Poll: What difficulty do you use?

[ThatLankyBastard]

I usually just do a game through on normal, then switch it to the hardest mode possible...

... The system works!!!

 

[GundamSentinel]

Easy mostly. I don't play for a challenge, just to relax. I don't need dying all the time. Though I am playing through ME2 on Insanity now.

 

[HontooNoNeko]

If the game doesn't kill me and insult me for the smallest mistake it isn't worth playing honestly. So even if I find the hardest difficulty to easy I usually set more restrictions on my self until my masochism is satisfied.

 

[loc978]

Depends on the type of game. For games that provide a performance challenge (shooters, platformers, et cetera), I put it on the hardest difficulty available. For games that are heavy on exploration and offer a more strategic challenge (RPGs, RTSes, et cetera), I leave it on normal, or maybe a few bumps harder, but generally not cranked up to the hardest setting.

 

[BreakfastMan]

Either normal or easy. I play games to either have fun or to experience the story, not for a challenge. On subsequent play-throughs I might play it at a higher difficulty level, but that is rare.

 

[Xanadu84]

Hard, generally. Normal used to be a pretty fair challenge to an average gamer. I played normal then. As games became more mainstream, normal was a fair challenge for a newbie. Hard normally makes it so I die from time to time, and have to watch what I do, without being so difficult I get frustrated.

 

[Pandaman1911]

If it's my first time playing, I'll set it to normal. If it's too hard or too easy, I adjust as I go. Unless it's Mass Effect 1, in which case I set it to Insanity and play with my feet. (Seriously, anyone think that game was stupid easy? With the exception of pretty much any Krogan enemy?)

 

[Rednog]

I go for the hardest everytime, there are very few games that once you get past the initial low ammo/crappy weapons, actually stay hard. The only games that stay "hard" are ones that cheat you, like World at War, where the AI has godlike aim and will hit and kill you if your toe is sticking out.

 

[crudus]

My first play through is on easy to get through it and learn the system. I then go through each difficulty until I beat the hardest one.

 

[Fishyash]

I usually try and guess what difficulty I think will challenge me adequately while getting me used to the game, if at any point I find it too easy, I will crank it up. I play games for the challenge more than the story usually.

 

[Sn1P3r M98]

Normal for the first playthrough, then I'll try another on the next level up if I had any fun.

 

[BENZOOKA]

Depends on the game, but at least normal. I try to find a difficulty that'll challenge me, but not making me reach for the save games every second.

 

[King of Wei]

I generally go for the hardest difficulty, it's just more fun that way.

 

[vxicepickxv]

I use a random number generator to determine the difficulty level I play on. I call these generators dice.

 

[Adam Galli]

I tend to start on easy then adjust from there. If its too easy I'll go up but if its giving me enough of a challenge and fun at the same time I'll stay on easy, which is what i play most of the time.

 

[DasDestroyer]

Don't have very much innate gaming skills, so easy. Then, if I really like the game, I keep setting it to higher difficulty levels as I get better at it.

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

I usually play at the harder difficulties unless its a game I want to play specifically for the story.

 

[imperialreign]

I always play on the most difficult, and even then most FPSes don't feel like much of a challenge and can breeze through them fairly quickly. Hell, I think I spend more time simply exploring the game levels than anything else. I blame it on the fact I've been an avid FPS fan since Wolf3D and Spear of Destiny back during the DOS hey-day.

Only time I play on lower difficulty settings is when working on achievements that necessitate it (i.e. with Metro2033's Ranger Pack, the "Survivalist" achievement).

 

[chromewarriorXIII]

I always just leave it at the default for the first playthrough. The only exception was Heavy Rain which I set it to the hardest difficulty right off the bat.

 

[Hoboape]

I play the game through on normal first (or the equivalent middle difficulty) and then if I enjoyed the game enough I will sometimes play through again on a harder difficulty.