What difficulty do you start with?

[aXFireXHeartXa]

I've been playing games for a long time, and the past couple years I've felt that games just aren't as challenging as they used to be. Due to both my experience and the fact that games really are getting easier. So now when I start a game I jump directly to the hardest or second hardest difficulty. I get the challenge I want while still enjoying the game.

So what do you Escapists do?

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

Normal until I'm more familiar with the game, then I go progressively higher. However I'll drop back down if the higher difficulty is more frustrating than challenging.

 

[BathorysGraveland]

I generally start with normal and put it up if the game is too easy. Some games now, such as the first Witcher, I only play on hard, while others I haven't yet braced the harder difficulties. Sometimes it can be a challenge in and of itself to find that good medium between easy, difficult but fun and difficult but insanely frustrating and annoying. Elder Scrolls games are a good example of that.

 

[hazabaza1]

One above normal, generally.
Adds challenge and longevity to... most games.

 

[Sixcess]

Normal. My problem with the higher difficulty settings is that they sometimes make the game play almost entirely differently, particularly when FPSs end up at one shot = dead. Generally I'll only go for a higher than normal difficulty setting if I'm replaying a game I really like.

 

[testsubject013]

hardest or second hardest. I like a good Challenge

 

[scorptatious]

When I was little, I would usually play on the easiest setting.

Now, I like to play on the default setting first. And if I really like the game and want a better challenge, I'll bump it up on the second playthrough.

hardest or second hardest. I like a good Challenge

Welcome to the Escapist! Happy first post!

 

[krazykidd]

Usually hard ( or the difficulty above normal ) . I play for challenge . And 9 times out of 10 the normal difficulty is too easy for me , and i tend to get bored . If nothing is pushing me to better myself and think, i am not entertained . I have been playing games so long , that i rarely die onnormal difficulty , no matter what and how many mistakes i make . This of course only applies togenre i like and am familiar to .

That being said , i don't belittled others that play on normal difficulty . I understand that not everyone plays for challenge , or that normal difficulty does present THEM with a challenge . And i'm fine with that . As for easy difficulty , while i don't understand why an experienced gamer would want/need to play on easy, but to each their own . I have a friend with whom i game regularly , he is bad a videogames plain and simple . Whenever we play co-op anything , he used to want to play on easy , i told him no , because he won't better himself by playing on easy . So we always play on normal , and i hold back so he a) dies , and b) learns to think while playing to not die . Now he isn't so bad , and is enjoying the challenge the game presents .

What does annoy me though , is people that hear/ know games are hard , buy/play them anyways , then complain about the difficulty . Like Dark souls/ ninja gaiden 2 . I mean i you know something beforehand, ignore it , buy it anyways , i don't think you have the right to complain , you were warned . It as if i made a cherry flavored cake , told you it was cherry flavor, offer you a peice , and the you complain that you don't like cherry after telling me you want a peice.

 

[lRookiel]

Strategy games I go for normal since it's an adequate challenge, however since I find RPG's very easy I tend to go with the harder difficulty levels.

 

[NightmareExpress]

The highest difficulty available, if it IS available.
Otherwise, I'll play on Normal/Hard to unlock it.

Usually, it becomes "normal" after a period of time.
You get used to it, and any bad habits that could have developed from playing on easier difficulties are avoided.

 

[aXFireXHeartXa]

That being said , i don't belittled others that play on normal difficulty . I understand that not everyone plays for challenge , or that normal difficulty does present THEM with a challenge . And i'm fine with that . As for easy difficulty , while i don't understand why an experienced gamer would want/need to play on easy, but to each their own . I have a friend with whom i game regularly , he is bad a videogames plain and simple . Whenever we play co-op anything , he used to want to play on easy , i told him no , because he won't better himself by playing on easy . So we always play on normal , and i hold back so he a) dies , and b) learns to think while playing to not die . Now he isn't so bad , and is enjoying the challenge the game presents .

I have a similar friend. And when we play together he complains because I'm doing most of the work. I tell him to play games an harder difficulties to get more experience and get near my level so he can pitch in.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

I'll usually play on the hardest readily available difficulty. I don't worry too much about the unlockable difficulties unless I just want to make things that much harder. I prefer to play on the harder difficulties because it feels like I'm cheating myself out of the full experience if I don't. Like with Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge. I started on Hard Mode and yeah it's hard and eventually(fucking T-Rex) I couldn't do it so I dropped to Normal so I can get better at the game and still get through it. My problem? Razor's Edge just isn't as fun on Normal and I end up not wanting to play because it's not the full challenging experience.

 

[DementedSheep]

Use to be start on normal and put it up if it?s too easy though now I seem to find most games too easy and I don't replay games so often so I start on hard. Unless it uses a controller and requires aiming cause I suck at that. I'm mostly a PC gamer so I'm far more use to Kb & M

 

[Goofguy]

Either normal or hard, depending on the genre of game. It's very rare I actually change the difficulty during a playthrough. I have this weird mentality of "well I started this way so I might as well see it through".

 

[Argonian alchemist]

I prefer to let the game/developers have me play it as they intended so I always play on normal difficulty first. Then if I'd like a challenge I switch to hard. The only cases in which I switch to easy is if im just completely unfamiliar with what's going on in the game, like my first time playing League of Legends in the bots matches... Confused the hell out of me at first.

P.S. Gratz to myself on 500th post. :3

 

[roushutsu]

I usually play on the normal difficulty setting. If I enjoyed the game enough to play it a second time at a later date, that's when I'm compelled to try the harder settings.

 

[Rawne1980]

As hard as it can go.

Or the one below as hard as it can go in the case of unlocked difficulty (i'm looking at you Devil May Cry ... making me unlock Dante Must Die mode).

Which reminds me, i've still yet to beat DMC3 on Heaven and Hell mode.

One day i'll get round to replaying that game and do that.

 

[Darken12]

I used to start with Easy, because I have an extremely limited patience for repeated failure and I derive no enjoyment from surpassing challenges. But lately I've been starting with Normal to see what I was missing. Turns out it wasn't that much. In some games, I've upped the difficulty to make fights last long enough to use all my abilities/spells/etc.

That's the full extent of my relationship with difficulty levels.

 

[OpticalJunction]

Normal. I like being able to turn up the difficulty when I'm replaying it; can't do that if I start it on hard.

 

[Smooth Operator]

For unknown games on normal and then adjust within half an hour, and for known stuff I jump to my defaults, sadly some games just don't go high enough.