Poll: Game Difficulty

[Clashero]

Usually I'll play for 20-30 minutes in Normal to get used to the controls and tactics, then restart the game in Hard.
However, sometimes I can't be arsed to do that, and I'll start in Hard (but usually not the hardest of all, since any mode called "NIGHTMARES, BLOODFEST AND MAN-EATING GIRAFFES" is obviously meant for advanced players)

 

[Rossmallo]

Usually normal, but if it gets too much i set the difficulty down if i can.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Generally normal. If its a genera that I'm not good at then easy, and I'll bump it up to normal with a second playthrough.

 

[Galaxialconda]

Normal, I like getting use to the game controls first. Easy usually takes aspects of the game out to make gameplay easier.

 

[Audemas]

I normally start out on hard because I like to get the easy, medium and hard achievements at once, then I play the game on the hardest difficulty to get that achievement. Then I go back on easier difficulties to get the other achievements like for example, in Resident Evil 5 I'm going to do what was written above then go back and get the BSSA emblems and whatever else I have to do.

 

[RAWKSTAR]

Very Hard. FEEL THE PAIN!

 

[chuckman1]

If you can choose the difficulty I start on the hardest.

 

[KamachoMcSagget]

normal. I like a challenge, but if the game is harder than I expected, then I wouldnt want to have to give up and restart it

 

[Avatar Roku]

Whatever the second highest is for a given game.

 

[Valiance]

It depends on the game.

If it's an RTS, I start very hard/highest because I'm generally good at them. (like, DoW II I started on primarch or w/e it's called)

If it's an FPS, I start at very hard/highest because I'm generally good at them. Sometimes I gotta pull back a bit, like if I went back to play UT2K4 through again and put it on Godlike, I'm sure it would be a struggle, but I'd still get pretty far and the game is supposed to be challenging anyway, so yeah, very hard/highest.

Most top down shooters I start on very hard/highest, but something like Ikaruga, well, you need to build up to something like that, so you start out on easy because the game is only like 30 minutes long anyway, and slowly work your way through until you can clear the game with 1 credit on all difficulties.

RPGs are generally not too difficult, so I start on very hard/highest, especially in a JRPG because I was always better at tactics rather than twitch gameplay, though I'm pretty good at both - it depends. Something like Baldur's Gate would be something I have trouble with at highest difficulty...Something like Fallout 3 is something I don't.

Racing games, well, I love time trials the most, and I shoot for a silver and then a gold and then whatever's above gold, but something like F-Zero GX, you play on Hard (highest available), then you unlock Master, and play through that. But I started that one on easy because you need to beat the cups on every difficult anyway to unlock certain things.

I guess I tend to go towards the hardest possible, and if I unlock a 'harder' mode, I tend to do it.

Only exception is if it's a "hard within reason" vs "IMPOSSIBLE TO PLAY THE GAME THROUGH THE FIRST TIME WITH" mode.

Like, say, in Doom, I'd play on ultra-violence, but not on nightmare because monsters respawn every 20-30 seconds or so, which is just aggravating. Same with Duke Nukem 3D, I'd play on Come Get Some, but not the difficulty above it.

Anyway, yeah, I generally put it on the hardest.

 

[nathan-dts]

Normal, then once that unlocks the highest difficulty I do that.

 

[Weaver]

usually normal, but this really depends on the game.
DMC4 being the first DMC game I ever played I decided I'd start out on easy to get the hang of it.

As a parallel, if Civ4 was someones first Civilization game then they probably wouldn't even want to start on the middle difficulty because the learning curve in that game would be pretty huge for them.

 

[headshotcatcher]

I always start at Normal difficulty, if I find it to be TOO easy I put it on Hard. Starting on Easy ruins the first gameplay and Very Hard ruins the next gameplay. (In my opinion that is.)

 

[FinalGamer]

Stick to the middle road.
Though I admit to playing on easy when younger.

 

[Lekonua]

Usually normal unless I hear about the game being too easy or too difficult before I play it. I choose difficulty level accordingly.

For example: I hear Ninja Gaiden is ludicrously difficult, so if I bought it I would play on the easiest setting first.

 

[_Janny_]

After trying DMC3 on hard I decided to always start every video game on easy.

 

[Skillswords]

FPS- normal (there easy and shallow)
RTS-easy (damn hard)
RPG-hard (bonus exp)
other-normal

 

[irishstormtrooper]

I generally start on normal, then if it's too hard at the beginning, I'll start over on an easier difficulty.

 

[Nexus424]

I'll most likely go one under the hardest difficulty. It's hard enough without being impossible but not easy that I go through the entire thing without dying. What fun is that.