So, this Completely Random* and Pointless poll is inspired by a recent
thread about how sandbox games present multiple options for getting
past checkpoints. You know the games I mean; titles like "Deus Ex", or
"Dishonored" or the like. So, given the choice to make your way past
an obstacle, what's your usual method?

0001) "Excuse me sir, I'd like to get past." Max-out those Speech
skills and convince - either through cleverness or bribery - the
guards to step aside, open the doors, or otherwise help you through.
Why do things the hard way when you can just ask?

0010) "I was never here." The shadows are your friend and you're
quieter than the quietest mouse. Darting from one bit of cover to the
next, you creep past and nobody ever notices your passing.

0011) "I was here... but you didn't notice until it was too late."
You're a ninja! It's like the option above, but with more bloodshed.
Keep to the shadows, unseen... right until that moment when you dart
forward and take out the guards, one by one. No alarms... and no
survivors.

0100) "How convenient that they leave all these death machines lying
around". Whether it's an auto-turret, land-mine, pit-trap or just a
conveniently placed pool of oil, you're all about the environmental
kill. Getting something else to do the work for you is how the
PROFESSIONAL does it.

0101) "There's always a way around." Sure, you may have to climb a few
ladders and rip open a stuck door or two, but the clever infiltrator
can always find the alternate route. It's not about stealth, where you
are getting past the guards when they're not looking; it's about using
the route they aren't even aware exists.

0110) "Wait, what was that?" It doesn't matter if they see youor not;
by the time they're aware of your presence, you are already gone. It's
about speed; run past all the obstacles and get to the objective
before the bad guys can meaningfully react.

0111) "It's not ME you gotta look out for, it's THAT guy." Related to
the talk-your-way past method, this one relies on your conversational
skills to convince the bad-guys that you are the lesser of two
evils... and that their livelihood (if not lives) is at stake if they
don't take out their comrades immediately. Basically, you use your
wits to turn the bad-guy's henchmen into walking death-traps that you
can hack.

1000) "Knock-knock. Who's there? Bang, you're dead." Subtly is for
wimps. You're packing an armory, and have the skill to use it all.
They'll know you're coming, but who cares. Let them sound all the
alarms they want; you've got more than enough ammunition to spare.

1001) "Wait... what just happened?" You am an elite hacker, and feel
no need to abide by the strictures imposed upon you by the game
mechanics. If you press this button sixteen times and then eat a loaf
of bread, you get an instant 'mission complete' without even setting
foot in the building. Only the unimaginative do what the game expects
them to.

1010) "Multiple pathways through a level are only for those who can't
master the core mechanics of a game." You don't play games where they
try to curry favor with players who like different play-styles. In
your games, there's one way and one way only past an obstacle, and
you'd better perfect your skills if you want to finish this adventure.

Now, as I indicated in that earlier thread, I usually START with
option 1(talk), then turn around and option 2 (sneak) my way back
(with some side-treks to option 3 (ninja) and 5 (alternate routes)),
followed up with a final trek through the level that's usually option
8 (kill-'em-all) as clean-up. That way I get maximum bang for my buck,
and miss out on nothing in the level. But I get that sort of thing is
probably overkill for most people.

What's your preferred strategy?

-------------------
* Well, I guess it isn't a /completely/ random poll if it's inspired
by a previous post that I wrote. It's still pretty pointless, though.
;-)

On Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:03:32 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>Now, as I indicated in that earlier thread, I usually START with
>option 1(talk), then turn around and option 2 (sneak) my way back
>(with some side-treks to option 3 (ninja) and 5 (alternate routes)),
>followed up with a final trek through the level that's usually option
>8 (kill-'em-all) as clean-up. That way I get maximum bang for my buck,
>and miss out on nothing in the level. But I get that sort of thing is
>probably overkill for most people.
>
>What's your preferred strategy?
>
0X0001 (rarely works), followed by 0x0003 (if there's a stealth kill
mechanic), followed by 0x0005 (explorer at heart).

Word.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

I'll say 5, then 1, then 2. Combat in modern games has gotten increasingly
generic in feel, so as to be avoided, and I like exploration.

rms

On Monday, July 17, 2023 at 10:03:45 AM UTC-7, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> So, this Completely Random* and Pointless poll is inspired by a recent
> thread about how sandbox games present multiple options for getting
> past checkpoints. You know the games I mean; titles like "Deus Ex", or
> "Dishonored" or the like. So, given the choice to make your way past
> an obstacle, what's your usual method?
>
>
> 0001) "Excuse me sir, I'd like to get past." Max-out those Speech
> skills and convince - either through cleverness or bribery - the
> guards to step aside, open the doors, or otherwise help you through.
> Why do things the hard way when you can just ask?
>
> 0010) "I was never here." The shadows are your friend and you're
> quieter than the quietest mouse. Darting from one bit of cover to the
> next, you creep past and nobody ever notices your passing.
>
> 0011) "I was here... but you didn't notice until it was too late."
> You're a ninja! It's like the option above, but with more bloodshed.
> Keep to the shadows, unseen... right until that moment when you dart
> forward and take out the guards, one by one. No alarms... and no
> survivors.
>
> 0100) "How convenient that they leave all these death machines lying
> around". Whether it's an auto-turret, land-mine, pit-trap or just a
> conveniently placed pool of oil, you're all about the environmental
> kill. Getting something else to do the work for you is how the
> PROFESSIONAL does it.
>
> 0101) "There's always a way around." Sure, you may have to climb a few
> ladders and rip open a stuck door or two, but the clever infiltrator
> can always find the alternate route. It's not about stealth, where you
> are getting past the guards when they're not looking; it's about using
> the route they aren't even aware exists.
>
> 0110) "Wait, what was that?" It doesn't matter if they see youor not;
> by the time they're aware of your presence, you are already gone. It's
> about speed; run past all the obstacles and get to the objective
> before the bad guys can meaningfully react.
>
> 0111) "It's not ME you gotta look out for, it's THAT guy." Related to
> the talk-your-way past method, this one relies on your conversational
> skills to convince the bad-guys that you are the lesser of two
> evils... and that their livelihood (if not lives) is at stake if they
> don't take out their comrades immediately. Basically, you use your
> wits to turn the bad-guy's henchmen into walking death-traps that you
> can hack.
>
> 1000) "Knock-knock. Who's there? Bang, you're dead." Subtly is for
> wimps. You're packing an armory, and have the skill to use it all.
> They'll know you're coming, but who cares. Let them sound all the
> alarms they want; you've got more than enough ammunition to spare.
>
> 1001) "Wait... what just happened?" You am an elite hacker, and feel
> no need to abide by the strictures imposed upon you by the game
> mechanics. If you press this button sixteen times and then eat a loaf
> of bread, you get an instant 'mission complete' without even setting
> foot in the building. Only the unimaginative do what the game expects
> them to.
>
> 1010) "Multiple pathways through a level are only for those who can't
> master the core mechanics of a game." You don't play games where they
> try to curry favor with players who like different play-styles. In
> your games, there's one way and one way only past an obstacle, and
> you'd better perfect your skills if you want to finish this adventure.
>
>
>
>
> Now, as I indicated in that earlier thread, I usually START with
> option 1(talk), then turn around and option 2 (sneak) my way back
> (with some side-treks to option 3 (ninja) and 5 (alternate routes)),
> followed up with a final trek through the level that's usually option
> 8 (kill-'em-all) as clean-up. That way I get maximum bang for my buck,
> and miss out on nothing in the level. But I get that sort of thing is
> probably overkill for most people.
>
> What's your preferred strategy?
>

Couldn't get into Dishonored, and Dues Ex I tried to once, but couldn't
get the game to work and it was old at the time, and wasn't really
interested enough to beat my head against it. I was only trying
because others say it's so good.

It depends somewhat on the game and obstacle/NPC.

Let me take a look at it from DS/ER since that's mostly what I've been
playing recently.

I generally leave non-hostiles alive and try to talk to all of them to
get rewards etc.

Hostiles I prefer to kill with extreme overkill if I can. In my last play
through as a lowbie I did any trick I could to avoid getting into fights
by the end as that was near certain death. I still prefer extreme
overkill, but that just wasn't possible.

AC games is generally stealth as much as I can mainly because again
the enemies are too hard to take on all at once.

Fallout is generally a bit of stealth sniping because that's what's most
effective, but I did love filling ghouls full of lead with a sub-machine gun
in 1 & 2. I also like wearing power armor.

I generally prefer magic in Fantasy games. If that gives me stealth
I'll use it if I have to. I do love me some charming though, turning my
enemies against each other is the best.

- Justisaur