What difficulty do you normally start with?

I usually start with the easiest difficulty available because i play games to enjoy the story without frustration or raging so couldnt care less about challenges or any of that bs.. its all about having a fun experience without the need to throw my controller.

You can't anticipate how difficult or easy a game will be. I always go with normal.

Depends on the game. On a story based game, I usually try to go for Easy, because my aim is to enjoy the story, and not let some rough roadblocks hinder progress. Otherwise, I gravitate towards Normal.

Normal for me. Seems to me normal mode is the most balanced and the way the games designed &meant to be played. If i enjoy it ill moved up to hardest.

Very Hard/Veteran...unless it's not available then I play on Hard and then play again on Very Hard. Very hard and Hard feel to me like "Normal" and Normal feels like super easy, and I have no idea how easy feels since I don't ever play on easy.

The games today are way too easy. I feel like there is no challenge at all if I play on normal or lower, it's like going through the motions.

It's not that I'm sooo good, it's that the industry got huge and made games easier over the decades to be more welcoming to fans. I don't mind it as long as they have harder modes to make the game for gamers of a bygone era.

On a rare occasion, I will play on Hard or Very Hard and it feels too cheap or broken, then I will go down a notch. In my experience though, that's just faulty programming as the devs just amped the AI to cheat and is no fun either.

It's not an "ego driven thing", it's a "make it fun for SolidTy" type of thing. I buy and play games to have fun. Easy games aren't fun for me. Games that are way too easy I get too bored with and I like to know that I'm a better gamer today than I was 10 years ago...or that's the goal at least. To evolve.

It's about balancing the fun and making sure I don't feel like I'm six years old again and there is no challenge. I grew up in the arcades where you had to stretch a quarter, so getting good saved you money. I only had lunch money by skipping lunch to work with.

It's my secret on why I have such a high gamerscore, many platinums, and a high PC/Nintendo completion rate...I play on harder difficulties which truth be told, doesn't feel hard at all with modern games.

Some games don't have difficulty and that's usually okay, but I find those games to be easy normally. You unlock a harder mode afterwards and I wish that mode was available the first time.

I do hate Auto AI/auto difficulty. That's junk imo. I've gotten into arguments because of that. Skilled gamer: "Man, that fourth level was pretty tough!" Terrible gamer: "No, it was easy as pie." Ruins conversations about the game because each experience is unique but ultimately you don't decide on a difficulty and you don't know if you are terrible or good, because the game decides for you. I want to know I'm improving and I can't know in those situations.

EDIT: This is how I'm built but everyone is different and like things their way. This is simply my preference.

Usually hard, unless it's a game I'm playing for review (in which case I play on normal, because time constraints) or unless it's a genre I'm not very familiar with, which is getting rarer and rarer these days.

So normal or hard. Mostly hard. Modern games have no idea how to do difficulty properly.

If it is a genre or series that I am very familiar with, I go with hard.

sometimes it depends on the game..usually hard

Entirely depends on the game. Some games don't change anything on "hard" except increasing the stats of the enemies turning them into "bullet/attack sponges". I don't like playing those kinds of games on harder difficulties.

If it's something like Doom or Devil May Cry, the higher the difficulty the better. I've beaten all of Doom and Doom II on Ultra Violence, and DMC3 with Vergil on Very Hard and with Dante on Hard. Most story-driven games, I tend to prefer lower difficulties in order to not get frustrated and leave the story behind.

Normal

Completely depends on the game and genre. USUALLY normal or hard. Easy for genres that Im not comfortable with.

I guess I don't have skillz. I go Normal and unless I want to replay, I never see the harder levels.

Funny after I beat the Normal, and if I want harder, then I play easy to enjoy story. Most MGS games that are already out, I play on easy because I have done them in on hard already.

If the hardest difficulty is designed to be beatable, then I start with the hardest difficulty. If it's just some untested difficulty setting where the devs randomly threw some big numbers at it, then I play the most difficult setting that's designed to be playable.

Normal, then when I've beaten the game and gotten gud I'll replay the game on hard if I liked it enough

the highest available. Unless it is a puzzle game, because Catherine in just "normal" is pretty challenging.

I start on easy or very easy and up the difficulty as I go, if required.

Unless it's a rhythm game or game that is solely based on challenge that playing on easy will ruin it (Bayonetta, Vanquish, etc.). Then I play on normal usually.

I play on hard now a days. Though I do enjoy when a game allows me to drop it to normal for a certain bit as devs still have a hard time not giving you events that are just not possible even though you've done everything in game up to that point to train. I'm mainly referring to dragon age and other RPG's like it.

Always start with Normal... As I play I fine tune. If I really enjoy the core gameplay I'll up it.

I start on normal simply due to the fact that I've not played the game before and have no way to gauge how difficult or easy it is on any given difficulty setting. From personal experience normal seems to be enough challenge in mostly any game but not hard to the point that it begins to detract from the experience of enjoying the game.

Start with Normal..if I find it easy on Normal, then restart the game and switch to Hard. :P

I prefer games that don't have difficulty options.

I still start on Normal, but I figure that devs are nerfing the Normal difficulty to ensure players feel like they're playing at a good level, but are still able to progress comfortably.

I still associate Hard with the Hard difficult of yesteryear, which is probably not wise.

Hard or Very Hard. Want my games to last as long as possible.

I can understand you wanting the game to last longer, but doesn't that destroy your enjoyment of the game due to unnecessary frustration?

Normal and if the game is excellent for a replay, then hard.

i take frustration as challenge. I started playing everything on the hardest difficulty long ago (like 2006-2007) because of achievements on 360. Got used to play on the hardest difficulties and now when im playing on Normal it feels like the game was made for kids or something. Of course this excludes games like Divinity original sin etc but i'd say that 95% of games i play for the first time are all hard/hardest difficulty if available from the get go

Normal because I'm a filthy filthy casual.

Unless it's Halo, then it's Heroic. Or Kingdom Hearts, then it's Proud. :S but mostly normal because I'm utter garbage.

lots of filthy casuals on this thread lol

Easiest. I'm a wuss.

Hardest on most instances. There are a handful of exceptions such as the hardest setting in Hard Reset. I had to dial it down a notch to get anywhere.

I am playing Mass Effect 3 on easy. But, that's because my kid was the one who started playing it. I didn't want to start over.

Normal people picking normal difficulty, neck beards picking hard difficulty. Nothing new.

Normal is usually the best bet. Then if I really enjoyed the game and the urge for a replay is there, I'll go for the hardest difficulty available.

I mean, I love some challenging games. In a perfect world, I'd always pick the hardest difficult from the start. Truth is, most devs don't take the time to make any meaningful changes to the harder difficulties. No new enemies, no changes to the scenarios you run into.. It's usually just "Yep, we increased enemy damage and hp by 20%, let's call it a day guys!". Maybe they might even send an extra wave of baddies your way, amazing. And ya know, sometimes that works. A lot of times though, you're just playing an unbalanced build of an otherwise good game.

Some devs do it right.

Itagaki handled difficulty like a pro in Ninja Gaiden. The enemy AI gets more vicious, they get faster, you encounter tougher enemies earlier on, different encounters, faster bosses, etc..

Kojima does a great job with the MGS games as well. Enemy layouts and attack patterns change, their field of view increases, items become more scarce, suppressors break faster, batteries run out quicker, etc, etc..

There are lots of great examples out there, but more often than not it's just a lazy "artificial" difficulty increase that drags the game out rather than increasing the challenge in an interesting way.

Depends on the game really, nowadays I try the hard mode for certain types of games because of how much of a cake walk that studios output is.

That said a lot of games are super fucking boring on normal, putting it on hard only increases the boredom

Normal then I play on Hard to give the game more replay value.

Always normal ... I feel that's the game setting games are intended to be played on

hardest one

except for games like Devil May Cry/ Ninja Gaiden

Their hard modes boderline stupid

Normal. Don't have time to spend longer amounts of time on games

I started on the "please don't hurt me" difficulty level........ regardless of what game I'm playing.....

Hard for all shooters. Normal for most other things.

Playing games on easy is a waste.

Normal is what I mostly start with. Hard is great for a second playthough.

I only start with Hard if I've heard the game is way to easy, or something that I'm really familiar with.

@inb4uall said:

@SolidTy said:

Very Hard/Veteran...unless it's not available then I play on Hard and then play again on Very Hard. Very hard and Hard feel to me like "Normal" and Normal feels like super easy, and I have no idea how easy feels since I don't ever play on easy.

The games today are way too easy. I feel like there is no challenge at all if I play on normal or lower, it's like going through the motions.

It's not that I'm sooo good, it's that the industry got huge and made games easier over the decades to be more welcoming to fans. I don't mind it as long as they have harder modes to make the game for gamers of a bygone era.

On a rare occasion, I will play on Hard or Very Hard and it feels too cheap or broken, then I will go down a notch. In my experience though, that's just faulty programming as the devs just amped the AI to cheat and is no fun either.

It's not an "ego driven thing", it's a "make it fun for SolidTy" type of thing. I buy and play games games to have fun. Easy games aren't fun for me. Games that are way too easy I get too bored with and I like to know that I'm a better gamer today than I was 10 years ago...or that's the goal at least. To evolve.

It's about balancing the fun and making sure I don't feel like I'm six years old again and there is no challenge. I grew up in the arcades where you had to stretch a quarter, so getting good saved you money. I only had lunch money by skipping lunch to work with.

It's my secret on why I have such a high gamerscore, many platinums, and a high PC/Nintendo completion rate...I play on harder difficulties which truth be told, doesn't feel hard at all with modern games.

Some games don't have difficulty and that's usually okay, but I find those games to be easy normally. You unlock a harder mode afterwards and I wish that mode was available the first time.

I do hate Auto AI/auto difficulty. That's junk imo. I've gotten into arguments because of that. Skilled gamer: "Man, that fourth level was pretty tough!" Terrible gamer: "No, it was easy as pie." Ruins conversations about the game because each experience is unique but ultimately you don't decide on a difficulty and you don't know if you are terrible or good, because the game decides for you. I want to know I'm improving and I can't know in those situations.

Although my post was intended as an honest answer and not intended to provoke any type of jealousy or rage, I've decided to rewrite my post SW style to better reflect this forum and the pictures of rage that accompany this forum. Sometimes I forget where I am.

---

I ONLY play Veteran or harder. Very Hard and Veteran are too easy, but I settle for it. I typically play games while I'm parachuting out of airplanes though, just to add to the difficulty. If you play on any other mode you are a toddler, or at least the have retained the skills of a toddler.

The games today ARE TOO EASY which is why I do stunts involving trains, hang gliding, boats, and motorcycles.

If I'm really feeling risky, I won't look both ways crossing a street while playing games on my handhelds.

I'm sooo good, 'nuff said.

There is no rare occasion, I will play on ONLY Very Hard and it's BAD ASS! If the game is too easy, I will take the game outside,launch it in the air, and use my custom built flame thrower on the disc. I'm that hardcore.

It is entirely an "ego driven thing". I buy and play games to destroy them and mock users online. I live for the high octane thrills that only combining mountain dew, x-treme sports, and gaming provide...Simultaneously!!!

It's about balancing the hardcore skillz I have in spades and making sure I stay hardcore. Pass the skills a little to locals and I even opened up a video game DOJO, the first of it's kind. I grew up in the arcades where you had to stretch a quarter, so getting good saved you money. I only had lunch money from other kids that freely gave up their money when the saw me skating past them in the halls.

It's my secret on why I have such a high gamerscore, many platinums, and a high PC/Nintendo completion rate...I play on only the hardest difficulties which truth be told, still is way too fuggin' easy peasy! I have a bunch of high scores, nanny nanny boo boo! I can't help it, I'm that hardcore.

Once a kid said, I was easycore, but I argued back, NO I'M HARDCORE not EASYCORE! That kid learned his lesson and began to cry. Poor kid.

Some games don't have difficulty and I refuse to play them now. I'll leave all of those games behind because they are clearly for babies. B is for babies.

I do hate Auto AI/auto difficulty. I'm hardcore and even auto difficulty is way too easy because, you guessed it, I'm hardcore. I've gotten into arguments because I'm so badass and hardcore. I'm quite the super Skilled super gamer and no one here can do anything about that. ME: "Man, that fourth level was SUPER SIMPLE, I'm AMAZING!" Terrible gamer: "No, it was teh too hardz."

Parody post.

@SolidTy said:

@inb4uall said:

@SolidTy said:

Very Hard/Veteran...unless it's not available then I play on Hard and then play again on Very Hard. Very hard and Hard feel to me like "Normal" and Normal feels like super easy, and I have no idea how easy feels since I don't ever play on easy.

The games today are way too easy. I feel like there is no challenge at all if I play on normal or lower, it's like going through the motions.

It's not that I'm sooo good, it's that the industry got huge and made games easier over the decades to be more welcoming to fans. I don't mind it as long as they have harder modes to make the game for gamers of a bygone era.

On a rare occasion, I will play on Hard or Very Hard and it feels too cheap or broken, then I will go down a notch. In my experience though, that's just faulty programming as the devs just amped the AI to cheat and is no fun either.

It's not an "ego driven thing", it's a "make it fun for SolidTy" type of thing. I buy and play games games to have fun. Easy games aren't fun for me. Games that are way too easy I get too bored with and I like to know that I'm a better gamer today than I was 10 years ago...or that's the goal at least. To evolve.

It's about balancing the fun and making sure I don't feel like I'm six years old again and there is no challenge. I grew up in the arcades where you had to stretch a quarter, so getting good saved you money. I only had lunch money by skipping lunch to work with.

It's my secret on why I have such a high gamerscore, many platinums, and a high PC/Nintendo completion rate...I play on harder difficulties which truth be told, doesn't feel hard at all with modern games.

Some games don't have difficulty and that's usually okay, but I find those games to be easy normally. You unlock a harder mode afterwards and I wish that mode was available the first time.

I do hate Auto AI/auto difficulty. That's junk imo. I've gotten into arguments because of that. Skilled gamer: "Man, that fourth level was pretty tough!" Terrible gamer: "No, it was easy as pie." Ruins conversations about the game because each experience is unique but ultimately you don't decide on a difficulty and you don't know if you are terrible or good, because the game decides for you. I want to know I'm improving and I can't know in those situations.

Although my post was intended as an honest answer and not intended to provoke any type of jealousy or rage, I've decided to rewrite my post SW style to better reflect this forum and the pictures of rage that accompany this forum. Sometimes I forget where I am.

---

I ONLY play Veteran or harder. Very Hard and Veteran are too easy, but I settle for it. I typically play games while I'm parachuting out of airplanes though, just to add to the difficulty. If you play on any other mode you are a toddler, or at least the have retained the skills of a toddler.

The games today ARE TOO EASY which is why I do stunts involving trains, hang gliding, boats, and motorcycles.

If I'm really feeling risky, I won't look both ways crossing a street while playing games on my handhelds.

I'm sooo good, 'nuff said.

There is no rare occasion, I will play on ONLY Very Hard and it's BAD ASS! If the game is too easy, I will take the game outside,launch it in the air, and use my custom built flame thrower on the disc. I'm that hardcore.

It is entirely an "ego driven thing". I buy and play games to destroy them and mock users online. I live for the high octane thrills that only combining mountain dew, x-treme sports, and gaming provide...Simultaneously!!!

It's about balancing the hardcore skillz I have in spades and making sure I stay hardcore. Pass the skills a little to locals and I even opened up a video game DOJO, the first of it's kind. I grew up in the arcades where you had to stretch a quarter, so getting good saved you money. I only had lunch money from other kids that freely gave up their money when the saw me skating past them in the halls.

It's my secret on why I have such a high gamerscore, many platinums, and a high PC/Nintendo completion rate...I play on only the hardest difficulties which truth be told, still is way too fuggin' easy peasy! I have a bunch of high scores, nanny nanny boo boo! I can't help it, I'm that hardcore.

Once a kid said, I was easycore, but I argued back, NO I'M HARDCORE not EASYCORE! That kid learned his lesson and began to cry. Poor kid.

Some games don't have difficulty and I refuse to play them now. I'll leave all of those games behind because they are clearly for babies. b

I do hate Auto AI/auto difficulty. I'm hardcore and even auto difficulty is way too easy because, you guessed it, I'm hardcore. I've gotten into arguments because I'm so badass and hardcore. I'm quite the super Skilled super gamer and no one here can do anything about that. ME: "Man, that fourth level was SUPER SIMPLE, I'm AMAZING!" Terrible gamer: "No, it was teh too hardz."

It never ceases to amaze me how you can turn anything into a giant block of text no one wants to read.

@inb4uall said:

@SolidTy said:

Although my post was intended as an honest answer and not intended to provoke any type of jealousy or rage, I've decided to rewrite my post SW style to better reflect this forum and the pictures of rage that accompany this forum. Sometimes I forget where I am.

---

I ONLY play Veteran or harder. Very Hard and Veteran are too easy, but I settle for it. I typically play games while I'm parachuting out of airplanes though, just to add to the difficulty. If you play on any other mode you are a toddler, or at least the have retained the skills of a toddler.

The games today ARE TOO EASY which is why I do stunts involving trains, hang gliding, boats, and motorcycles.

If I'm really feeling risky, I won't look both ways crossing a street while playing games on my handhelds.

I'm sooo good, 'nuff said.

There is no rare occasion, I will play on ONLY Very Hard and it's BAD ASS! If the game is too easy, I will take the game outside,launch it in the air, and use my custom built flame thrower on the disc. I'm that hardcore.

It is entirely an "ego driven thing". I buy and play games to destroy them and mock users online. I live for the high octane thrills that only combining mountain dew, x-treme sports, and gaming provide...Simultaneously!!!

It's about balancing the hardcore skillz I have in spades and making sure I stay hardcore. Pass the skills a little to locals and I even opened up a video game DOJO, the first of it's kind. I grew up in the arcades where you had to stretch a quarter, so getting good saved you money. I only had lunch money from other kids that freely gave up their money when the saw me skating past them in the halls.

It's my secret on why I have such a high gamerscore, many platinums, and a high PC/Nintendo completion rate...I play on only the hardest difficulties which truth be told, still is way too fuggin' easy peasy! I have a bunch of high scores, nanny nanny boo boo! I can't help it, I'm that hardcore.

Once a kid said, I was easycore, but I argued back, NO I'M HARDCORE not EASYCORE! That kid learned his lesson and began to cry. Poor kid.

Some games don't have difficulty and I refuse to play them now. I'll leave all of those games behind because they are clearly for babies. b

I do hate Auto AI/auto difficulty. I'm hardcore and even auto difficulty is way too easy because, you guessed it, I'm hardcore. I've gotten into arguments because I'm so badass and hardcore. I'm quite the super Skilled super gamer and no one here can do anything about that. ME: "Man, that fourth level was SUPER SIMPLE, I'm AMAZING!" Terrible gamer: "No, it was teh too hardz."

Parody post.

It never ceases to amaze me how you can turn anything into a giant block of text no one wants to read.

Right on!

Protip: It's special literary test that helps me identify the "special" users around this very special forum. :)

@SolidTy said:

@inb4uall said:

@SolidTy said:

Although my post was intended as an honest answer and not intended to provoke any type of jealousy or rage, I've decided to rewrite my post SW style to better reflect this forum and the pictures of rage that accompany this forum. Sometimes I forget where I am.

---

I ONLY play Veteran or harder. Very Hard and Veteran are too easy, but I settle for it. I typically play games while I'm parachuting out of airplanes though, just to add to the difficulty. If you play on any other mode you are a toddler, or at least the have retained the skills of a toddler.

The games today ARE TOO EASY which is why I do stunts involving trains, hang gliding, boats, and motorcycles.

If I'm really feeling risky, I won't look both ways crossing a street while playing games on my handhelds.

I'm sooo good, 'nuff said.

There is no rare occasion, I will play on ONLY Very Hard and it's BAD ASS! If the game is too easy, I will take the game outside,launch it in the air, and use my custom built flame thrower on the disc. I'm that hardcore.

It is entirely an "ego driven thing". I buy and play games to destroy them and mock users online. I live for the high octane thrills that only combining mountain dew, x-treme sports, and gaming provide...Simultaneously!!!

It's about balancing the hardcore skillz I have in spades and making sure I stay hardcore. Pass the skills a little to locals and I even opened up a video game DOJO, the first of it's kind. I grew up in the arcades where you had to stretch a quarter, so getting good saved you money. I only had lunch money from other kids that freely gave up their money when the saw me skating past them in the halls.

It's my secret on why I have such a high gamerscore, many platinums, and a high PC/Nintendo completion rate...I play on only the hardest difficulties which truth be told, still is way too fuggin' easy peasy! I have a bunch of high scores, nanny nanny boo boo! I can't help it, I'm that hardcore.

Once a kid said, I was easycore, but I argued back, NO I'M HARDCORE not EASYCORE! That kid learned his lesson and began to cry. Poor kid.

Some games don't have difficulty and I refuse to play them now. I'll leave all of those games behind because they are clearly for babies. b

I do hate Auto AI/auto difficulty. I'm hardcore and even auto difficulty is way too easy because, you guessed it, I'm hardcore. I've gotten into arguments because I'm so badass and hardcore. I'm quite the super Skilled super gamer and no one here can do anything about that. ME: "Man, that fourth level was SUPER SIMPLE, I'm AMAZING!" Terrible gamer: "No, it was teh too hardz."

It never ceases to amaze me how you can turn anything into a giant block of text no one wants to read.

Right on!

It's special test that helps me identify the special users around this very special forum. :)

Special or just don't want to read a load of bullshit?

@inb4uall said:

@SolidTy said:

Right on!

Protip: It's special literary test that helps me identify the "special" users around this very special forum. :)

Special or just don't want to read a load of bullshit?

Oh, most definitely special. There are tiny "Blue's Clues" in all my posts.

Typically you'll find the "special" posters attacking users with vitriol for no reason. Next time I see such a dirty rotten scoundrel, I'll make sure to notify you posthaste!

The trick to not reading a load of "BS" is scrolling past the very, very, very upsetting post, but these rapscallions have difficulty performing that feat and sling ad hominems and venture off topic to attack users. :(

In all the commotion, you forgot to post your difficulty preference? Fer Srs? It's not a big deal.

Have a good one duders! :P

Normal. Unless it's a legitimately bad game.

normal or hard