Make Your Own Rules

[Fappy]

I am almost positive this thread has been done at some point before, but who wants to go necro a long dead thread? Anyway, as avid gamers we have all been through some pretty tough shit (virtually of course). Many of us love the challenges provided by higher difficulties and achievements for the sake of simply overcoming those hurdles. However, sometimes you get good enough at the game that it can no longer provide a proper challenge... that's when you drop it or get creative. So I ask you Escapist community, have you ever created your own rules for a game to increase the difficulty? Share those experiences!

I have one of my own: recently a friend of mine visited and came up with the crazy idea of playing Altered Beast (an old Genesis beat-em up) without ever collecting a 3rd orb in any level. For those familiar with the game that means that not only are each of the levels x3 times longer (and thus harder to survive), but you also can't fight any of the bosses in beast form (and remember, those bosses are designed to be fought in beast form, NOT as humans). Suffice it to say it was hard as shit, but we succeeded. I had literally one life (RED) bar left when the last boss fell. It was epic.

 

[kayisking]

I've beaten Ninja Gaiden (Original Xbox) without taking damage. I didn't do it all in one go but I've beaten every level at least once on the highest difficulty without taking damage. I don't know if that counts but it sure is hard.

 

[Fappy]

I've beaten Ninja Gaiden (Original Xbox) without taking damage. I didn't do it all in one go but I've beaten every level at least once on the highest difficulty without taking damage. I don't know if that counts but it sure is hard.

I'd say it does... I mean... that does sound hard as shit.

Here's another one: Me and a friend played through the first co-op level of Chaos Theory without using any tech of any kind. All we were aloud to use was knives and fists (no guns/lights/etc.). It was hilarious fun, especially when you bump into a guard in a pitch black hallway. XP

 

[Mojo]

I've beaten Ninja Gaiden (Original Xbox) without taking damage. I didn't do it all in one go but I've beaten every level at least once on the highest difficulty without taking damage. I don't know if that counts but it sure is hard.

If you beat the original Ninja Gaiden on the NES without taking damage
I will come to your house and give you a friggin gold medal!

 

[Fappy]

I've beaten Ninja Gaiden (Original Xbox) without taking damage. I didn't do it all in one go but I've beaten every level at least once on the highest difficulty without taking damage. I don't know if that counts but it sure is hard.

If you beat the original Ninja Gaiden on the NES without taking damage
I will come to your house and give you a friggin gold medal!

I don't even think Jesus could do that.

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

I remember that in Halo 3 multiplayer I pretty much refused to use the Ghost's guns to kill someone. Same for the Chopper and Banshee. I'd just run people over. In Reach, armor lock makes such a strategy incredibly dangerous.

 

[Spectral Dragon]

My FO:NV character doesn't like bugs, and therefore doesn't loot them...
But other than that, not much, I think. Some self imposed challenges maybe, besides Iji (If you haven't played, google and play!) I can't think of anything.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

So I ask you Escapist community, have you ever created your own rules for a game to increase the difficulty? Share those experiences!

A friend and I decided to see if we could play through FFX without laughing at how stupid the plot got. We both failed about 2 hours in or so

More serious, I tried to play through Neverwinter Nights 2 as a Sorecer without taking any Evocation spells. It was hard, and I only made it to the end of the second act.

 

[gCrusher]

Was able to beat Bionic Commando on the NES using only the starting rifle. Most people blaze through it with the rocket launcher once they get it in Area 5. Very little reason why not to.

For the stages with a wall requiring a weapon to bust through, I'd 'unlock' the wall, exit the stage, and re-gear with the rifle. Playing this way was a challenge, especially trying to take down the Albatross with a peashooter.

 

[EHKOS]

I only did this thing in 007 Nightfire in the snipe from a helicopter level. You had to shoot a certain bench which is amazingly difficult. It stood out so I thought it was a secret thing if you shot it. I never found out.

 

[Sir Broccoli]

Anyone who has played Dwarf Fortress has probably done so.
I myself once decided to build a village rather than dig out a fortress. The village would have individual houses for my dwarves (every house having a kitchen, bedroom and wine cellar.) and the village would have a working sewage system and a massive city wall which would also function as a water cannon (the wall was hollowed out and linked to a twelve-story tower filled with water. I could shoot the water at invaders by opening the right floodgates).
There was a slight calculation error which flooded the sewer and all the houses connected to it. This killed off a bunch of my dwarves and all their friends and family members got pissed off and started murdering eachother.
That was a fun game.