Challenge: Be a Bandit facing the Long Dark

[Samsonguy920]

Some of you may have seen my thread asking if you were a Ranger, a Bandit, or something else.  There was a lot of cool input given there, a lot of it showing most preferred the Ranger tactic, or something close to it.  Ranger being you were always cautious with your supplies, how you handled game and predators, and your overall "footprint" in the world while surviving in the Canadian Wasteland.

So now I put forward a challenge, something you might find fun while the days still count down to Wintermute.

I challenge you to be a Bandit.

The bandit I refer to is not the gun-toting, bandana-wearing outlaw you may think of from classic Westerns. No. The Bandit I refer to is the kind Mad Max comes up against in the post-nuclear wastelands of Australia, or those the Vault Hunters deal with around almost every corner on the planet of Pandora. Ranging from half insane to completely bonkers, these vagabonds have managed to survive in the most awful of conditions, sometimes doing things best left off of the history books.

So how does one work to achieve being the most notorious Bandit of Timberwolf Mountain?  I am glad you asked.

You have to follow these certain guidelines, plus add one or two additional features of your own to add to the challenge.

Difficulty level is up to you. Pilgrim is not difficult so it does not apply. Stalker is recommended for the best challenge. Only the baddest Bandit of all would even think of going on Interloper. (You know you want to do it)

We will postulate that you did not end up in the Canadian Wasteland by crashed plane.  You were dumped there because nobody wanted you around. You were not given a single thing, either.

- Upon start of the game, drop everything. You can keep any clothing if it falls under one of the guidelines, but all other supplies should be dropped and forgotten, since you didn't have it to begin with.

- Only clothing in the worst conditions are allowed...let's say, anything under 30% condition.  Gotta look the part, after all.

- To you, ammunition is everywhere.  For every three rifle rounds you find, or three arrows you find/craft, one of the three should be shot up in the air for giggles.  And there should be giggling.

- Meat is best served raw, but cooking it isn't out of the question, just not something you should feel bothered to do every single time like your mother nagged you on and on about.

- Drugs are what the MAN wants you to take to make your head open to the Radio Waves of Big Brother to take you over with.  Only the stuff of nature is safe for you. No painkillers, antibiotics, or antiseptic are allowed. Reishi is your best friend.

-Speaking of radio waves, you might best avoid those unsightly antennas. And don't think too much about anyone watching you from Signal Hill while you are chasing the Bear of Pleasant Valley Farmhouse around.  I wouldn't give it a single thought.  Not a one. Nope.

- Every single day you wake up to alive and undefeated by the MAN, you should go outside naked and dance for a bit.  Every day is a snow day, so no skipping out on it even during a blizzard.  At least your buddy Reishi won't have to watch your meager attempt at the Charleston.

- You can go for animal skins, but nothing matching. You want to stand out, not blend in with the forlorn masses. If you go for the Bearskin Coat, then the Bearskin bedroll is already so last year.  You will just have to use that regular old bedroll your buddy Reishi guided you to.

- One of the phases of the Moon is your spirit guide. It is up to you to decide which one, but once chosen, you are obligated to go outside while it is out and howl at it.  Oh, and also take a shot at it, too. Don't worry, the Moon will survive the hit.  (If you don't have any arrows or rifle rounds, you best find a rock and throw it, or Moon will be very unhappy with you)

- Anything you find in buildings that you don't want or can't have(like too nice of clothing) should be taken out of where it is found and dumped in a pile in the center of the main room. If it is hiding, it is a threat to you.

- Fluffy is your best friend in the whole wide world and Reishi can sit in the snow for a day if he disagrees. The Wolf of Carter Dam is inviolate.  Consider the challenge void if you kill Fluffy so you best make sure it does not become a no-choice situation.

- This last one is my favorite: The first bunker you find or come across is your Homiest Base of all Homey Bases. Once found, you are committed to it. You can go to adjacent regions(counting connecting regions like Carter Dam Environs), but no further. You will want to mark your territory around it, making sure any intruders know they are trespassing on your grounds. Animal hides, sticks, and other obvious signs will do. Raiding nearby communities is a must. Gotta keep the populace scared of you, because you are the Baddest Bandit Around.  Oh, and make sure your buddy Reishi gets a cozy corner, too.

 

That's the core rules. For this challenge nothing can be amended, but you are free to add additional rules to flavor your experience to your un-standards.  Please feel free to share your experiences and any rules you decided to include.  And above all, remember what your best buddy Reishi says when a bear is hugging you and tearing out your entrails: "Have Fun."

[Thrasador]

I think you took too many "pain killers."

No, seriously that was funny....I'm not sure I would ever do what you suggested, but it was funny.

I would almost enjoy watching someone "perform" that playthrough....like Geltaz, but I don't know that I would do it justice. I don't have the charisma or acting ability to play the madman of the mountains....

I think you should shoot a video of that playthrough and let us watch it, lol....

[GELtaz]

Very, very interesting. Love the scenario! Thank you for sharing it @Samsonguy920 !

[Thrasador]

1 hour ago, GELtaz said:

Very, very interesting. Love the scenario! Thank you for sharing it @Samsonguy920 !

ROFL, I didn't even know you were on the forums man! Hi @GELtaz! Yeah, when I read it I was like this is ridiculous, only Geltaz could do it justice....

[Samsonguy920]

13 hours ago, GELtaz said:

Very, very interesting. Love the scenario! Thank you for sharing it @Samsonguy920 !

Thank you for sharing your adventures in The Long Dark.  Keep 'em coming.

[JAFO]

On 7/23/2017 at 10:20 PM, Thrasador said:

I would almost enjoy watching someone "perform" that playthrough...

I think you should shoot a video of that playthrough and let us watch it, lol....

Seconded! One of the most original challenges I've ever seen. 

In Kerbal Space Program, one rule for posting challenges is that the challenger has to demonstrate that it can actually be done.. so, come on @Samsonguy920, show us what you've got.. please. 

On 7/24/2017 at 2:02 AM, GELtaz said:

Very, very interesting. Love the scenario! Thank you for sharing it @Samsonguy920 !

Please, please, please make an attempt at this, @GELtaz! Your videos are an inspiration.

(great to see you dropping in, too! )

[JAFO]

On 7/24/2017 at 3:09 AM, Thrasador said:

Yeah, when I read it I was like this is ridiculous, only Geltaz could do it justice....

I'd kinda like to see @Hadrian take a shot at it, too.. it's SO far removed from his usual playstyle that I think it'd be hilarious to see.

[Samsonguy920]

@JAFO challenged me to attempt my own challenge, so I decided to tell it in story form.

I will get at least one more part in before the 1st. After that I can't give any guarantees. Turns out doing a Let's Play in literary and picture form is time-consuming.  I should note this playthrough is being done in Stalker mode. I figured if I failed quickly, then I would step down to Voyageur. But I did make it to  the next morning, after a start in the early evening.

I hope you guys enjoy.

[Mroz4k]

I am going to do this. Duck yea, I will do this. Imma record that bit too, I never actually tried to play in such a way and I think it will be interesting.
(the only times I have ever played in a manner similar to this was the rounds for kicks, like when I would play Hunted part 2 just to practise my rifle shooting. Well, I do tend to tea-bag all the wolves I kill and I occasionally dance naked around my hut in the mornings, just for the kicks of it, but other then than that, I play ranger, or rather a "prepper" style which is somewhat of a ranger style, with a twist to it that I tend to hoard everything valuable to major base, and several smaller regional outposts)
(I haven't recorded anything in almost two years but I want to start again, so this will probably go terribly but whatever)

I don't like several of the "points" so I will be setting my own set of rules, which will be just moderately adjusted rules.

I am seriously disappointed that there is no challenge to "throw rocks on rabbits and deer just for the kicks, and to teach them you are the boss around here."

 

[Samsonguy920]

5 hours ago, Mroz4k said:

I am going to do this. Duck yea, I will do this.  <snip>

I am seriously disappointed that there is no challenge to "throw rocks on rabbits and deer just for the kicks, and to teach them you are the boss around here."

 

Good...good...let the banditry flow through you.

And I did state you could add additional points. And that is a good point.

[Thrasador]

45 minutes ago, Samsonguy920 said:

Good...good...let the banditry flow through you.

And I did state you could add additional points. And that is a good point.

ROFL to both of you....

[Mroz4k]

Honestly, there are just some points I don't like about this challenge. Frankly it does not even seem to be very banditish - part of it is, but part of it is just some crazy hippie nutjob. So I took the liberty of adjusting the core points as well. If it's not accountable as this challenge, it's okay, I consider it my own but am still giving you props for bringing me to this idea:

I took a long thought on this, this is what I came up with:

- Upon start of the game, drop everything, even clothes. They are wet and ruined, you were just washed out on the shore after your jailbreak stunt. Lose all your temperature but don't start with a developed hypothermia. (I will be starting off in Desolation point, too).

- To you, ammunition is everywhere.  For every three rifle rounds you find, or three arrows you find/craft, one of the three should be shot up in the air for the laughs. 

- every successful kill deserves a short dance celebration. Don't forget to t-bag their corpse, too.

- you don't eat dead things unless you killed them or saw it die with your own eyes. Who knows if the bear that killed it pissed on it afterwards.

- throw stones on wolves every once in a while, either to distract them or just for the kicks to see if you can hit them with one. Make it your mission to do this at least once every three days.

- Meat is best served raw, but cooking it isn't out of the question, just not something you should feel bothered to do every single time, you got better things to do. (once a week is condition)

- Drugs are basically dope for rich people. And your momma raised you to stay away from the dope. But there is no harm done if one uses them natural "herbs" every once in a while, right?

- avoid them antennas, could be rangers up there. You did not escape just to end up in a box again.

- Every single day you wake up alive and undefeated by the MAN, you should go outside naked and dance to celebrate your freedom.  Every day is a snow day, so no skipping out on it even during a blizzard. 

- You can go for animal skins. YOU WANT THEM TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY MESS WITH YOU. Once you put the leather on, there is no going back. You can't take off the handcrafted clothes, ever. The only exception is during your morning dancing ritual.

- you hate the moon. Every once in a while, go outside and curse on it. Shoot at it too because screw the moon!

- Garbage should be thrown about everywhere, who cares, this is YOUR land now!

- Fluffy is your best friend in the whole wide world, don't hurt her. Only fist bumps are allowed. The idea is that you show her your dominance and she will join you as your second-in-command.

- Make a base in a bunker. You don't want the cops to find you, do you now? 

- gotta keep them neighbours afraid so they don't rat you out - raid every human settlement in your neighbourhood.

- your base is yours and yours only. Any trespassers will be shot, and survivors will be shot again. Set up some warning signs around to let everyone know not to mess with you.

- get a 360 successful shot because you are just that amazing at shooting.

- Every dog that picks a fight with you, except Fluffy, is messing with a wrong person. If they escape the first time, track them down and kill them. Then eat its meat while it's still hot right over their corpse to let its friends know you mean business.

- throw rocks at rabbits and deer to let them know you are the boss around here.

- you must loot all gas stations, convenience stores and offices on the map, stick them up like in the old days!

- rob the plane because it has always been on your bucket list!

- wrestle with a bear. You always wanted to know who will win.

- you must take a short piss break on the bones of the bear dens you find. Because life is too short.

- You already have a lot of baggage on your mind so there is no point in adding more to your body. 40 kg is the top of what you will take, don't move if you have more.

- Craft a shiv of your own. Don't pick up any other knives, knives are for sissies.

I changed the challenge quite a bit. Turned it more into the "bandit", because no offence, the previous challenge sounded more like some nutjob hippie than a thug. I am also reserving a backstory to my challenge. In a shortcut, my anti-hero is a is an overconfident macho bank robber and stick-up man who messed up when he stole from the wrong people. I would like to think mine is a bit more difficult, and I will be playing it on Voyager and hopefully record it properly as well. 

[Mroz4k]

So I gave it a shot without recording it at first, just to see if I can do some commentary at all with the theme, and also because I wanted to test these challenges and see if any contradicted each other.
The one challenge I will be removing from my list is the 40 kg limitation. For a simple reason - the other challenges require me to carry lot of stones around. Those are rather heavy and can easily put you over the 40 kg limit all the time.

Also totally figure out it is possible to start in Desolation point with no clothes and make it. (I did die but that was because I was playing recklessly on purpose, went out with food poisoning and half a health and broken wrist against a wolf. I survived the struggle and the blood loss but the food poisoning finished me off soon after.)

Otherwise this challenge is definitely doable. Had fun dancing around in the mornings naked 

Additionally, I am adding one more challenge:
-you must wear a scarf or woolen bandana on your face. You don't want the cops to recognize you. Get some of that "bandit" look!

Next take I am going to record. Even though my commentary is shitty. And my voice sounds more like a nerd with a cold than a thug

[JAFO]

4 minutes ago, Mroz4k said:

Next take I am going to record. Even though my commentary is shitty. And my voice sounds more like a nerd with a cold than a thug

I'm looking forward to seeing this.. I like your take on the 'rules', too..

[Mroz4k]

Well, wanted to create trailer/intro for the series today but had an emergency, and my previous editing software expired so this might take a bit longer. 
Dammit.

Also a challenge I forgot to include:
- you hate reading. The only reading you can ever withstand is them picture books ´bout guns. You fricking LOVE guns.

Will probably finish it sometime tomorrow, but I plan to play the crap out of the Story mode and record my first ever try at it too so things might get prolonged, because I have to go to work tomorrow and I don't expect I will be in mood to do many recordings when I come back, destroyed in mind and body.