Difficulty

[The_ModeRazor]

Depends on the game.
But generally: I play easy if the game is story-based, normal if it's really fucking difficult, and hard when it gives that good old feeling of chaos and desperate struggle.

 

[Kryzantine]

I loved Diablo II, which forced a difficulty progression that actually ended up working in the game's favor as it was easy to include new threats from monsters you've already encountered, new patterns and new strategies needed to defeat them. You have to start off on normal, then head to nightmare and then hell difficulties at around levels 40 and 70 respectively, and each difficulty mode gives the monsters new immunities, spells, attacks, etc. that made them really fun to fight again.

Otherwise, I usually play through on normal or hard first, then pump it up even higher if it's still trivial.

 

[mip0]

First time a play through a campaign I'll do it on Normal difficulty. Easy would make it a waste and Hard would ruin it through frustration.

Then I'll play it on easy so that I can crush my enemies whilst laughing a wicked laugh of superiority.

Last I'll try to complete it on Hard for the merit and to satisfy the completionist in me.

If I ever play the game again after this then that will be on Easy.

 

[Master Kuja]

Normal, easy just makes things too insulting and hard first time round becomes an exercise of frustration.

That being said, every shooter should have the difficulty of Dragon Rising, if you finished that on Hardcore I have nothing but respect for you.

 

[Fearzone]

Back in college, I would always set difficulty to max, because anything less than that was just unbecoming of the uber-gamer I was. Now, some two decades later, I play everything on easy to quickly see the content and decide if it is worth a further investment of time to play on more challenging difficulties. It always pisses me off if easy difficulty isn't really that easy.

 

[Deadlock Radium]

I always play on Normal. Then if I'm up to it, I'll try hard mode.

I pretty much do like this guy. And if I win on hard, I'll try a higher difficulty if available.

But I don't do it for the bragging though, since noone in my town plays the same type og games I do. They mostly play things like FIFA 10 and Madden NFL 10. I stick to God of war, platformers and Driving games.

 

[Zacharine]

Normal to hard, depending on how quickly I learn the game. I like to play them so that I face a challenge. Not overwhelming one, but a challenge that requires I think my tactics trough, use one-shot items etc...

 

[Jory]

I normally hit normal first. I also rarely play through a game more than once.

I normally play games for a bit of mindless fun, if they're too difficult I stop having fun so I don't see the point in it.

I can't remember the last time I played on Hard to be honest.

 

[Jon Etheridge]

I play on Normal until I get pissed off enough to switch to easy. The only game that I've done that with recently was Ghostbusters. It's not that I don't mind a challenge, I just mind having to sit through the same 30 second load screen over and over again.

 

[Doc Cannon]

Depends on the game. I usually play on normal/medium, but if things get annoying (read: Red Faction: Guerrilla) I switch to easy.
I've found I'm at a point in my life when it's all about having fun, instead of dying over and over again just to get bragging rights.

 

[TheTaco007]

Depends on the game. For instance, ME2 is fucking easy, so I'm playing it on veteran my first time through.

 

[shadow skill]

I usually play on normal. For certain games like Ninja Gaiden, (Which I really love.) or Bayonetta I will bump up the difficulty.

 

[Lemon Of Life]

Depends on the game. For instance, ME2 is fucking easy, so I'm playing it on veteran my first time through.

Same, but I only do that if I want the game to last, or if I'm feeling like a challenge. If I just want to get through it and see the story, I'll tune it down.

 

[Souplex]

However difficult it is to use the search button.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.76431-Poll-Difficulty#903439

 

[sms_117b]

Depends on the game, games by BioWare are heavily story driven so to fully enjoy them I want the story to be uninterupted and not repeated until I'm back around again, so the difficulty is always easier than a challenge.

Games like Total War, Haegemonia and Sin of a Solar Empire are battle driven, so to enjoy them fully I want to push the difficulty until I can beat the game in it's entirty and push my brain to the point of a anurism.

Then there are hack and slash games, I start on Normal beat the game quite easily then complete it over and over until the hardest setting is done and dusted.

 

[SnipErlite]

Normal, or hard

Normal usually but if I want to become good at the game I'll start on hard

 

[Odd Water]

I always start on normal first, I'll up it if its too easy just for a bit more fun, but at times I'll scale it down if I'm just wanting to have a little casual fun with no real goal in mind.

 

[Nuke_em_05]

Normal, then progress. I like to play the game for the game, then challenge myself. Plus I don't have time to trudge through a harder difficulty the first time through.