SL Survival users : How do you start your playthrough?

[Vegetius]

I like SL Survival a lot, but I find it really hard for a new character starting at level 1. I've already tuned down the mod rules to my liking but my problem is with Licenses.

I really like them, and want to play with them, but as a level 1 character with no gold, it's pretty harsh. No armor, no weapon, no magic makes it very hard to scrap enough gold to buy a single license. Even if you get to sneakily reach a merchant, they will refuse to buy your loot. And you have to get in a town to get to them, which means guards/enforcers will catch you. I know about the snowberry start, but it feels like cheating.

How do you get started with the mod and especially how do you come around to buy your first few licenses?

Edited April 14, 2024 by Vegetius

[albyznts]

there is no cheating in a single player game. Tune the game to your standards either using the MCM or console resources in. Personally, whenever I've kept licenses enabled, I've used the expected method to get money, which is spicy content through solicitation. Which is what I wanted to be doing, tbf.

 

On a different and unsolicited note, there are pretty good mod environments to "not start at level 1" so that you can avoid cheating or add a lore justification to why you have any resources. I personally have been using the LL version of dealing with daedra, dealing with backstories and deviously accessible. All mods by the same author (flinch147) with good transitions into the spicy content. YMMV.

[delgathar]

Start with alternate start.  While in the cave, turn off most settings, since the default doesn't work very well for an actual play-through.  Then adjust and turn settings back on based on whatever mods you have so the game is difficult but still playable. Misogyny settings might be too strong if you want to run around as a melee armor character, as an example.  Or might be playable, but not in a fun way.   Turn down the number of enforcers, then having Hideouts will give a way to sneak past the walls whenever you feel your character would find it.  Slowly increase the settings as your playthrough trivializes some challenges.

[NicholasJMoore]

So there's a few options, but first, it's supposed to be really oppressive, and difficult, and degrading. Beating the actual game with full blown SL is going to be a journey to say the least. A heck of a lot easier than some other mods.  It's a good way to put a character into a situation and imagine what it would be like to actually be them and how they would think and feel.

First, I'd turn down the license cost, and increase the durations. The defaults are pretty harsh. You can always make it harder later if it's too easy. Clothes license and Prostitution license should be cheap. Armor should be a bit more but not expensive. Everything else should be pricy. Also reduce toll cost to something not dumb, like 50 septims.

 

There are a couple realistic ways to play this that I found. I'd highly recommend using an Alternative start that places you outdoors or in a dungeon. Vanilla Start might work though a long as you take the long way around (avoid story until you're setup) to get into Whiterun.
 

1. Resist, no sex. Live outdoors, avoid towns and cities. Turn down the detection distance and number of enforcers to something less brutal.

Pickpocket, kill things, and beg for stuff from roaming NPCs, find chests and barrels to hide your stuff in Temporarily so you can go into the city to buy your clothes license, and armor license if you can. Mine for ore, and kill creatures for leather to make your armor and sell any extra when you get your license for it.

Adding a shack house mod might help a bit too, so you can stash your stuff since you'll have a smaller carry weight. I'd add stuff like backpack mods that increase carry weight too. It's a grind. It's hard. It's supposed to be that way lol.

and the other way....

2. Give in to the system. Install a mod like Public Whore, and Simple Slavery to send you there. Add an Alt start to send you to Simple Slavery. Add The Ancient Profession (more immersive) or TDF Prostitution (less immersive but control sex types). Add Sexlab Solutions and/or Sexlab Eager NPCS (SLEN) and/or The Troubles of Heroine to make it more spicy.

Fuck your way to a brighter future for the world, but at what cost? Lots of sex...Lots...will make you question your life choices, and gain sympathy for others... Increase the pay rate in whatever mod is chosen decrease difficulty/grind, to reduce the emotional impact.

Honestly though, snowberry start is there for a reason, use it if you don't want start out as the community dumping ground or living in the woods, and grind your way to the top.

Edited April 26, 2024 by NicholasJMoore