Level of challenge in RPGs

[Trashos]

Some Codexers have been expressing concerns that the Codex does not welcome difficulty in games. Here is a chance to express enforce your view on things.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Trashos]

please add dynamic diff option

What is "dynamic difficulty"?

 

[octavius]

I want CRPG to be challenging, but I usually play in the default difficulty if increased difficulty is due to HP bloat. But I don't have problems with the AI having unlimited resources in strategy games, so for TBS games I usually choose the highest difficulty.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Viata]

If difficulty means "more HP for enemies, they deal more damage on your party, you deal shitty damage on them" and nothing related to AI and/or more content, I don't want that shit.

 

[Trashos]

please add dynamic diff option

What is "dynamic difficulty"?

anything that isnt 'one size fits them all'.

For example adjusting sliders as you go. Or level scaling. Or changing difficulty few times in the middle of the campaign. Or editting txt game files if in game options arent enough. Or playing one handed

This sounds like something that is included in the "Moderate" option. However, I am going to add it as "Moderate II", if other people request it too.

 

[Snorkack]

In games with poor (combat) mechanics but decent everythingelse (ex. FNV), I'm not ashamed to play the game on easiest difficulty.

 

[Max Damage]

Most RPGs are easy difficulty, and I have yet to find any that allow you to up it by making AI smarter. Bloating enemy HP/numbers doesn't do much but prolong already won battle, and that's a big shame. I rarely pick anything above default/normal because it turns already long playthroughs into insufferable. In a game with actual difficulty, I always pick the hardest one (or the hardest one I can play for real). Temple of Elemental Evil, for example, would really benefit from smarter AI/better encounter design, it's combat focused RPG after all. And having actual spellcasters in enemy ranks, but that's more of 3.5E thing.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Difficult only, checkpoint and exit saves only, formats your partition upon defeat.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[overly excitable young man]

In the old days i played everything on the hardest difficulty.
Now i dropped the autism and change the difficulty if it gets too annoying.

Ultra difficulty e.g. on ELEX changed the whole speed of the game.
Highest difficulty on Underrail sounds really annoying as well.

 

[JarlFrank]

I want CRPG to be challenging, but I usually play in the default difficulty if increased difficulty is due to HP bloat. But I don't have problems with the AI having unlimited resources in strategy games, so for TBS games I usually choose the highest difficulty.

Unlimited resources for the AI is something I abhor because it invalidates certain strategies.

In a multiplayer match, the thing you'd be going for is to raid your enemy's economy so he can invest less resources into his army. It's a commonly used and very effective strategy. Most RTS games live off it - raiding the enemy eco to prevent him from building large armies.

But when the AI gets unlimited resources, raiding their eco does nothing. You'll still have to fight full army stacks, no matter how much damage you do to their resource gathering potential, because they get free resources and you can't touch that free resource income in any way.

Usually it turns into an impossible war of attrition in the late game, when the enemy can spawn armies out of nowhere while you don't have any gold left and can't even hope to compete anymore.

AI that gets cheaty resources in strategy game is the worst. It inevitably turns the game into a grind. You just wiped out the enemy army? Don't worry, they have infinite gold to raise another one while you can barely recuperate your losses! Have fun!

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I lose all interest in strategy games when I realize higher AI difficulties is merely cheat mode for the AI.

 

[Old Hans]

I usually play rpg games on normal difficulty. usually when you go hire than that you have to start getting into the whole "how do I exploit the game?"

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Adding people to my pleb list...

 

[Sranchammer]

Always Ironman on highest difficulty.

Once I know I can win a game, I uninstall.

 

[agentorange]

i play on hardest difficulty and shoot myself in the head if my character dies in game

 

[Moonrise]

I get wanting to take character builds to their limit, but harder difficulties almost never mean more complex AI, so what's the point. Just get it right the first time. And adding story mode for game journalists leads to bad game journalism.

 

[Raghar]

please add dynamic diff option

What is "dynamic difficulty"?

When you play well, you are punished. Homeworld had that. Homeworld remake made it so strong, it become unplayable.

 

[JarlFrank]

Also, level scaling is utter shit and no replacement for proper difficulty design.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Snorkack]

please add dynamic diff option

What is "dynamic difficulty"?

When you play well, you are punished. Homeworld had that. Homeworld remake made it so strong, it become unplayable.

board game pandemic legacy had it nice: each win reduces your funding.
On the other hand each loss rises your funding but changes board in bad ways...

I guess they did it because a legacy boardgame that can be maneuvered into an unwinnable position wouldn't be very well-received. But that sounds like a horrible idea for a PC game.

 

[Lord_Potato]

I want CRPG to be challenging, but I usually play in the default difficulty if increased difficulty is due to HP bloat. But I don't have problems with the AI having unlimited resources in strategy games, so for TBS games I usually choose the highest difficulty.

Unlimited resources for the AI is something I abhor because it invalidates certain strategies.

In a multiplayer match, the thing you'd be going for is to raid your enemy's economy so he can invest less resources into his army. It's a commonly used and very effective strategy. Most RTS games live off it - raiding the enemy eco to prevent him from building large armies.

But when the AI gets unlimited resources, raiding their eco does nothing. You'll still have to fight full army stacks, no matter how much damage you do to their resource gathering potential, because they get free resources and you can't touch that free resource income in any way.

Usually it turns into an impossible war of attrition in the late game, when the enemy can spawn armies out of nowhere while you don't have any gold left and can't even hope to compete anymore.

AI that gets cheaty resources in strategy game is the worst. It inevitably turns the game into a grind. You just wiped out the enemy army? Don't worry, they have infinite gold to raise another one while you can barely recuperate your losses! Have fun!

While it is true, AI in strategy games is usually inferior to human player, so some cheating (additional resources or better unit stats) is a means to provide it a fighting chance.

I like how they did in in earlier Total War games. You could make the game actually challenging even with limited AI capabilities.