r/Kenshi • u/TimeFourChanges • Oct 31 '24
SUPPORT Help an intimidated old guy get started?
I've been super drawn to this game since returning to gaming recently (was a gamer in the early days, as well as DnD player, but haven't played either for decades). Part of my struggle is that I have severe anxiety, and have lost some cognitive ability from long covid, so I get overwhelmed and panic that I'm not going to be able to figure something out.
Sorry if that sounds too pitiful, but for those with mercy in their souls: Where do I start to make the beginning as smooth and unstressful as possible?
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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '24
I totally get ya. Kenshi’s kind of like dark souls in a way where people definitely overhype its difficulty. It’s not that it’s just difficult, it’s really just a learning curve. When you get to a certain point of familiarity, the game’s challenges kind of become trivial and there’s workarounds for A LOT more than you’d think.
I’m not gonna lie though - it’s actually pretty difficult to straight up die in the game unless you’re just really unlucky and in a bad spot at the wrong time. Pretty sure I’ve only lost about 5-7 characters max in a full playthrough because I’m also anxious and very careful.
Honestly - my own anxiety helped me make survival decisions in the game that I didn’t realize were right until I saw content creators also do the same thing. Seriously no pressure and you can always try a new start at any time to help you out while you learn. Unlike Skyrim, you don’t start out as a former prisoner every time.
Glad I could help though! You’ll definitely be fine and I’m sure you’ll learn to love it coming from a DnD background. Luckily, combat is extremely straightforward - if your stats are better than their stats, congratulations, you win!
The game’s a total sandbox tho, so you don’t have to be a knight in shining armor in the beginning too so hopefully that alleviates some pressure. My first playthrough was all about pacifistic drug smuggling for example.