The Merchant's Guide to the Kingdom
- June 20, 2023
- Bearplane
Get on SteamIn "The Merchant's Guide to the Kingdom," players create their own guild and manage a team of AI-driven heroes. They explore a realm, completing quests and engaging in trade to grow their guild's power and influence. By protecting the Earthstone and aiding other heroes, players work to restore peace to the world. Note: The information provided is based on the game's description and may not include the most recent updates or features.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique concept that combines elements of city building, trading, and adventure, providing a fresh experience.
- The developers are highly responsive and actively engage with the community, frequently updating the game based on player feedback.
- Despite its current issues, the gameplay can be rewarding and enjoyable, especially for fans of crafting and idle games.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes and unresponsive elements that hinder gameplay.
- The user interface is chaotic and difficult to navigate, making it hard for players to understand game mechanics and objectives.
- The tutorial is overly long and confusing, often leaving players feeling lost and frustrated rather than informed.
- optimization22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has seen significant improvements, addressing many performance issues and crashes, particularly in early gameplay where memory usage is now more manageable. However, players with older hardware may still experience problems, especially during endgame content or intensive crafting and gathering activities. Overall, while the technical adjustments have enhanced the experience, further optimization is still needed for those pushing the game's limits.
“On the technical end, there have been big improvements in optimization, and in a new save, I haven't seen my memory usage jump over 8GB within the first 5-6 hours of play.”
“Most of the game-breaking bugs have been smushed, some significant performance issues have been addressed, the UI has seen some reworking to improve clarity, and a number of smaller balancing passes/tweaks have snuck their way in.”
“The main thrust of all the various changes seems to be a less travel/task-oriented world with more regular engagement, and all the technical issues besides performance look to be resolved.”
“This is the game I currently want; the problem is, it is made out of missed potential and performance issues.”
“Optimization is important and should be your primary focus along with game-breaking bugs if you want to reduce potential negative reviews.”
“Performance can still be a problem if you're nearing the current endgame or you're pushing more into gathering/crafting, so if you've got an older rig (especially 8 and possibly 16 GB of RAM), I'd hold off until further optimization.”
- story17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with players finding the quests fun but frustrating due to cumbersome mechanics, such as having to manually interact with each NPC for quest-related tasks. Many users expressed dissatisfaction with the quest system, noting issues like NPCs not returning quests and a lack of engaging content, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game's premise is appreciated, the execution of the quest mechanics leaves much to be desired, leading to a disjointed narrative experience.
“While I only have a few hours so far, the quests are really fun and I cannot wait to see where the developers take this game.”
“However, you can influence the realm and encourage certain actions - building quests and assigning certain activities are some of those actions.”
“I love the idea of the game but I'm currently having an issue with no one accepting any quests or finishing them.”
“The quests from the villagers are not good.”
“Unfortunately, unlike NPCs from other MMOs where you have to go to them for their services; in this game, you will have to go to each individual character wanting to take a quest, turn in a quest, or buy/sell items.”
“I love the idea of the game, but I'm currently having an issue with no one accepting any quests or finishing them.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its rewarding mechanics, engaging battle systems, and strategic depth, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate both action and resource management. The introduction of non-permadeath modes and ongoing updates with new mechanics enhance the experience, while the risk of NPC hero permadeath adds a refreshing challenge. Overall, the gameplay loop of dungeon exploration and player interaction is well-received, appealing to fans of diverse gaming experiences.
“The battle mechanics are dope, and the raiding/dungeon system is cool.”
“Very deep gameplay and strategizing.”
“It's pretty straightforward once you get into the swing of it, a gameplay loop about sending your heroes to dungeons and buying/selling to other random players, choosing where to spend your gold and how to invest.”
“For gameplay changes, there's now a non-permadeath mode and supposedly another mode coming that will allow for an experience more akin to a full idle title.”
“There is also the risk of NPC hero permadeath that lends a sense of renewal to the gameplay and prevents a sense of endless tweaking that can bog down some of the other titles previously mentioned.”
“I don't normally review this quickly, but will update as I go deeper into the systems, the mechanics, and more for a more detailed review.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is currently in early access and exhibits several stability issues, including occasional freezes and crashes that can lead to lost progress and the disappearance of buffs. While the developers show a commitment to improvement, players are advised to save frequently due to these bugs and minor visual glitches.
“The buffs from food are great for improving your officers' abilities, except... when your game freezes up and you have to reload; upon reentering the game, all the buffs are gone.”
“Make sure to save often as there are still occasional game freezes and crashes, which may result in lost progress.”
“I didn't think it would be this buggy.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some users find it generic, others praise it as amazing and feel that it enhances the game's liveliness.
“Also, the music is amazing!!”
“And the music makes it feel alive.”
“The music is generic.”
“The music feels uninspired.”
“The soundtrack lacks variety and depth.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's art style is charming and appealing, drawing players in despite it not being their usual genre. However, some users noted inconsistencies in the battle visuals, particularly with character UI and resource bars, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the combination of enjoyable gameplay and attractive artwork makes it a recommended title.
“This isn't my typical play, but the art style is so cute that I just couldn't help myself from getting a copy.”
“Overall, I thoroughly enjoy the gameplay and artwork, and would very much recommend!”
“Battle visuals are character UI avatars and their resource bars depleting throughout the encounter. After shadowing my members, it made little sense due to inconsistencies.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from a modern game.”
“The environments are bland and lack detail, making exploration feel uninspired.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from the playful portrayal of NPCs, particularly through the experience of playing as an intentionally annoying character who delays interactions, adding a comedic twist to typical quest dynamics. Players find the antics amusing, especially in scenarios like making characters wait to complete quests.
“Playing as the world's most annoying NPC who walks away from his shop is hilarious; I finally understand why NPCs do that—it's so funny to make players wait to hand in the ridiculous wolf quest.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch; the witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud.”
“I love how the game pokes fun at classic RPG tropes; the comedic twists on familiar quests are both clever and entertaining.”
