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[Kagus]

Being Dwarf Fortress players, we are well acquainted with the act (and art) of imposing restrictions upon ourselves as far as what items/skills we embark with, which zombie-infested glaciers we decide to settle, and if we should replace farming with gopher-hunting or foraging in the caverns.

However, how many of us choose to place handicaps on our activities in other games?  How many of us decide that we should severely alter our gameplay for the sake of greater difficulty, a fun theme, or just to find out how effective it can be?

These challenges can range from my "berserker" challenge in DooM 3, to only using space marine scouts and tracked vehicles in Dawn of War, or to playing as Agartha in Dominions 3.

If you do happen to indulge in such illogical behavior, please post your challenge ideas (and also the reasons, if you feel like it) here!  If you have tried it out already, tell us how it worked out for you.  If you haven't tried it and are just presenting the idea for others to attempt, please give an overview of how you think the challenge will work.  After all, there's a difference between trying to dodge a bullet and shooting yourself in the head.

Here are a couple theoretical (untested/not fully tested) challenges of my own, just to get this thing started:

Spoiler: DooM 3, BERSERKER (click to show/hide)

I remember thinking this one up back when I was playing the DoomRL "Angel of Berserk" challenge.  Needless to say, DooM 3 is considerably less suited for melee combat than DoomRL, but with a minor modification I think it might be possible (although it will still be quite difficult).

Setup:  In the beginning of the game, use the console to give yourself a chainsaw and the soulcube.  Proceed through the game using only these two weapons (plus the flashlight).

How it should work:  The chainsaw is already present in the game, and is quite powerful in certain circumstances.  It's probably one of the best methods for dealing with your run-of-the-mill melee baddies, as it never runs out of ammo and can "stunlock" enemies into not being able to damage you.  It also chews through zombies like there's no tomorrow, and is a classic method of stylishly doing away with Pinkies.

However, the short range of the chainsaw will put you at a disadvantage when working with ranged enemies.  You will need to dodge a significant amount of fire and exercise some creative hiding tactics in order to not get slaughtered before you can grind them to a pulp.  Also, since the short range will naturally get you quite a bit closer to the pointy bits of most demons, you're going to take quite a bit more damage than you would normally.

It is partially for this reason that I include the soul cube in this challenge.  The soul cube allows you to insta-gib a number of enemy goons and restore your vitality based on how much damage you managed to inflict.  This will serve as a very useful method of keeping yourself alive, and will also be invaluable when dealing with bosses and otherwise tough groups/creatures. 

Also, it's the only way to fully complete the game, so there's that.

I'm not entirely sure how the soul cube reacts with the Guardian's energy ball-type weak spot.  All depending on how the cube targets the beast, it may be a very simple fight or an impossible one.  Quite interesting, seeing as it's the place where you would normally get the soul cube in the first place...

Aside from that, I can't think of any situation offhand that would require any other weapons.  Good luck.

Spoiler: Dawn of War: DC, Scouts! (click to show/hide)

(Note:  This applies specifically to Dark Crusade.  There are some differences between other versions, especially in regards to infiltration)

I just happened to be browsing the Dawn of War wiki when I wondered about how effective a Space Marine force composed entirely of scout squads would be.  Since you wouldn't be "saving" squad cap in the early game, you'd be able to send point-capping groups all across the map, giving you a nice little push early on.

Furthermore, scout bolters are only slightly less effective than those used by their heavily-armored brethren, so their offensive strength isn't all-too-severely hampered in the early game.  The scouts do suffer from drastically lower health and armor though, but that's counteracted by infiltration research.  And scouts are relatively cheap, so it's not a massive loss.

Later on, a large force of scouts can theoretically dominate all kinds of infantry, thanks to the sniper rifle.  This not only wipes out a significant number of troops, it also causes massive morale damage.  A single scout squad serves as a potent support team for a regular space marine force, imagine how much damage several of them could inflict?

The main issue with this strategy, as I see it, is how you deal with vehicles.  Scouts have no method of effectively handling armor, and are thus at a huge disadvantage in that regard.  Because of this, I have to allow for vehicles to be produced in this build.  Lascannon-equipped predators and the mighty land raider make for a very powerful tank-scrapping force.  I'm not entirely sure how to deal with dreadnoughts, but they might as well be kept in along with all the other vehicles.

Commanders, of course, are fully allowed.  I mean, really...  Why not?

I haven't had the chance to test this yet, but I intend to.  Scouts are cool little dudes.  I like cool little dudes.

Spoiler: Dawn of War: DC, Bloody Necrons (click to show/hide)

Basically, this just means playing Necrons as a melee race.  Allowed infantry units are flayed ones, wraiths, pariahs (for the hell of it), and the lord.  As for vehicles, tomb spyders are obviously the primary choice, but you can only build so many of them.  To round out your vehicle cap, use scarab swarms and the various destroyers, so long as they're set to the assault stance.

I have no idea why I thought this would be a good idea.  However, wraiths and flayed ones have some pretty dang cool sync kills, and all the Necron vehicles have some very flash close-combat abilities...  And that's not even mentioning the lord.

This does, however, raise some issues...  Again, vehicles are tricky to deal with.  However, scarab swarms and tomb spyders are both very effective against vehicles in close combat, and both the lord destroyer and heavy destroyer types are decent enough in that regard.  You just need to get close enough.

The nastiest thing would probably be the fact that this kinda makes the restored monolith illegal.  I suppose a provision could be made for just turning it into a defensive mobile base for spawning units closer to the front, but that's a mighty fine line.

As for my quip about Agartha, I'll leave that out of this for now.  The subject of an effective Agartha strategy has been pondered and discussed at great lengths by people far more experienced than I...  But suffice to say that I managed to find my own little strategy, and that it happens to work out quite well, thank you very much.  And that was in the demo, so no umbrals.

[Virex]

When playing Dystopia (a source mod) I'll regularely pick the smartlocks as my weapon, which are generaly regarded as the worst weapon in the game. They're a lot of fun to play though, and sometimes they work unexpectedly well, though this is realy map-dependanr and also depends on the opponents you're playing.

[kalida99]

Spoiler: The Average Adventurer - TES:IV (click to show/hide)

 You go through the entire game wearing Leather, or Iron armor, and thier respective weapons. No fast travel (try to be realistic, no running for 24 hours), And of course must be above medium difficulty

Spoiler: IWBTG - TES:IV (click to show/hide)

 Play the entire game, max difficulty using only armor in the start dungeon. THIS WILL NOT BE FUN EXPECT TO BE KILLED BY A RAT

Spoiler: The Wasteland - FO 3 (click to show/hide)

You go through the entire game using one weapon and only that weapon (and a specific armor set if you want), with only realistic perks (so no bloody mess), and acting the part of your perks. So if your a Robotics Expert, i expect you to try to shut down all the robots rather than destroy them. Must be at least Hard difficulty.

This one is one of my favorites, going through the entire game wearing a chinese jumpsuit and using a chinese assualt rifle

Spoiler: One is the deadliest number - DA:O (click to show/hide)

Play through as much of Dragon Age Origins as possible with only yourself (excluding parts where a certain party member is required), difficulty does not matter

[Il Palazzo]

O come on! Agharta is doable and fun. Get a good bless and summon some shit. And after you research "darkness" spell, it's an easy ride.

[Kagus]

Doable?  Yeah, sure.  Fun?  Abso-frikkin'-lutely.  But are they easy to grasp with clear strategies for dominance?  Hell no.

I am, of course, referring to EA Agartha...  Not the marble hordes of MA or the wannabe-necromancers of LA.  Yeah, that's right, EA Agartha.  With their piss-poor accuracy and attack values, and their large yet soft and squishy bodies.  Also, troglodytes.

It takes a while to weigh all the pros and cons of various builds (and I really can't recommend a bless strategy for EA Agartha...  Too much of an investment for something that just doesn't fit right), but it is possible to find something that can work.  Like I said, I found something that worked for me for when I was trying it out, and it even worked surprisingly well.  On top of all that, it was quite pleasingly fluffy (something I am a complete and utter sucker for).


And Kalida, a couple of those seem a little...  Well, unrealistic.  Like I said, there's a line between t4rying to dodge a bullet and shooting yourself in the head.  Both the TES:IV challenges seem to severely hinder the player's ability to combat late-game enemies...  How would you recommend handling the later struggles with your challenges?  Heavy reliance on spells?  Keeping your player from leveling up, in order to keep spawned enemies on the same field (this would mean that you'd have to keep from resting when it's unnecessary)?

[3]

TES3/TES4 are rendered extremely easy via use of Illusion spells. Oh, and Conjuration ones in TES4. Most of the enemies in Morrowind can be beaten with a single 10 second paralyze spell on max difficulty due to said spells being so cheap to cast, and so few enemies being resistant. Oblivion is a little better, but there's nothing stopping you from just grinding Illusion for a while. Which doesn't sound like any fun at all, of course - I can't see any real means of successfully applying a self-imposed challenge to any of the TES games, besides what could just be considered simple roleplaying.

[Akura]

TES3/TES4 are rendered extremely easy via use of Illusion spells. Oh, and Conjuration ones in TES4. Most of the enemies in Morrowind can be beaten with a single 10 second paralyze spell on max difficulty due to said spells being so cheap to cast, and so few enemies being resistant. Oblivion is a little better, but there's nothing stopping you from just grinding Illusion for a while. Which doesn't sound like any fun at all, of course - I can't see any real means of successfully applying a self-imposed challenge to any of the TES games, besides what could just be considered simple roleplaying.

I always though TES4 Paralyze spells were easier, because 1) spells always work, 2) Paralyzing also drops them to the ground, so even a 1 second effect will leave them helpless for a good 3 seconds, and 3) Magicka regenerates, so even if they manage to survive for several castings, you can just wait to recharge.
What was so great about TES4's Conjuration? Sure, Spider Daedra are sexy hot, but you can only summon one thing at a time, and I'm not sure if a summoned thing can summon something else even if it's original can(Spider Daedra, Skelton Champions).

[Kagus]

Nothing wrong with a good roleplaying challenge, provided it's interesting and possible.  And I would regard only using spells from a single school as a challenge of sorts, regardless of how powerful that particular school may be.

One thing that I never quite understood was why paralyze was listed under illusion spells in Oblivion...  Just doesn't seem like the right place for it, ya ask me.  Also, because of the way Oblivion works, you could get a heck of a lot of use out of a 1-second paralyze spell (which of course makes it fantastically cheap to cast, and gives you tons of charges on a weapon).  When an enemy gets paralyzed, they automatically turn into a frozen-stiff ragdoll.  They remain in that state for as long as the spell is in effect.

However, even though the spell only lasts a single second, you're still incapacitating the victim for a longer time.  The spell hits and turns them into a ragdoll, but they can't resume attacking you until the ragdoll has fallen to the floor, flopped around for a bit, and then come to rest in a relatively flat area so that they can trigger the "standing up" process.  In certain very specific instances, you can actually use the spell to cause massive damage to an enemy as they fall from a great height or into some nasty pit or whatnot.  And if they land on a patch of jagged doodad rocks, it may take them ages before they ever manage to stand up again.


Of course, this is all horribly off-topic of me...  Back to challenges!


Only thing I can think of at the moment is another half-assed thing for Dark Crusade, wherein you only use auxiliary units while playing as the Tau.  You'd end up with a nasty force of Kroot carnivores and hounds, not to mention the Knarloc and Krootoxen, but you'd have difficulty dealing with infiltrated units since only one auxiliary unit is a detector (the vespid squad), and you can only have one squad of them at a time.

[Akura]

That's what I just said.

And the reason Paralyze is Illusion that it makes the victim think they can't move, so the stiffen up. Hypnosis, really.


Challenges, challenges...
How about in Age of Mythology, when playing as the Greeks, use nothing but Hoplites and Triremes. Heroes(including the Argo) and Transports are okay. Myth units... if you want.

[3]

Summoned things can summon their own things, if I remember correctly. I'm still waiting for someone to create a mod which makes the most of the potential for hilarity there (even if the vanilla summons actually can't, there's nothing stopping modded ones from being able to do so).

Conjuration in TES4 precisely because your Magicka regenerates - those spells cost too much in Morrowind for you to solely rely on them. Conjuration generally allows you to summon something that's fairly close to your level. You're usually fighting several enemies somewhat weaker than you are (certainly nothing strong enough to just swat away whatever you summon), and I often find myself in the situation of summoning something, nearly regenerating the summon cost by the time it's dead, summoning again while backing up, etc.. Not to mention that summons become hilariously cheesy when combined with Sneak and invisibility.

You're both right about Paralyze spells in TES4, but consider that when in TES3 as any attack you make isn't guaranteed to hit (and you can usually take out enemies in five hits or less), a successful Paralyze cast practically means an instant win if your weapon skills are okay, whereas in TES4 I don't see that much of an advantage (I think you get a damage bonus per hit, but other than the opponent blocking there's nothing really holding you back in the first place). You're also less likely to be fighting more than one enemy at once in TES3.

I should be able to come up with something to contribute, but I can't think of anything at the moment.

[kalida99]

Kalida, a couple of those seem a little...  Well, unrealistic.  Like I said, there's a line between t4rying to dodge a bullet and shooting yourself in the head.  Both the TES:IV challenges seem to severely hinder the player's ability to combat late-game enemies...  How would you recommend handling the later struggles with your challenges?  Heavy reliance on spells?  Keeping your player from leveling up, in order to keep spawned enemies on the same field (this would mean that you'd have to keep from resting when it's unnecessary)?

The second one (IWBTG) isn't meant to be easy by any means, it's meant to be down right Hell in a handbasket. The first is meant to be a bit easier, but test the player. With proper character building it is possible, just not easy. I would reccomend playing a Breton Spellsword (sign shouldn't matter), and using a special potion brew of my own design. basically you'll want to make the basic armor as defensive as possible with as many as resisting enchants as possible, and use a shitton of poisons, and hindering spells (like paralyze, damage fatigue, and burden).

[Grendus]

Borderlands: Go through the game using only high caliber, low clip weapons like the sniper rifle and revolver. Easy for most of the game, makes bosses a little tougher as you can't just spray them with bullets, you have to aim for their soft points.

Deus ex: Try not to kill except when absolutely necessary. Sometimes you can't help it, and it's frustrating to have to use the dart gun, riot prod, or baton when you could use the sniper rifle to get a quicker and quieter takedown, but it's what your brother would want.

[Akura]

Deus ex: Try not to kill except when absolutely necessary. Sometimes you can't help it, and it's frustrating to have to use the dart gun, riot prod, or baton when you could use the sniper rifle to get a quicker and quieter takedown, but it's what your brother would want.

Gas grenades. It's like giving them cigarettes.

[dogstile]

GTA 4, the professional.

Only use a pistol. Have a car for every job, not something you stole on the way. Don't kill unless you are needed to. No armour.

[Itnetlolor]

In a past life, I remember one time doing a berserker run 100% kills/secrets/items on E2M2 on Ultimate Doom. I did it in roughly 5-8 minutes.

Harder than it sounds, considering the longer I was recording, the slower everything went. I think I also replayed the level at least 5 times before I got it all down. It was a fun challenge. I wish I had the time/opportunity to accomplish more of them.

I think my time was 6 or 7:38. Beat that. It was a long time ago, so my memory may be a bit off.