Which way should I play thought this time?

[Morpheus]

I have not really played through Deus Ex in a while and was trying to think of alternative ways of playing through the game. There has already been the no kill playthrough so I had a few ideas:

Killing spree play, kill everything, any NPC essential to the storyline you can't kill anyway (or not that I am aware of)
Avoidance - Avoid as much NPCs as possible (this is mainly talking to them but taking to those only you have to) but this seems lame

Anyone have ideas on other ways of playing deus ex?

[bobby 55]

What about weapon restrictions? No heavy weapons, no 20MM ammo for the assault rifle. You could also limit the number and types of grenades, say 5 LAMs and 5 EMPs. Alternately you could try one aug only to be maxed and the rest kept at level 2. I tried that once and I didn't find it to be fun.

[gamer0004]

Completing DX without upgrading any skill, without using any items and without installing or using any augs.

[Dragon]

Kung-fu/Ninja master is one possibility. Hence go only baton/sword with closed-combat increased.

Something I once did too is "turtle-run". Means using damage reduction/healing to tank through (or using deadly passages) sort of like a survival game (no weapons).

Otherwise, yeah, full-avoidance is kinda fun too. Solid-Snake type

[AgentSmithereens]

I too would like new ideas for playthroughs. I've already done the ones you proposed in the first post, and have some quite interesting stats if anyone wants to read (I'll put them in spoiler tags in case you actually want to play through like this and want it to be a surprise).

Killing Everyone:

Total people killed in entire game - 906

Liberty Island - 40:
- NSF - 34
- Unatco - 4
- Bum - 1
- Leo Gold - 1

Unatco HQ - 1:
- NSF - 1

Battery Park - 35:
- Kid - 2
- Bum - 7
- NSF - 21
- Unatco - 5

Hell's Kitchen - 33:
- Bum - 7
- Unatco - 10
- NSF - 12
- Johnny - 1
- Sandra - 1
- Cop - 1

Smuggler - 0:

Free Clinic - 15:
- Bum - 10
- Doctor - 5

Hotel - 6:
- NSF - 3
- Hostage - 2
- Renton - 1

Bar - 6:
- Man - 1
- Woman - 3
- Joe Green - 1
- Jordan Shea - 1

Sewers - 9:
- MJ12 - 8
- Ford Shcick - 1

Warehouse - 21:
- NSF - 21

Unatco HQ - 2:
- NSF - 2

Battery Park - 17:
- Unatco - 5
- Bum - 8
- Cop - 3
- Kid - 1

Brooklynn Bridge - 18:
- Bum - 11
- Rook - 7

Mole People - 19:
- Bum - 6
- Kid - 3
- NSF - 10

Helibase - 21:
- NSF - 14
- Unatco - 7 (if you make your way back from the 747 after your ordeal with Lebedev to the helibase (grenade climbing/crafty jumping is needed) you can find more Unatco troopers at the helibase.)

Airfield - 21:
- NSF - 9
- Unatco - 12

Hanger - 9:
- NSF - 2
- Mechanic - 1
- Unatco - 6

747 - 2:
- Lebedev - 1
- Anna - 1

Unatco HQ - 0:

Hell's Kitchen - 13:
- Bum - 2
- Cop - 1
- Unatco - 10

Sewers - 0:

Smuggler - 0:

Bar - 0:

Hotel - 22:
- Jojo Fine - 1
- MIB - 3
- Unatco - 17
- Paul Denton - 1

Warehouse - 15:
- Unatco - 15

Battery Park - 8:
- Unatco - 5
- Bum - 3

MJ12 - 30:
- MJ12 - 18
- Miguel - 1
- Mechanic - 2
- Doctor - 8
- MIB - 1
- Secretary - 1

Unatco - 14:
- Unatco - 11
- Janice Reed - 1
- Manderley - 1
- Shannon - 1

MJ12 Helibase - 8:
- MJ12 - 8

Hong Kong Market - 30:
- Chinese Military - 5
- Man - 3
- Monk - 2
- Red Arrow - 1
- Woman - 6
- Louis Pan - 1
- Luminous Path - 12

Tonnochi Road Canal - 12:
- Man - 6
- Whore - 1
- Bartender - 1
- Girl - 2
- Chinese Military - 2

Tonnochi Road - 14:
- Chinese Military - 1
- Luminous Path - 1
- Red Arrow - 1
- Bum - 3
- Doorman - 1
- Maggie Chow - 1
- May Sung - 1
- MJ12 - 5

Canal Road - 16:
- Luminous Path - 4
- Red Arrow - 4
- Chinese Military - 8

Lucky Money - 44:
- Chinese Military - 4
- Girl - 15
- Red Arrow - 10
- Russian Sailor - 4
- Bartender - 1
- Man - 5
- Commando - 5

Tracer Tong's Lab - 9:
- Luminous Path - 5
- Red Arrow - 4

Versalife - 17:
- Man - 7
- Woman - 2
- Security - 5
- Commando - 3

Versalife Labs - 42:
- Man - 1
- MJ12 - 15
- Commando - 7
- MIB - 4
- WIB - 2
- Doctor - 12
- Bum - 1

Versalife Level 2 Lab - 3:
- Commando - 2
- Doctor - 1

Hell's Kitchen - 28:
- Bum - 2
- Riot Cop - 6
- Unatco - 10
- MJ12 - 10

Bar - 1:
- Vinny - 1

Free Clinic - 4:
- Bum - 3
- Nurse - 1

Hotel - 3:
- Riot Cop - 2
- Bum - 1

Sewer - 1:
- MJ12 - 1

Shipyard - 15:
- Soldier - 11
- Mechanic - 3
- Smuggler - 1 (since you're told via intercom that he's dead)

Naval Assembly - 17:
- Soldier - 1
- Mechanic - 3
- MJ12 - 3
- Sailor - 3
- Chinese Military - 7

Ship Lower Decks - 19:
- Sailor - 3
- Chinese Military - 15
- Mechanic - 1

Graveyard - 9:
- Gatekeeper - 1
- MJ12 - 8

Paris - Denfert-Rochereau - 7:
- Commando - 3
- Aimee - 1
- MJ12 - 2
- Defoe - 1

Catacombs - 24:
- MJ12 - 8
- Commando - 6
- Silhouette - 6
- Child - 1
- Bum - 1
- WIB - 1
- Chad - 1

Paris Streets - 33:
- Commando - 4
- MJ12 - 6
- Cop - 9
- Leone - 1
- Hotel night manager - 1
- Hotel maid - 1
- Rene - 1
- O - 1
- Chef - 2
- Man - 1
- Woman - 1
- Child - 1
- Waitress - 1
- Bartender - 1
- Thug - 2

Club - 18:
- Doorman - 1
- Jacques - 1
- Bouncer - 3
- Girl - 9
- Man - 4

Chateau - 2:
- Commando - 2

Cathedral - 22:
- Commando - 6
- MJ12 - 13
- Chef - 1
- WIB - 1
- Gunther - 1

Metro - 6:
- Mechanic - 1
- Cop - 5

Everett - 4:
- Toby Atanwe - 1
- Maid - 1
- Lucius Debeers - 1
- Mechanic - 1

Vandenberg - 25:
- Scientist - 5
- MJ12 - 15
- Commando - 2
- MIB - 1
- Mechanic - 2

Tunnels - 0:

Computer - 2:
- Scientist - 2

Gas Station - 10:
- Bum - 2
- MJ12 - 3
- Commando - 3
- MIB - 1
- Tiffany - 1

Ocean Lab - 27:
- MJ12 - 16
- Scientist - 7
- MIB - 1
- Scuba Diver - 2
- Mechanic - 1

Ocean Lab 2 - 3:
- Walton Simons - 1
- Scuba Diver - 2

Ocean Lab 3 - 0:

Missile Silo - 19:
- MJ12 - 8
- Commando - 3
- MIB - 6
- Scientist - 1
- Howard Strong - 1

Area 51 - 5:
- MJ12 - 1
- Commando - 2
- MIB - 1
- Soldier - 1

Bunker - 10:
- MJ12 - 6
- WIB - 1
- Commando - 2
- MIB - 1

Final - 14:
- MIB - 2
- MJ12 - 6
Mechanic - 2
Commando - 4

Page - 6:
- MJ12 - 4
- Commando - 1
- Bob Page - 1

Overall Stats:
- NSF - 130 (+ Paul Denton, Leo Gold, Lebedev and Jojo)
- Unatco - 117 (+ Manderley, Gunther, Anna, Janice Reed and Shannon)
- MJ12 - 173 (+55 Commandos, 26 MIBs/WIBs, Walton Simons, Bob Page, 4 scuba divers and Maggie Chow)
- Bums/men/women/children/scientists/gang members - 381

- America - 595
- Hong Kong - 195
- Paris - 116

So yeah, 906 people. That's quite a lot. JC's such a dick. Anyway, I did this playthrough a few years ago so can't quite remember exactly what it was like, but it was certainly an interesting experience - quite a lot of new dialogue etc. And I also like the fact that you can complete the game by killing just one person (Howard Strong) or nearly 1000.

Avoidance - talking to as few people as possible:

Not quite sure why I played through the game like this; I think I was just curious about how many people you needed to speak to/hear in order to finish the game.

1 - Scott (first visit to Unatco HQ)
2 - Jamie (first visit to Unatco HQ)
3 - Sam Carter (first visit to Unatco HQ)
4 - Paul/Manderley (first visit to Unatco HQ)
5 - Scott x2 (2nd visit to Unatco HQ - yeah, you don't need to talk to anyone in New York)
6 - Anna/Janice (2nd visit to Unatco HQ)
7 - Manderley (2nd visit to Unatco HQ)
8 - Scott (3rd visit to Unatco HQ - again, you don't need to talk to anyone on the 3rd mission)
9 - Paul (at hotel)
10 - Alex (getting key on return to Unatco HQ)
11 - Max Chen (at Lucky Money)
12 - Tracer Tong x2 (1st visit to Compound)
13 - Gordon Quick/Max Chen (temple truce)
14 - Tracer Tong (after 1st Versalife mission)
15 - Tracer Tong (after 2nd Versalife mission)
16 - Jock (leaving Hong Kong)
17 - Harley Filben (in Underworld Tavern)
18 - Dowd (abandoned warehouse)
19 - Jock (leaving NYC)
20 - Dowd (at mausoleum)
21 - Jock (graveyard)
22 - Nicolette (club)
23 - Nicolette (outside club)
24 - Jock (outside club)
25 - Toby Atanwe (metro)
26 - Everett (his house)
27 - Jock (Everett's house)
28 - Savage x3 (Vandenberg)
29 - Tong/Jock (leaving Vandenberg)
30 - Jock (leaving gas station)
31 - Savage/Jock (leaving Ocean Lab)
32 - Jock (leaving silo)
33 - Tong (sector 2 Area 51)
34 - Helios (sector 3)

So yeah, you only need 34 conversations to complete the game. So that's solved that mystery...

I think I'm definitely going to do a all-kills playthrough of TNM some time soon.

[Kaiza Killa]

I am quite partial to the "assassin" approach as I call it. It is the same as, or similar to, a stealth/pacificist run with the exception that you can kill a target only so long as there is a monetary reward. I do not mean that if you know there are credits on an NPC to kill them, I am referring specifically to targets that you have been offered money to kill. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your views, there are not a great deal of these in Deus Ex. This is the approach I am currently employing in Deus Ex: Invisible War and it has been really enjoyable. Targets such as this are frequent but not excessively so. Additionally, they often have henchmen and one provision of this approach is that no harm comes to them. This includes stunning the targets or rendering them unconscious. This is merely to add to the challenge or satisfaction of the only kills you are allowed to make in this scenario. Here is a post about my current run using this method.

In trying to apply this method to the original Deus Ex, one could say that killing Rock to get the LAM in the subway is an acceptable substitute, given that I cannot easily recall any instance at all in Deus Ex where you are offered, specifically, credits for killing a target.

To make this work for Deus Ex, perhaps you could replace the concept of “contract killer” with “politically motivated assassin”. This would involve eliminating any members of significance (the leaders) of an organisation predetermined by you at the beginning of the game. It would have to be an organisation that you consistently encounter throughout the game. The NSF would be a bad choice as you would have Leo Gold, followed by the NSF commander hiding out amongst the Mole People, then few to none thereafter. The most obvious choice would be Majestic-12. Of course by “leaders”, just to clarify, I do not mean specifically just Bob Page, but the commander of any given operation. Agent Mari Hela in the Paris Catacombs, Walton Simons in the Ocean Lab, et cetera.

[Morpheus]

Completing DX without upgrading any skill, without using any items and without installing or using any augs.

Without using any items, you would not be able to open many doors

AgentSmithereens, who is Leo Gold?

I was thinking of doing a "Paul Denton" approach to game where you take everyone who needs to be taken down in a non lethal so they KO instead of dying but that wouldn't be easy as you don't get enough tranq darts or prod batteries and you can't always baton NPCs since you may get killed before you take some out. Also bypass the rest of the enemy when you can. A.K.A Sneaky playthrough

[gamer0004]

Alginon has done it, I have done it based on his instructions, and I did it myself for Invisible War. Deus Ex is that awesome.

EDIT: basically, every door can be opened (using keycodes or hacking by using logins and passwords you found) or avoided.

[nerdenstein]

who is Leo Gold?

Terrorist Leader at the top of the Statue.

[Undisputed]

You are insane AgentSmithereens lol

[dains]

With Kentie's DX10, New Vision, Revision and Biomod mods. It's like playing a sequel, but with the same storyline.

Caveat: I had to futz with Revision's exe to get it working on Steam's GOTY edition / Windows 7 / DX10. Check the Revision 1.3 thread here for the new exe and instructions for DX10.

Caveat 2 - FYI the Athletics skill created by Biomod is re-renamed back to Swimming under Revision, but still works the same as in Biomod.

[ThunderPower]

Just a comment, as far as a "kill everything" playthrough goes, you can actually go to the Lucky Money when Max Chen and Gordon Quick are celebrating there and I believe you can kill Gordon Quick.

[Morpheus]

If you kill quick, will that screw up anything with him after that? I know killing Bob Page in Versalife Labs results him not showing up the holocom in Vandenberg.

I thought about something, a hardcore play though. Seeing how far you can go (without cheating) on realistic mode before you die, Area 51 wouldn't be easy to get though I'll bet.

[Agent Pointless]

Realistic difficulty. No upgrading skills except in the beginning game menu, no augmentations, no picking up weapons except those you start with. You may only pick up pistol ammunition, riot prod chargers, nano-keys and candy bars. Anything else must be discarded, even if it is placed in your inventory by an NPC.

Oh, and you may only kill MJ12 troops, commandos, MIBs and others directly associated with MJ12. All UNATCO, NSF, chinese military, civilians (including scientists), US soldiers (like those at the shipyard) etc must be taken alive.

I thought it up just now, basing it on a video I once saw on youtube. I have yet to try it. Have fun.

[Crowe]

Speed play

Whoever gets through Deus Ex the quickest gets a delicious Candy Bar with a tasty Orange Soda* for a prize.

*It might be lemon-lime.