities religious standing, items to assist others in learning the ways,
• Holy Nation would obviously turn the building more golden-ish, increasing wall/gate fortitude.
• Darkness would turn them dark and spooky, would improve city guards with tactics of stealth and assassination.
• Shek would greatly reduce the time it would take to craft weapons and armor, allowing for high end products to be created by the city (Increases city renown)
• Robots would possibly allow for higher concentration of electricity (A-La-Nikola Tesla style power generations)

[Espa]

More Fluidic and Dynamic Relationships between Factions/Diplomacy
For the Player
Reputation Perks (As reputation gets higher, citizens and soldiers alike treat you with much more solid confidence, praise you, or may even gift you)
• 25% (Trusted) = 10% Lowered cost of all goods within Factional City
• 50% (Hero) = Able to enlist into Faction’s army with gear and equipment set aside for you – But you must follow a Special character in their risky endeavors for glory.
• 75% (Vassal) = Achieve Nobility status in Faction’s eyes, ability to purchase a building within a city, as well as prices being lowered another 15% (To a max of 25%)
• 100% (Exalted) = Permission to meet with and speak with Factional leader who tasks you to build another outpost for the organization you work for under your provisional governance.

MORE ways to achieve reputation status with factions!
• Assist the Cities defenses when under attack! (Largest meter for raising)
• Attend Temple services (Raises Devotion, as well)
• Go to weddings
• Work as an apprentice for any worker in current city – Even a waiter or waitress for the bar!
• Squire under City Hero (Much longer, but will increase combat stats at the same time)
• Win Tournaments against many other fighters.
• Street-perform for very slow reputation gain and light profit.

City Legends
Special Characters, which whom you may purchase, have immense responsibilities – Yet all would yield their own quests optional questions eventually.
• Police Chief – This unit buffs his deputies by a strong amount and also follows the law very strictly, unlike some of his underlings who may be able to be persuaded or bribed to look the other way.
• City Mayor – Provides prosperity to town, autobuilds what is necessary if selected to, and makes the town more festive. A happy city is one that is less likely to be attacked.
• Noble Family – Chief funders of projects, will occasionally loan out free materials to build more city enriching goods/upgrades.
• Inquisitor/Shadow Monk/Shek Paramount/A.I. Interface – Keep security at a maximum and buff the soldiers who are within the city with defense, as well as looking for heretics within their own society.
• Chief Surgeon – Increases medical recovery of all wounded to be cut in half by the famous abilities of triage from this legendary doctor.
• Kingpin – If allowed in your city, may end up bringing profit and reputation gain from bandits and other unsavory types through their drug/alcohol trade in the bar.
• Slavermaster – If allowed in your city, they’ll constantly bring slaves to work for your machinery and fields – For a cost.
• Master Chef – Increases prosperity, leader of city will receive free food, and kitchen production will be cut by 1/3.
• Master Engineer – Passively buffs the amount of strength of walls and doors, as well as increases their difficulty in lockpicking.
• Master Hero – If purchased for a heavy amount, they will teach your soldiers quickly and effectively how to spar (Battle without losing health) – Also assists in defense of City.
• Archbishop, Undying Monk, Oracle of the Earth, or PriestBot – Will increase the fervor and fanaticism of your own citizens, staving off religious loss, and providing sermons to the masses with their faith.
• Archivist – Superior librarian who thirsts for knowledge. Increases research and tech speed by 2/3. – Will also teach you the languages of the Cannibals and the Fogman, which may end up saving yours or another’s’ life.
Etc, most likely. This guys would not be cheap, but they would immensely empower your settlement.

Behind the scenes/Political Intrigue
Quests givers a plenty in major cities asking from something quite small, to asking if you’ll participate in overthrowing the local government and the Nation’s hold on the city. (This would switch the town’s Faction to another and yield you special benefits with said faction, while the other vilifies you for utter betrayal.)
Exmaples!
• Overthrow the Government to take for your own, or unto another Faction.
• Prison breakout of Nobles’ or other City Legends’ child from far away settlement/city.
• Marriage to a companion (No children) OR to a leader of another Faction as a means of peace.
• Assassination of Prominent Member of your Faction (To replace with stronger leadership, or another Faction to destabilize their systems)
• Murder mystery in town to find the culprit and choose how to dispose of them.
• War/Peace Negotiations sit-downs between the War Council and the opposing force, though your words sway very influentially.

[Espa]

Kenshi Extended Bestiary/Dangers
Ground Creatures

• -Lurker – Sandworm with grasping tentacles that pull you closer as it attempts to bite you.
  -Giant Bats – Flying creatures found at night, can pick up your character take them a far distance while draining blood of the player.
  -Cursed Grounds – Bodies of the fallen raise until you slay their leader (Zombie wave nest)
  -Darklings – Small humanoids that are tricksters that steal your equipment, if not more nefarious plans.
  -Fungal Abominations – Reproducing and viruslike mushroom that spouts larva at night to attack unbeknownst to travelers.

Night-time Humanoid Menaces

• -Kidnappers with specialize in KOing you and locking you away until they bribe your highest faction or your city to deliver cats.
  -Skinwalkers – Those who can change their shape at will, assassins for hire to take out high level reputation individuals.
  -Daemons – Seductive beings that can stun you for a short time while they feast on your blood. May end up murdering you if you don’t have enough toughness, Afraid of fire, however.
  -Enhanced Fogmen – As they move, a mist rolls in that obfuscates vision as they attack and take back KO’d members to eat at their camp.

Day-time Humanoid Menaces

• -Man-Hunters – Civilized folk that enjoy hunting humanoids as they are the ‘best hunt there is’. Kidnapped and forced into a blood sport where either you escape, you kill the hunter, or you get murdered by an insane person.
  -Cannibals – A MUST return. They’re like, the best haha. They have gained a bit more intelligence and leave out bear traps and such for those aren’t looking.

Environmental Dangers

• -Quicksand! – This tricky sand will pull you further and further down if your dexterity isn’t high enough.
  -Metallic Rain – Slow piercing damage that hurts your character while it rains and you’re exposed to the exterior.
  -Gas Geysers – A sure way to get your ass toasted with fire,

Faction-Based Menaces

• -Witch-Hunters – Small groups of very efficient fighters who seek out malcontents who have gone against the Holy Nation.
  -Destroyers – Shek Elites sent out to apprehend those responsible who committing offenses towards the Shek Empire.
  -Kill-Bots – Sent by a Central CPU, these terminators have one thing in mind. Deconstruction of the robot who turned their back on their creators.
  -Demoniacs – Possessed individuals by spirits of darkness hunt down those who have fled the Darkness. They will not stop until they have been killed.

[Sol Lignum]

That sure as hell is quite a handful of ideas...
I liked the diplomacy part, although i'm sure some diplomacy\faction stand interactions are planned for the future, so we shall live to see that.
Environmental dangers are nice as well, and also planned: i'm sure i've read about "dynamically moving toxic clouds".
As for the rest... um... with all my heart i do hope that Kenshi will never see any -buffs, -aoe, -special executable abilities, or any -magic. This just feels waaaaaay out of place in this particular game.
And it's really hard for me to explain why, without using an explicit language

[Espa]

I actually toned it down quite a bit for the Faith part, as is an actual phenomenon shown with Devoutness to anything - More confidence, more 'ability' to do something fantastical.

Anyway, I added it up there anyway because I actually like the idea of Faith playing a big role in how the world is shaped. Personally, I don't see passive RNG abilities stemming from the highest level of Devotion as game-breaking, but more as flavor.

I also think that providing characters with Meditate will allow an AWAKE phase that just has the character sit and recover much faster, while providing more into the Devotion dump (Which I imagine would be large if there are only 3 Rankings) and then once the player has achieved it, they'd have all access to their Faith's absolute devout themes. Holy Nation people get a 'Second Wind' that recovers them a bit in combat randomly. . Darkness makes people more shadowy and able to get off a few dodges from attacks.. Shek's are able to attack and defend at same time (As they are most martial of the races).. And Robots are pretty much given another piece of technology that heals their malfunctioning parts SLOWLY.

I hardly see what's gaming breaking, or even out of theme.

I'm pleased you enjoyed 2/3's of the ideas wrap up, but I do think tying in religion as a big aspect into how the game molds over time would be rather neat and racially specific.

(Perhaps you can tell me what exactly you don't like? Or better yet, how to tune it to Kenshi)

[Espa]

Also, with the City Legends , I think it'd be rather cool for players to try to locate these powerful men and women who would endorse their city and improve it with their skills.

It would also show what exactly is important to the player - Be it religion, police, Nobles, Slaves, Heroes. . Etc. It gives the player more of a choice on what they desire - Not another building, but rather a Special Character that upgrades the performance of the buildings they work in.

[Hatsune_Neko]

as Sol Lignum said
diplomacy is planed and being worked on. not to mention faction wars. taking over towns, NPCs fighting you and taking over yours. joining other factions and not stuck in jsut your's.
war/ peace, trade, threats, ways to improve diplomatic relations
bribes. demands, raiding and so much more.

edit.

and ill have to add my critique of this one to.

The bonuses for some things are just to much.
random examples.
Master Chef. As being one myself once long ago. being one doesnt reduce anything, all you do is make the food taste better and look better. and defiantly wouldn't give anyone a free meal especially to city leaders who got more then enough money to buy their own food. maybe as a bribe though.

Master Engineer. the doubling of building durability is not good. all it should do is reduce build and repair times. if you hired them. it should not give a blanket buff to anyone. just themselves.

Marriage. is not planed. and has been shot down as a possible feature already.

anther is the use of buffs because someone of a order or position is in. just because someone is there should not give bonuses to others.

there are some decent ideas in this but most are just ways to add buffs to characters. and if you add all those up. you would have a super character or squad just because they near people. personally i dont think you should get any bonus for stuff like that.

so think a bit more thought into it is needed. and defiantly killing any bonuses or buffs from anything would be a good start.

[Sol Lignum]

Eh, i'm not exactly sure where to start, or how to wrap what's in my head compactly into few sentances.
Level of abstraction in Kenshi is such that we have actual units with some stats. To affect those stats we have to order chars to perform a certain action: hit dummy to increase strenght and weapon skill, apply bandage to heal wound, etc. It's actual action - actual result scale. Nothing is miraculously made out of thin air: before you can hit an enemy you need a sword before that some raw materials to create it, before that some place to smith it, before that yet more materials, etcetera.
Not many things in Kenshi are random in rpg-usual way. Only thing that comes in mind is loot in dens and camps. If you "randomly" encounter some other squad, it's because some vague circumstances led it from the point of it's spawn to your current location, not because built-in dice rolled to spawn it nearby (as i understand it, anyway, hope i'm right). So it's cause and effect kind of things, this degree of realism. Nothing is coming out of nothing, conservation of energy. One cannot simply go invisible or "autobuild" anything. There's a chain of events between cause and effect. Robots are a better example then not yet fully understood human body: If some hardware is broken, it won't miraculously heal under any condition, not at Kenshi level of technology either.
Further and more specific: i like the idea of some skilled characters, in fact, we already got medics, engineers and fighters scattered around and available for hire for 2500, and i'm sure there's a future possibility to hire some brilliant masters for much greater sum. Yet again, they can't just grant any bonuses by mere presence of their magnificent self. If it's an outstanding medic, they can provide some unique research that'd allow others to create better healing kits, or ability to create first-aid training station, or something, that'd work similar to training dummies, and will allow others to improve their field medic skill. They can't just give abstract "passive regeneration" or "skill boost" effect, not because it's magic and thus dissalowed, but because it's another level of abstraction, and things doesn't work this way in Kenshi.
Lastly, RNG is simply a ... and the less it is used - the better an outcome will be imo.
I don't think i could've describe my thoughts better. For reasons that english isn't my native and i'm lazy type who hate to prove their point of view
Don't get me wrong, all in all ideas are nice, just remove supernaturality and rng out of it, and things will be way more suited for our swordpunk setting

[Espa]

Well, glad some ideas are accepted. I've literally had the game for three days so I'm still discovering quite a bit and I didn't start in the old map. When I read RPG, I think of other RPGs that have been successful and why that is.

Very happy to hear a lot of stuff is planned and will, hopefully eventually, soon make it in so that the game isn't just a train up game with little-to-no dialogue, no quests, and just random fighting that doesn't motivate you to take any side except if you happen to like someone's armor type.

Meh. I think I'll probably just stick to making Add-ons to fill the world with more chaos, faction wars, and dialogue packages that actually affect standing with factions. As you can see, I'm a bit impatient and want to improve this game in whatever way I can - Some may disagree with my idea what the game should be and that's fine.

But since most of my ideas are pretty shot down here, I'll just work on stuff and release mods for those who want to check it out. Thanks for commentary.

[Hatsune_Neko]

thats why the game is Moddable.
so you can add what you would like. if you have the skill.

[Chinsei]

I would just like to add...

it is technically possible for someones presence to 'inspire' people .

which could be argued as a stat boost by their presence. if certain circumstances are met.

for example if the leader of your country is someone who you admire. their presence might inspire you in some things...

for example if your fighting to defend them then you "Might" be more willing to stay fight an risk your life to keep them alive which means you might fight harder and perhaps with a little more dedication or untapped potential than you would other wise.

there are instances where parents -supposedly- were able to lift up things they other wise would have considered impossible to save their child.(though most likely because usually we stop trying to lift something due to the pain trying to lift it causes an they simply ignore the pain an keep pushing themselves to do so)

so assuming theres some measure of "Morale" added to determine when/if characters run away on their own then having certain individuals present might cause them to fight their flight response. and continue fighting.

not saying that artificial boosts should be added that just technically the presence of someone, or something can technically have what you could define as a stat modifier in reality.

Yes it might not actually 'change' anything. just make a person do what they were already capable of but just didn't realize they were capable of.

perhaps there could be something like 'untapped' potential that could be something of a momentary 'boost' in ability. but i also think the opposite should be possible. after all if you 'lose' something thats been inspiring you for a long time. then your likely to slip into depression an your likely to lose your ability to operate efficiently.

[Sol Lignum]

I would just like to add...

Granted! But, as things are set now, characters are already fighting as hard as they can, cuz, survival and stuff, no laziness, no mercy, nowhere to retreat, like, every fight is a last one: do or die trying. Still, without implementing a "moral" stat, i assume it would be hard to add "effect on a group by presence". Besides, implementation of such a mechanics might tempt devs to lazy development, by adding more such buffs, so players might choose not to train harder, but just seek for a specific boost. And, all in all, as Hatsune said, it would open an opportunity to create uber squad just buy adding as many buffs as possible, which would require balancing by limitations. So, my point is that areal buffs are potential target for more tweaks, and would probably create more problems then benefits it potentially granting.