History VideoGame / Cataclysm

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: ''Safemode'', which will refuse any input except one specific key wherever a hostile monster is found. ''Auto-Safemode'' reenables it after a set number of turns without enemies on sight. This has saved the lives of a LOT of characters which otherwise would experience "[[http://nethack.wikia.com/wiki/Death_by_boredom death by boredom]]". Both can be adjusted. The game will also prompt when the player is about to step on a dangerous square, such as a fire or a (known) trap.

* ObviousBeta: The game was initially released as a candidate for a 7-day dev contest, which doesn't help much. Even after years of development and fixes, seasoned players still back up their saves regularly.

* ReforgedIntoAMinion: The Mycus is prone to doing this, as it infects everything it touches.
** Zombies might be taken over, turning them into fungal variants that are loyal to the Mycus and hostile to Blob-based zombies.
** [[spoiler:A semi-consensual variant can also occur with the player as the victim, as consuming marloss food gives them a desire to consume the other two foods. Once this is done, the player will become a local guide, with their mind being incorporated into the HiveMind, while their body starts mutating to fit the needs of the Mycus.]]

* HollywoodSilencer: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], as while smaller handgun rounds become practically inaudible with a larger silencer attached, the shots will still make enough noise to attract monsters from across a street or two. Rifles and shotguns, meanwhile, don't become significantly quieter, although the suppressor ''does'' help you avoid hearing damage.

* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] by the Exodii, who augment themselves to an extreme point (up to becoming a FullConversionCyborg), but are also the most pro-human extradimensional faction, and behave like ordinary people. In contrast, those who rely on BioAugmentation via mutations will often suffer from alterations to their mind, with the most heavily mutated being barely human in mind.

* FeralVillain: The fittingly named Feral Humans and their variants (such as Deranged Axemen) are AlwaysChaoticEvil humans that act a bit smarter than the average zombie and generally using some form of weapon like pipes, spears, axes, machetes, etc - Zombies also explicitly ignore them and treat them as their own, and it's not uncommon finding Ferals amongst Zombie hordes.

* SchmuckBait: A stockpile of food in the middle of the road, just sitting there? Of course it's safe!

* KillItWithFire: Lighting a fire and luring zombies into it is an easy way to deal with small hordes. Just be sure to either do it outdoors and away from flammable items, or in a building you've already looted and that's far enough from someplace safe (but not ''too'' far, or the fire will leave the "reality bubble" and stop burning until you come back).

* PaintTheTownRed: An intense fight against zombies often results in the entire room getting splattered with blood, due to how messy pulping the bodies can be. The same will occur if you use a [[ChainsawGood messy weapon]].

* ProHumanTranshuman: The Exodii might be a group of extensively modified cyborgs ([[FullConversionCyborg many only having the brain be organic]]), but they're firmly against the Blob, and are eager to take recruits who prove themselves.

* ProperlyParanoid: Smashing, butchering or burning all enemies you kill will prevent them from rising back up later, and is the only way to make a zone safer.

* BadassInANiceSuit: The Gangster, Assassin/Hitmat, and the Mafia Boss all wear suits (the boss having a tux in particular), carry weapons, and have good combat skills.

** BoogieKnights: Draco Dune can be danced with at the Refugee Center, and while novice dodgers will not be able to dance while wearing armor, those who are skilled at the skill can do well while wearing full-body armor.

* BodyOfBodies: Jabberwocks are titanic monsters that are described as an amalgamation of corpses. They move faster than you, can attract more enemies with their roars, and can knock you down. Fortunately, they're hostile to any other monsters, including other jabberwocks. Unfortunately for you, you'll usually encounter them in sparsely populated environments. Lucky you.

** For guns, anything chambered in 9x19mm, 12 Gauge, and 5.56 qualifies. As their caliber is also widely used by the US military, their ammo (and possibly magazines) can be looted from any military location, as well as being randomly dropped by zombie soldiers. As such, you can easily keep a stockpile of ammo, and even get away with regularly using it up.

** You can learn a huge number of martial art styles, but the default combat style, Brawling, is probably the one you'll stick with for most of the game. It can be used with any weapon, melee or otherwise, and unlocks the hugely useful Feint and Grab Break abilities at low Unarmed Combat levels.

* DanceBattler: The Dancer profession starts off with a decent dancing skill, and some of the books for the Dodging skill are actually about dancing. For a proper martial art, meanwhile, there is the [[UsefulNotes/{{Capoeira}} Capoeira]] style, which significantly buffs dodging and depends on moving around to use it properly.

* BodyOfBodies: Jabberwocks are titanic monsters that are described as an amalgamation of corpses. [[BossInMookClothing They move faster than you, can attract more enemies with their roars, and can knock you down.]] Fortunately, they're hostile to any other monsters, including other jabberwocks. Unfortunately for you, you'll usually encounter them in sparsely populated environments. Lucky you.

* ReducedToRatburgers: Possible in the older versions, but much less viable in the 0.E experimental versions. Rats only give a few scraps of meat that won't be enough to sustain a character for a day. Insects and other mutated creatures have toxic flesh that can be eaten safely in small amounts, but will cause problems if you depend mostly on it.

* ImprobableWeaponUser: Unless able to get proper medieval weapons, you'll likely spend a decent amount of time fighting with improvised weaponry. Several styles also include improvised weapons (including several styles that specificially include bladed farming tools), and [[GoodOldFisticuffs Brawling]] is usable with literally anything you wield.

** A few of the monsters include heavily mutated humans, their minds so warped that they attack you on sight. Overindulge in mutagen serums yourself, especially with those related to predatory animals, and you may find out that you don't differ much from these monsters, except for being somewhat more peaceful.

* TranshumanTreachery: Go far enough into the predation-related mutations, and your character will eventually stop counting themselves as part of humanity, nor will they care about it. This is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by the mutations altering one's personality.

** Any weapon that can't shoot in the semiautomatic mode, as it often wastes ammo, and a low skill level will result in most of your shots missing.

* HollywoodSilencer: You'll want to use these a lot. Fortunately, they have a relatively easy crafting recipe.

* StanceSystem: Combat styles can be switched at any moment, letting you benefit from different bonuses, weapons, and techniques as appropriate

* StraightAndArrowPath: While firearms are the easiest ranged weapon to use, bows and crossbows are perfectly viable for stealthy players or those who can't consistently procure ammo. While each shot [[AnnoyingArrows does little damage]], they have an x10 critical damage multiplier, often resulting in a OneHitKill if you land a crit.

* DamageOverTime: Getting set on fire will do damage to the victim until they're put out. Bleeding on monsters is also modelled as a DoT effect, due to them using simplified damage mechanics.

** The fire ax isn't as glamorous as a broadsword or katana, but it has decent swinging power behind it and can knock back and stun enemies. It's also easier to find than the more exotic blades, as fire stations and firefighter zombies occasionally have at least one on hand.
** Similarly, the combat knife lacks the punch of the fire ax or katana, but swings quickly and accurately. More importantly, though, it's easier to find than the former two: manhacks and soldier zombies drop them, and occasionally a military surplus store or gun basement will have one.

* ReturningWarVet: Two of the professions include the War Veteran and the Old Veteran. The former compensates for their lacking gear by retaining all of their military skills, while the latter is rustier, but has a chest rig and an M1A1 rifle.

* ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge: While firearms exist and are ''way'' more common than swords and such, melee combat is significanlty encouraged, as it's quieter, doesn't consume ammo (thus leaving you more room to carry loot and useful gear), and are effective against monsters who are ImmuneToBullets. A highly trained and strong swordsman can actually do more damage than a rifle or shotgun shot, especially if they use a high-quality weapon.
** Magiclysm makes archaic weapons much more available and powerful, as they can drop from the mod's monsters, and are often enchanted to increase their damage and accuracy.

* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Skills have more weight than raw stats for determining success, so ''any'' character can get good enough at a particular skill with enough grinding, with only Skill Rust there to stop you (and then there's the Memory Banks bionic). Throwing is probably the worst offender; at high enough levels, it's easy to one-shot turrets well beyond their firing range [[RockBeatsLaser with a wooden spear]].

** Several of the more underwhelming professions are surprisingly useful. For instance, the tailor is BoringButPractical simply because it gives a head start on the tailoring skill, which is used for repairing and reinforcing your clothes and armor. In the experimental builds, the broken cyborg is notable for starting with every single faulty bionic, but also gains full-body alloy plating and fingertip razors. And in general, the bonus points given by weaker professions can be spent on traits that provide long-term benefits if you can survive the EarlyGameHell.

* PipePain: Pipes make for rather decent weapons to start with, and can be easily obtained by smashing metal objects. Standard feral humans will also often wield them in combat.

* UtilityWeapon

* PistolWhipping: While guns are pretty bad as melee weapons (but still better than fists), the Krav Maga style has the gimmick of being usable with automatic rifles and pistols, thus making them suitable in melee combat to finish off an injured foe.