What difficulty do you start with?

[geK0]

Depends on the game

Some games have a tendency to make their hardest mode absolutely insane, so Ill go with the second hardest

Some games are just easy no matter what you do, so I pick the hardest mode and impose arbitrary restrictions on myself (ie. no using x weapon/skill because it's overpowered)

of course, this is usually just something I have to guess at based on the genre and developer.

 

[triggrhappy94]

Normal. I want to get a good feel for the game.
I'd rather be a medium bullet sponge while trying to figure out what the hell's going on then dying every 10 seconds because the game explained things poorly.

I think getting a blind run though on medium, lets me get better immersed on the second run on the hardest. At least with FPS's.

 

[Dangit2019]

I'll usually try out normal, get a feel for it, but if the game's too hard (or I just suck at it), I pussy out and go straight to easy.

 

[ClockworkUniverse]

Normal, because it's the implied default -- what the devs thought would be an appropriate challenge for most of the playerbase. If I have to fiddle with the difficulty on my first playthrough (and it isn't a genre that I personally am particularly good or bad at), I'd argue that that indicates bad design.

 

[Zen Toombs]

On my first playthrough, I tend to play on normal and go down if I get stuck. Then if I play the game again, for some reason I can never do anything but the highest difficulty setting without getting bored and breezing through despite having enormous trouble even playing through the game on normal.

 

[Nomanslander]

I'm use to games being pants-on-head retarded-ly easy, so I start on the hardest difficulty settings.

Although... sometimes...

The game can surprise me and really be difficult, then - if I can't handle it - I'll lower the difficulty.

 

[Dracthor]

When I had a ton of time on my hands I would always do the hardest possible difficulty first. Now that I have work, school, and other things in my life I tend to do an easyer difficulty if the only difference between normal and hard is grind a few more lvls. If not then I go to the hardest.

 

[DanielBrown]

Easiest, most often.
Not a fan of challenge. Prefer to just enjoy myself and sit back during my gaming sessions.

 

[Arfonious]

Normal usually, unless it's a game I know I'll be good at.

 

[Zeraki]

Normal... I very rarely go higher than to avoid raising my blood pressure too high.

I think the only games I've ever beaten on the highest difficulty setting available are Mass Effect 2 and 3.

 

[TehCookie]

Normal, I like a decent challenge but nothing too easy or too frustrating. Though I usually play easy on shooters because I suck at them and hard on hack'n'slashes since I like to push myself in that genre.

 

[Sunrider]

Some games I go for maximum difficulty right from the start, if I'm familiar with the mechanics (Like I was in New Vegas). Games I'm not familiar with, I go for normal.

 

[infernovolver]

Old Nintendohard [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NintendoHard] games: Easy. Especially if there's a limited amount of lives and/or continues.

More modern games: Normal.

Exceptions: Games I perceive as way too easy, like Torchlight (2), so I'll start on a harder difficulty.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Normal, and depending on how easy that is, hard afterwards. That said, I much prefer games that have one difficulty so you don't have to choose and don't feel like a disappointment when the game's over because it wasn't the hardest setting.

 

[Snownine]

I generally just go with the normal setting and change it accordingly if I feel it is too easy or difficult for me to get the full enjoyment out of it.

 

[Creator002]

Usually the easiest. I put it up a notch or two if it's too easy, which is often. If its another playthrough, usually whatever I had it on when I kicked it up.

 

[Polarity27]

Either normal or easy. My biggest problem in a new game is that I have no sense of direction at all, and get lost incredibly easy. I realized once that I navigate primarily by color-- my spatial perception is shit, but my color perception is incredibly sharp. In real life, this isn't a problem, I'll remember that I have to turn at the intersection after the hideous ochre and brown house, or I have to turn at the blue sign. In games, every corridor is the same damn color with no variation at all (I loved being Alliance in WoW, you can navigate Stormwind by roof color!), so until I get used to where I'm going or how the map is laid out (if there is one), I can get in serious trouble pulling extra groups of mobs or wandering into very difficult mobs while thinking I was going *backward* to find the extra ammo in the last room.

Because of that, playing on normal for me can be like playing on hardmode for someone who navigates well-- most of my concentration is on trying to figure out where I am, so I don't have as much attention capacity for the fights I've blundered into while trying to figure out where I am. It's frustrating as hell to keep dying when I don't even know where I was or where I was supposed to go! If I feel like I'm playing and being able to navigate pretty well, I'll go back in and return it to normal.

 

[Jfswift]

I almost always select, 'normal' to get a feel for the game, unless the manufacturer specifies that the harder mode is the intended play mode, in which case I select that first instead. I typically make my decisions by recommendation first, experience second.

 

[FFP2]

I go with easiest the first time. Most games think higher difficulty means enemies do more damage and have more HP.

If it's not like that then I'll go hard on the next playthrough.