I ALWAYS play games on the 'easy' setting.....

[Tharwen]

I usually do normal first time, then move onto the harder setting on the second attempt. I've only had to change the difficulty down on the first attempt in Oblivion.

 

[Humiliated Grape]

I play through easy to understand the story and if I enjoyed the game play enough I'll play through again on a harder setting.

 

[Sebenko]

Hard mode, ************. It's their problem if they get in my way.

And Fallout 3 on Very Hard was insulting- increasing difficulty just increased the tedium of the combat. So I made my now mod that fixed it.

 

[Vanquisher2000]

I usually start on the hardest setting, although if the game is truly impossible (yes, i'm looking at you splinter cell double agent), I'll jack it down to the easiest so I know what way to go and more advanced tactics. Another exception is if i've got some stress to work off, then i'll play on easy and run around as an immortal guy just blowing up anything and everything that moves. Or doesn't move, if the game has destructible scenery...

 

[Borntolose]

The only games I play on easy are strategy games that I'm new to. Some of them have a huge learning curve. But apart from that I only play Normal or harder. I like a challenge.

 

[Dannyboy1186]

Nice to know there are others out there.

Probably every game I play with difficulty I play easy but being myself if theres an achievement for completeing it on the hardest difficulty then I go and do that after completing it on easy.

 

[sketch_zeppelin]

I went through that phase back when i was 10 up till about 14 but eventually i got tired of games that don't give you the real ending or end early if you don't play on at least normal mode so i stepped up my game and now it seems that their isn't force in the verce that can put me down.

I don't know when you got into gaming but games as a whole are alot easier now then they were when i was a kid. theres a lot more going on yes, but they just don't have the hard as ball feel of nintendo games.

 

[bryanfuel]

i always play max difficulty because i feel so much more accomplished when im done with it but sometimes when i get stuck and start to get fustrated ill switch it to easy just for that part then switch it back after

 

[Beach_Sided]

Following on from the 'Games that you have to play on easy setting' post, I am not scared to admit that I always play games on the easiest setting.

I get my enjoyment from playing the game, progressing through it and seeing how it develops, and then finishing it and moving on the the next game. And I hate getting stuck somewhere and becoming frustrated with a game because I can't work something out or get past a certain section.

Does anyone else out there also usually play on 'easy' settings......?

What do you do in online multiplayer games then?

Games need some challenge otherwise they get boring, I normally set the game as high as I can without constantly dying, though 2nd play-throughs I will often max out difficulty even if I suck and die all the time... I like the sense of achievement completing on high difficulty

I hardly ever play online games on my console. And yes, when I do I get my ass handed to me on a regular basis.

 

[Doom-Slayer]

Hardest difficulty I can even when I have never heard of the game or don't know anything about it. I will normally ONLY swap to normal, if I start playing the game and decide its amazing and that I'm going to replay it, so I go on normal play through then do it again on the hardest. I dont see the point in playing on easy these days, its so ridiculously boring for any game I get bored and end up going back to my favorites.

 

[Coldie]

I don't know any game that increases reloading time with difficulty. Maybe it just seems to take longer because the enemies are putting on so much more pressure.

The games increase the time you spend reloading by increasing the number of reloads, not the duration of each individual reload.

Most games follow COD's template there enemies are:
-More aggressive
-fire more often
-are more accurate
-move or stay in cover more so they are harder to hit
-increased number or concentrations of enemies

But they don't become bullet sponges. Same number of bullets to kill.

But you become LESS of a bullet sponge, you can take less bullets before you keel over and health regeneration (by health packs or time) take longer.

This is much LESS fake, it is the easier settings that are more unlikely with AI made DELIBERATELY slower and less responsive so the player can survive at all. On highest difficulty settings, one or two rifle bullets in the chest and you are dead.

It's true, games commonly change the enemy AI on higher difficulties, but it's rarely noticeable, except some games where it ends up outright cheating, Master of Magic being the prime example of psychic cheating bastard AI (also, fun). Few developers can pull off a challenge on AI alone.

The most common tuning tool used by difficulty settings is handicap. On lower difficulty settings enemies deal less damage to the player and have less resources, with the the player dealing more and having more. On higher difficulty settings the roles are reversed. There may be many variables, but the end result ends up the same - armies of simple mooks that take 10 fireballs thermonuclearballs to kill - each - and Sith Lord bosses that take hundreds of Lightsaber blows to the face without flinching. Yawn. The other side isn't much more fun, either. Keeling over after a couple bullets is no fun, unless you're playing a stealth game where this is a justified mechanic.

Changing the amount of enemies or static loot is much more rare now, but it might occasionally happen. All the more experience points to mop up.

Playing through Killzone 2 on easiest settings DOES affect my experience of the story, which goes beyond the cutscenes and into the character of every moment you are on Helghan. And on easiest setting the Helghast are just too wimpy and dopey, far too easy to just run up to them while they are cowering in cover and stab em in the neck. I am supposed to be the underdog, fighting against odds against the terrifying Helghast... not easily wiping the floor with them.

Never heard of Killzone, but this sounds like it's the game's fault, not the difficulty's. Wanting to select a higher difficulty setting for the atmosphere is definitely a concept I support. See Silent Hill 3 for rapid atmosphere buildup on higher difficulty settings and see System Shock 2 for reference of how you can (and will) be the underdog fighting against overwhelming odds, regardless of difficulty.

 

[RIOgreatescapist]

Hardest setting most of times, I like challenges and the sense of achievement afterwards is priceless.

 

[Mrselfdestruct]

I can't believe the amount of people who play on easy....I thought it'd be about 1%...

Anyway...hard for me if I'm feeling confident about it, otherwise normal. Easy if I feel like giving up my dignity.

 

[tomtom94]

I start on Normal, always.
I'm not very good normally though.

 

[Trebort]

Following on from the 'Games that you have to play on easy setting' post, I am not scared to admit that I always play games on the easiest setting.

I get my enjoyment from playing the game, progressing through it and seeing how it develops, and then finishing it and moving on the the next game. And I hate getting stuck somewhere and becoming frustrated with a game because I can't work something out or get past a certain section.

Does anyone else out there also usually play on 'easy' settings......?

I always cheat and put it no easy .

I just buy games for the story, not to actually work on the damn things.

 

[Dexiro]

Usually I'll start on normal or hard depending on what the game's like.

On the rare occasion that i just want to get a game out of the way quickly I'll play on easy. I'm not much of a completionist though.

 

[Sky Captanio]

I usually start with easy or normal and then move up. I try hard at first and if I'm enjoying I keep going. Ace Combat 6= Finished on hard. Mass Effect 2= Gave up half-way.

 

[ALIMed_MuHa]

Well, it depends on the game. I mean if i start playing some old game again I would choose harder difficulty to give me a challenge, but if i play a new game i take normal difficulty.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Easy all the way, if I die too much I get pissed and throw things.

 

[DigitalSushi]

I normally play on hard, although I do play the Metal Gear Solid franchise on easy, I don't want some silly gameplay getting in the way of a good film. HURRHURR i'm so funny.

I tried playing God Hand first time on hard, that was an exercise in self flagellation quite frankly.