Some thoughts on why it is (too?) easy to become well equipped and rich

Gameplay
#1

I think, basically, short of unrealistically laugheable prices as in other games, there are some features in the game, that make it so easy (relatively speaking) to amass wealth;

-Inventory:
henry has quite the powerful legs being able to (al be it at a snails pace) haul literally tons of loot around with not so much as a single pocket in his hose. The usual gaming inventory (only accounting for weight) and generously proportioned, allows henry to carry insane amounts of stuff with him.
I would guess, that the solution would be to implement a system not only caring about weight, but bulk, as well. Also, maybe give henry a very tiny inventory, but allow him to buy a pack or something, where to store more stuff.
Keep the weight/bulk capacity of that pack realistic.

possibly, some large market wallets (essentially a closed sack with an opening in the middle, would be ideal for carrying large amounts of stuff. would be nice to have an option to drop it at the press of a button, to enable combat and other interactions… i.e. letting it slide down the shoulder.

-Sizes:
Clothing, even loose fitting modern stuff, comes in diffrent sizes. normally tight fitting medieval clothing and especially armour have to fit reasonably well. I would suggest maybe introducing a simple system of general sizes into a game, could help against henries and henriettes of all colours just wearing EVERYTHING they find on a mysteriously deceased foe. I’d say, ideally, only clothes of the characters size really “work”. Clothing and Armour of a size or two too small/large may be made to work but with penalties in mobility, protection and DEFINATELY “charisma”. So a found plate is cheap and works reasonably well if vaguely the correct size, but you’re most likely forced to fork out the cash for a custom made one in your size, for max functionality.

Traders:
It should be possible to improve on the selection, what traders of what kind are willing to buy. Basically few should buy cuman armour for any more than material value.
A bakers trade relies on selling fresh pretzels, not buying a metric ton on hald rotten, maggot infested and crumpled ones a random stranger from out of town is trying to sell, with bits of someones brain still sticking to them.

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#2

i don’t think it’s possible to reliably limit loot profits if

  • gear costs money (which it does)
  • it’s ok to kill some people and take their gear (which it normally is during a civil war)

realistically, most gear was not custom-fit and should thus be reusable and resellable. typically games solve it by just not allowing to loot armor, and only occasionally weapons. that’s not particularly realistic, but i don’t see a better solution tbh.

#3

Well…in an age before mass produced industrial clothing made in china or bangladesh and shipped across the globe to be sold to you, every single piece of clothing was hand stitched. So the effort and thus cost of making “a” dublet is exactly the same as making “your” doublet. but the latter fits better, looks better etc.

With the pricice of the arments materials being (relatively speaking) sooo much higher than the cost of work, it was common and econimical for people to buy second hand clothing in decent condition, and have it taken to pieces and restitched to fit you.
Even centuries later some valuable textiles were taken to pieces and reassembled with modifications, because of the fabrics value, and because even the common folk wanted to stay up to date in terms of fashion.

The idea that everyone just ran around in sacks, is a rather annoyingly stubborn modern idea. As is all people running around in black, grey and dirt.

Also, when clothing and especially the material is so valuable, you don’t just let your garments completely tear to shreds. If y hole starts, you can do nothing and see the expensive clothing rapidly accelerate in degredation.- Or apply very simple but efficient techniques to mend, patch and repair. to keep them look good (clothing was THE indicator of status in history, and right until very recently, people wanted to look good, as nobody willingly wanted to be perceived (nd treated) like a bum) and more importantly: to keep them from further desintegrating, making them last longer.

Again, I think much can be improved in games, if the inventory gets snipped down plausibly. You cannot profit off of stuff you cant carry to the next pawn shop, can you? There are accounts of whole armies in the 18th C. receiving fine shoes and blankets by the THOUSANDS!!! in fair weather of late summer, but they were simply not able to carry them with them. So they burnt and/or buried them, to at least prevent their enemies from having them…fast forward a few months, and they are in dire need of shoes and blankets, freezing their asses of in winter…

Logistics is a bitch…

#4

that kind of works against the first point of everything being custom-made. maybe personal clothes were, but no one loots them in KCD, and when it comes to equipping armies (like the cumans), i’m pretty sure things like hauberks and helmets were made in bulk.

#5

well, 18th ca. armies are a little bit diffrent, than civilians. Shoes, thanks to the nature of their construction and the lether used, can be made in stock sizes. Still, you usually have one that fits you, and one larger and one smaller, that cou can wear, but hurt or otherwise dont work perfectly, and a loooot of shoes too small to put on or too large to be of much use.

Clothing for the body, especially with the fashion often being tight or form fitting, are pretty hard to make in stock sizes. and why would you buy a stock size doublet, if the material and work cost are exactly the same, as the doublet made to your measure?

Fun fact: 18th C. british army uniforms were made in 3-5 diffrent sizes, delivered, tried for best fit and then nearly all important seams were taken apart, the shapes altered under guidance of master tailor, and ten reassembled. They were delivered more like preassembled kits, but usually immediately after they arrived, fitted to each individual.
Also, bales of cloth, lace and buttons, threads, needles, wax and thimbles etc. were shipped as well, so that oddbal physique soldiers could be clothed individually.

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#6

Helmets of some shapes certainly. Also they tend to have padded liners or are worn with padded caps. there is some room for adjustment.
Hauberks (like shirts) work in a few diffrent standard sizes too, but one tailor made to the wearer offers max mobility at min weight and also looks much better, i.e. highr status or charisma value.

But again, a doublet, jacket, hose etc. are things, that really only work perfectly and much more so only give the idea of status and importance, if they are tailored to measure.

I happen to make 18th C. clothing, and a common soldiers waistcoat fitting your size is nice and snug. one size too small, and you have trouble closing it, te fabric shows ugly strech marks, and you might pop a button, mobility is limited. a waistcoat 2 sizes too small…well. You very likely wont be able to button it close.

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#7

+1 on this point.

A good way to limit the inventory even more would be going a similar route than The Witcher 1.

As an alternative restrict Henry and Horse weight carry capacity even more, and everything looted gets added automatically to the Horse once we own one, not to Henry.

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