What's the right amount of difficulty for you in a game?

[IceBrand]

Topic.

[Integrity]

Thwarts me every few levels and makes me reset once to redefine my strategy for that level, knocks me on my ass about twice over the game and makes me cool down for a day to completely reevaluate how to approach a level rather than making some tweak.

Anomaly 2 Hard difficulty is right about perfect.

[a.f.k.a. Howard Hughes]

When I can go trough it with reasonable amount of optimal playing without resets. If I do it wrong, game should punish me, but only when I did something wrong. If I do it right, I should succeed. Game should be kneel before me while at the same time ready to kill me if I don't keep my eye on it. Basically there is a fine grey line between breezing trough the game and being stuck all the time. Reset should be because of my own fault, not because bullshit difficulty. Keep it beatable but not too beatable et cetera

[Thor Odinson]

Depends on the game.

For AC, I don't mind easy open combat because I felt that part shouldn't be the focus of a series called Assassin's Creed, but I really like to have to think about where to go when I do stealth and plan a good-damn path of least bloodshed until I get to my target. I actually like that in some missions you desynchonise as soon as you're detected.

For Fire Emblem, something like FE12 Lunatic is ideal, where while difficult, it's mostly fair difficult and it never really becomes ezmodo (a few midgame chapters are, but even then it's not the entire midgame and I think it did well overall considering most other FEs become piss as soon as your dudes promote). 12 makes me think about placement and learn the AI, and never really becomes send god unit here wreck everything do not give a shit ever.

For Pokemon, haha I don't play pokemon for difficulty I play it for fashion, dicking around, puff breeding and big numbers so whatever~

Any other game, depends on how much I suck/am good at it. Enjoyment is first and foremost, after all.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Ezio Auditore da Firenze

[Zerker]

Always

MAXIMUM

Difficulty for me.

[Icarusu]

Normal

when its a new game like a sequel to another one i finished i put it in the harder difficulty.

easyisfortheweaks

[Jedi]

Depends on the game in question.

[algae]

As above, but in general, I like difficulties that provide a challenge without forcing you to rely on game-breakers or pure luck to get anywhere. It's fun to use a build that forces you to think on your toes and learn from your mistakes. It's not that fun if enemies have a chance of one-shotting you that you can't really do anything about, or if you won't do more than scratch damage without an item or build that still isn't at all balanced.

[Narga_Rocks]

Dark Souls. Though that's more a type than a level of difficulty. I enjoy SRPGs and all, but I just like how you can roll and avoid hits and run back and forth trying to win that way. Much more rewarding to me than having Jill go on a rampage where I just sit and watch stuff die.

[Shauni]

Anything aside from Fe7if chapter 27 difficulty when it comes to fire emblem and the respective hacks. In regards to other games I want just enough difficulty so that the entire game isn't just move forward but with an incremental increase during the halfway point of the game. If it becomes luck based then I will lose interest quickly, however.

[amadeuscho]

depends on the game. for RPG's, I prefer a normal type setting, so I can experience the story more easily. For action games and platformers, harder difficulties please.

[Vennobennu]

Depends on the sort of game. For a SRPG like Fire Emblem, I want something that makes me think and forces me to have a strategy going in. Something like FE12 Maniac or Lunatic is good, although I'm not a fan of fooling around with the AI acting order to avoid death. I do like how some chapter remain tense and threatening right up until you beat them - often gameplay is an exercise in taking apart the main group of enemies, then strolling to the throne or picking off stragglers.

For something like Thief, I like being surprised and having different styles of challenges in different stages. Thief and its relatives are at their best keeping you on your toes and not letting you get complacent.

[Sifer]

Hard is what I normaly choose for FPS. Normal is for first time RPG, Then hard mode if I am still interested in it.

[Zera]

I like any kind of difficulty. That being said, there is such a thing as "good" difficulty and "bad" difficulty.

How to make your game challenging, but not frustrating.

1. If I can make your level 75+% less challenging by including one extra checkpoint, you're doing it wrong.

2. If I can ONLY beat your level through memorization or luck, you're doing it wrong.

3. If my ability to win is based entirely on how long I've played the game (i.e. level grinding), you're doing it wrong.

4. If you are Treasure, you're probably doing it right.

Recently I beat World 8-Crown of Super Mario 3D Land. Guess what? No checkpoints. I knew there was something artificial about its difficulty.

Even The Land of the Livid Dead in Rayman Origins had a few checkpoints, and despite being much harder, was less frustrating and more rewarding.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Zera

[Soup]

Hard is what I normaly choose for FPS. Normal is for first time RPG, Then hard mode if I am still interested in it.

Pretty much this (except for the fact that I rarily play FPS)

For RTS games, I always use the hardest setting or I'll get bored during the "campaign" or skirmishes.. (On the other hand, nothing wrong with steamwaltzing over everything )

[Tamanoir]

Normally, Easy or Normal. I want to enjoy the story in RPG, and be able to use different characters.

I can go up to Hard if you son't have Bullshit Game Over : Let me save relatively often or allow me to begin at my last checkpint with some disadvantage (at least my levels won like in FFVI, or with Half my money like in original Pokemon Games.)

If I have the possibility to avoid the ennemy (That is no Random Encounter), then obviously makes them harder.

(Trails in the Sky is actually my perfect game, as far as difficulty go)

As long as I didn't loose many hours of my life for nothing, and it have some replay value, anything is fair game.