Which default scenario do you think is the easiest/hardest?

[Cetoiscini]

This question is only for those who have completed all scenarios.

For me, the easiest one is Arica/Marin/Katia (the one without Misha). Yeah, it starts in winter, but by featuring such a complete roster that winter start is nothing at all. I mean, the 3 survivors here are all useful and fill three different roles, while every other scenario either has a weak survivor (e.g. Boris/Emilia/Marin has Emilia who is kinda useless), or has 2 survivors with overlapping roles (e.g. in Arica/Roman/Bruno, Arica is made redundant because Roman can do exactly the same job as her, except he does it way better).

And the hardest... well I survived all scenarios with ease but I guess it's Zlata/Emilia/Kalina. It's actually more difficult than Anton/Cveta because you don't get free beds and the shelter has less stuff so the early game is pretty painful. Not to mention you have to look after a child...

[RainingMetal]

Most difficult would be Marko solo, hands down. Easiest would be the default starting ones, with Bruno, Pavle, and Katia/Marko.

[Podrick, Spocky Ghoost of Bread]

I haven't played all scenarios, but it is probably safe to assume that the Marko solo is pretty hard. Easiest for me was Anton, Cveta. That sounds stupid but for giving you the two objectively worst characters in the game, neighbors help a lot and crime seems much lower. With two people, someone is likely to come and join your shelter eventually. You even get two beds and a heater. Anton, Cveta was the first scenario I survived and of all the scenarios I've played, it has been the easiest lol.

Zlata, Emilia, and Kalina is pretty hard too, but I managed to survive. Past the first two times I played the game, I've survived everything except Marin, Arica, Katia, Misha. No idea what I did, I probably just ♥♥♥♥♥♥ it all up lol.

[MazyRun]

I haven't done the one with the roster of all the weakest characters yet, I assume it can be fairly difficult, but as mentioned, they do recieve some starting help so they should be able to dig in till the cavalry arrives.. I'm sure they will start to recieve guests in the shape of skilled scavengers/survivors within 2 weeks (Marko solo also recieves some early assists).

I really like that there are weak characters mixed in with the stronger ones, they still have some useful situational atributes, it's just clever that there are some weak playable characters that you really have to work at protecting (this is why TLO DLC works well to).. a full roster of superstar survivors would be kinda OP, there's a really good blend of interesting scenarios.

Marko solo is my favourite by far, I think it has the perfect difficulty level. Going solo makes you play the whole opening part of the game differently, there are more interesting day by day decisions to make and problems to solve, the passage of time plays a bigger part to.

I kind of think most scenerios should start off as a solo character, the others can join at different rates (randomly of course). Hopefully it is possible to create lots of solo scenarios in the custom story section (haven't tried it yet).

Solo survivor might be the definitive way to play this game, I think it really brings out the best in all the game mechanics and the pacing of the game (you really need to feel that early struggle for the journey to be rewarding).. by the end of the story you will be a 3 or 4 strong team (some of which might be kids).

Perhaps unsuprisingly I found the most comfortable scenarios to be the ones where Marin features, the ability to craft super efficiently is priceless.. and of course whenever Katia is on board (bartering skills) and/or Marko/Boris (carrying skills) plus a good fighter (Roman/Arica) they all help make scenarios a lot more manageable.

I like the idea of completely random scenarios (non scripted), the difficulty level would then be based on whatever you draw randomly (it's down to you what you make of the situation, I don't think there would be such a thing as an unbeatable scenario)..

..Random starting characters (it could be anyone, and there would be a random number of starting characters between 1-4), random characters joining the house (they might arrive early, mid-game or late.. all at once or spread out over weeks), random winter event (winter might come early, mid-game or late), random ceasefire agreement (anywhere between 30-80 days).

[theworld]

Originally posted by RainingMetal:

Most difficult would be Marko solo, hands down.

Contrary to popular belief, Marko solo is one of the easiest if you know what you're doing.

You can invest resources in unfinished construction of either appliances or items: beds, weapons, equipment, books for fuel, wood for fuel, etc. And cancel next day to get your full inventory back. This way you cannot be raided, nothing gets stolen and you can stockpile enough resources for upgrades.

[Cetoiscini]

Originally posted by Podrick, Spocky Ghoost of Bread:

I haven't played all scenarios, but it is probably safe to assume that the Marko solo is pretty hard. Easiest for me was Anton, Cveta. That sounds stupid but for giving you the two objectively worst characters in the game, neighbors help a lot and crime seems much lower. With two people, someone is likely to come and join your shelter eventually. You even get two beds and a heater. Anton, Cveta was the first scenario I survived and of all the scenarios I've played, it has been the easiest lol.

Zlata, Emilia, and Kalina is pretty hard too, but I managed to survive. Past the first two times I played the game, I've survived everything except Marin, Arica, Katia, Misha. No idea what I did, I probably just ♥♥♥♥♥♥ it all up lol.

If you haven't beaten all scenarios, I highly recommend doing it. imo they're diverse enough to maintain high replayability.

I've found out that bandages and medications are twice as effective if used on children, so for Marin/Arica/Katia/Misha you probably will want to reroll until Misha's the severely ill survivor, that way you can cure his illness in no time. Other than that it should be pretty easy, because like I said, the 3 adults are the exact same as those in my easiest scenario.

Originally posted by TheWorld:

Originally posted by RainingMetal:

Most difficult would be Marko solo, hands down.

Contrary to popular belief, Marko solo is one of the easiest if you know what you're doing.

You can invest resources in unfinished construction of either appliances or items: beds, weapons, equipment, books for fuel, wood for fuel, etc. And cancel next day to get your full inventory back. This way you cannot be raided, nothing gets stolen and you can stockpile enough resources for upgrades.

Marko solo is either the hardest or the easiest, depending on if you consider crafting unfinished stuff and stashing your supplies at another location are cheating or not. One thing for sure though, solo games are boring as hell. You have to watch your survivor sleep for 5 hours, and you can't help neighbors so he/she always ends up having a bad ending.

Originally posted by MazyRun:

I haven't done the one with the roster of all the weakest characters yet, I assume it can be fairly difficult, but as mentioned, they do recieve some starting help so they should be able to dig in till the cavalry arrives.. I'm sure they will start to recieve guests in the shape of skilled scavengers/survivors within 2 weeks (Marko solo also recieves some early assists).

I really like that there are weak characters mixed in with the stronger ones, they still have some useful situational atributes, it's just clever that there are some weak playable characters that you really have to work at protecting (this is why TLO DLC works well to).. a full roster of superstar survivors would be kinda OP, there's a really good blend of interesting scenarios.

Marko solo is my favourite by far, I think it has the perfect difficulty level. Going solo makes you play the whole opening part of the game differently, there are more interesting day by day decisions to make and problems to solve, the passage of time plays a bigger part to.

I kind of think most scenerios should start off as a solo character, the others can join at different rates (randomly of course). Hopefully it is possible to create lots of solo scenarios in the custom story section (haven't tried it yet).

Solo survivor might be the definitive way to play this game, I think it really brings out the best in all the game mechanics and the pacing of the game (you really need to feel that early struggle for the journey to be rewarding).. by the end of the story you will be a 3 or 4 strong team (some of which might be kids).

The survivors who join your shelter are completely random, it's not like if you're playing a hard scenario then stronger survivors will join you. During my Marko solo game, I actually had freaking Sergei knock my door. Do you know how hard it is to take care of a child in 2 weeks while having only 1 adult? Thank God my game crashed and I had Emilia instead. :/

A playthrough with superstar survivors isn't always easy. I really like the Roman/Katia scenario because while you're given 2 (well just 2) of the best survivors in the game, the entire world is against you. One of them starts wounded, the crimewave starts on day 4, and the temperature is always below 15C.

[theworld]

Originally posted by Cetoiscini:

You have to watch your survivor sleep for 5 hours, and you can't help neighbors so he/she always ends up having a bad ending.

I don't think that's true. Don't talk to them and don't open the door and you should be OK.

[Cetoiscini]

Originally posted by TheWorld:

Originally posted by Cetoiscini:

You have to watch your survivor sleep for 5 hours, and you can't help neighbors so he/she always ends up having a bad ending.

I don't think that's true. Don't talk to them and don't open the door and you should be OK.

If you don't open the door, the epilogue will say ''Someone knocked our door but we didn't answer. Maybe they needed our help'' or something like that. I believe that event also affects endings.

[theworld]

Originally posted by Cetoiscini:

I really like the Roman/Katia scenario because while you're given 2 (well just 2) of the best survivors in the game, the entire world is against you. One of them starts wounded, the crimewave starts on day 4, and the temperature is always below 15C.

While Katia is certainly one of the best (if not the best, if you exploit trade bug), Roman is not even in top 50% of survivors.

1)Low carrying capacity: 10 is 2nd worst.
2)Addiction, you waste resources on it.
3)He's about the only one who beats your own people up, again wasting resources (Bandages). Last playthrough he fought Cveta and got himself Wounded as a result, some Tough Guy...
4)His bonus is only good for guarding - if you know what you're doing and how to lure by making sound, you can kill people with hideout backstab with a lowly crowbar with almost all characters and with open backstab with a knife with a lot of characters.
5)Does not get Content and drinks when low morale, again wasting resources. Seeing a pattern yet?

[Podrick, Spocky Ghoost of Bread]

Originally posted by TheWorld:

Originally posted by Cetoiscini:

I really like the Roman/Katia scenario because while you're given 2 (well just 2) of the best survivors in the game, the entire world is against you. One of them starts wounded, the crimewave starts on day 4, and the temperature is always below 15C.

While Katia is certainly one of the best (if not the best, if you exploit trade bug), Roman is not even in top 50% of survivors.

1)Low carrying capacity: 10 is 2nd worst.
2)Addiction, you waste resources on it.
3)He's about the only one who beats your own people up, again wasting resources (Bandages). Last playthrough he fought Cveta and got himself Wounded as a result, some Tough Guy...
4)His bonus is only good for guarding - if you know what you're doing and how to lure by making sound, you can kill people with hideout backstab with a lowly crowbar with almost all characters and with open backstab with a knife with a lot of characters.
5)Does not get Content and drinks when low morale, again wasting resources. Seeing a pattern yet?

LOL when the worst fighter in the game beats the best fighter who is trained in combat. Looks like Cveta's a lot more badass than we thought ;)

anyway i think roman can be situationally one of the best characters. It all depends on your playstyle :P

[RainingMetal]

1. It's pretty standard to have a survivor with 10 slots. You obviously shouldn't be scavenging with a character like that.
2. Why are you bothering feeding peoples' addictions? That shouldn't be a high priority at all.
3. If Roman's depressed enough to hurt people in your shelter, you're playing the game wrong.
4. Roman's the only guy who can go up to people and backstab them with a crowbar, not to mention he's deadly with guns. Normally you can only kill people instantly if you attack from an alcove, and you don't always have that chance.
5. Roman's also the kind of guy that doesn't get depressed that easily if you kill bandits or soldiers. I believe it's the optimists (Boris, Zlata, and Cveta) that are vulnerable in this fashion.

[theworld]

Originally posted by RainingMetal:

1. It's pretty standard to have a survivor with 10 slots. You obviously shouldn't be scavenging with a character like that.

1)You are forced to do it in scenario that starts with Roman, Arica, Bruno.

All 10, there is no choice.

2)If optimists get depressed they quickly bounce back (Boris). And if they do, nothing bad happens.

Roman on the other hand starts drinking and beats up people.

3)You are almost always meant to backstab from hideout (Military Outpost is about the only exception). Game wasn't balanced to play Roman every time, so it's much more lenient in how you are supposed to kill, there are a lot of hideouts. Tons of videos on Youtube where people easily kill soldiers with average characters from hideouts.

[Cetoiscini]

Originally posted by TheWorld:

Originally posted by RainingMetal:

1. It's pretty standard to have a survivor with 10 slots. You obviously shouldn't be scavenging with a character like that.

1)You are forced to do it in scenario that starts with Roman, Arica, Bruno.

All 10, there is no choice.

2)If optimists get depressed they quickly bounce back (Boris). And if they do, nothing bad happens.

Roman on the other hand starts drinking and beats up people.

1. Because if Roman had 12 slots or more, he'd be severely OP. Look at Boris if you don't know what I mean, he has 17 slots and high combat skills. He really deserves those nerfs to his running speed and his morality.

2. Prevention is always better (and easier) than cure, you're supposed to prevent your survivors from being depressed at the first place. Not to mention Roman is resistant to depression and plays the guitar really well, so if you manage to get him to the point where he starts beating your own survivors, then I'm sure you have no idea how to play this game properly.

Also this point earlier:

Originally posted by TheWorld:

5)Does not get Content

No really, it's easy to get literally anyone content for at least 4 days, just do 2 morale-boosting events consecutively and there you go. It's even easier with the TLO DLC, just make sure your child is content and do a good deed. Keep that child content and boom, your survivors will become permanently happy. I kept Roman content from day 4 till day 50 (ceasefire) using this method.

Seriously, saying that he's below-average is absolutely extreme. I agree that you can do combat OK with a weak fighter, but that's hardly enough for him to become one of the worst. imo he deserves to be ranked at the very least 5th.

[theworld]

1. Nothing would be OP about him because combat skills are very weak bonus. I would take even Pavle with 12 carry capacity over him every single time.

Boris is still the best scavenger everywhere except Sniper Junction, his speed is only relevant there. His morale does not matter because at 17 slots you would never lack food or resources to raise comfort of the shelter and you don't need to kill non-bad guys for that. If you kill bad guys with Boris he gets sad for 1 day and that's it.

Like I said earlier you can kill with hiding backstab almost everyone on almost any map with average skill so better than average skill is almost always unnecessary.

2. If you talk about resisting, then by that bizarre logic Emilia is far superior to Roman since she has the same 10 slot capacity, far more resistant because she does not get sad that easily when her addiction is not met.

I don't own that DLC so in Roman, Bruno, Arica scenario happiness is a problem. It's not a problem in any other scenario[1] because you have someone who can carry > 10 or you start the scenario with better or more valuable items in your shelter.

[1] In Anton, Cveta scenario you get tons of free resources from neighbours and if you board up early you are OK.

[Cetoiscini]

Originally posted by TheWorld:

1. Nothing would be OP about him because combat skills are very weak bonus. I would take even Pavle with 12 carry capacity over him every single time.

Boris is still the best scavenger everywhere except Sniper Junction, his speed is only relevant there. His morale does not matter because at 17 slots you would never lack food or resources to raise comfort of the shelter and you don't need to kill non-bad guys for that.

Like I said earlier you can kill with hiding backstab almost everyone on almost any map with average skill so better than average skill is almost always unnecessary.

2. If you talk about resisting, then by that bizarre logic Emilia is far superior to Roman since she has the same 10 slot capacity, far more resistant because she does not get sad that easily when her addiction is not met.

I don't own that DLC so in Roman, Bruno, Arica scenario happiness is a problem. It's not a problem in any other scenario[1] because you have someone who can carry > 10 or you start the scenario with better or more valuable items in your shelter.

[1] In Anton, Cveta scenario you get tons of free resources from neighbours and if you board up early you are OK.

1. I never said that Boris is weak (he's second best), just that if he doesn't have that slow speed and very high morality then he would be too OP. I might not be very clear due to bad English though.

2. Addictions don't matter at all. If you keep on doing good deeds then it shouldn't be a problem.

Roman/Arica/Bruno is the exact first scenario that I won, and halfway through Boris actually joined. So that was 12 cigs everyday. I barely knew anything about how to play properly and yet nobody argued or fought or got drunk or anything even though I never fed their addictions. And everyone got their good endings.

Also you haven't quite countered my argument here:

Originally posted by Cetoiscini:

you're supposed to prevent your survivors from being depressed at the first place. if you manage to get him to the point where he starts beating your own survivors, then I'm sure you have no idea how to play this game properly.

When a negative trait can be completely and easily prevented then how is it a weakness? Just keeping Roman at normal is totally enough for that. I'm not sure how you can't do that stupidly simple task.

[RainingMetal]

Why do people have so much trouble keeping Roman content in the first place? Is it because they hurt innocents? I never have any problem keeping Roman fine and dandy.