[FINISHED][CHALLENGE] Ellitopia Sole Start Challenge

[ellbristow]

https://youtu.be/98ShgYf08cY

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EDIT

WINNER: HEXEJAGER ! Congratulations!

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Not long ago I proposed a challenge via Facebook that involved a single character start in difficult circumstances. The post was popular, so I've decided to make it an (un)official challenge, with prizes offered to the best results.

I've created a custom scenario called "One Man and His Dog", available on the Steam workshop, but if you don't have the Steam version, the scenario is simple... one offworld character, one husky. No other materials or starting conditions. If you can't download my scenario, you can create your own with identical conditions.

The rules, submission form and other information can be found at:
http://ellitopia.com/rimworld-challenge

There is a form to submit the results of your playthrough. Screenshots are required, so make sure you have some screenshot software or some way to capture your screen other than a potato shot with a smartphone.

Have fun!

[ellbristow]

Getting lots of interest in this challenge via Facebook, and the website is buzzing with page hits... anyone here trying this that didnt come from Facebook?

[brianfred]

I am gonna start this challenge (found it from this site) only have 2 questions
1. Can you submit it multiple times
2. Can you still move from base (because you get your location from randomizing)

[Hexejager]

I am actively doing the challenge as well and found it here.

Maybe I am missing something but on http://ellitopia.com/ I cannot create an account, just sign in. I am probably overlooking it but if you can direct me to the location I would appreciate it. Thanks!

[ellbristow]

OK, so apparently I'm not getting my reply notifications from this forum! Sorry for the delayed replies.

@brianfred
1. You can play as many times as you like, and enter the competition as many times as you like. Technically you can reroll completely (new world, new location new character) until you get lucky, as long as you dont reroll the location or the character once you've created them

2. You're the first to ask about a caravan to a new location. Of course this is allowed., and a very good way to get around a bad location roll

@Hexejager
Under "Basket" on teh top menu is "My Account" where you can register. I will try to see if I can find a better location for it!

[ellbristow]

@Hexejager
I´ve tweaked the top menu so "Sign In/Join" now takes you to the My Account page. Thanks for pointing it out.

[Sola]

Seems easy enough.  Start with absolutely nothing except a dog, which I can kill for meat, using a random pawn on a random location, on NOT-extreme?

[Andy_Dandy]

Need to be a tribal 1 person start and on Cassandra Extreme, and tundra or colder, to be a challenge.

[ellbristow]

Seems easy enough.  Start with absolutely nothing except a dog, which I can kill for meat, using a random pawn on a random location, on NOT-extreme?

Need to be a tribal 1 person start and on Cassandra Extreme, and tundra or colder, to be a challenge.

You guys seemed so confident, and yet I dont see your entries. If you think its so easy, submit your play and you might win!

I'll be calculating scores and announcing winners next week, so entries need to be in before Friday this week.

[Hans Lemurson]

Does your "no mods" rule even extend to pure UI mods?  I'm using Moody, Medical Tab, and World Without Hat.  These have no in-game effect except making my life easier, not my pawns.
...
In any case, I started the challenge.  I ended up in an Extreme Desert, so early food will be a problem.  Because I didn't want to have to kill my best friend, I decided to solo a mega-scarab.  Bad idea for food source, they bite back.  Steel shiv did the trick though.  Hope the wounds don't get infected, otherwise I'm screwed.

I rolled a character whose pretty good outside of the combat skills, so if I can avoid starving to death, I'll be in business.  Interestingly, his sister Erisen is the leader of a local pirate gang.

...
Died of infection on 3rd day.  Should have gone after a dromedary instead.

...
I started again with the same seed and same coordinates, but with a different (and less impressive) colonist. 
Seed: "Solo"
Climate: Sliders all in middle
Coordinates: 5.76^oS, 1.82^oW.

Is that legit, or do I have to do it full random?

[Thyme]

Seems easy enough.  Start with absolutely nothing except a dog, which I can kill for meat, using a random pawn on a random location, on NOT-extreme?

Need to be a tribal 1 person start and on Cassandra Extreme, and tundra or colder, to be a challenge.

You guys seemed so confident, and yet I dont see your entries. If you think its so easy, submit your play and you might win!

Because Sola (don't know about Andy) has played the Sea Ice Community Challenge.

[ellbristow]

Is that legit, or do I have to do it full random?

Its not strictly in line with the rules... but I guess the first time you did it, it was a random roll.... so in this case I think I can make an exception

[ellbristow]

Does your "no mods" rule even extend to pure UI mods?  I'm using Moody, Medical Tab, and World Without Hat.  These have no in-game effect except making my life easier, not my pawns.

Good question. I guess UI mods dont make the GAME easier, so if they are the only mods I'll allow it

[Hans Lemurson]

Is that legit, or do I have to do it full random?

Its not strictly in line with the rules... but I guess the first time you did it, it was a random roll.... so in this case I think I can make an exception

It reminds me of this xkcd comic: https://xkcd.com/221/
If it was random once, isn't it random forever?

I actually had to restart at that location 4 times due to food and disease issues.  There is no crop or wild forage in Extreme Desert that will mature before you starve to death, so hunting is required.  A steel shiv is quick and easy to make, but Iguanas and Scarabs will cut you and condemn you to death by infection, and Dromedaries are very big.  "Poppy Barron" (good stats but two addictions) was able to take down a dromedary on her attempt while high on Go-Juice, but she had to limp back to base somehow carrying an adult camel with a broken arm and leg.  Starved to death after she was unable to harvest her gravel-potatoes due to a nasty case of "the shakes" from simultaneous Alcohol and Go-Juice withdrawal.

Winning play: After planting 20+ potatoes, chop 30 wood from 4-5 Saguaro cactuses scattered around the map(can be harvested at 20% growth for 5 wood) and make a Short Bow.  Use short bow to hunt a dromedary to avoid starving to death before your crops mature.  Scrounge together 20 more wood (and mine steel) to build a Butcher's Table to process the camel corpse into fresh meat before it goes rotten.  A wanderer joins around this time and your potato crop comes in and if you're lucky you can spare the time and steel for a Solar Generator and Electric Stove to cook your potatoes into simple meals for better moods and nutrition.

...If you're not lucky, both colonists suffer simultaneous mental breaks and go wandering in a daze while a raider with a rusty shiv strolls in and stabs Anna "Princess" Roslav (medieval lordling who I was role-playing as trying to start up a new kingdom from exile) 17 different times before she smashes his face in.  Multiple stab wounds does not break her out of her daze, and she keeps wandering until fainting from blood loss while the other colonist is still in la-la-land half a map away.

Does your "no mods" rule even extend to pure UI mods?  I'm using Moody, Medical Tab, and World Without Hat.  These have no in-game effect except making my life easier, not my pawns.

Good question. I guess UI mods dont make the GAME easier, so if they are the only mods I'll allow it

I was pretty sure those would be ok, but I unloaded stuff like "Auto-Flicking" (lets colonists turn sun lamps on and off at the right times) and "Re-ordered Work Priorities" and "Look at me I'm the Worker Now", and "Quality Builder".  These don't change what can happen in the game, but do change the sorts of orders you can give.  Thus they could violate the spirit of the challenge.

I may have already done that though restarting the same scenario 5 times, but I could rationalize it in my head given that I didn't choose it the first time and nearly ANY other starting location could be easier!  As extreme deserts go though, this was pretty wimpy since the winter temperatures didn't even require a hat to be comfortable!

I did decide to add an additional restriction to my playthrough which I felt was implied by your challenge but didn't seem to be specifically stated:  The husky must survive.  No butchering it for meat and eliminating surplus mouths.  Must protect it from dangers.  Mine is currently still alive with a damaged right eye from friendly fire (shoddy machine-pistol) after it saved the colony by tackling a pirate who had downed two of my men with an SMG.  Emergency medical treatment saved its life, but the enemy rifleman that shot it in the guts fled to safety.

Christina "Princess" Daraby (another Medieval Lordling, with only social/crafting passions, minimal skills, but neurotic and industrious) and Oliver the Husky (with one and a half eyeballs) survive and remain the leaders of a 5-member colony which is currently in the grips of starvation-induce tantrums after a Thrumbo ate half my crops and a blight killed the other half.

..But still alive!

[ellbristow]

I did decide to add an additional restriction to my playthrough which I felt was implied by your challenge but didn't seem to be specifically stated:  The husky must survive.

I didn't put this in the rules because for many the dog has turned out to be a necessary source of food. If you chose to play whilst keeping him alive, that's up to you... in fact I've run teh challenge a few times and never needed to slaughter the dog.

Make sure you get your entry in to teh website quickly... I'm closing entries today, but will allow some leeway for people who ahve already started on a promising run.