Removing tech nodes from scenario?

[5thHorseman]

I tried my hand at a "Nakeder Brutalitier" scenario. I wanted to remove the last resource the player had available: The scant few tech nodes you get at the start. Even going with a Tribal, you get a couple tech nodes. In the Scenario Editor you can add nodes, but I can't find a way to remove them. So that brings up my two questions:

Is there a way to remove them that I'm not seeing?

Is there a way to remove them outside of the scenario editor? I'm happy using debug commands or simple patch file modding but probably wouldn't go so far as to bother writing code to mod it.

[makkenhoff]

So you are looking for a pre-tribal start with no research nodes unlocked?

[BLACK_FR]

I thought about that. But if you remove passive cooler research you just die from heartstroke from first heatwave. Tree sowing and recurve bow are kinda useless, pemmican has limited utility and psychoid brewing is great. But overall removing them don't make much of a difference, so I didn't bother with that. If you find a way to do that - I would remove all research apart from passive cooler.

My current startup option: custom scenario with all good and semi-good events disabled (I also disable neutral events to increase probability of bad ones), tribal merciless naked brutality start with no illegitimate use of reloading. I use PrepareCarefully and make custom character with no traits and backstory "abandoned child" and use only 735 points (it means minimum possible skills but normal interest in them). The reason behind this is that I removed everything possible apart from mild interest to make it harder. But if you remove interest too then you are better off dumping this pawn as soon as possible and I wanted to launch him into space.

[5thHorseman]

I am not trying to make the game as-hard-as-humanly-possible or anything. Mostly I'm looking for interesting wrinkles and I thought "totally empty tech tree" would be a fun one.

So you are looking for a pre-tribal start with no research nodes unlocked?

Yes.

But if you remove passive cooler research you just die from heartstroke from first heatwave.

I can think of 2 ways around that (other than "research passive coolers first and quickly") but don't know how viable they are. That's one of the reasons I want to try it

[5thHorseman]

I got this to work. I ended up having to patch it to make a new faction. I call them "B-Arkers" which sadly reads like "Barkers." Maybe "Ark-B-ers"?

Anyway, I basically took the Colonist/Outlander/default faction and removed the research from them. So you can play naked brutality, rich explorer, etc and just modify it to be them instead of the default faction.

I think I'll roll it into a scenario as well and post it on Steam and my own website, but I want to play it a bit first. I started 2 games and - yeah well let's just say things didn't go all that swimmingly. One got the plague and another was torn apart by a lynx before I could even get clothes.

I did though proof out that it is possible to not die from a heat wave by both researching the cooler quickly and also abandoning your spot. Neither is particularly easy (It's hard for 1 person to research 400 points AND keep his little shack functional, and you can't carry much when you're all alone) but they ARE possible.

[BLACK_FR]

It's definitely possible, but it's strange to hear it for me, but I think this challenge adds no fun. Solution to move is ok one if you allow for two bases (no reason not to), but it just mean that you remove few days from your early game start. 400 research in the early game is not easy (and you need beds and complex clothing anyways), but it's possible.
Overall yes, you can do it, it adds challenge in first few seasnos (and has no consequence later). But you can create more challenge by starting with pawn with no skills and no interest or start in harsh biome where you have to move out to survive etc.

[5thHorseman]

I think this challenge adds no fun.

I sometimes find fun in things others do not. You and I see different things as fun, as for example min/max on wealth and massive pawn micromanagement don't appeal to me in the least. From what I've seen you get your fun from finding rule niches to maximize gains. I find fun in just trying different things and seeing how they play out.

Like I said I'm not trying to make it hard per se, though I'd rather err on the side of hard. I'm looking for unique and interesting.

[BLACK_FR]

That's definitely unique and interesting addition to the early game. I should try it at least few times.