Self-imposed challenge modes

[Zeusthecat]

Minecraft.

[Twig]

Oh wait I just remembered I did actually do a self-imposed challenge once that was uninspired by any meta-game mechanics (e.g., those Rainbow Vs). A no-guns run in Mirror's Edge. I didn't even play it with guns before deciding to do this, I just knew it was possible, and so I never shot a bullet (except that one dumb moment when you fire a sniper rifle at a car's tires or whatever).

 

That game is so fucking good.

[supasheep]

The combat in Mirror's Edge was so awful though. I did a no-gun run too, and it was always the combat sections that caused me to take ages to finish the game. I'm certainly hoping Mirror's Edge 2 sorts that stuff out because the rest of the game was so excellent.

[Twig]

I loved the combat sections. They were like puzzles I had to solve. It was great. :3

[BadHat]

Reviving this thread to point out that playing Far Cry 4 without the minimap on is so much better. I love that they made the interface so tweakable after making it so cluttered in 3.

 

I'm still in two minds about leaving detection indicators off though. I've played most of the game this way and it definitely makes things more tense, but whenever I do get detected it tends to feel unpredictable (or maybe I just hadn't prepared enough), and there's very little opportunity to salvage it and return to stealth before they yell and alert everyone. On the other hand, I really hate the indicators because of how much it feels like "magic stealth sense," and because they just look so cluttery. I generally like my shooter UIs to fuck off and let me see things as much as possible.

 

I can't say why the same logic doesn't apply to magically seeing dudes through walls. I guess it just seems more excusable? Like it's a logical extension of the vision cones from MGS. Hell, even Ground Zeroes embraced this approach. *shrug*

[tegan]

I'm playing through Cave Story with a few self-imposed rulesets now that I've beaten it for the first time. Normal difficulty on both, and I'm going for every health pickup, but I've added a couple of condiitons:

 

1) Best ending (save Curly, get the Booster 2.0, run the Bloodstained Sanctuary, fight Ballos)

2) no machine gun (using the Spur in my regular file and the Snake in my Curly Story file)

3) in my Curly Story file, no rocket launcher until I hit the Bloodstained Sanctuary

 

Tough, but actually maybe easier than my first completed run, so far.

[Trip Hazard]

You're making me want to play it again Tegan, but I know I'll just get bored of running back and forth when you get to that first grassy area. I'm so lazy

[GavinTheAlmighty]

A no-guns run in Mirror's Edge. I didn't even play it with guns before deciding to do this, I just knew it was possible, and so I never shot a bullet (except that one dumb moment when you fire a sniper rifle at a car's tires or whatever).

 

That game is so fucking good.

 

Typically, the only time that I find combat absolutely dead necessary is in the parking garage.  That level is a maze, but you have to run through a corridor of guys with large guns, not just pistols.  Try as I might, I can't make it through without taking out the bad guys first.

 

I adore that game though.  One of the nicest aesthetics I've seen in gaming.

 

I'm not good enough to pull off some of the stealth runs that people talk about here, like completely avoiding guards or total pacifist runs.  For me, my self-imposed challenge is with Deus Ex.  Multiple criteria:

• Never kill anyone in the NSF, the sailors on the PRCS Wall Cloud, the Chinese police (Chinese military in NY are OK), security guards at Versalife, Paris cops, etc.  Only MJ12, Chinese Military, and UNATCO soldiers, and even then, UNATCO only if necessary.
• Help all civilians with their side quests (i.e. get Sandra to stay with Mr. Renton in the hotel, kill all the greasels in the sewer system in Paris, help Miguel escape UNATCO, rescue Ford Schick, help Smuggler slip out of NY, find Ambrosia for Stanton Down, kill all MJ12 before they can kill any civilians in the Lucky Money club, save Tiffany Savage, etc)
• NO BOTS LEFT MOBILE.  Either shut them down or blow them up.
• Cause mayhem wherever possible.  This includes releasing the large Karkians in the UNATCO/MJ12 prison, releasing the greasels and the greys in the Versalife level 1 facility (first entry), turn every turret against the enemies, etc.

[feelthedarkness]

In school my pals and I got really into Super Street Fighter II, and I had one friend who I particularly delighted in beating, because he got really salty, and he always tried to stick to cheezy styles, so I declared a challenge that I would beat him 100 times in a row using only light punch.