Because his arse keeps doing stupid shit for no reason - and I get no warning beforehand that this idiot can't keep his mouth shut. And its not even consisten.

First he's getting his knickers twisted because someone is bad-talking a king he has, literally, no reason to care about one bit. The next I'm arguing with a lord in his own castle and getting into an archery competition - immediately after failing to hit the target even once in the practice? And there's not even a break here. Its just 'hey, you're an asshole, let's fight'.



Sidenote: Is there some point where this game becomes open-world? Because so far I've been railroaded from POI to cutscene to POI without a break.

I mean, I kind of like the game - but I'd like to play it instead of just clicking on the buttons when the developers tell me to.

Back in the day it was a big thing to speak ill of the king, especially in tense moments such as in this game, with a usurper on the doorstep. The rest I agree with though, although if you keep playing Henry will get humbled a fair bit. The "tutorial" is longer than usual for these kinds of games, but keep playing. I'd say you're about... an hour or two at most, away from opening up the world.

It can't be that big of a deal when so many other people do so in front of you regularly.

And kings didn't figure much in the day-to-day lives of the majority of people - except when they were grinding faces.

'An hour or two away?'

Sacred bowels of Christ man! I've escaped a massacre, got critically injured in Skalitz, got carried away from there, have done the *second* swordfighting tutorial (which is 90% the same as the first one - and comes after I've killed a half-dozen men, including a Hungarian soldier) and am a couple hours into the game already.

Of course the king didn't, and I suppose it's easier to get fired up about it if you have your friends around, like in Skalitz, but now we have Sigismund at the gates and taking his side won't be liked by those loyal to Wen... Wenesc... the sitting king. I don't recall much being mentioned about the king by other people however... Not saying you're wrong, I just don't remember it right now. Aye, like I mentioned, a bit longer than in other games! If you are where I think you are, there are one or two main quests left before you are let loose on the world. I should mention that there are time-sensitive quests, so always listen to the quest givers to see if they mention speed being of the essence, or if it says so in the questlog.

Yeah, for a "historical accuracy" game Henry sure manages to miraculously avoid the pillory (much less executioner's block) doing dumb things like making a fortune poaching in nobles' woods.

At least my Henry is, and by now most of the sodding area must know about the guy who brings in hauls of 1700 groshen worth of meat at once (day 4 after waking up in the mill - not too shabby).

I was mildly expecting to run into a huntsman or something and get in really hot water because of the joyous slaughter of woodland creatures left and right, but I guess that's not implemented (despite the occasional distant hunting dogs barking).

Yeah. Henry's way too 20th century for a game supposedly aiming for realistic presentation.

Haha....I was just telling some one that when I was griping about some of the issues of this game. The setting feels medevil bohemian but a lot of the characters do not......from the gratuitous panning in of some lasses behind to the overtly sexual commentary to his sweet heart at the pub and her replies. All they did was add some some archaic talk and phrases in there. But a lot of the conversations dont really feel authentic.

I think that is the games weak point. The dialogue is not horrible but neither is it spectacularly written either. I think where the game shines is the world building and the combat. As clunky as it first feels......it is still pretty good.

I agree with the game feeling like it is on rails the first few hours or more. That is the tutorial.

Also notice how every character is trying to get you to break the law some how.........

Become a grave robber or a poacher.

Yeah, that went on for way too long for me.

Without knowing which things are timed and which aren't (I really dislike when developers mix them that way without very specific indication that different mechanics apply), I'll just stick to my Poaching Simulator 1403 for now.

It's actually pretty fun, especially at low archery levels. Though I'm not sure animals are affected by visibility and noise all that much. They certainly do not seem to have "blind spots" implemented (the "skittish" distance is the same regardless of which direction you approach them from). I went from 50/50 Vis/Cons and 50 noise to below 30/30 20 and have not noticed any difference in the minimum distance I can approach game before it runs.

Trying to find a hunting spear or something now to chase boars and deer with now that I have a fancy horse (that apparently I can ride bareback with no tacking, either, but that's another gripe).

It already has, it just doesn't tell you that it has.
You didn't need to go talk to the nobel dinner party in the castle right away, I wandered around, dug up treasure, visited other towns, robbed some cuman, bought a horse etc then went to the dinner party.

If you've already done the dinner party thing, and the contest/fights afterward during training it's open world then too, just don't begin the next main quest yet. If you keep starting the next part of the main story that will keep going until the game wraps up, but once you finish the prolouge <<are at the mill>> then it's open world from that point on. The huntsmen are out there, I was 40 something hours into my game without poaching anything and I'd already been stopped by huntsmen on the road (who searched me) 4-5 times so it sounds like you had the blessings of RNGuses upon you during your play ;) You can ride it that way (I think technically you have a saddle by default though juddging by the sprite) but it's at a cost.
Spurs, bridle, etc all effect the stats of the horse as well as how you can handle it (bridle) your effective skill level (spurs) and so forth.

Glad to be mistaken in that regard, then (and yes, seems RNGesus is with me. Over 30 hours in, most of it spent poaching, and not a single encounter XD)Riding at a gallop bareback with no tack would be like level 15 Horsemanship challenge.

And no, my Trojan did not come with either saddle or tack. Ironically, sometimes I cannot move things into its inventory (despite having "free carry weight"), and have to mount to be able to.Figured as much. Though the item descriptions (and their stats) really do a piss-poor job at explaining just HOW much of a difference it makes.

Anyway, definitely enjoying the free-roam pre-banquet part of the game much more than following the series of hand-holding main quests.

Sadly, Henry still gets away with too many things.

I resorted to watching some online guides before I was finally able to parse what a lot of the gear was doing so I have to agree with you that the in game tooltips could benefit from improvement.

The first horse I purchased showed as having gear before I mounted (if memory serves, but it's been awhile so I could be mistaken) but had no in game items equipped, did yours show as being bareback? I'd be interested to know if that effected the actual riding in game (though level 1 Hal seems to be a better rider than I am.. and you're right he does seem to get away with a fair amount lol).

Best of luck on your future riding and may the blessings of RNGesus always be with you.

Minor spoiler:

So just got to the part where Henry is being told to go get some game meat for the wounded Skelitz villagers.

Because apparently it's not enough that the Custodian of the monastery land is, at best, indifferent to their lot, I should piss him off now by poaching on what I assume are the Church's lands.

A minor gripe, but... come on. Makes the whole explanation why the Skalitzers are going hungry and destitute... well, anywhere, kind of silly.

Just hit the forest, get some boars, live like a noble, Henry-style. Almost 20,000 groshen by now, baby - majority of it from poaching. And I keep spending money on silly things like books, heh.