An Idea For More Fun: The Raid on Digistruct Peak-Challenge Edition

Borderlands 2 Gameplay Discussion (Spoilers!)
#1

Hi, all! I’ve been kicking around an idea for a while that I think would be fun, so I thought I’d share it. My idea is essentially to have a DigiPeak run, but instead of simply getting through the course, the main objective would be to accumulate “points” by completing various challenges during the run (perhaps in a similar vein to the game Bulletstorm). Of course, finishing the course would still be important in this mode, too, because the more points you accrue, the better your score will be.

How it would work would be something like this: In every area of DigiPeak (Cannibal Canyon, Tower of Torment, etc.), a specific task or objective would need to be met so that your run could continue to be scored. So, for an example, if the main task in the very first area was to kill an enemy with a melee attack, then you would have to meet that objective in order for your score to “carry over” to the next area. If that objective isn’t met, then you can still finish your run if you want to, but the scoring would not be applied.

Obviously, if the task is not met in the first area of the Peak, then the scoring part of the run would be over (you would not get any points). In another example, say you meet the task for the first area, but are unable to do so for the next one. In this scenario, only the points from the first area would be counted, and because you did not meet the requirements for the second area, all the potential points that could have been gained there won’t count.

Along with the primary tasks, each different area of the DigiPeak map would have additional challenges to complete. Completing these tasks would net you additional points, and unlike the primary task for each area (detailed above), you can choose whether or not to do them. They will have no bearing on whether your score will continue or end. There can be a great deal of variation with these kind of challenges as well, whether they are character-specific (kill two enemies in midair in one Deception as Zero), gear-specific (complete the course with only “X” or without “X and Y”, etc.) and area-specific (knock an enemy off a ledge).

These challenges would serve to augment your existing score, so my thoughts were to make them somewhat more difficult to achieve. By contrast, I assume that the requirement challenge for each area will be more easily attainable. Some of the character-specific challenges would most likely have to be hammered out via general consensus in the BL2 class sub-forums. Having one person set them up wouldn’t really be a good idea anyway.

Current Challenges (these are not going to be the only ones, of course):

Allegiance Challenges = Going through the Peak using gear loyal to only one manufacturer.
(Some people Are Down with Allegiance-Based runs, so thIs will be a Very Interesting tAKe on that)

Restriction Challenges = A Peak run with the goal of not using a certain weapon, shield, grenade, com or relic.
(Other people like this type of run)

Skill Point Challenges = Players would start a Peak run with just 1 skill point (for their action skill), but after each area is completed (with verification of this coming from the “foghorn” blast), they may then use a set number of skill points for the next area. This would continue until either the skill points are all used up or the run fails.
(Credit to Sun_Tsunami for this one)

Found-Gear Only Challenges = Players would only be able to use the gear that the course would give them. However, players will be able to use the weapons sold from the vending machines both at the start of the stage and throughout it.
(Another great idea from Sun_Tsunami)

No Fight-For-Your-Life Challenges = The runner could never end up in F.F.Y.L. mode-regardless if he/she dies or gets a second wind.
(Thanks for this one, Ronnie_Rayburn)

These are all great ideas! We can add more to this list, of course, but maybe we can start thinking of specific area objectives that can be done. Something that might involve either the terrain or the enemies of the area? I know it sounds difficult, but I’m positive we can come up with something!

I’m eager to hear everyone’s thoughts and opinions on this. Let me know what you think!

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#2

I’m down… we just need to formalize a list of area-specific challenges?

[quote=“Triad_Thunder, post:1, topic:1541316”](perhaps in a similar vein to the game Bulletstorm)[/quote]OMG I’m replaying this as we speak here.

#3

Ha, well it looks like my post was pretty timely then!

For one, I’m trying to decide if the main area objective should revolve around the “boss(es)” of each area, or if they should involve the normal enemies. Some areas (like the first one) in DigiPeak don’t really have a boss, so the challenge may have to be something more generic.

There are literally so many possibilities for different challenges that it’s making my head spin. That’s why it’d be nice to have quite a few people speak up and give their opinions. It’s always great to have a lot of feedback and opinions for something like this.

#4

Very cool idea.
Character-specific challenges will be a…um, challenge, to sort out, but it should be interesting.

Obviously you have to go and post this when I’m going to be away for much of the coming month :acmtease:

(Replying to display approval and to get updates since the subscription function is shot. )

#5

The general idea is good, but some serious thought would have to be done about how those challenges would be designed. Your example with a melee kill is viable on Krieg and Zero, ofc, but not so much on Maya and Axton. I honestly doubt that they could muster up enough of a punch to even keep up with the health regen on the enemies. :grinning: It would have to be something that all characters can do no matter their build or loadout. Killing both Saturns within a certain timeframe… no FFYL… saving the surveyors for last… don’t shoot off the turret top on OMGWTH… etc.

#6

Maybe do a “found gear challenge”. Start off with only equipping what is found in the vending machines at start of peak and then swap out what is found throughout the run; Dropped gear, the loot boxes,etc.

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#7

Well, I’m hoping that this will pick up some steam before too long, so maybe you’ll be back when it’s in full swing. You’re probably right about the character-specific challenges taking more time to come up with, though. I guess we can just start listing ideas, and I can edit my first post to reflect the challenges that people will come up with.

@Ronnie_Rayburn Yeah, that melee example was just to give a general definition of the kind of challenge that this run would involve. I agree that melee would not be viable for some of the characters. The ideas you listed at the end of your post were all really good ones.

@Sun_Tsunami I like that idea as well. That could prove to be a tough challenge, but I know some people who would really enjoy it.

Keep 'em coming, everyone! Don’t be afraid to list challenges that might be really hard, because that’ll make the runs more interesting.

1 Like
#8

The found gear idea is fantastic. That alone would make a great video series, if someone had a YouTube channel that I might be subscribed to, and perhaps a screen name like Sriad Shunder or similar.

I may do some found gear stuff when I get home, for fun!

#9

“OP8 DigiPeak Challenge Run with Only Found Gear-Part 1 of 57”

There’s no doubt that some people find it fun, but for me? …I guess I’m on the fence about that. I might just try it sometime, though, especially if I can get some legendary weapons to drop!

Hey…speaking of which, that might be a cool challenge. It would be fun to see how many of the “bosses” cough up their assigned unique/legendary weapons in one run of the Peak!

1 Like
#10

It would be fun, for sure. Looking at the possible drops… Hellfire, Mongol, Nukem, Infinity, Emperor, Hive… Kinda feels like it’s made for Axton’s versatility.

#11

And you are allowed to respec at the quick change station if need be for the initial found gear from the vending machines, since that is at the start of the peak also.

#12

How about “skills, who needs skills” challenge. Just put 1 point in any characters’ initial opening skill but no other skill. You can use any gear.

After each kill you can add 5 more skill points.

#13

Playing with whatever you found still tends to favor melee characters, since if the drops are awful, they have a reliable fallback and are still good to go.

[quote=“Sun_Tsunami, post:12, topic:1541316, full:true”]How about “skills, who needs skills” challenge. Just put 1 point in any characters’ initial opening skill but no other skill. You can use any gear. After each kill you can add 5 more skill points.
[/quote]I like this. After each kill, you’d have your tree full within the first map (fourteen+ kills)? I believe the OP5/OP8 run has eight sections? Maybe you get ten points at the end of each section when the foghorn blows? Someone should confirm the area count, but basically add your way up to 72 by the final boss? That will actually make the game get “easier” the further you progress (as opposed to more difficult, which would be ideal, like you lose nine points every time you clear a map or something), but that would be interesting.

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#14

I think it’s:

Deprivation Depot
Theatre of Martyrdom
Butcher Base
Headshot Headquarters
Obliteration Station
Decimation Destination
Colosseum of Laceration
Area of Anguish
Cannibal Canyon
Arena of Tribulation
Tower of Torment

Or something like that.

That idea is pretty awesome, Sun but if my math is right, you would have to have your action skill + 6 skill points invested before you enter the first area in order for that to work (before Deprivation Depot=7 points, after Deprivation Depot and before Tower of Torment=60 points). Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to invest the final 6 points until after Binary, which would be kinda pointless. So that would mean adding 6 points after every area. Like Adabiviak said, that would make it more challenging in the early parts of the run.

Great idea!

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#15

…and you could add your idea doing a certain challenge in each area. Only then can you add the skills. If you don’t finish the particular skill from the previous section, you now have to do the challenge from the last section and the challenge from the section you are about to enter. Or don’t do the challenge and you do not get your skill points. As the challenges are finished, add skills accordingly. This should make it much more challenging.

#16

OMG!!! I have another idea for this challenge. Say that you have 7 skill points to work with in each section of the Peak. Each challenge in the Peak is worth 3 of the 7 points. So, if you finish the challenge 1st, you can go ahead and add those points before you finish that section. When you finish the section, add the other 4 points. If you don’t finish the challenge before the end of the section, you only get 4 skill points.

#17

Wow, that’s a killer idea! That definitely would motivate people to complete the challenges.

I’ll probably start putting these challenge ideas into the initial post this weekend. That way, we can see where we’re at and maybe get some further inspiration for new challenges.

1 Like
#18

So what are some good challenges? I’m just throwing these out, for better or worse. I’m trying to think of things that won’t channel everyone into a single play style. If, for example, it was, “non-elemental only”, we’d be looking at a series of Bekah and melee-only runs.

  • Broken enemy prioritization:
  • When you encounter the Black Queen, you have to save her (and whatever minions she’s spawned) for last. Then mop up her minions and kill her last. She has to be the last critter standing in any given area. (Is that possible? I’m not sure what triggers her spawns. Could also do this with Bone Head 2.0).
  • When you get to the Colosseum of Laceration, you have to drop the four assassins in numeric order. This limits the OP level, since low levels don’t spawn them all at once though.
  • If there’s a Surveyor in the area, it has to be the last thing you kill.

  • Artificial game restrictions:
    • No Moxxi weapons
    • No Bee
    • No use of the game’s heaviest hitters (Norfleet, Pimpernel, DPUH, Rapier, whatever you like to force some variety).
    • Slag from skills only : no gear (including grenades and the Antagonist shield).

  • Counting coup - every enemy must eat a single non-lethal, non-critical melee strike from a non-bladed weapon / non-skill-augmented player, followed by ten seconds of no damage (so Zer0 isn’t at an advantage by throwing Death Mark around) before the player kills them. This could be tricky to track, but we could just make it such that if the player loses track of who they hit, they must do it again. Also: Surveyors are exempt from this rule.
    • If Gaige, for example, is using With Claws, she must hit the enemy with her hammer during the little cooldown window. Hits from Deathtrap do not count.
    • If Zer0 gets an enemy down to Killing Bl0w range before counting coup on them, he loses (since that hit will be augmented). He cannot hit them out of Decepti0n, with any Rising Sh0t stacks, with a live C0unter Strike or Be Like Water timer, in the back (for Backstab), out of Decepti0n (for Execute) while F0ll0wthr0ugh is active, for example. Passive skills like Ir0n Hand and maybe Like the Wind (since that would be nigh impossible to avoid) are fine.
    • Salvador must have Fistful of Hurt on cooldown for the strike to count.
    • If Maya has Backdraft, that’s fine (I don’t want to limit skills here, I just want the hit to be as non-lethal as possible; the point is to count coup, not actually inflict any damage).
  • Not being intimately familiar with Krieg, I imagine his strategy might be to go hit everyone once before really stepping up to the combat (in case Bloodsplosion or something winds up killing an enemy who hasn’t been counted yet).
  • Compulsive Hoarder - player must open/break every box/chest/pile/etc. (including harvesting the combat garden and buying any Eridium chests) in an area before engaging the enemy in combat. Not less than four enemies must be present before the player starts after this challenge (which should work for Scorch, since I don’t think there are any things like this in his area? If so, his arena gets a pass). I’m tempted to give a pass to the final boss too (aren’t there some boxes up behind him?)
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#19

“Teabag challenge”

Crouch 3 x on every enemy right after killing it. Must do this before killing next enemy.

1 Like
#20

That’s wonderfully rough, given how quickly most of the ragdolls leave the scene.