How Hard is Kenshi to Learn? A Beginner‘s Journey to Success
As a fanatical gamer who revels in complex, open-world RPGs, I live for the ultimate challenge. So when I first booted up Kenshi, I knew within minutes that this was my kind of game. The sheer depth, uncompromising difficulty and emergent gameplay had me hooked.
But soon the brutal early hours left me dispirited, as my clueless wanderers kept getting maimed, enslaved and beaten to a pulp. I struggled to survive, let alone progress. Yet having sunk 50+ hours into this merciless world, I‘ve finally gained my footing.
So how hard is Kenshi to learn? In short – extremely! You‘ve probably guessed that from your own early tribulations. But trust me, it does get easier with time and experience. Once it "clicks", it transforms into one of the most rewarding game worlds imaginable.
As a veteran Kenshi survivor, I‘ve put this comprehensive guide together to help newcomers overcome that insane initial learning curve and stick through those critical early hours. Let‘s begin our journey!
Expect Regular Setbacks at First
The early game experience is intentionally punishing by design. As the game warns, "Survival is not guaranteed". Expect your wanderers to get frequently enslaved, beaten up and left for dead.
My first outing ended with my entire squad shackled up as Reaver slaves, forced to endure days of hellish torture and toil, as seen below:
Such outcomes will be common initially. So don‘t get disheartened. Endure these setbacks as invaluable lessons that toughen up your survivors, unlocking new game mechanics.
Chris Hunt, Kenshi‘s developer, confirms the game‘s designed for new players to struggle early on, so stick it through!
With enough patience and grit, your hardened survivors will eventually transform into lethal warriors capable of defeating any foe!
Prioritize Training Core Stats
In the uncompromising world of Kenshi, numbers dictate your fate. To survive, you need to relentlessly train your core stats – namely Toughness, Strength and other combat skills.
Toughness determines capacity to handle damage, while Strength dictates both melee damage and inventory space. Below are average stats for early and late game squads:
| Stat | Early Game | Late Game |
|---|---|---|
| Toughness | 5-15 | 60+ |
| Strength | 10-20 | 50+ |
As the above shows, late game characters sport stats several times higher than beginners. So training should be your primary early game focus over exploration or base building.
Stack Toughness first so you can handle some beatings without getting knocked out instantly. Then boost Strength so you can pack more gear and hit harder. Other key combat skills like Defense, Dexterity and Weapon Skills also make a huge impact, so train these concurrently.
Smart Starts for New Players
I recommend all new players begin as Wanderers or Freedom Seekers, starting in non-hostile zones like The Hub or Border Zone regions:
| Start | Location | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanderer | The Hub | Solo start with low skills but safe locale to learn | Easy |
| Freedom Seekers | Border Zone | Start as escaped servants with combat skills | Medium |
These starts allow you to orient yourself, interact with various factions freely and build skills without constant danger of slaughter.
Attempting hardcore starts like Exiles in cannibal infested zones on your first run is just asking for a quick game over!
Explore Kenshi‘s Rich World
While you‘ll naturally be focused on keeping your squad alive early on, I strongly suggest taking time to explore the world and discover lore bits. Kenshi boasts over 1 million words of dialog – on par with classic CRPGs like Planescape: Torment.
Simply chatting with patrons at bars, rescued slaves or faction leaders reveals this brutal world‘s intricate politics, history and power dynamics.
Understanding Kenshi‘s factions like the militant Holy Nation religious fanatics or the ulcer-ridden United Cities nobility will prove invaluable. You can learn how to safely navigate regions, trade successfully and avoid unnecessary conflict leading to further maiming of your squad!
Persevere Through Early Struggles
As I can personally attest, the first 5-10 hours can be gruelling, as you limp from one beatdown to another.
Having lost my starter characters multiple times, I strongly considered walking away from Kenshi after losing 6 straight hours of progress.
Yet convinced by rave reviews that the game would "click" eventually, I resolved to keep at it. And thank goodness I did!
After pushing through early hurdles, the game transformed into the deepest and most liberating open world I‘ve ever experienced!
So while the brutal learning is daunting, persevere! Because once you grasp basics like training squads, smart exploration and securing food and gear, exciting possibilities open up endlessly.
You eventually establish formidable fortresses like my thriving base below, becoming powerful enough to influence the world itself!
Few games match Kenshi‘s emergent storytelling once you break past that initial barrier. Let my 200+ hour journey convince you to stick with this uncompromising but phenomenal game! It will richly reward your patience.
So stay strong and may fortune favor your daring survivors wandering Kenshi‘s savage beauty!
