Settling in Okran's Pride: Regret

[VanEinstein]

No, not because they're horrible people, but because I figured out the trick to living there, and now it feels like I somehow cheated myself. I settled in a location that wasn't directly in the way of any patrols, then created a makeshift wall to block the view of any patrols that might wander closer against my predictions. So long as they dont see your non humans there's nothing to get excited over, and since I knew when prayer day was going to be, I could just put them in the shack for the duration of the visit. Add to that the fact that I was raided only once, by a small group of black dragon ninjas. Slap in a gate and now the raptors ignore the base too.

Overall, it became a boring and risk free way of playing. So why did I do it? I guess because it felt like outposts shouldnt have to be a late game only thing. They give the ability to grow greenfruit, but the only early game place to grow it effectively is there in on HN soil. Most of the other canidates for settlement either involve constant raids, slavers, or horrific man-eating beasts. My options felt slim, if I wanted to actually survive w/ an early game settlement.

So I have a question for others out there. Have you found ways to put a limit on your opportunities and thereby force a more difficult experience? I mean, other than just telling yourself "I won't do X thing". I've only ever played the Wanderer start because of the description, but would it be worth my time to choose one of the other starts, and if so, which would you suggest for this situation?

[Singrave]

Originally posted by VanEinstein:

I've only ever played the Wanderer start because of the description, but would it be worth my time to choose one of the other starts, and if so, which would you suggest for this situation?

Yes, it's worth to choose other starts except easy ones.
Slave, Holy Sword, Rock Bottom, Hive Exile - are all good hard starts. But if you know the game well it's not so "hard".
Son of Captain would give you some + in stats, so you're not a meatbag for punching.
I've played a Slave start and this one is very good to train your STR, toughness and thief's skills.

[VanEinstein]

The Holy Sword was certainly one I had considered, knowing that it would put some severe travel restrictions on me, and therefore influence a lot of my decision making.

[lubed_assassin]

slave start is the best for an rpg playthrough... 100 days in you can come out of the pits as a fighting machine... but yes the game isn't hard once you get past the first few fights.

[VanEinstein]

The fights never stopped being deadly to me outside of starving bandits, but then I've never had a character with more than 20 in combat skills and 25 str at most.

So far I've started out by stealing everything that isn't nailed down, so long as the risk to me isn't too high. That only pans out just long enough to join the Shinobi and add 1 or 2 people to the squad. Knowing little about the world or the map, I paid out for maps. I figured I'd continue plundering what I could, or evading bounties when I did get caught, while investigating ruins. The Libraries turned a nice profit for little effort, and by the time I had found all that I could, I had even more ruins to look into. My team kept growing, and I felt like it was time to spend all those books and commit to finding a place to settle down in.

So I did what I set out to do, but just ended up unhappy with the result. I played it safe and spurned risk, so I think the level of satisfaction or lack thereof is reflected. I don't know if I can find a happy middle ground between that and doing something that clearly isn't going to work, but I'd like to try.

[Daredeviler_21]

Originally posted by VanEinstein:

The fights never stopped being deadly to me outside of starving bandits, but then I've never had a character with more than 20 in combat skills and 25 str at most.

So far I've started out by stealing everything that isn't nailed down, so long as the risk to me isn't too high. That only pans out just long enough to join the Shinobi and add 1 or 2 people to the squad. Knowing little about the world or the map, I paid out for maps. I figured I'd continue plundering what I could, or evading bounties when I did get caught, while investigating ruins. The Libraries turned a nice profit for little effort, and by the time I had found all that I could, I had even more ruins to look into. My team kept growing, and I felt like it was time to spend all those books and commit to finding a place to settle down in.

So I did what I set out to do, but just ended up unhappy with the result. I played it safe and spurned risk, so I think the level of satisfaction or lack thereof is reflected. I don't know if I can find a happy middle ground between that and doing something that clearly isn't going to work, but I'd like to try.

Try basing inside a town? It's what I prefer to do. I used to base inside The Hub, since there is no chance of imports wiping out shops/stores there if you do that. Also forces you to grind to hydro to grow, and water is limited by the nearby bars and neighbouring town shops.

[Rainer Steiner]

Side with the flotsam ninjas, declare your own holy war against the holy nation and crank up town raid frequency and strength. I guess that should make it more interesting.

[coldcell]

Where do you find Copper in Okran's Pride? Other than that measily 20 quality copper near the middle Holy Farm.

To make it interesting, stick to your base but go against HN.

[VanEinstein]

It's funny you should mention choosing to make enemies of them. I was trying to come up with an amusing name for the outpost, and I called it Okran's Hangnail, on account of the mild pain and irritation I'd surely cause them if they did chance upon my non humans. I even picked up a Skeleton while exploring the river toward the floodlands.

Yeah, copper is almost impossible to get where I'm at. There's one node in decent reach, but as you say it's of horrible quality. The base only requires a single wind generator to do it's job currently, so I only ever needed to pick up 5 copper. I suppose if I decided to stay there long term and begin creating anything that used it as an ingredient, I'd have some real problems.

Perhaps I'll only leave a paltry few people to keep farming, and generating plates and materials so that I can fund a start elsewhere. Actually, that's kind of what I've been doing already I guess. I split the squad in two and sent the non humans exploring. I took the risk of entering the deadlands and found an armory. At first I figured I had to beat a hasty retreat when I saw the machines inside, but for whatever reason they would only persue in a certain radius, leaving their charge unguarded from a sneaky entrance at nightfall. I found a nice new leg for the woman who lost one (I'd already purchased an economy leg before... oh well, guess that can be for someone else later).

I may still choose to start a fresh game, I dunno. I'm waffling back and forth about it. I may even attempt a slave start, because that'd give me all the motivation I need to be a thorn in the HN's side, as well as any other slavers that I cross paths with.

[Rainer Steiner]

Originally posted by VanEinstein:

Yeah, copper is almost impossible to get where I'm at. There's one node in decent reach, but as you say it's of horrible quality. The base only requires a single wind generator to do it's job currently, so I only ever needed to pick up 5 copper. I suppose if I decided to stay there long term and begin creating anything that used it as an ingredient, I'd have some real problems.

There´s a mod to build copper drills, when you have the techlevel. And to be honest, you won´t need that much anyway

[Mr_Darkmane]

Try the "Enhanced Survival Challenged (increased difficulty)" mod by DreadLordNaf

I wanted more of a challenge too and tried multiple starts but gave up on all of them after a while as they grew boring. This mod is what keeps me playing Kenshi.

Looting/mining is far less profitable. Just surviving becomes a challenge, which is exactly what a post-apocalypse game should be like.

[VanEinstein]

That's an interesting mod. There's just one catch. I'm playing the GOG version of the game, and that mod is only here on the steam workshop. I don't typically mod, so that's not normally an issue for me, but now I wish I'd gotten it on steam instead.

Would increasing hunger rates somewhat be a valid bandaid? That way, I'm forced into spending more time and effort on just feeding myself. I'm slightly leery of that sort of change because of the impact it would have on using Shek characters, but if it's going to nudge things more toward a survivalist style, maybe it's the right call?

[mr_bman]

Try starting as a slave in Rebirth.
Don't take advantage of any exploits and play it straight up as intended. Had a great time at figuring out my escape.

[VanEinstein]

So I started up a Slave start as suggested, and on the first day one of my characters ran out onto the path away from all the guards without triggering any kind of reaction along the way. It wasn't until he was nearly out that a single guard spazzed about it and wacked me, even though I never removed the obedient slave tag, or gave any orders. Then he just left me on the ground to die, rather than return me to the pits. I have a feeling this start is bugged.

[rompier02]

Hi. So you asking for a location to build an Outpost where you will be challenged & be limited in options? Limited Options meaning limited in survivalibity, raids, capability to acquire materials, hampered in trying to grow food components?

[VanEinstein]

There's more to it than that, but sure, it doesn't hurt to have that. It's a bit more satisfying that way.