Here are all the mistakes I made as a beginner so you can make different mistakes. Keep in mind, this game was surrounded by the developer’s perfect unquestionable vision of immersion.
Tips for New Player
Combat is dangerous
No, it’s not “it’s dangerous until you get to a high enough level.” It’s dangerous, period. A few guys armed with nothing but sticks can still beat you down if you’re not careful and get yourself in a bad position. That doesn’t mean that there is no value in getting your skills up. Only that you’re never going to be this giga chad alpha god of the universe who can blow through all his enemies. You’re still going to have to employ wit and strategy when it comes to conflict.
Know how to save your game
Let’s get one thing clear, the developers absolutely hate the idea of players saving their games. They can’t stand it. Almost as much as they can’t stand the idea of players pausing a cutscene. (You can skip them though… so it’s this really weird “either sit through the whole thing in one sitting or don’t know what’s going on at all!”). So, in protest of players having the audacity of saving a 150+ hour game, they have therefore implemented the worst save system the universe has to offer. You can save by sleeping in a bed… if you “own” them. So before you get some shut eye make sure that the bed you have says “Sleep and Save.” If it just says “sleep” then it won’t save.
Does it get worse? I’m afraid it does.
It will auto save after keypoints in a quest… where those keypoints are is anyone’s guess. It could be after you did two tasks in the quest or after you had to trudge halfway across a map and had to face a difficult battle. Mystery!
You can also save at bathhouses, but only if you get the deluxe care package for 30 groshen that you definitely won’t have at the beginning of the game.
Savior Schnops are the “save anywhere” item. Buying them will cost over 100 groshen. You can make them, by doing alchemy, but you have to have the materials and um… your player can’t read so you will have to muddle your way through the instructions… and um… yeah. Yes, you essentially have to solve a puzzle to get the privilege of saving anywhere.
Eventually, you can make savior schnops automatically when your alchemy gets high enough (which is late game) and you will eventually come into money. But it will be a frustrating ordeal until you do. And mercifully you can save on exit, which wasn’t a feature in the game upon release (God Forbid you have to go pick up your kids from school while playing their game.).
Make sure your weapons match your stats
This game will seriously punish you for using weapons that are outside your skills. Okay, to do this, you have to learn how to check a weapon’s stats. (It’s q using keyboard. I don’t know what it is using controller.) If you try to use a weapon without first reaching the appropriate stats, your enemies will be all but invincible and your weapon only as useful as a wet noodle.
Train with Bernard
Early in the game, you will get access to a trainer named Bernard which you will have one mandatory training session with him. After that, it’s easy to forget to go back to him for additional lessons, but it is something you need to do. As soon as you can access him again, you need to return and learn the rest of what he has to teach. After he teaches you everything, it’s important to keep returning to him and various other trainers to continue to build your skills.
The controls are not clunky
Your character just sucks. Until you’ve gotten yourself high enough with certain skills the game play will feel clunky. Your sword swings will feel delayed and barely doing damages. It’s easy to look at that as just a broken game, but it’s by design.
Use your head, not your sword
As I said, combat is dangerous. This means you have to be clever when taking on opponents. Bandits keep killing you? Try attacking their camp at night when most are asleep. You might be able to even poison their food and not have to face them at all! Using your horse to separate enemies so you can take them out one at a time is also useful.
Learn to read
Yes, literacy is an actual skill in the game, and the best outcomes to many quests, including one of the story quests, can only be achieved if you have this skill. The best way is to go to the town of Uzhitz, as there’s a scribe there who will teach you.
Timed quests aren’t obvious
You read that right; the timed quests have no visible timers. Instead, a timed quest is indicated through certain bits of the quest-giver’s dialogue. If they say lines such as “You must hurry” or “You won’t have much time”, or similar lines, it’s a timed quest.
Use the teaching tools
Throughout the game, there’s repeatable quests that can be used to improve your combat skills, The two best ones are “Chumps” (archery training) and the Rattay Tourney (melee training). Take advantage of these whenever possible, as there’s no downside to doing so; the entry fee’s low, and you’re guaranteed to improve at least one skill. They’re great ways to practice.
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