XL0fQ7lc's recent activity
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Comment on Decreased CO2 saturation during circular breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness in ~health.mental
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
XL0fQ7lc Link ParentIt's possible to do a solo game, but it will be significantly harder since the game is balanced for squads. If you still want to try that, I'd play as a skeleton and go for a full martial arts...It's possible to do a solo game, but it will be significantly harder since the game is balanced for squads. If you still want to try that, I'd play as a skeleton and go for a full martial arts build. Skeletons don't need to eat, which will save you precious inventory space, and they can more easily repair themselves (at the tradeoff of requiring expensive specialized medkits).
My first play through settled in with 8 members, but if I play again, I think I'll keep it at 3 or 4. It can get tedious managing so many inventories.
There's a lot of specialized dialogue between specific characters, so missing out on that is one downside to a small squad though.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
XL0fQ7lc Link ParentOh boy, here I go ranting again! The early game is rough. The most important thing you can do early-on is increase your squad size ASAP. Squad mates can heal each other, and you'll actually start...Oh boy, here I go ranting again!
The early game is rough. The most important thing you can do early-on is increase your squad size ASAP. Squad mates can heal each other, and you'll actually start winning fights once you get a squad going. Plus, multiple squad members means simultaneous leveling. You can find people to join you at bars for varying fees, in settlements, and sometimes just by wandering around the wastes. There is a HUGE list of recruit-able characters.
It's also important to keep in mind that the game intends for you to lose a lot of fights. And even limbs. Especially limbs. In fact, picking and losing fights with high level enemies is one of the fastest ways to level up skills.
Once you get some gear and levels, losing fights usually just means getting knocked unconscious, not outright dying. Humanoid enemies don't execute you when you're down, and they'll usually move away once your whole squad is down. (...unless they're slavers or cannibals or holy nation paladins or or or...). If you're having a hard time finding good equipment, don't be afraid to use clothing/unarmed. High level dodge and martial arts is kinda OP.
For the occasions where characters actually die, don't be afraid to reload a save if it means mitigating frustration. I play without reloading as much as possible because it makes me more invested in the gameplay, but sometimes an encounter is too catastrophic, and I'll reload because the setback would otherwise reduce my enjoyment of the game.
As far as actual strategies, my early game method was mining copper outside of Squin. It sells for a pretty high price, and there are some nodes close-ish to the town gates. If any starving bandits or ne'er-do-wells jump you, you can kite them into the town guards, who will dispose of them swiftly. If you're fast, you can loot the bodies before the guards carry them away for another boost to your income. Then, there's a Shek mercenary at a bar in Squin named Raine the Giant who will join you for 7,500 cats (the in-game currency, not literally cats, for anyone reading this who hasn't played lol). She was my first squad member, and that muscle lady is a monster. She carried my team all the way through to the end of that 150 hour save. She was always the last one standing for EVERY fight.
That's just one hyper-specific example. There are so many ways you could do it! Once you start to orient yourself to the game world, you start to see opportunities for creativity.
To address your first point "nothing seemed to happen": that is honestly just the nature of kenshi. There's no main story line that will eventually pull you in. You're not the protagonist. You're just a survivor trying to make sense of a broken world.
You can play the game a lot of ways, but the thing that really makes kenshi shine for me is the exploration. The map is HUGE, and it is packed with so many hand-crafted POIs, encounters, and memorable characters. You'll come across so many details and pieces of lore and places that just make you go "WHAAAAT". I didn't lose interest in my first playthough until I had scoured the whole map.
It's also immensely satisfying seeing your squad get incrementally stronger as they level skills and find rare equipment. You go from puny starving scavengers who can't fight off a goat to near-invincible martial masterminds.
Damn. I should start another Kenshi run.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
XL0fQ7lc Link ParentKenshi is a masterpiece. A janky as hell masterpiece. I spent six weeks glued to my PC for every waking moment after I bought it, just completely lost in the experience. Everything from the world...Kenshi is a masterpiece. A janky as hell masterpiece. I spent six weeks glued to my PC for every waking moment after I bought it, just completely lost in the experience. Everything from the world building and hilarious writing to the exploration and emergent gameplay moments is one of a kind. Every second is just filled with so much soul.
I'm with Crimson that it really is in a genre of its own. Though I see where you're coming from with rimworld. Very similar vibe/setting.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
XL0fQ7lc Link ParentGood call mentioning mods. I’ve heard the modding community for starsector is amazing. I recently finished a vanilla playthrough, and I’ve been meaning to start a modded one. Any favorite mods of...Good call mentioning mods. I’ve heard the modding community for starsector is amazing. I recently finished a vanilla playthrough, and I’ve been meaning to start a modded one.
Any favorite mods of yours I should look into?
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
XL0fQ7lc LinkI recently discovered Starsector ($15) and fell in love immediately. It’s an exploration-based sci-fi space combat RPG. It’s a truly unique experience, so there’s no easy comparison, but if you...I recently discovered Starsector ($15) and fell in love immediately. It’s an exploration-based sci-fi space combat RPG.
It’s a truly unique experience, so there’s no easy comparison, but if you like Kenshi, you’ll like starsector. They are very different games but share parallels in exploration, squad/fleet management, settlement building, clever writing, and an immersive sandbox world.
Like kenshi, you’re limited only by your imagination. Want to be a violent anti-technology religious zealot? There’s a faction for that. Or maybe you’d prefer fitting a fleet for deep space exploration and seeking powerful domain-era tech? Or building a massive trade empire spanning multiple star systems? Or making a fortune as a bounty hunter?
It’s a special game and an absolute STEAL at $15. It’s still in early access, so the main story is incomplete, but it’s perfectly playable as-is with hundreds of hours of content. Sadly it is currently only available from the dev’s website (i.e. not on steam).
Ooh nice. This is a topic I've been interested in recently due to my own interest in meditation and the anecdote of a close friend.
The friend is very much a hard science kind of guy and very strongly atheist. In the 15 years I've known him, I've never heard him describe any experience as even remotely spiritual. That includes mutual experiences we've had with a number of psychedelics.
However, he recently participated in a 45 minute breath work meditation as part of the curriculum for a yoga certification, and he said the experience was genuinely powerful and spiritual.
The experience must've been truly profound for him to choose those words. I've been interested in the meditative possibilities of breath work since.