I do pretty well taking max disadvantages (mainly lots of allergies, never meat, fruit or vegetable though) and putting all points into stats, usually something like 14/12/14/10 - leaves a few points for Robust Genetics (a late game advantage. If you're dying early you'd be WAY better served by Quick instead). Night Vision is juuust about worth the point to save early game tedium/risk at night. Fast Learner is pretty good too - level up those combat skills notably faster. But is it worth *three* points of stats? Hmmmm.
A decent starting profession if you don't want the *slight* added challenge of Failed Cyborg or the hellish 1st days of the Tweaker is Hitchhiker. The housecoat has a little storage and a little protection, just enough to absorb some damage in combat and be able to carry a little loot. Lost Submissive has some nicely protective leather stuff but I think a bit more encumbrance and a bit less storage.
Go outside, get a rock, wield it, smash a locker, wield the pipe = I could immediately kill the 2 Tough Zombies + a few regulars in the shelter basement (fortunately 1 Tough Zombie at a time). Pick up a couple rocks, throw them at any enemy not next to you to whittle em down a little before they come into melee range. If you have inventory space to burn, pointy sticks are even better.
Next priority is to craft a stone knife - if you REALLY want it fast, smash one of the shelter windows, disassemble the long string. Smash a bench, make the knife. Now butcher anything you kill, eventually you'll get a bone and skill up survival to be able to make a bone needle. Now save clothing/use one of the sheets from the broken window to cut up for rags and leather scraps, make the best non-encumbering clothing/armor you can and reinforce everything = BIG boost in survivability - but watch encumbrance until your combat skills are high enough to compensate. If you're gonna go raid buildings, make a crowbar out of the pipe - it's a pretty big step down because it can't block, but it's a decent compromise with the shortage of inventory space. (A)pply it to pry open locked doors, it's a lot quieter than smashing them down (less noise attracts less zombies).
Don't hesitate to retreat back to the shelter when you're starting to get pain or damage or your armor is torn up. Doing the 1st few loot runs at night will help keep you from being swarmed, if you're careful and especially if you took Night Vision. Make a bow or ranged weapon, whittle down enemies from even longer ranges before you have to switch to melee. Sleep on a pile of clothing in the basement to heal up. Gather fruit from the woods, it will keep you from starving if raiding town is too dangerous, and you can make fruit juice to quench thirst. Gather rocks for a fireplace and stone pot, now you can cook meat and boil water to purify it.
No skills/no equipment is a pretty slow start because you have to learn everything from scratch and be prepared to retreat a lot, but imo gear is so plentiful and especially the 1st points of most skills come so quickly that it just offends the min-maxer in me to pay precious build points for them...
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Topic: Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead - A roaming horde appears on the horizon! (Read 1880503 times)