Your Self-Imposed Gaming Challenges

Jolly Co-operator

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Mar 10, 2012
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Do you ever change the way you play a game for the sake of making it more challenging? Maybe you use a weapon that isn't great, but you like the way it looks or sounds, or maybe you use a Pokemon with sub-par stats just because you like its design or name. Whatever the reasons, what are your self-imposed gaming challenges?

Most recently, I'm planning on starting a new character in Skyrim, which I'll be building as a one-handed spell-sword. This means I won't allow myself to use anything in my character's left hand, so I'll have to switch between my magic and my sword. This also means no archery, or other two-handed weapons, and no shields.

In Pokemon, after I've played through a new generation once or twice, I'll usually ditch my starter Pokemon as soon as possible, even though the Pokemon in the area will have considerably lower stats.
 

MajorTomServo

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Jan 31, 2011
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In LoL, I only really use Cho'Gath, because I think he's cute.

After using him a lot though, I've gotten pretty okay at him.
 

thesilentman

What this
Jun 14, 2012
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I'm currently going through Skyrim using only Telekinesis and Shouts. On Master difficulty. Oh yep, I'm a sadist. :p
 

Euryalus

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Jun 30, 2012
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thesilentman said:
Oh yep, I'm a sadist. :p
Masochist :p

Unless you're just that good :O

OT: I went through OoT with 3 hearts, not shield and just the broken biggoron sword once. Obviously I went through the first 3 temples with the kokiri sword and used the shield when absolutely necessary to progress, but other than that, I didn't use 'em. The Stalfos in the forest temple were the worst!
 

Esotera

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May 5, 2011
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I tried playing Halo with a friend as a pacifist, killing only the aliens that are essential to continue the plot. It's a really big challenge as the game obviously isn't designed for this, but can be quite fun.
 

Coppernerves

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Oct 17, 2011
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I used to have Skate, on the wii.

I'd frustrate myself taking on loads of challenges that I'd just make up, and then trying to perfect them, to make them look super awesome.

For example, there was a bit with a vertically wavy pavement, with a ledge next to it, wavy in the same way.
So my aim was to roll up the first wave, flip into a grind on to the ledge, grind down the first wave and up the second wave, and flip out to roll down the second wave.

It took me ages, and I sincerely doubt I had fun, but finally nailing it was awesome.

Seriously, there should be features on a skating game that lets you make a challenge, record yourself completing it, and send it to your friends to attempt.
 

The Wykydtron

"Emotions are very important!"
Sep 23, 2010
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I've randomly decided to drop my ENTIRE team in UMVC3 and move on to Dante, Morrigan and Phoenix. Dante is so fucking fun. He's just showboating across the stage being an absolute boss!

It's nice to have two level 3s that I can randomly use on the fly now. X-23, Phoenix Wright and Vergil have... Unconventional level 3s shall we say?

Oh and i'm playing BlazBlue and ignoring all the advanced mechanics... Guard Primers? Nah. Barrier Block? Pffft. Rapid Cancels? WASTE OF METRE SIR! I only need to know how to throw people and Burst. Also having extremely limited super usage is interesting, considering how you can fuck it up. Still you could run Noel and panic FENIR... That's a good trick.

Seriously, Noel how could FENIR ever possibly fail you? It's the most foolproof thing I have seen in ages.

Oh and i'm playing Noel, Lambda, Carl and Makoto all at once, ruining any chance of focusing on improving one character properly. It's what true professionals do, trust me.

Ugh coming into BB from UMVC3 was a mistake... The only mechanic you need to worry about is X-Factor and assists, maybe TACs every once in a while or if they have a Frank or Phoenix Wright on the team.
 

krazykidd

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Mar 22, 2008
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Final fantasy 13. No upgrading equipment . I did this on my first playthrough because i wasn't sure how upgrading worked .

Legend of legaia . No weapon run . I beat the game without equiping weapons . Not as hard as it seems , but still harder than usual .

Pokemon red . 2 pokemon run . Blastoise and oddish . Oddish was there only to learn cut . Not sure if this made the game easier or harder .

FF7 . Starting weapon run . Beat the game using the weapon each character start with .

God of war 1 . Beat the game with only the giant 2 hand sword ( i forget it's name ) on the hardest difficulty . Man is that weapon clunky .
 

Nonomori

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Nov 20, 2012
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Majora's Mask with 3 hearts and Dark Souls with the default pyromancer stats. It's a bit silly, but I was just looking for an excuse to replay these games in a different way. I'm not really looking for challenge, I can count on my fingers the games I have played in "hard mode".
 

Tallim

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Mar 16, 2010
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Wrench only Impossible run on System Shock 2 and also a Psi only run which was extremely nasty.

Also did an Ironman run of the original ps1 Tomb Raider because I was very bored one weekend.
 

Euryalus

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Esotera said:
I tried playing Halo with a friend as a pacifist, killing only the aliens that are essential to continue the plot. It's a really big challenge as the game obviously isn't designed for this, but can be quite fun.
On normal difficulty? That seems like it could be fun. :)
 

Cabisco

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May 7, 2009
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On Battlefield 3 I spent a good long time only using a pistol and C4, it got quite annoying on the larger maps as I spent my time wandering deserts hoping to come across a random sniper...

To a lesser extent I like to never be seen on Far Cry, but it's not too hard to accomplish.
 

lacktheknack

Je suis joined jewels.
Jan 19, 2009
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Tallim said:
Also did an Ironman run of the original ps1 Tomb Raider because I was very bored one weekend.
SHEESH. Did you get far? I tried this once, but got my neck snapped on the first dang level.

OT: Pacifist runs all the way.

I've gotten down to a four-KO-zero-kill run on Mirror's Edge (minus plot-relevant fights).
 

Alcamonic

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Jan 6, 2010
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Going through Dead Space 1 and 2 using only the plasma cutter, did upgrade it though.
Not sure if that is really any feat, considering that thing is incredibly powerful at cutting. But it added a bit of tension during hordes of enemies.

Should add it was only on normal difficulty.

Doing Nightmare and Hell in Diablo 2 using nothing but Frozen Orb.

...

...

I joke of course, everyone did that!
 

maninahat

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Nov 8, 2007
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I impose all kinds of crazy rules. Like with Fallout: New Vegas, I had a rule that said I wasn't allowed to loot bodies or loot containers, unless I needed vital quest items. Really increases the challenge until you start making real money through the quests. Then I had a "retard run", in which I made the stupidest character possible, and contrived to always produce the worst possible outcome to any quest. It's interesting seeing the hilarious stuff you can do; especially as it's the kind of thing you never get to see on a sensible play through. Finally, I did play throughs in which I designed my characters to resemble team fortress 2 classes, restricting them to the same clothes, weapons and behaviour.
 

Zealous

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Mar 24, 2009
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Oh, all the time. I love making a medium difficulty game more challenging or turning an already difficult one into a nightmare.

Most recently I've been doing a permadeath, highest difficulty, no crosshairs, no autoaim (xbox version) playthrough of Farcry 3 without completing any story missions and only using the bow, your starting pistol, the AK-47 and the flaregun. Oh and no ammo refills in stores. It's pretty hilariously awesome.

Shax said:
In Pokemon, after I've played through a new generation once or twice, I'll usually ditch my starter Pokemon as soon as possible, even though the Pokemon in the area will have considerably lower stats.
This. Even when I was a kid, I'd ditch my starters after I got to the first town and just leave them at level eight for the rest of the game. Made it a lot more fun, especially if you threw in a nuzlocke on top of that.

Edit: Oh, and I'm thinking of starting a character in Skyrim who will only use Illusion magic and no actual combat skills. It should be fairly interesting.
 

NerfedFalcon

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Mar 23, 2011
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While I was still doing Borderlands 2, I was running with the Ordered Chaos Mechromancer tree. Anarchy actually makes it really interesting...
 

cerebreturns

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Tallim said:
Wrench only Impossible run on System Shock 2 and also a Psi only run which was extremely nasty.

Also did an Ironman run of the original ps1 Tomb Raider because I was very bored one weekend.
lol I would find the psi only run harder due to the limited uses and lack of resources. The wrench could be crazy powerful, still nice!

Beat ruby weapon without using KotR or mimic/copycat
Beat emerald weapon same way and without underwater materia

who hasn't played elder scrolls of fallout without imposing self rules?

taking out flame towers with basic infintry in Red Alert...IT IS POSSIBLE DAMN IT

refusing to party in mmos, specificly FF11 (witch was actaully pretty crazy difficult when the game came out)

In skyrim i've been playing with a mod that lets me have 3 companions, and if any of them die I leave them dead (unless I die during the same fight...as obvious reasons). It's made it extreemly fun. Not any more challenging, but very fun and adds some depth to it.
 

deserteagleeye

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Sep 8, 2010
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I beat Deus-ex:HR without that spinning bomb move. Well more like I didn't know how much easier it would've been with it. :(