Kenshi looks unreasonably awesome (despite alpha status)

[JasonPratt]

I stumbled on this while poking around Gamersgate for some reason this afternoon.

http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-KENSHI/kenshi-alpha

It looks like a tactical RPG from someone who loves the Dominion series. (But no magic, just post-apocalyptic desert survival swordsmanship. Kind of like the Aiel from Jordan's Wheel of Time novels.)

It's already for sale despite still being alpha status, but dang... If we're going to be paying to be, in effect, beta (or even alpha) testers anyway, at least they're up front about it!  :P

And it looks unreasonably awesome.

Anyone know anything about it yet? (I think Spelk has bought it as part of an indie bundle earlier this month and feels like he got his $12 worth not even counting the other games?)


Edited to add: I have admittedly become a complete slut when it comes to buying discounted games on GG and Steam recently, so I bought this, too. :) Will report after the weekend maybe, assuming alpha-testing status allows it.

[undercovergeek]

I stumbled on this while poking around Gamersgate for some reason this afternoon.

http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-KENSHI/kenshi-alpha

It looks like a tactical RPG from someone who loves the Dominion series. (But no magic, just post-apocalyptic desert survival swordsmanship. Kind of like the Aiel from Jordan's Wheel of Time novels.)

It's already for sale despite still being alpha status, but dang... If we're going to be paying to be, in effect, beta (or even alpha) testers anyway, at least they're up front about it!  :P

And it looks unreasonably awesome.

Anyone know anything about it yet? (I think Spelk has bought it as part of an indie bundle earlier this month and feels like he got his $12 worth not even counting the other games?)


Edited to add: I have admittedly become a complete slut when it comes to buying discounted games on GG and Steam recently, so I bought this, too. :) Will report after the weekend maybe, assuming alpha-testing status allows it.

frantically looking for credit card................

ill await your eloquent words of wisdom - but that looks awesome

[Longdan]

I've had it for some time.  You sure can make some funny looking characters!  But not as good as You Testament.
Cannot attest to play as I have been working others.

[Gusington]

Post impressions post haste!!

[TheCommandTent]

Post impressions post haste!!

+1

[Jarhead0331]

I have heard that it is a very "alpha" alpha....

[panzerde]

I downloaded and tried a demo of it a few weeks ago.  Very promising, but yeah, very alpha.  Decided to let it bake awhile.

[son_of_montfort]

I have heard that it is a very "alpha" alpha....

And it has been in this state for over a year (if not two years). So I'm not optimistic about it (nor did I back it).

[Longdan]

What the designer/developer wants it to be and what it is right now are two very different things IMHOP.
That does not mean it will not be.  I got it, went there, made a freaky looking guy and walked around
looking freaky.

[Nefaro]

I have heard that it is a very "alpha" alpha....

And it has been in this state for over a year (if not two years). So I'm not optimistic about it (nor did I back it).

Yep.  Sounds like it has a long time yet to go.

[JasonPratt]

Okay, here's my report:

1.) There is no sound. Exactly none. Zero.

2.) It uses DirectX9. So... yay compatibility?

3.) There are no instructions per se.

4.) The set of starting conditions is an interesting mix.

5.) The camera controls are INSANELY BAD!!! This in itself is frankly a gamebreaker. The camera is its own separate entity, which is not connected in any way with the player character. The keyboard controls where the camera is placed and what it looks at, but there is no mouselook (or maybe there is and I somehow skipped over it in the options, but it isn't defaulted if so) and rotation of the camera is slooooowwww. Also, the camera starts off set at a particular height above ground, and changes height on its own recognizance with some difficulty. This becomes a problem very quickly. The player meanwhile moves around according to where the mouse rightclicks on the ground.

This leads to an utterly schizophrenic nightmare of control.

6.) Presumably a building in a small town called "trade" would be where I could buy items for my personal use and for trading among other stores. In fact, this is explicitly what the few "help" instructions suggest I should do as one way to proceed in the game. The nearby "trader" turned out to be the sheriff with nothing to sell.

7.) When attempting to leave the not-really-a-trader's store, I accidentally right-clicked the doorspace and not the metal grating outside. This closed the door. It then proceeded to NEVER OPEN AGAIN FOR ANY REASON!!

8.) I quit at that point to report. I hope they spend my money well and can get around to improving the game. It definitely has ambition. But as earlier posters noted, it is very VERY alpha. The control scheme alone makes it almost impossible to even test the game to send back feedback.

9.) I did like the environments, all things considered. :)

[JasonPratt]

What the designer/developer wants it to be and what it is right now are two very different things IMHOP.
That does not mean it will not be.  I got it, went there, made a freaky looking guy and walked around
looking freaky.

This description is not even slightly one of Dan's usual attempts at quirky humor. He is describing exactly and literally what experience I had.


I'm not angry, btw, although I'm a bit disappointed; they were clear it was an alpha, but gave an impression (IMO) of more having been accomplished in the game build already, to the point I might construe it as false advertising. I have spent much less money on much more game.

[Gusington]

^Thank you for taking point on this one.

*puts wallet away*

[JasonPratt]

In fairness, allow me to add:

1.) I think there's a demo somewhere (because whatever I paid for thought it was a demo until I put in the code) which probably provides the full experience I paid for, for free -- there's a time limit and you can only hire one hireling, but you probably won't get that far. ;) So if anyone wants to check it out for future reference, that's the way to go.

2.) I accept compensatory gifts at Steam.  8)

[undercovergeek]

^Thank you for taking point on this one.

*puts wallet away*

+1 beat me to it!