[size=8pt]I decided to create this thread to share with people some of the role-play restrictions I often use in order to provide myself with a different kind of gaming experience. Not everyone likes to role play in games, this much I know, but thankfully you are not forced to do so. However, these restrictions or suggestions can be used even by the regular player. You are free to use all of these ideas or pick and choose. Maybe you will even be able to add to the list. Who knows. So without further delay, I present to you some of the things I have thought up, in no particular order:
No 'M’ap. The big overhead map is useful, right? It allows you to see what is where so you can plan where you will go, what buildings are what, and it even lets you put little footnotes so you can have a reminder. Now then, what if you stop using it? It will then be up to you to remember where things are, maybe even drawing a little map of your own on paper, and now you have a more interesting/challenging experience.
No first aid while in any sort of danger. This includes during combat. Wait until you are in good safety as first aid would/should take some time in
order to properly administer. This goes for bandages too but to a lesser extent. If you are able to get a few minutes of safety, like say in a building,
then okay. Rags can be used to stop bleeding if you have a few moments to spare (but no during combat) as it would not take that long to quickly tie
a rag around a wound.
Restrict the amount of clothing layers you have unless it makes more sense. Having a coat, vest, shirt, pants, socks, shoes, etc is fine. But no two pairs of pants, etc.
Wear only one backpack. You are allowed to have up to three, one on your back and one in each hand, but you are not able to fight mobs or do other things that require hands unless you drop the two you are carrying.
Don’t kill every zombie you come across. Try to play with a more ‘survivor’ instinct. There is no real, working stamina effect in the game. If you add in your own system that restricts you, you may find that the game is more enjoyable or challenging. A prolonged fight with a zombie or two would drain some of your energy and thus you would not be able to fight and kill dozens of zombies single handly without rest in between.
Try to limit what you reinforce via tailoring. Try to use it only to repair clothing that has been damanged and limit what types of clothing you make. So no survivor gear, etc.
Going on the above, try to limit what you craft. Without proper tools and workshops and such I like to think so things in the crafting section would be rather hard to make, no matter the skill. Again, this adds a bit of challenge to playing.
Try to avoid things like power armor or high powered weapons.
No bionics or mutations. These can give you a big advantage and make the game easier, especially since there is no real limit on how many of each you can use.
Since the injury system is not that fleshed out, try adding in your own restrictions. If your character gets injured and suffers broken arms or legs, try to role play it or take it into consideration. Broke leg? Chances are you won’t be moving around much, much less raiding and killing. Broken arm? Chances are you won’t be doing a lot of things that require two arms.
When dealing with corpses (especially zombie ones), think about how you would really interact with them. Personally I have my character wears gloves (medical gloves come to mind), when handling and disposes of corpses. I also won’t use clothing and such from zombies. I often take the corpse into a pile and dispose of them via burning. I also use stuff like bleach and the like to purify/cleanse the area (like if it is a building I plan to stay in). I only keep things I could use from them and that are safe. For instance, tools or sealed canned food.
There are other ideas I have and many more floating around the internet I’m sure. These are just a few things you could try to give yourself a different kind of challenge or to enhance role play. I hope they helped or were at least interesting to read. Feel free to use them or share your own![/size]
In general, I play a personality, not a set of restrictions.
I don’t wear zombie clothes because ick. I don’t wear backpacks because my character has wings, although I keep one around in case I need to spend a few minutes hauling bulky objects around. Messenger bags are okay, but I don’t find I need the space. I try to dress reasonably fashionably, or at least post-apocalypse chic. I like putting Fur Blankets on the floor of my home to keep my toes warm. I avoid CBMs that do extensive visible body modification, but concealed ones and minor body-mod are fine. I keep dead bodies out of my living spaces. I avoid wearing hats where possible because the last thing you want in the apocalypse is hat hair. I wear a filter mask when it’s warm enough for bodies to rot and I’m in town. I believe that my car is a real person and I treat him like one.
I don’t see what arbitrary restrictions on high-powered equipment use have to do with roleplay, though. How is it in character to not use good weapons and armor in a life-or-death situation? Not that arbitrary restrictions are bad or anything, I just don’t see them being character driven. (I tried to play a character on 5x + static spawns who didn’t use anything man-made (including disassembled furniture and starting equipment), once. I got eaten by a roving pack of zombears while looking for water, but it was fun while it lasted.)
[size=8pt]Well like I said, the above was not necessarily for role playing but for added challenge. I of course use personalities for my characters I role play, so I change it up a little each time. The above is really for just setting limits or whatnot in order to provide a bit more challenge or whatever.[/size]
If you’re playing on the experimentals, this isn’t just a roleplaying thing any more. Using first aid actually takes a good bit of time now, and it’s no longer viable to attempt during combat.
[quote=“Anonymous, post:1, topic:4239”]# Restrict the amount of clothing layers you have unless it makes more sense. Having a coat, vest, shirt, pants, socks, shoes, etc is fine. But no two pairs of pants, etc.
Wear only one backpack.[/quote]
These are actually kind of supported by the encumbrance system. It’s not as hardline restrictive as you say here, but if you wear too many layers it can be a real limiter on your ability to fight back.
[size=8pt]Well yes, but not everyone plays experimental (I do) so it is a suggestion should you want to balance it out. And while I know wearing a ton of backpacks and such adds encumbrance, you can still attack and whatnot. So this suggestion is really for people that want to add a little extra challenge and rp flair.[/size]
With (my friend’s) RPG I’m also playing, there is a noticeable restriction to fires. It’s a falloutatesque scenery for the bigger part of the irradiated world, and the hazards of introducing a violent fire into whatever flora is left are just inconceivable.
Also, when a dramatic thing happens (say the gang and you lost a vehicle to a crash) the sh*t seems to hit the fan on total notice. It may be a thing to introduce in CataDDA, but I’m not sure if a thousand more fungal/vine critters would be a good sight for everyone’s enjoyment.
Oh, yeah, I do roleplaying stuff all the time. Like Aluminumfoil, I do so for character personality more than challenging restrictions.
In 0.7, my longest lasting character was a nerd named Thaddeus. He gained most of his morale boosts from reading, and considered it his mission to preserve human knowledge. So he insisted on getting all skills up to a minimum of LV5. He cried when the local library burnt down.
My current character, Jason, is more like myself. No hurting animals, no eating meat (ironic, since I’m using him to set a new personal record for kill count). No hoarding or staying put too long. No setting uncontroled fires (he harbors a false hope that real humans will eventually re-settle the towns).
When Jason’s through, my next character will probably be a large, pyromaniac, amoral hoarder, just to do something entirely different!
It depends on the character I’m playing. One of the ones I’m looking forward to is going to be an illiterate primitive guy who doesn’t wear any clothes he can’t make himself, or eat any food he doesn’t craft himself. I’ll probably not live in the city or town because of it. Unsure if I should do it with static spawning or not.
[quote=“Anonymous, post:1, topic:4239”]# When dealing with corpses (especially zombie ones), think about how you would really interact with them. Personally I have my character wears gloves (medical gloves come to mind), when handling and disposes of corpses. I also won’t use clothing and such from zombies. I often take the corpse into a pile and dispose of them via burning. I also use stuff like bleach and the like to purify/cleanse the area (like if it is a building I plan to stay in). I only keep things I could use from them and that are safe. For instance, tools or sealed canned food.[/quote]I wish this was a thing; a possibility to catch infection from being around zombies and not wearing protective gear, it would give the gloves and masks a more valuable role instead of just being there for radiation protection.
I don’t think that fits with Cataclysm lore, though. I think it was mentioned that you were already infected, and hence wouldn’t become zombified easily? Zombies are largely comprised of otherworldly goo anyway, I don’t think you can catch diseases off that. Anyhow, fungal infections are already annoying enough.
I always play a complusive organizer, cleaner, which ironically is the exact opposite of my actual persona. I dissasemble everything in a house, hoard everything of plausible value (ill cut up ten t-shirts for rags in a town with 1000 window sheets) and burn everything not of use (wool, paper napkins etc). I’ll also clean cut everything around my house for a clear FOV, even adjacent houses after they’ve been assimilated, and then painstacklingly pile up the rebar and rocks and hoe/mop the ground to make it clean again.
Though by the time I reach week 3 i usually get frustrated by item management and immolate myself in a gas station.
dont they have something like this in game in nethack? if you dont eat meat you can honor some system and the game keeps track of it? might be a nice mod.
Nope, those are just codes of conduct. Mandatory for alignment on some classes, but otherwise just boasting rights. (Nethack was my first roguelike)
Since I’m a writer, I have a few already-established characters that I tend to throw into Cataclysm. It’s hard to describe really what “restrictions” I put on them, but I play them true to their characters. One is prone to getting overwhelmed by stress, so he only fights when necessary and spends a lot of time reading skillbooks instead of foraging. Another is former military, and very asocial on account of being snubbed in the past. He actively avoids NPCs and doesn’t mind getting in brawls with monsters at all.
[quote=“Anonymous, post:1, topic:4239”]# I also use stuff like bleach and the like to purify/cleanse the area (like if it is a building I plan to stay in).[/quote]How do you do that?
Good thread Always thought the overmap was the stuff of Gods, but never considered denying use of it
Been wanting a Caveaclysm: Pig Clubbing Ahead mod forever now I’ve already lived as a tent-dweller in the woods (with a couple funnel set-ups) and he woke bright and bushy tailed on day 3, ready to meet the day.
He met the bear that was three tiles away right behind his tent.
SO, for this guy city size 0, spawn rate 0.0, item spawn setting (NEW!) 0.0… Lets see how it goes… (I think even with city size minimum mansions and stuff still spawn?? Guess I’m about to find out anyway :P)
As far as my restrictions go: I tend to grab what I like rather than what is best for me, in this case; I would grab a crowbar instead of a katana. Also, I tend to wear what it feels right for me not the most protective clothes.
Some of the restrictions that you mentioned like pretending there is a stamina effect going on, It is hard for me to replicate that and work my imagination, because even I don’t know when my guy will get tired from fights. I guess something like that should be implemented, as I think it will dramatically enhance the encounters between zombies and make us plan ahead instead of just hacking through a hoard with our katana like Steven Seagal.
[size=8pt]As of right now I base it off of the strength of my character. Not the most efficient method but it gives me something to work with. Maybe if they added an endurance attribute and tie health and or stamina to it or an actual stamina system. Until then I just guesstimate the best I can. Helps me not power game with raising certain skills, crafting, fighting, etc.[/size]
a mod to track conducts could be fun. could work with achievements for challenge games. A vegan surviving in the apocalypse could be a real challenge. gotta grow that organic garden and avoid the radiation.
Always thought the overmap was the stuff of Gods, but never considered denying use of it