E3 2016 - Kingdom Come: Deliverance RPG and Armor Details

Published: June 15, 2016 2:40 PM /

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Kingdom Come Deliverance

While at E3 2016, I had the opportunity to see Kingdom Come: Deliverance by attending a presentation. Warhorse Studios was showing off the armoring system in the game, how the system fits in with some RPG mechanics, and showing off some new places as well.

How you armor your character is going to be a significant consideration in your time playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance. What armor you are wearing and what your enemy wears will affect what weapon you choose to use, will make certain characters react differently, and attacking people wearing certain armor could have some big consequences.

The unique thing about the armoring in Kingdom Come is that it is layered. From wearing a shirt, to a jerkin, slapping some chainmail on, then putting plate on over that, you are wearing several pieces of armor. Depending on what all of those layers are, you will be more or less protected from either slashing, stabbing, and blunt weapons. For example, wearing plate armor over everything does great for reflecting sword strikes, but blunt weapons can cause the armor to crumple and do some real damage.

It's not just the outer layer that will affect that either. Let's say you're wearing some leather underneath, that will absorb some of that blow from the blunt weapon and make it not do so much damage. Warhorse stressed several times that calculations for damage happen in real time and take into account your weapon, the quality (durability) of that weapon, all of the layers of armor it may hit, as well as where a person is hit on their body. For example, swords can still do a good amount of damage if you get a strike near juts under someone's arm where there is no plate armor.

The importance of wearing proper armor against what your enemies are using for weapons, as well as your choice in weaponry based on what your enemy is wearing, can't be understated. There are RPG things like leveling to get up proficiency and weapons and other things, but every character in the game has the exact same amount of health. So, you can't just cruise your way through something because you have outleveled the area. The strategy of using the correct weapon at the correct time, while constantly adjusting your armor, will be the most important thing in every encounter you have. It even comes into play with your horse, as you'll apply that layering to their armor as well.

RPG elements get tossed in some more in that wearing certain types of armor, or the lack of it, will cause characters to interact with you differently. For example, if you're dressed like a noble person, you will be treated like a noble. If you look menacing, people may run or try to attack you. If you are wearing the colors or sigil of someone, you may be well-liked or attacked immediately. Disguising yourself and knowing what to wear and when will help or hinder you a lot in Kingdom Come.

We saw some of how the questing works as well, with Warhorse giving us a glimpse at one where your player character infiltrates a monastery disguised as a monk. It seems to go beyond what most other games do, however, in that you will actually have to put in a good amount of effort to sell yourself as a monk. You'll have to make sure to pray with them, to eat with them, even to learn to write with them. The implication here was to expect this level of detail to be commonplace.

All along Warhorse has emphasized that attention to detail, which they did again here at this presentation. They have a historian on staff to consult with everything and try their best to make everything look like it should have back in 1403, as well as how society worked, etc. That detail in historical accuracy and authenticity will be seen everywhere, from the design of the world, to the narrative, to the quests. Of course, they have to sacrifice some of that authenticity in place of making up some fun gameplay, but they really want people to get interested in the history of Bohemia.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance will be releasing in 2017 on the PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

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Andrew Otton
| Editor in Chief

Andrew is the Editor in Chief at TechRaptor. Conned into a love of gaming by Nintendo at a young age, Andrew has been chasing the dragon spawned by Super… More about Andrew