Beginners Guide. Part III. Gameplay.

Third and final part of the guide. This time around we will deal with general aspects of gameplay that you will find useful to navigate throguh the entirety of the game, particularly the early game.

Opening moves

- First things first, hire mercs. Like we talked about in the previous part, combat will be our way to riches, specially early on.

- Upgrade your bedroom. This can be done right away or after doing the first quest for the Kymanto Guild, but should be done on the first day since stamina is absolutely essential.

- Travel to Hamilton SQ and start the Kymanto Questline, if you haven't already. Kymanto provides easy quests with great rewards, so complete them as quickly as possible.

- Buy some supplies. You will need some crossbow bolts as well as 30-06 rounds from the Weapon Store, Stims from the General Store, and books. If your intelligence is less than 70, get some academic or science books (science is significantly better), if it's 70 or more, get some BDSM books instead. Weapons and armor aren't that important right now.

- Acquire a slave. More on this on the next section.

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Your First Slave

A slave is a useful tool around the house, a way for you to satiate your lust so you don't have to waste your money on whores, and an opportunity to test your slave trainer skills. There are currently three great choices for your first slave:

Juno the Wild:

Juno Rowena can be acquired right away for free and is decently obedient. Her main problem is that she is currently not that good for anything, with her main focus being survival, which is still somewhat underdeveloped. Her quest, though technically complete, has no effect yet because the area that it's associated with (New Eden) is not currently present on the map. This can also be seen as an opportunity to mold her into whatever you want and she can become a decent income earner, as well as being relatively easy to train.

Amelia the MILF:

Amelia Stark has to be bought from the market but it's otherwise the easiest to train in the entire game. In fact, already quite submissive from the start, there's barely any obedience training needed at all and it's mostly about teaching her a skill, which she needs because despite having worked 15 years as a maid, she isn't actually that good at it. She does often get either the perfectionist or workaholic trait or both, making her a great candidate for either Head maid or pantry girl.

Michelle the lost beauty.

Michelle Wolfe is acquired through a quest which involves a fight, but it's nothing you shouldn't be able to handle. Like Juno, she is acquired for free and is decently obedient.

Do note that her quest involves an opportunity to sell her right away for $8000. Tempting as this might be, this isn't recommended. If you're willing to part with her, you can get triple that with a little training, due to her age and beauty, and if not, she can be developed into a decent income earner either through academic work, singing, or prostitution.

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Upgrading your Home:

Upgrading your home is something you need to start with right away, because the deplorable conditions of your house will negatively affect every interaction with your slaves as well as your reputation.

Your main priority ought to be the bedroom, since the stamina penalty is the most significant, then fix the bathroom, kitchen and living room in whichever order you want. After that you can decided whether to move to the garden, which is cheaper, important though not essential, and takes less time to upgrade than the rooms proper, or keep upgrading your house for the increase in reputation and happiness.

DO NOT upgrade the computer, as it currently has no effect on anything, so it's just a waste of money.

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Time (and Stamina) Management:

The game doesn't currently grant more stamina for more sleep. Instead, stamina is granted at a fixed amount each day. What that means is you should be stretching your days as much as possible, ideally ending them at 7:50 am.

Do note, however, that some activities can only be done during certain hours. For example academy courses, home management and slave training can only be done during the day, so you should prioritize these over combat or reading books, which can be done at any point.

The easiest way to recover stamina during the day is to keep at least one slave at home assigned to heal the master. If your stamina is going low, go into your house (or leave and reenter if you were already there) and she'll heal you, recovering some stamina. It's also possible to take a bath in Crystal Hills or watch the lake at the barrow, but only do so if you're close to the location, otherwise it's not worth it.

Try to move as little as you possibly can to avoid wasting time and stamina. Instead, do as much as you can in the location you're in.

Tip: There's a fast travel option in the lower left part of your screen (the button that looks like a sphere), use it to move around more efficiently.

Tip: Make sure you have at least one girl who will give you a morning blowjob, but don't actually make her do it. You can go to sleep past 7:00 am, then have her wake you up and time will roll back to 7:00 on that same day, essentially travelling back in time.

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Mercenary Management

There are 3 kinds of mercenaries:

Low-Tier Mercenaries have low skill, start with bad to mediocre gear and DO NOT provide their own ammo, taking your own instead. They should NOT be given anything better than a rifle, as they will most likely miss and waste your money.

Mid-Tier Mercenaries have solid skill, start with decent gear but still don't provide their own ammo. They should NOT be given anything better than an assault rifle, because even if they reliably hit, your wallet will suffer.

High-Tier Mercenaries have excellent skills, start with great gear and do provide their own ammo, so not only you don't have to worry about them using high quality weapons, you should provide them with better equipment if possible.

While better mercenaries require higher upkeep, don't worry. They save you a lot of money on ammo and stims and allow you to take on harder (and more lucrative) fights.

It's important to understand that mercenaries ARE NOT AN EXPENSE, even if their salaries are listed as such. You shouldn't look at your budget thinking "I can't afford to pay another mercenary right now until I increase my income". Mercenaries are a highly profitable short term investment that pays out every time you win a fight and collect loot. The only question you should be asking is if you're making enough daily to justify the investment.

Low Tier:

- Ansel Motte is currently, and likely will remain, the worst mercenary in the game. He is worth adding to your party only because the extra body will help distribute the damage and because he has a couple quests that can bring some profit your way.

- The Peasant has similar, though slightly better stats. No unique bonuses so far, however, except for an effectively worthless small bonus during famines.

- The Rifle Savant brings to the table a freakishly high skill level (better than some of the top tier mercs) and a face that would fit right in at a Habsburg Family gathering. The fact that he can be knocked out of combat by a slight breeze and that he is only good with a rifle and nothing else, however, means he is not a good long term addition to the team.

Both Ansel and the Peasant are found in RedHaven Market and can be hired as soon as you walk out the door. The Rifle Savant, meanwhile, is found in Marston Avenue. Hire these guys early on to put together a combat team and start making money. Don't waste a single dollar improving their gear though, because they're not worth keeping around for long. After the first 4 days or so, feel free to dismiss them or assign them as either guards or scavengers if you really want to keep them.

Mid Tier:

- Bud Walton, located in the Weapon store in RedHaven, is the one non-elite merc that will actually provide his ammo, which is no small feature and pretty much the one thing that puts him in this category. Otherwise, he is a fairly mediocre fighter and an absolute pain to manage as he requires constant attention or will feel neglected. His low skill means that he won't be able to reliably hit with anything better than a rifle, his starting gear is pretty bad and his health is substandard.

If you're willing to put up with his constant need for attention and invest in his skill and gear, he does make for a great and relatively cheap (salary wise) hire. Personally, considering the time and money investment and what you get from elite mercs, I just don't think it's worth the squeeze.

- Loren, located in Moe's Tavern (Marston Avenue), is a solid fighter and packs a lot of skill for her small price. While not a good long term prospect, she is largely superior to both Ansel and the Peasant and the second cheapest merc in the game, making her a great addition to your combat party in the early to mid game.

- Enya is a one of the most skillful warriors you can find in the game. Sadly, all that skill went to melee fighting, meaning it's next to useless.

Unlocked only once you have access to Crystal Hills (she can be found next to the arena as long as the weather is pleasant), and with a a relatively high salary for what she brings to the table, she really isn't a good addition to your party for the time being. Update 0.8.3 might change that and she's still a cool character to have.

- Mr. Doyle (in Crow's end) is arguably the best Mid Tier merc, featuring top tier skill and very high health. He's expensive to hire but adds little to your daily expenses, making him an excellent for the long term. He is also the only one in this list that can reliably hit with an Assault Rifle right off the bat. He does disappear from the game after 5 years, but realistically, you are not going to play for that long.

Note: Both Loren and Enya can be interacted with sexually, as long as they like you. And you can also employ them as prostitutes if their corruption is high enough. This is largely for flavor, though, as they don't even make enough to cover their salary.

High Tier:

- the Space Marine is found in Hamah Bay, during the day (older fans might look for him in the tavern, he no longer appears there). He comes equipped with an assault rifle and a standard set of combat armor. While good, the assault rifle should be replaced with either a coilgun or (ideally) a plasma rifle. The armor can be upgraded if you want but it's not necessary.

- the Black Guard can be hired in the Warrior Hall in Watery Eyes. Before he does appear you need to spend a night or two socializing at the Tavern to hear the rumor. While his equipment can also be upgraded, he already comes with the best gear available, so the only real upgrade is to provide him with a plasma rifles, which you should do.

- Ayden is unlocked once you have access to Crystal Hills. He can be found in the bathhouse and is currently the most expensive mercenary (but arguably the best). His equipment cannot be modified, but he compensates it by wielding a supercharged gun that deals double damage on the first shot.

A team with these three mercs makes even the toughest fights trivial, but it does require fighting regularly to make it profitable.

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Your Slaves

Slave Management

There are currently three slaves which I consider essential for every game:

Amelia the MILF (Again):

Whether or not you get her as your first slave, you should buy her. She is extremely docile and easy to train, so little time has to be spent on her, she will most certainly have a trait that will make her useful in your household, and her quest has one of the most interesting rewards.

Rebecca the Street Thug:

Rebecca Higgs may be a tough nut to crack but she is an absolute moneymaker. She will make you a fortune fighting as a Gladiatrix, and has not only a huge quest reward but grants a powerful bonus as well (no other slave does).

Aria the Rebel Princess:

Aria Bianchi has to be bought as part of the main quest. She is the best fighter in the game, making her an even bigger gold mine than Rebecca, as long as you enroll her as a Gladiatrix, which you should.

Other than these three, collect whichever one you like based on your personal tastes, though keep in mind not all of them might be equally useful. DON'T just buy several of them at the same time or shortly after one another. Take your time to break one before moving on to the next. You should find them a useful role in your household before bringing in a new girl.

It is always more profitable, not to mention faster to homeschool your slaves. The Academy and Stables take far too long to make a difference. If a slave's skills can't be raised by homeschooling, it's best to just give her another role and just use a different slave.

Tip: While it may be cool, I generally advise to turn off the morning blowjob, because you want to have at least a moderate sexual craving before engaging in bondage, so can actually have sex with the girls during the session, and it doesn't become too long.

Slave training

When it comes to slave training, Bondage is the best tool in your arsenal. This is why I've insisted so much that you put points into bondage and that you raise it quickly. One good Bondage session can reduce between 5 to 10 willpower points and raise Corruption by the same amount, although you probably won't see such a strong effect in your first few sessions or if the girl is too strong willed.

Training your slave for anything else (academics, housework, dancing, etc.) should ideally be done once she is well broken, because they tend to learn better when they're naked and harsh discipline is used on them, but with enough willpower, not only can she outright refuse to do this, but it might backfire.

Tip: While defiance may seem like a terrible thing, you actually want to inspire some defiance in an unbroken slave, because this will give you a justification for punishing her, which makes her more open to perverted acts. Just agreeing to be punished will lower her willpower, so you absolutely want to do this.

Tip: Rather than continuously fucking your slave during bondage sessions, either stimulate her or whip her to get her to 8 or 9 arousal and then fuck her just enough for her to have an orgasm. Stop penetrating her and go back to arousing her until she reaches 8 or 9 again and go back to penetration. Repeat this process to maximize obedience and corruption gain from your sessions.

Tip: If your slave refuses, or just don't reliably take off her clothes for lessons, get her naked in the inventory menu, which is easier to do, then do the lesson.

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Increasing your skills

If your intelligence is below 70, read either science or academic books until it reaches that threshold. Once it does, switch to bondage and persuasion books, as well as take 2 courses: Daria's science and Mathematics (in the Academy) and the BDSM course given by Miss Devious (at Devious Tools). Do note that if you're playing as purely good, you don't get much from persuasion books, since they improve mostly Manipulation.

Increasing skills through books should be done AT NIGHT, preferably after midnight, although don't start so late that you can't fit two sessions (roughly 3 hours). It consumes very little stamina while taking several hours, and you need hours during the day to attend courses or train your slaves.

After you've gotten your bondage and persuasion skills to a decent level (70 - 80), it's fine to go back to scientific or academic books or move on to something else entirely. Do remember that science is vastly more important than academics, as it is necessary for crafting and hacking, while academics is only useful for teaching in the Academy.

Increasing physical skills like combat or stamina is fine, once you've gotten those two courses out of the way, but shouldn't be your priority. Physical training sessions need to be done during the day, and it's generally best to use that time to train slaves, but if you can find the time, by all means.

Tip: If you're wondering how high a skill needs to go before it's considered "high", 70 is usually the magic number.

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Crystal Hills

To access Crystal Hills, 1500 influence is required. This isn't too difficult as long as you're eliminating raider gangs and fulfilling quest for the Kymanto Hall. You want to achieve this as soon as possible, since the Arena inside is one of the biggest sources of income, like we've talked about.

Tip: Rather than always going for the toughest fight, you can try going for mid tier fights without using weapons.

Tip: The prizes earned for every fight are not fixed. If you're not happy with the ones offered, keep rerolling until you find something good. For example, Sofia Numagge is extremely easy to defeat, yet you can often find a fight against her with a $1000 prize.

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To Summarize

You want to maximize your time by being as efficient as you can and fitting in as many activities as you can during the day, you'll make more money and grow your character faster.

Your slaves are assets and should always have something productive to do when they're not being trained. Don't waste too much money on them, they should be bringing you money or influence instead.

Bondage is the absolute king of slave training, and should be prioritized as soon as your intelligence reaches 70.