Why do you prefer the difficulty on games to be at its hardest?

[JDW]

I've found that the highest difficulty for both DAO and ME2 to be extremely hard for my abilities but do you think I should always try and go for the hardest difficulty on a game because you'll get the most out of it?

I think looking back at games I've played I have never really had to use strategies to get past a certain group of baddies which I'm kind of wondering if that is how a game should be played?

I normally play games at on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the hardest, On 3 so do you think I should go for 5 all the time whenever I play a new game even if it takes me 10 times longer to do certain parts of the game and not progressing at such a quick speed?

So I'm talking about games that require strategy at their highest difficulties such as the ones I've mentioned or just continue having to just quick load every 30 minutes or so, any advice and how you play games is welcomed!

Thanks!

[Inhuman One]

Depends on what you want from a game.

I think quite a few people just like to bragg. Pretty much the same with fishing I gues. Some just do it to relax, while others insist on catching the biggest fish to show off to others.

For me its just different for each game. For total war games I prefer something slower paced since I find that more realistic, full stacks everywhere is not realistic to me, no nation can muster troops that fast.

But for a game like Dungeon Keeper, I do enjoy the challenge at the highest levels, I finished both games without ever looking online for tips. Finished Super Mario World as well, including the star road and special road without ever looking online.

In general, I do look for something I can handle. Pretty much an AI that gives a good fight, but is defeated in the end. Not an AI that beats me 30 times before I can beat it, I dont have that kind of patience with a game.
With strategy games its all pretty relative since it depends on what you set yourself up with and how agressive you tend to be yourself.

And other games like Knights of the Old Republic, its just about the story because the combat is terrible, easy is the only way to play such games.

[Stavroforos]

I only play on a difficulty which makes it easy enough for me to go from story to story while difficult enough for me to at least appreciate that my character is supposed to have some combat prowess.

[Lysimachus]

DA:O I play on Nightmare simply because it keeps the game's combat remotely challenging, and in ME2 I like to play on hardcore or insanity (doing an insantty vanguard atm actually) because it makes the combat more challenging too, though I feel hardcore was the better balance of fun and challenge whereas in insanity enemies tend to get a bit too accurate. It also makes tech and biotic powers much more fun to use when you have to strip enemy shielding/barriers/armour and then finally I can do a nice pull + warp = warp explosion combo to send everyone in the vicinity of the effect flying.

[JDW]

Thanks to all 3 of you, I've taken that advice and now I know what difficulty to use in future.

[PGeo36]

I usually do one play through on the hardest difficulty, but I usually play just on Hard/Hardcore, because I like to be challenge, but I also don't like to be annoyed at the difficulty.

[SinerAthin]

I finish games on normal, and then on hard only if I like the gameplay/want a challange.


The reason I don't up the difficulty on first play is because I find it often ruining the immersion.


I hate shooting people 8 times in the head yet they still don't die.

Or on COD, where the enemy magically targeted you and were able to discover your position with their psychic powers and threw an endless amount of grenades(seriously, where do they store all those grenades!?) at you while completely ignoring your allies ripping them to shreds!

[Krieglord]

I play games on normal first then if thats to easy play it more difficult, like Mass Effect 2 I went from normal up to veteran and stayed there.

I want to enjoy my games not get frustrated by having to replay a part to many times.

[Kanaric]

To me it depends on the AI and how the game is balanced. I usually don't play on hard unless the game is poorly made or hard includes exclusive non-cheat rules. Like I would play on harder difficulties on Baldurs Gate because it would go to a more real to the rules dnd ruleset which was more interesting. I wouldn't play on deity on Civ 5 because its just the AI cheating and thats it.

[Adrian]

I always cheat at games like this since the combat bores me I play for the story the companions that shizz.

I don't think I've ever had a playtrough of DAO KOTOR DA2 ME1 or M2 that I didn't fix my stats.

So they can make the game as difficult as they want since I'll always mod my save or alter my atrrib in some way.

[Habelo]

I dont find bioware games to be tactical, or strategic. They just require alot of micromanaging, which i find boring so i always play on normal difficulty. However if you think its challenging for you in other ways then micromanaging, i wouldve gone for the higher difficulty.

[paradamed]

The first time I play any game I always play on medium difficulty. After I finish the story than I move on to the hardest levels of difficulty.

[Nimthill]

Depends greatly on the game. Oblivion is a game that I can't bear to play on harder difficulty than hard, simply because having to wack an enemy 50+ times in the head completely breaks immersion with me. Flight sims on the other hand... go go go.

Usually, I play games in such a way as to make them more realistic.

[Turin88]

I like games to be fairly difficult by default, with challenging levels, intelligent AI, realism elements, etc. The problem I have with difficulty sliders is they only seem to tip the balance by giving enemies a boost towards something like health. It makes the game more difficult, but in a grindy way rather than the right way.

[PGeo36]

Right. Like with the total war games in RTW and ETW the difficulty was scaled by giving enemy troops higher stats for combat, while in MTW2 it was scaled by making troops harder to rout. That's why I always play on normal for RTW and ETW because I don't like it when militia and beat my line troops head to head because of the difficulty.

[Hopit]

if I try to play something at the hardest difficulty, can't get past 1 spot I drop the game and don't touch it again
(happened with ME2, one of my fav games)

[Krieglord]

if I try to play something at the hardest difficulty, can't get past 1 spot I drop the game and don't touch it again
(happened with ME2, one of my fav games)

Wait you drop the game entirely never to play it again? or your drop that character?

Also you do know that you can switch the difficulty at any time in mass effect 2.

[Kamos]

It really varies if I feel it's worth it.
I was always awful at DAO despite my love of it so I never played above normal. Mass Effect I found to easy so I play on insanity.

[Hopit]

Wait you drop the game entirely never to play it again? or your drop that character?

Also you do know that you can switch the difficulty at any time in mass effect 2.

drop the game
only tried to get the expert achievment, but said it after got stuck

[Krieglord]

drop the game
only tried to get the expert achievment, but said it after got stuck

That doesnt seem just a bit drastic to you? dropping a game forever (especially amazing one like mass effect 2) because you cant get past part of the game?

What part was it if you dont mind me asking?