Right. This thread is to compile everything we have discovered about the game so far. I'll be updating this list with new items in
Bold as we learn them.
I'm not employed in any capacity by Paizo, or Owlcat Games, this is all stuff I've managed to gather myself and there may be errors. If there are, I try and correct them as soon as I can.
Update as of 2/15/18: I have Edited the list extensively in order to bring it into compliance with what we know of the current game plans and the alpha.
As Always New Things we know are in
Bold.
General Game Information:
-The game will be published this year. Tentative estimates have stated August. Firmer estimates state sometime in Q3 2018.
-The Kickstarter is finished! It ended at $909,057 and can be found
here.
-While the Kickstarter is over, you can still pre-order the game here. Preorders, even those placed after the Kickstarter campaign go to funding the Kickstarter Stretch Goals (for now).
-There were also two Reddit AMAs. They can be found
here, and
Here
-A wiki for the game can be found
here.
-
Pathfinder: Kingmaker has a TV Tropes page now.
-There were two Twitch streams, one by Owlcat Games which can be found
here, and the other by MMORPG.org which can be found
here.
-As part of the kickstarter, Chris Avellone will be writing a Pathfinder module in tandem with Paizo. Information on this is limited so far, but he seems to be excited about it.
-Custom Companions (like in pillars of Eternity) are being implemented. They will be introduced by a Pathfinder Society Venture Captain.
-The Miniatures of the Jabberwock and the Companion that come as add-ons and as part of certain tiers come pre-painted. The Companion miniature will be Octavia.
-All of the items mentioned in the Kickstarter are planned to be ready upon initial release. There are no plans for DLC currently.
-
A complete rundown of what the Kickstarter did and what it funded can be found here.
Stretch and Social Goals:
-With the Kickstarter now over, we have unlocked:
--Mac and Linux versions of the game.
--A much more in-depth Kingdom-building system (touted as "Kingdom as Companion").
--The Magus, a new character class from Ultimate Magic, which allows you to weild both sword and sorcery at the same time.
--An extra Story Chapter which will add approximately 10 more hours to the game, and will bring your character all the way to level 20.
--Archetypes and alternate class features, which will allow you to customize your character even further. For most classes there will be 3 Archetypes each, and for classes without enough archetypes, Alternate class features like Wild Bloodlines will be available.
--A new Goblin companion named Nok-Nok who is as loyal as a Goblin can be and who likes to sneak around and stab stab your enemies for you.
-The next (currently unmet) stretch goal is a new race, chosen by Backers from among 3 options that "best fit the Kingmaker setting." This goal is set at $1 million. The money from pre-orders and slacker backers will go towards making this goal a reality.
-After the new race, the next stretch goal is Hellknights at $1.1M. Reaching this goal this will unlock "unique abilities for Hellknights and Hellknight Signifers and specific items thematic to the Hellknights, as well as new quest line dedicated to the Hellknight presence in the Stolen Lands."
-Owlcat has implemented Social Achievements, and one of the things we can all get is a non-combat Faerie dragon pet. We have already unlocked neat Wallpapers, as well as silly cheat codes which will will allow you to make random critters pop out of enemies instead of blood when wounded, dressing all your companions in the
fabulous shirt of Owlcat's technical director, a new soundtrack for the city tavern (for those pledged at a premium edition or above), an extra portrait for your main character (premium edition and above only), and a pet Faerie dragon (for everyone)! Other social goals are things like: cooking in the camp (for everyone), and two as-yet not unlocked goals. these goals are reached when people like posts on facebook, repost facebook posts, retweet Owlcat tweets, view their youtube videos, and share the owlcat page.
Regarding the Base Game:
-The game is Single Player only
-The game includes all 6 AP Modules, as well as an additional post-campaign chapter which will take players all the way to level 20.
-You can build and develop a kingdom of your own with over 300 randomized kingdom events that will make sure that your choices effect how your kingdom develops and that every playthrough will be unique.
-The game will include diplomats from neighbors, including Brevoy, Numeria, and Irrisen. If you make alliances, that could unlock different buildings for your kingdom. There will be allies available for every alignment.
-The game is run on an engine developed using the Unity engine. It is Isometric in look and feel.
-There will be plenty of side-quests (around 40 hours worth of sidequests, probably more).
-You will be able to be evil, but it will be a cruel and cunning "smart evil" such as talking two enemies into killing each other, rather than just asking for more money as a quest reward. The Creative Director once suggested how much easier it would be to rule a kingdom of undead, than living, breathing citizens; because living citizens have all sorts of complaints about life, and hunger, and so on. The undead just obey. And are (usually) quiet. Except the zombies. Also, the design policy is not to have being Evil cut you off from content to punish them, but to balance content across all alignments.
-The base game includes a forty hour main storyline, and forty to eighty to forty hours of fun side content. An additional 10 hour long story chapter has been unlocked as well.
-There will be a lot of new content unique to this version of the Stolen Lands -- just like it would be in any DM's version.
-The game "will have a certain degree of linearity: just like in the table-top game, some challenges will arise, and it would be up to you how you'll tackle them. You can't avoid being the baron(ess), then the king/queen, since it's the premise of the game. However, you'll be free to explore the Stolen Lands, find lots of events unrelated to the main course of events, and choose how to act there. So, you're guaranteed to meet the persons you can see on the covers of the Adventure Path books, but you'll meet them inside a large sandbox."
-Game spans Levels 1 - 20.
-All 21 Core Deities are in as well as Groetus and Gyronna.
-The Physical version of the Game will be DRM-free. It includes a box with the installation medium.
-The digital version will have a choice of distribution platforms.
-"We're planning to carry the adventure to places the Adventure Path doesn't go (but it's a natural extension), so veteran players have something new to experience." This likely means the First World.
-"Even enemies you would normally regard as beasts and threats could find a home in your kingdom and provide new opportunities for your kingdom's growth."
-The game is a blend of Narrative and Combat, and neither one trumps the other.
-There are some pretty long dungeons in the game, and you will have to fight for your survival there. You can complete one level of the dungeon in approximately 1 hour.
-You can fail or ignore quests and they'll have big repercussions (not always negative). There are absolutely moral dilemma quests, which become more complicated once your companions weigh in and suddenly you have two moral dilemma layers to deal with.
-Foreshadowing will definitely be added for "The Big Bad." So states Chris Avellone. It will be threaded into each chapter.
-They have also taken pains to foreshadow Jhod in module 1's arc.
-The end game is builds on the player decisions. Even if your decisions were "bad," they were your decisions, and even evil has its day.
-The Base game is localized in: English, German, French and Russian.
-There are multiple endings to the game, and even aside from that, your party composition (and alignment) will factor into both the plot and the endings as well, so the replay value is high.
-The game is pretty faithful to the original AP, but not every dungeon and quest is laid out in the exact same manner. Owlcat is moving some elements around, introducing familiar characters at different points (and re-introducing where appropriate). They are also adding new content, so there will be surprises for players who have played the AP already (above and beyond the differences inherent from your individual DM's particular unique take on the AP).
-There will be companion Romance, but it isn't the only relationship option. This includes LGBTQ+ romance options. This kicks in as quickly as Module 1. Non-companion NPCs will be able to be Romanced as well as some Companions (not all of them though, good romances take time to write and develop).
-You will have a lot of save slots. You will not be able to save in combat or dialog. Aside from that you will be able to save wherever you like. And there will be Ironman mode with just one save slot.
-There will be Adjustable Blood and Gore settings. In the alpha slice of the game, enemies sometimes explode into giblets if you hit them too hard. Also in the Alpha there's a really cool blood flowing through the water effect when you kill people in a river.
Setting:
-The game is set in Golarion in the Stolen Lands, And the First World.
-You will be able to talk to companions from as far as Absalom and even Thuvia about their homelands.
-You will meet ambassadors from neighboring countries. And you can form alliances with them. There are 9 Ambassadors currently (one for each alignment) and they include the Witches of Irrisen.
-There are events from other Kingdoms so you get to see the "Spectrum of Golarion."
-You will encounter at least three iconics as an NPCs, Harsk, and Ezren, with Amiri as a companion.
-The game will use Ambient sound.
-There are rabbits and birds out in the wild, and they are planning to put some animals in settlements too.
-
Music and sounds are discussed in this update.
-
Inon Zur himself talks about the music of Pathfinder in this update.
-
If you like Maps, this is your update.
-
Exploration is discussed in this Update.
-
Character outfits and getting them to fit Wayne Reynolds initial designs for Pathfinder are discussed here.
Character Creation:
-The Game includes all the Races and Classes from the Core Rulebook, as well as Inquisitor, Alchemist, and Magus.
-There are around 10 Animal Companions in the base game. None of them are Dinosaurs.
-There are around 10 Familiars in the base game. No word either way on Red Pandas. I remain hopeful. Avellone is petitioning Owlcat to allow Owlcat familiars.
-There will be NO Grippli, not even as a stretch goal, due to licensing issues since Grippli are WotC IP. While the information was delivered tongue in cheek, there will be no Deep One Hybrids either. Aasimar and Tieflings are similarly unlikely for the same reasons as Grippli.
-There are pregenerated builds and recommendations for all the choices and options.
-The current plan for Character Creation is point buy. The Devs have stated that they may also consider rolling characters as an optional alternative.
-Stats will be point buy by default, with an option for rolled stats due to backer demand.
-You will be able to select portrait for your character, these will all be Paizo approved. the ability to use custom portraits is still in discussion.
-You will be able to select face, hair style, skin tone, hair color (and gnomes will definitely have crazy colors available for them). Owlcat is also trying to add different body types, is am not promising it right now.
-You can select a deity your character will worship. Divine classes will have to select specific deity. Paladin codes will be referenced to, but not strictly mechanically upheld.
-There will be favored class bonuses, including racial options, but probably not all of them.
-Character creation design is not finalized, but Owlcat plans to include character background in some form in it. From the Character sheet update it looks like they're using the background system from Ultimate Campaign.
-While it is not yet finished, it looks like there will be Traits as part of the background system.
-Custom Portraits may be Implemented.
-They are currently working on a method to prebuild your character all the way to level 20 if you want to and then level up at the click of a single button.
-All Base Stats exist unchanged.
-Different Sizes and base land speeds are accomodated.
-Different Vision Types (such as Low-Light Vision) are accomodated.
-
This Update deals with your character sheet. The interface is not finished yet, but it gives a pretty good sense of what is going on.
-Your character will be Voiced. You will be able to select a voice for your character from several options. Although only critically important or emotional dialog will be fully voiced-over, so you will mostly hear your character in combat. While support for custom voice sets has not been confirmed, with a bit of work, fans have been able to put new custom voice sets into Unity games before.
Classes
-The game includes: Alchemist, Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Inquisitor, Magus, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorceror and Wizard.
-The Rogue follows rules from Pathfinder Unchained. The Barbarian is also Unchained but can choose between the normal and Unchained version of Rage. The Monk is as yet undecided.
-Multiclassing is in the game.
-Prestige Classes are in the Game. We don't know which ones for certain besides Arcane Trickster, but it seems a safe bet to assume all Prestige classes from the Core Rulebook at least. The Devs have also mentioned wanting to include the Aldori Swordlord. The exact number of Prestige classes is not yet set, but they're trying to get as much variety as they can.
-Bards will have access to Bardic masterpieces.
-You can become a Fallen Paladin if your alignment shifts too much.
-Since there is no mounted combat, Cavaliers and Samurai will probably not be making an appearance. Paladins also have different versions of divine bonds, most common of them being a weapon bond.
-Since there has been no mention of Guns so far it des not seem like Gunslinger will be in the game.
-There are currently no plans to include the Occult Classes: Kineticist, Medium, Mesmerist, Occultist, Psychic, and Spiritualist.
-The community manager has heard no mention of Ninja being included.
-Archetypes will be part of the game. There will be three for each class (although some classes may get alternate class features instead or in addition, such as Wild Bloodlines for Sorcerors and Sub-Schools for Wizards). The archetypes and features already in development are: Alchemist - Vivisectionist, Barbarian - Armored Hulk, Mad Dog, Cleric - Herald Caller, Ecclesitheurge, Fighter - Aldori Swordlord, Inquisitor - Sacred Huntsman, Magus - Eldritch Archer, Sword Saint/Kensai, Sorcerer - Wild Bloodlines, Wizard - Subschools.
-Currently the game only has weapon divine bond for paladins, but Owlcat intends to implement the alternative Divine Bond Options in the Healer's Handbook. The Creative Director makes no promises though.
-Druid's Wildshape and Polymorph will be from a predetermined list, though there is the possibility of making some shapes unlockable. Special attacks will follow the rules as closely as possible.
-Roof Runner Rogue will not be an Archetype. Because of a dearth of Siege Machines, Haunts, and Naval combat, archetypes relying on those things will not be considered.
-There are no no 3rd party archetypes.
Skills
-As of right now, Skills are: Athletics, Mobility, Perception, Persuasion, Knowledge: Arcana, Knowledge: World, Stealth, Trickery, Lore: Nature, Lore: Religion, Use Magic Device.
-Skills have been condensed, similar to the way Consolidated Skills are Handled in Pathfinder: Unchained
- Crafting skills and Profession skills are not in the game.
-Trickery is used for disarming traps. Feinting is also under Trickery.
-Persuasion has three subcategories: Intimidate, Bluff, and Diplomacy. Bonuses like the Half-Orc Bonus to intimidate will target the appropriate subcategory.
-Lore: Nature includes:knowledge about animals and insects, survival in the wilderness, handling animals, and healing wounded or sick companions (which sounds like Survival, Handle Animal, Knowledge: Nature, and Heal). Lore Nature can be used to forage for Food.
-Lore: Religion includes: Knowledge about Gods, Outsiders, and healing mental afflictions.
-Knowledge: World includes: information about Golarion, races, cultures, history, and current interactions, trade, and politics (Local, Geography, History, Nobility, and possibly Appraise?)
-Knowledge: Arcana includes: information about various unnatural phenomena, eldritch spells, enchanted items and otherworldly entities such as elementals and magical beasts (Arcana and Spellcraft).
-The Difference between "Knowledge" and "Lore" is that Lore will be Wisdom-based.
-In certain events in the alpha, where a specific skill is required and not only can you select which party member should attempt the skill check, but the game also highlighted which character was most suitable for the task at hand.
The current Alpha build gives you a list of characters in your party along with their skill ranks in the given skill and penalties to the given skill and lets you choose between them manually
- The game takes note of certain things you may have in your inventory, in order to help with skill checks. For example if you picked up a rope and/or crowbar, that could help you on a difficult strength-check, or an encyclopedia volume might help on a specific knowledge check.
-The skills update
can be found here.
-When you are speaking checks are made by party member with greatest bonus to the required skill. In kingdom checks there are Leaders that can solve some events on their own.
-Traps are treated the Same as in the Pathfinder, you have to roll Perception vs DC of the trap, every character rolls separately. There is no special "search" mode to do that.
-If you fail your thievery check with one character, another character tries when you click on it again.
-Languages come into play in puzzles
-The Mobility skill will have an "escape" subset that is used for escaping Grapples. This is similar to Escape Artist in the tabletop version of the game.
It is also used to catch people jumping from cliffs, or, you know, not catch them, if you fail.
Feats
-There will be more than 300 feats.
-Feats are drawn from many books beyond the Core Rulebook, including but not limited to: the Advanced Player's Guide, The Inner Sea World Guide, and Ultimate Magic.
-Feats verified to be in the game include: Elemental Spell Focus, Evocation Spell Focus, Arcane Shield, Ray Shield, Touch of Serenity, Extra Lay On Hands, Undead Master, Fortune Teller, Sunlight Summons, and Fleet.
-While Item Creation Feats are replaced by the Royal Artisan System and will not be in the game, the Character Sheet updated shows that Scribe Scroll does exist as (at the very least) a Wizard Class ability.
Spells
-While they are still being worked on, the game already includes over 300 spells.
-There are already more than 15 spells to choose from for each of the three first spell levels, with more to come.
Spells we have seen or that have been mentioned so far are: Owl's Wisdom, Bless, Hold Person, Snowball, Blazing Hands, Greater Blade Dash, and Black tentacles.
There are many more spells which have been implemented in the Alpha including Summon Monster.
-
You can learn more about spells in this update.
-Friendly Fire(balls) aren't. (Just like in the game, if you target an ally with an area effect they have to save against it (Barring special feats like Selective channel). This is a apparently player option according to Vic Wertz (Technical Director at Paizo).
Multiplayer and Modding:
-Base game is Single Player only.
-While DM Tools and Multiplayer were floated as possible stretch goals early on, the Devs want to focus on making a good Single Player game first and foremost and so they don't want to promise that they will be available.
-Modding is a separate issue that they are not focused on at this time.
-There are no plans for a DM client option. This is something to examine for Future Games.
Regarding Companions:
-There are 11 Companions total including Nok-Nok. They are all confirmed: Amiri, Ekundayo, Harrim, Jubilost, Nok-Nok, Octavia, Regongar, Valerie, Tristian, Linzi, and Jaethal.
There will also be Custom Companions (which will not be voiced or have a real backstory but which you will be able to build from the ground up).
-Companion characters are a mix of New characters, iconic Pathfinder characters, and characters already existing in the AP.
-
Amiri, the Iconic Barbarian, is a companion with a lot of backstory and events happening around her throughout the game. Amiri is the only Iconic Companion. Amiri will have her iconic weapon available and viable even for later parts of the game. Amiri is a Gorumite and she can be heard crying out "For Gorum!" as she rushes her foes.
-
Jubilost Narthropple is a companion. He a cantankerous gnome, is kind of a jerk, and you can fail to recruit him if you screw up your attempt to help him out with his wagon (though you'll get a chance to try again later). He's also a character from the original AP. He is an alchemist now and uses a Heavy Crossbow by default. Chris Avellone really wants to work on him because Jubilost is a gigantic dick.
-
Valerie is a blonde haired Human Woman from Brevoy. She is a Fighter, and a failed Paladin of Shelyn. Valerie's relationship with religion is complicated. When you meet her she is an atheist.
-
Octavia is a female Half-Elf wizard/rogue/arcane trickster. She was once a "Bonded Servant" to Numeria's Technic League. She is friends with the Half-Orc companion Regongar.
-
Regongar is a Half-Orc Magus who is also Octavia's Friend. He seems to be either Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Evil. He escaped (possibly with octavia) from the clutched of Numeria's Technic League. he likes using intimidate. Regongar was originally statted as a Sorcerer, but since the Magus was unlocked, he is now an
Eldritch Scion Magus.
-
Ekundayo, is a Thuvian Ranger from Absolom. He is Lawful neutral, has a Hound Animal Companion, and uses a Bow.
-
Nok-Nok is a Goblin Companion who is probably a Rogue. He believes he is on his way to becoming a god. He is super loyal (for a Goblin) and was unlocked in the final hours of the Kickstarter campaign.
-
Harrim is a Dwarven Cleric of Groetus. He has a Mohawk looking hairdo. He is a confirmed companion.
-Linzi is Halfling Bard. She decides to join you because she wants to record your story..
-Tristian is a Blonde Human Cleric of Sarenrae who can be seen in this image alongside Amiri, Octavia, Valerie and Regongar. He is a companion.
-Jaethal is a Elven Inquisitor of Urgathoa. Jaethal is Evil, and .
-There is what looks like either a Taldan or Ulfen Human male Fighter. He may be a default Player character however.
-Akiros Ismort will not be a companion.
-Companions can disagree with you, leave you, and even turn on you if they don't like you. They do NOT need to be in your party for this to happen. Companions are living people and don't stop existing just because you leave them home.
-The story can change considerably depending on your party composition.
-Each companion has an expandable novel style bio that expands as you learn more about them and progress in the game.
-You can take 5 Companions with you in a party at one time, for a total of 6 characters.
-You can level up your companions based on your own preferences, even changing their classes if you wish, there is however a suggested path, and you can have them auto-level if you wish instead.
-You will also be able to choose from several AI behaviors for your party members, allowing them to use spells and abilities or spend resources on their own. You can switch AI on and off for each character separately, there will be various options for AI. Currently there are fairly simple options for the AI (switched off, using attacks that do not spend anything, make use of everything aside from AoE and consumables, etc). This may be subject to change in the future. You can turn Companion AI on or off with the click of a button on the UI.
-Each companion will have one or several levels in a predetermined class when you meet them. You can level them any way you wish from there on out, but their "starting class" is preset.
-Chris Avellone really wants to write Amiri and Jubilost. But negotiations as to who gets to do what are still ongoing.
-Companions definitely have an opinion, will act on that opinion, and will act strongly on that opinion (leaving the party is only one possible ending for companions you butt heads with). Mentions have been made of Companions turning on you as well.
-There are some companions that simply are impossible to influence with your charms, only your actions.
-Some of the companions come from as far as Absalom and even Thuvia and you will be able to talk to them about those lands.
-Companions' stories carry through (heroic and tragic, though both are not set in stone for each character) throughout the game to the very end.
-Companions have their own choices of deities. (Presumably these are pre-selected for them).
-You can of course put any gear you want on all the characters without restrictions (though this may be restricted on lower difficulties to keep newer players from doing things like putting full plate armor on the party wizard).
-You can influence companions' personality but that will rarely go as far as changing their alignment.
-Your companions can't be bribed with shiny loot to ignore your indiscretions. They can be bribed with attention, story decisions, and alignment based actions to like you more though.
Combat
-Combat format is Real Time with Pause. There's going to be an option for auto-pausing combat at the beginning of each "turn", essentially making it quasi-turn-based. "Turns" last approximately three seconds.
-Combat includes: initiative, attacks of opportunity, sneak attacks, Power Attack (as a toggle), Fighting Defensively, Spontaneous casting of heal spells, and Channeling positive energy.
-Combat maneuvers exist in-game and use CMB and CMD.
-Combat maneuvers which are confirmed to be in the game are: Trip, and Dirty Tricks (probably limited to blinded, entangled, shaken and sickened). Disarm, Bull Rush, and Overrun are likely to be included in some form, possibly with changes. Grappling is a Monster Only ability. Sunder, Reposition, and Drag are unlikely to show up. For more information, see
this thread by Developer
Perpetual Nothing.
-Armor Class, Touch AC and Flat Footed AC are all things.
-All three Saving Throws exist unchanged.
-Weapon Proficiencies seem unchanged.
Both Range Increments and Reach seem to be part of the game. You can see your weapons' range on your character sheet.
-Combat is a lot more Manageable in Kingmaker than Pillars of Eternity according to Chris Avellonne who has worked on both games.
-5 ft. steps are in the game (sort of). Small movements combat won't provoke AoOs, larger movement attempts will.
-Regarding Flanking and Reach: "Exact positioning is far less predictable in the game without a grid and therefore we have to make it less important. For that we will have simplified rules for everything that works with positioning on the field. For example, reach weapons will have greater range and no penalties in melee, but will not give the wielder an attack of opportunity when the target moves from 10' to 5' squares. And we are still testing several approaches to flanking."
-"There will be no grappling for characters, for monsters with special abilities based on grappling rules for it will be greatly simplified." Constrict, Swallow Whole, and Engulf have all been mentioned as well.
-Escaping a Grapple will use either you CMB, or the "Escape" use of your "Mobility" skill.
-Standing up from Prone will provoke Attacks of Opportunity.
-They intend to Implement Coup de Gras, but it may need to be nerfed due to being exceptionally powerful and unbalancing.
Other Mechanics:
-The game currently includes a comprehensive Alignment meter which plays a significant role in the game. There are a lot of choices that shift your alignment towards one of the nine possible, and your current alignment sometimes affects the way NPC react to you. Avellone likened it to how alignment was implemented in Planescape Torment. The Alignment system is meant to be descriptive, not prescriptive.-There's a really cool Alignment graph that tracks your progression over time.
-There is No Crafting, instead there's a Royal Artisans system that will make magic items (and even Artifacts) for you. Scribe Scroll still exists however.
-You can either auto-select the best party member for a skill check, or manually select who you want to attempt it.
-Difficulty levels are: Core Rules (similar to tabletop Pathfinder but real time, not turn based), adapted rules (less deadly for less experienced, crits deadliness reduced), story mode (really simple combat), Iron man (tougher monsters, just one save that overwrites itself so accept your mistakes), and custom (for example, core rules with reduced crits).
-The level up screen will suggest options to you sort of like Amazon's "If you liked X you might also like Y."
-Wings will be in the system, and they will do something cool "we instead may, for example, give a sorcerer an ability to create strong winds and push the enemies away with a flap of his wings or will allow him to reposition himself on the battlefield by flying up and landing elsewhere."
-The AI can help you control the characters in battle.
-There will be no Flying in Combat or Mounted Combat.
-
This update can tell you About Mechanics and Character creation.
-No Leadership feat. You're already running a kingdom and your party are your cohorts.
-There IS permanent companion death, but not on all difficulties. It depends on your play mode: (story) companions get back up, (normal) companions get up but are at death's door and will die permanently if hit again, and (hardcore) they're dead. Resurrection and Raise Dead are part of the experience, though. There will be more difficulty levels than those 3, and you will be able to choose from a lot of options to customize difficulty for yourself.
-Following evil deities will have consequences in the relationships with other countries and NPCs.
-There is some randomization of loot from ordinary creatures, such as the amount of gold and other minor items they carry, but boss loot will be fixed.
-All item slots which exist in the tabletop will be represented in Kingmaker.
-There are 5 Belt Slots for Consumable items like potions.
-You will have 4 weapon sets available to swap between. Non-selected (but still equipped) Weapon sets will show up on your character model. and you will be able to draw them both in combat and on the inventory screen with an accompanying animation.
-Exploration is not a standalone system. Random encounters will happen on the map, as will skill checks and the discovery of new areas, you can run from random encounters as well.
-
Explanation of Characters, Animation and Inventory
-Firearms do not seem to be included in game, but there has been no definitive word from the devs either way.
-There is a party-wide inventory, which isn't limited by anything but weight. Bags of holding will still be useful to increase the amount of stuff you can carry, but you don't get X amount of inventory spaces like in a certain older RPG, where you'd eternally lose one slot by filling it with a baby.
-The game seems like it will allow you to have all the loot picked up you've left all over the area if you don't want to click on each and every corpse.
-There will be features such as mounts and the like to carry your stuff (but not mounted combat).
-Heavier Armor will slow movement, just like in the tabletop version of the game.
-Things like bosses and monsters in certain areas or the location of secrets will not be randomized.
-However, some things will be randomized. There will be hundreds of random kingdom events, which will be different with every playthrough. There will also be random encounters, much like in the classic Fallout games, where you may bump into enemies, merchants, weird and wacky NPCs and the occasional easter egg whilst exploring the world map. And with all the companions, decisions and different outcomes and results depending on your decisions and actions.
-Owlcat intends to implement improved familiar. They are still discussing list of familiars available for it though. Dweomercat cub is on the list right now.
-All loot that is in a location will be presented to you when you leave for you to take or not, so you won't NEED to loot corpses individually (though you still can of course).
-There are Book events (which are similar to the way that Pillars of Eternity had scripted events). Book Events will take into account your actions beforehand, your skills, and even your inventory, when deciding if and how you succeed.
--Encumbrance is a thing. This is what limits how much you can carry (instead of having a limited number of inventory tabs). Encumbrance is currently determined based off the individual carrying capacity of all party members (since the stash is a party wide stash). Bags of Holding and such increase the amount of weight you can carry.
-There is (at least on Adapted rules difficulty in the alpha slice) a last chance buffer versus death in the debuff condition called "Death's Door". If you die once, you get up with this condition applied, which can only be cured in the capital or via greater restoration. If you die again with this condition active, you die permanently. It affects your companions as well, though you can use raise dead and other spells to revive them. Presumably under core-rules difficulty you'll just die, no "death's door" involved.
-There's a Glossary Feature for Golarion Lore included as well as Tooltips for that lore.
-Familiars might be special items in a special slot that you can see on the field of battle but cannot be targeted. That said, this is still in development so all answers are tentative.
-You have 5 Quickslots for each character.
-There is a Quicksave button.
-Time is a precious resource. Some events are time limited (For example a den of bandits will expand and multiply in to more bandit dens if you ignore it).
-There might be Vampires and Lycanthropes, but those diseases will not be infectious. No PC Vampies or Werewolves.
-Haunts and Siege machines will be sparse (if they appear at all). There will be no Naval Combat.
The Kingdom:
-There are playable companions as well as NPCs you can assign to kingdom roles (from Ultimate Campaign), with enough choices for 2-3 options for each role.
-Advisers will give advice based on their personality. this may not be the best advice. You will have to interpret it.
-Expanding The Kingdom is the initial goal of the Kickstarter.
-You can add 30 regions to your kingdom.
-There are 300 Kingdom Events and 100 Kingdom Projects.
-You can ally with outside Factions, there are 9 allies currently, one for each alignment. these include the Witches of Irrisen. They'll be walking around the streets of your capitol.
-The Kickstarter aims to:
--Make the Kingdom's appearance reflect your alignment and choices.
--Let you recruit royal artisans to your kingdom that make you cool stuff (including Artifacts). The Creative Director Alexander Mishulin also mentioned a "Royal Cook (Cooking Royal Artisan)" But that may have been a joke.
--Add more responsiveness to your choices (for example saving a troll family could let you unlock a Troll Bridge building and a Legendary club they make for you, and how you solve problems would unlock different rewards for them).
--Add randomized Kingdom events that make your kingdom different in every playthrough.
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This Update can tell you more about your kingdom.
-Kingdom Roles will be similar to Ultimate campaign, but with fewer roles for less redundancy. There is no Heir, and Ruler has been modified so you don't need high Charisma. Also your player character gets the role of king no matter what. Leaders will be tied to certain stats and there will be positions that are based on Charisma (Like Grand Diplomat)
-Your state is a barony at first with some of the roles absent, but they will become available as your state upgades to a kingdom.
-"It's not really Kingdom management without the political drama, really, and Owlcat realized that from the get-go with the design." Chris Avellone says. He also says "It's pretty Game of Thrones. I don't say that lightly." "On the narrative side, you’ve got a whole bunch of rival nations interested in your efforts, and each of them have their own way of trying to manipulate the situation. This is challenged further by your advisors and people in your own court, who have their own conscious and unconscious agendas on how the affairs of state should play out – they may be offering advice they think is best, for example, but I found myself always analyzing their backstory, their personal failings in the past (and present), and then counterbalancing their advice and judgments against the personality to see if I should trust them at their word. So, yeah, I was getting some GoT vibes and having a lot of fun."
-Your vassals will have an opinion about you, and if they are unhappy - different events could happen, including their opposition to you.
-Owlcat is not really holding back on evil/seediness in the Kingdom. You can build Brothels. Building Brothels doesn't make your kingdom evil.
-The Stolen Lands is divided into 14 regions (number of regions may be subject to change). Most of them will have settlements of some kind, including those in AP, like Varnhold.
-There will be buildings that require certain alignment and alliance with one of the ambassadors. Some will be tied to the certain resolutions of the story encounters and kingdom events.
-You will have to make decisions involving your neighboring countries, which will all have consequences.
-Expect to see Embeth Woodsmen, Mivoni Aldori or some other neighbors (and not only neighbors) visiting you.
-As your Kingdom grows regions in your kingdom become better defended and advisers point out new areas on the map within your kingdom's boundaries. Also you will move faster as roads in your Kingdom improve.
-Your capital will reflect your alignment both visually and in the behavior of your subjects.
-Despite Chris Avellone calling it "very Game of Thrones," there are no Marital alliances planned.
-There are some story events that will be easier to complete with your kingdom supporting you, for example they will provide you with special kingdom project that (if it is completed in time) will give you additional options in the story event. And vice versa certain choices in the story will unlock new options for your kingdom.
-You can choose your kingdom's alliances/enemies on different playthroughs (it's not always the same, it depends on your choices).
-Owlcat intends to implement State religions that with religions giving different bonuses and penalties both to your kingdom and relations to your neighbors.
-Owlcat are considering implementing several spells for use with the kingdom system (like Stone Shape).
-Recruiting traders for your kingdom will expand the range of goods available for you to buy in your throne room.
-A large amount of Kingdom issues show up on a monthly basis.
-The Kingdom Building rules are getting a thorough rewrite.
-There will be Black Markets, and Crime Empires.
Camping:
-A camping system (like in Realms of Arkania) where you can set watch, forage for food, set traps and alarms, regain health and spells, be attacked in your underwear while half-asleep, and your companions will talk about what they are thinking and feeling.
It is detailed in this update.
-Camping is partially implemented in the Alpha, and includes Cooking (which conveys various bonuses) and conversations between companions about their hobbies, their lives, and their thoughts.
-The camping UI can be found in this update.
-You can designate a Hunter to find rations (so you can rest for free), but this brings the risk of random encounters.
-You can set guards, and you can be attacked while not wearing your armor/sleeping.
-Eating rations and cooking using ingredients you foraged (from forests, chests, and fallen enemies) give you bonuses after resting.
-You cannot cook recipes unless you have both the ingredients, and have both obtained and learned the recipe.
-Rations (or ingredients) are not needed for resting.
-Your party members gossip with each other when you rest.
Miscellaneous Stuff:
-Owlcat is in close contact with Paizo in developing this. They're also running 4 simultaneous Kingmaker campaigns.
-Character sheet screens are super detailed.
-Tooltips exist which provide Golarion and Pathfinder-based lore.
-Initial languages for Localization are: English, German, French, and Russian. More may be available as Stretch goals based on popular demand.
-Digital Release is planned for GOG and Steam. Owlcat's "ultimate plan is to be available on all popular distribution platforms, so our players may choose the most convenient way to download the game."
-No matter what Race you play you can choose your Gender and Skin tone.
-The premium digital version includes some backer-only in-game items (a special cloak, a helmet and a ring, as well as one unique and quirky spell). The regular digital edition comes with a cloak.
-Chris Avellone has expresed desire for Owlkittens to be in the game. I continue to hold out hope for a cool Owlkitten pet.
-There will be an option for the colorblind, and all spoken text will be available in written form (wither in interactions or in logs) for the hearing impaired.
-Beta is scheduled for the first quarter of 2018.
-The alpha is planned for fall this year (2017).
-Owlcat is working on a "smart AI," which will keep you on your toes especially against enemy spellcasters. This probably does not mean a learning, evolving AI.
-Inon Zur, composer for Icewind Dale II, Baldur's Gate II, Fallout 3 & 4, Escaflone, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and Power Rangers: Turbo is composing the music.
-Character models will depict the items they are wearing. Owlcat is planning to make color schemes available, but that is not set in stone.
-The team consists of at least 4 programmers/6 artists and animators (and 20+ on outsource)/15 designers (system, UI, level, narrative), and 1 Chris Avellone (possibly more than one). Those are just the tech, art, and design teams—they also have a QA team and a management team.
-Amiri is apparently the iconic for the image on Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens' business card. She is also one of their cats.
-There are currently no plans for DLC.
-Expect a lot of influence from the four campaigns of Kingmaker they are running.
-They love magic items and want to make them more interesting
-Everything you equip including consumables and weapons you are not currently wielding, shows up on your character.
-One of the devs has a really neat axe.
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Update by Chris Avellone on narrative design.
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Interview with Studio Head of Owlcat Games Oleg Shpilchevsky and Creative Director Alexander Mishulin.
-According to Chris Avellone: "the lead narrative designer. Alexander Mishulin is the Project Director/Creative Director, and he’s… well, “fan” is probably the wrong word I’d use for how he feels about Pathfinder, it seems like he’s been playing it forever, and he knows the systems and world in and out."
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A mini-Interview with Chris Avellonecan be found in the first two posts of this thread.
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Kingmaker Seminar Video from Paizocon. Now also in
Podcast-form!
-There are Ducks and Rabbits. You can scare them by moving too close.
-21:9 monitor ratios will be supported.
-There is 4k Support in the sense that it will work on 4K monitors. It won't look any more awesome though because textures are not 4k.
System Requirements:
Minimal system requirements
Video: Intel HD Graphics 3000
CPU: Intel Celeron 1037U @ 1.80GHz
RAM: 4 Gb
OS: Win 7
Resolution: 1366 x 768
Recommended system requirements
Video: ATI Radeon HD 5770/GeForce GTX 960M
CPU: Intel Core i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz
RAM: 8 Gb
OS: Win 7
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Mac and Linux are supported (thanks to the $700k Stretch Goal) but no System Requirements are released yet.