I've completed my first playthrough of FNV on the PC and I would like to do it again, but I would like to crank up the difficulty a bit.

So I was wondering if I could get some suggestions as to how to make the game hard enough to be an actual challenge, but not too hard to the point of unplayable.

I will be playing on very hard and hardcore mode no matter what.

I would recomend mods that increase damage to the player, and what i like to do is make my own mods with geck to add better weapons to the enemies leveled lists.

what aspects do you want to be harder?

I've already got mods installed that increase spawns and provide a wider weapon variety for the NPCs.

I basically want a build of some type. I can only use x, I can't use y. That sort of thing.

Okay the best thing I've done, and it's a little biased because I'm a 40K fan but...

PLAY THE IMPERIAL GUARD CHALLENGE!
Seriously if you know WH40K, try it!

Features:
0. (Download the guardsman armor of course, grab your lasgun too!)
1. A ONE LIFE ONLY play through.  Life in the 41 Millenium is rough.
2. Objectives; last as long as possible.  An average guardsmans life expectancy after basic is 15 hours.
3. PURGE THE MUTANT, and the heretics too! Drug abusers?  NOT IN YOUR IMPERIUM!

There's a video on Youtube showing the rules here:

VIDEO:

Seriously tons of fun, I lasted 3-4 days.

(For extra immersion DL New Vegas 40K too)

i like to do a 'hardcore' non fast travel non VATS playthrough.

nickrica wrote:

i like to do a 'hardcore' non fast travel non VATS playthrough.

Oddly enough I don't like how VATS work, ever since I started on new vegas VATS was just not a combat option for me, it's not because it feels cheap, it is a bit for me but I honestly rather use bullet time over it.

Tbh I don't even know what difficulty I'm playing on but with the mods I have on, I get completely destroyed when going in some places by curiosity or simply not prepared at all.

(that's why I have riddick with me now, he provides that extra layer of security haha)

Swooya wrote:

nickrica wrote:

i like to do a 'hardcore' non fast travel non VATS playthrough.

Oddly enough I don't like how VATS work, ever since I started on new vegas VATS was just not a combat option for me, it's not because it feels cheap, it is a bit for me but I honestly rather use bullet time over it.

Tbh I don't even know what difficulty I'm playing on but with the mods I have on, I get completely destroyed when going in some places by curiosity or simply not prepared at all.

(that's why I have riddick with me now, he provides that extra layer of security haha)

yeah i hate VATS too lol, feels very 'gamey' to me, i dont even use bullet time despite having project nevada.

No vats, no stims, yes fast travel, melee only, drug addict playthrough sounds like it would be fun, I started one before my game became corrupted, it was real fun!

Ahsoka wrote:

No vats, no stims, yes fast travel, melee only, drug addict playthrough sounds like it would be fun, I started one before my game became corrupted, it was real fun!

i like to use the drug visual effects mod, and do a drugged out NCR soldier playthrough, lol. try aiming after using jet & whiskey haha!

Hmmmm how about,no heal!Thats right,you readed right!You will not use a single heal through the whole game on hardcore alright,you will only regain health when sleeping or whatever but no stimpanks on battle or when fallen.

I will try Ahsoka's challenge first. We'll see how far I get with that

Update on the melee drug addict challenge run:
Character's starting S.P.E.C.I.A.L.: 8 7 9 1 2 6 5
Gave myself the handicap of explosives. Alternate start put me in Westside. Got drugged up. Picked up Arcade. Traveled south through a warzone and managed to pick up Mk II Combat armor and a rebar club. Went through deathclaw territory. Picked up Niner. Now I'm working on rebuilding the Bison Steve.

Thoughts?

If you want a truely challenging game, then try this. Turn hardcore mode on, obviously. Now install all these mods...
-No fast travel
-Realistic head shots
-More fiends (I'd download the second esp that adds an enormous amount of fiends)
-AWOP
-MoMod (needs compatibility patch to work with AWOP)
-Behemoths return
-Animated chems (this makes healing yourself into a real challenge)
-Fellout (or something else that makes nights darker)
Also, don't use project nevada.
Now, get some good weapons, lots of food and meds and perhaps one companion if you must, then get your ass handed to you. I recommend starting way out in the boonies as well, far away from any doctors or anyplace to sleep. Good luck!

I do believe this can be concidered a challenge. Let's call it "Nipton incident. Replay"
-max out you reputation with a Powder Gangers.
-put FNV of Very Hard difficulty
-disalbe/put away all of the fires/crosses/flames/rubble near Nipton town hall via console commands
-dress up as a Powder Ganger
-spawn around 7-10 Powder Gangers armed with their basic weapons, Boxcars and Oliver Swanick (totally optional
-no stimpacks
-approach Vulpes and his crew
-fight for your mortal lives and make things right this time
-survive

There's a mod made by a Fallout Dev that ramps up difficulty. A few features consists of;
* Max level with all DLCs installed is 35.
* XP rate is halved.
* Base player health is quartered and level-gained health is reduced by 25%.
* Base Carry Weight from 150 to 50 (related perks/things have also been adjusted).
* Energy Weapon ammo weighs less than its nearest equivalent Guns ammo.
* Energy Weapon durability is in the same ballpark as Guns durability.
* Medium Armor has a small amount of DR proportional to its DT.

The mod;
J.E. Sawyer, No Mutants Allowed. I can't send links.

Nurwhal wrote:

There's a mod made by a Fallout Dev that ramps up difficulty. A few features consists of;
* Max level with all DLCs installed is 35.
* XP rate is halved.
* Base player health is quartered and level-gained health is reduced by 25%.
* Base Carry Weight from 150 to 50 (related perks/things have also been adjusted).
* Energy Weapon ammo weighs less than its nearest equivalent Guns ammo.
* Energy Weapon durability is in the same ballpark as Guns durability.
* Medium Armor has a small amount of DR proportional to its DT.

The mod;  
J.E. Sawyer, No Mutants Allowed. I can't send links.

http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=60505

there is the link. And Nurwhal if you want to send a link just post it like this:
http://www.nma -fallout.com/article.php?id=60505
the 7 days rule is to mainly prevent spammers

You can try a boxcars playthrough
-side with powder gangers
-no stims
-broken legs
-plenty of drugs to numb the pain
-fight the NCR(for imprisoning you) and the legion(for breaking your legs)
-always pick the rude dialog options
-always aim for the legs
-leave a lottery ticket after a firefight