One of the best parts of Baldur's Gate II was the stronghold. At a certain point in the game, your main character would get the opportunity to obtain a permanent headquarters where the party could rest safely, stock away surplus magic items, and even resolve local issues that were going on in the area around the stronghold. The coolest stronghold of all was the one that fighters could get -- a massive castle, complete with a great hall, guards and servants, and plenty of secret passages and hidden chambers. (Side note: During my last play-through, about four years ago, my party lacked the magic items necessary to defeat a powerful golem, so we basically just locked him in one of the many castle bedrooms -- and there he remained for the rest of the campaign!) The castle stuff in Baldur's Gate II remains one of my all-time favorite bits from any video game I've ever played.
So, that brings us to Pathfinder: Kingmaker. This game has the same play style as Baldur's Gate and its ilk, but it seeks to take that castle experience and flesh it out so that it becomes an absolutely integral part of the game. You don't just end up with a stronghold -- you build and manage your own kingdom! Super awesome, right? I assume so, but I may never see it.
I'm stuck in the campsite.
Resting rivals the long load times for the most annoying problem with this game. Your characters consume rations when you rest (fine) and often you get attacked while resting (also fine), but
camping is so tedious and time-consuming that it seriously detracts from the experience of the game. You're sending out hunters, you're appointing a cook, you're camouflaging the tents, you're setting the shifts for your watch, you're sharpening your weapons....you get the idea. I have no doubt that some folks will find this added realism to be enjoyable -- I thought it was kind of cool the first time around -- but as I'm traipsing through dungeons and finding myself in need of rest to replenish hit points and spells, I just dread the whole process of resting. I think I need to give this game a rest.
So, that brings us to Pathfinder: Kingmaker. This game has the same play style as Baldur's Gate and its ilk, but it seeks to take that castle experience and flesh it out so that it becomes an absolutely integral part of the game. You don't just end up with a stronghold -- you build and manage your own kingdom! Super awesome, right? I assume so, but I may never see it.
I'm stuck in the campsite.
Resting rivals the long load times for the most annoying problem with this game. Your characters consume rations when you rest (fine) and often you get attacked while resting (also fine), but
camping is so tedious and time-consuming that it seriously detracts from the experience of the game. You're sending out hunters, you're appointing a cook, you're camouflaging the tents, you're setting the shifts for your watch, you're sharpening your weapons....you get the idea. I have no doubt that some folks will find this added realism to be enjoyable -- I thought it was kind of cool the first time around -- but as I'm traipsing through dungeons and finding myself in need of rest to replenish hit points and spells, I just dread the whole process of resting. I think I need to give this game a rest.
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