Poll: Difficulty Selection Screens

[Liudeius]

These days almost all games have a difficulty setting.
I've always picked without second though, but recently I wondered what other people do when presented with the choice.

When you see the difficulty selection on a game you have never played before, do you choose the hardest setting, the easiest, or something in between?
What do you consider difficult? If you are barely able to make it through on one try, or if you fail multiple times before succeeding? Is simple damage and health manipulation enough, or does the AI need to be improved for you to consider it more difficult?

Personally, I always choose the hardest, and if it's too hard for me, I just learn how to play better.
It can be an issue if I leave a game for a while and come back, when I have to relearn the game part way up the difficulty curve, but for the most part it doesn't give me trouble.

Edit: I'm surprised how many people play normal, then play again on hard. I dislike it when I have to play through once to unlock a harder setting. Although in a few cases, I probably would have been overwhelmed if I had started on the hardest.

 

[DJDarque]

I play all games on normal. It's the setting for the standard gaming experience.

 

[Seives-Sliver]

I play only on normal, when I beat the game, then I go to hard.

 

[LongAndShort]

I generally go normal or easy on my first playthrough, then ramp up the difficulty for the second.

 

[tombman888]

Normal the first time. Then if its a good game, i might go back for a harder difficulty playthrough.

 

[MrStab]

PLay it on hard the first run then on the hardest thing they have, this was interesting when I started to play RTS games over FPS.

 

[Frybird]

Unless i hear beforehand that a game is far too easy, i choose normal difficulty.

I always assume it's the most balanced one and the one that developers want you to play for an ideal experience.

And often times i feel like i'm right, many games tend to make games harder on higher difficulty settings by just breaking thier own rules or making the game more unfair.

 

[Llil]

I play on normal first. I like a good challenge, but often the harder settings just add fake difficulty. If the game's good enough to play a second time, I turn the difficulty up.

Although, if a review says the game is easy, I'll probably start on a higher difficulty. I've learned that most reviewers can't handle difficulty.

 

[Flutterguy]

I play on the hardest mode, unless I get myself beat down repeatedly throughout the game. I like games to offer me challenges, and I like working out the best way to make use of what I am givin in any game.

 

[Mr Thin]

If it's a sequel, I usually do hard.

I started every Halo game on hard after the first, for example.

And on some old games, I pick easy, because their idea of easy is today's idea of hard but fair.

But apart from that, I always go normal. I figure it's the most balanced difficulty.

 

[RaphaelsRedemption]

I like easy. It's because I suck at gaming. I'd rather play on easy and enjoy myself than get frustrated at my lack of skill.

However, I am quite good at some RTS games, and on those I tend to ramp the difficulty right up!

 

[Inconspicuous Trenchcoat]

90% of the time I'll just go with the default of normal. In most games, difficulty isn't the biggest factor for me. That's not to say I don't enjoy challenge, but I prefer it much more when it's competitive. I play Bloodline Champions, for example, a very hard and unforgiving multi-player arena game.

As a matter of pride I refuse to ever reduce the difficulty down to easy. If I get stuck somewhere on whatever difficulty, normal or harder, I'll keep banging my head against that wall until it gives way.

As for ARPGs in particular, I always set it to the highest setting, because they're usually boring if you don't. Torchlight is a brain dead click fest, unless I set it to Very Hard. Then, I have to be on my guard and it becomes fun for me. Another example is Dragon Age II. Normal was very boring, so I turned it up to hard. That felt a lot better. But I've since obtained better gear and it's becoming too easy again, so I'll probably crank it up to Nightmare. (Yes, I'm STILL playing through DA2 for the first time, I'm slow and keep getting distracted by other games)

Also, why are there even difficulty settings in RPGs such as Star Ocean: The Second Story? Enemies being tougher doesn't make game like that harder, it just means you have to grind EVEN MORE! That's not fun.

 

[evilneko]

Normal. I no longer have the manual dexterity or reaction speed to handle harder settings. Add to that my RSI-induced switch to a trackball, and hard settings are just an exercise in frustration.

That and often developers are lazy and "hard" is accomplished by having the computer cheat, which is incredibly lame.

 

[Reaper195]

Usually either normal or whatever is between easiest and normal. I play a game to have fun, so harder difficulties can fuck off, as I don't like my blood pressure rising because I keep getting bullet spammed. Another reason why I never play online.

 

[Aphex Demon]

Normal. Then dependent on the game, and when I've completed it on normal, I'll shift it up a difficulty level, most likely to the hardest one.

 

[Nouw]

For Strategy games I first play on Easy then move up accordingly. For all others, Normal then above.

Of course Legendary on Reach with my super-spartan is always fun.

 

[BooTsPs3]

I normally play on the hardest settings first. I find that i pick up skill faster that way since i'm not used to normal or anything yet.

 

[Zeema]

Hard as i can i want to prove to this game that i can beat its bullshit

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Whichever difficulty setting I need to have to properly work for a victory, but without seeing the reload screen every five seconds.

 

[evilneko]

Whichever difficulty setiing I need to have to properly work for a victory, but without seeing the reload screen every five seconds.

I like that answer. Well put.