[MODES] - How about a 5% experience bonus per difficulty mode?

[wbn]

The 2.3mil stretch goal is my favorite so far, because I'm an Infinity Engine junkie and mastered all of the hardest BG/IWD challenges (mods included) on the highest difficulty. I *really* enjoy RTWP combat of yore and am very okay with fiddling around the same combat situation dozens of times until I get it right.

 

Now... I will probably cry many tears because I won't be able to resist ticking all of the +difficulty checkmarks right off the bat. I'm the "challenge for the sake of challenge" person those options likely are intended for,

 

 

BUT... How about attaching a 5% experience bonus to each of the game modes? It's not a straight up "You're missing out if you're not doing this" kind of thing, but it's an added incentive to face challenges one might otherwise not and surely preferable to the notion of giving people better equipment for playing a certain way. This is highly egotistical, since, as I said, I'll check Expert/Path of the Damned/Iron Man anyway, but 15% more EXP would make it SO much more rewarding.

[Vaeliorin]

Call me crazy, but isn't the point of this stuff that the challenge itself is the reward? It always confuses me when people ask for extra difficulty, but then want some sort of reward for playing on the extra difficult mode.

 

Personally, I play on the hardest difficulties because I enjoy the challenge, and I wouldn't want any extra reward to make it easier, as that takes away from the challenge.

[Piccolo]

Faster progression? No thanks. I like slow progression in RPGs, so gaining XP faster on harder difficulties isn't much of a reward.

 

I really think the added challenge, immersion, and replay value of the harder gamemodes is reward enough.

[nikolokolus]

Isn't the point of masochism the pain? Honestly I'm half surprised the iron-man, path of the damned options won't have reduced experience.

[duskwind]

Giving more XP on high difficulty settings so you'll level up faster and thereby reduce the difficulty seems somewhat counter-productive.

[licketysplit]

Backed. Fallout 3 awarded more XP per difficulty mode. A great idea. Yes, that's the Fallout 3 that most Obsidian fans hate and I love.

[wbn]

The added experience should in no way negate the higher difficulty - it should merely afford a wider spectrum of options, while still being way balls to the wall harder than vanilla mode.

 

 

I can tell that my sensibility doesn't hit home with y'all - is that just because of the +xp notion, or would you generally refuse any added incentive? And, yes, I am one of the people that will play under those conditions either way, but I figure that ever so slightly encouraging people to challenge themselves is a potentially positive thing.

[kenup]

How about, NO!

[Tuco Benedicto]

Call me crazy, but isn't the point of this stuff that the challenge itself is the reward?

Not entirely. The challenge is fun to overcome, but then being gratified with some reward for the accomplishment doesn't hurt.

I can agree that giving more exp isn't necessarily the best solution, anyway.

 

Thief was a great example of game design in that sense.

It had a a lot more objectives to complete if played on hardest settings.

One of the general additions to the game was requiring not just to complete the main goal, but also escape the scene of the crime.

It also added extra goals and required for the player to gather more treasures on the level.

On top of that you weren't allowed to kill anyone and there was a limited amount of NPCs that you were allowed to knock out. Also the AI was better.

 

The best way to handle a difficulty setting I can remember of,

Thief played at Expert wasn't just way more challenging. It was also a lot more fun, varied and rewarding that played in easy mode.

 

A very gratifying system for the experienced player.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Tuco Benedicto

[nikolokolus]

The added experience should in no way negate the higher difficulty - it should merely afford a wider spectrum of options, while still being way balls to the wall harder than vanilla mode.

 

 

I can tell that my sensibility doesn't hit home with y'all - is that just because of the +xp notion, or would you generally refuse any added incentive? And, yes, I am one of the people that will play under those conditions either way, but I figure that ever so slightly encouraging people to challenge themselves is a potentially positive thing.

 

I guess I don't get it because faster leveling makes the game (eventually) easier, thus muting some of the difficulty of the game.

 

Maybe the answer is some way of tracking a variable during the hardcore playthrough and then being able to export/upload your last save at the conclusion of the game to the Obisidian website and getting a little forum badge for being an iron-man... but I usually hate that kind of crap.

Edited September 27, 2012 by nikolokolus

[wbn]

The added experience should in no way negate the higher difficulty - it should merely afford a wider spectrum of options, while still being way balls to the wall harder than vanilla mode.

 

 

I can tell that my sensibility doesn't hit home with y'all - is that just because of the +xp notion, or would you generally refuse any added incentive? And, yes, I am one of the people that will play under those conditions either way, but I figure that ever so slightly encouraging people to challenge themselves is a potentially positive thing.

 

I guess I don't get it because faster leveling makes the game (eventually) easier, thus muting some of the difficulty of the game.

 

Maybe the answer is some way of tracking a variable during the hardcore playthrough and then being able to export/upload your last save at the conclusion of the game to the Obisidian website and getting a little forum badge for being an iron-man... but I usually hate that kind of crap.

 

 

I'm basically just pushing for some kind of positive reinforcement to widen the crowd that would be interested in trying out the 2.3mil stretch goal hardcore options by offering a cupcake on top of the privilege of being utterly obliterated by the game.

 

 

I like the Iron Man badge idea in theory, but hex editing a save game variable such as this before uploading the file has been proven trivial.

[nikolokolus]

I guess the thing is, if you like hard-core mode, typically the difficulty is the reward. Unless you're one of those people that likes to collect steam achievements (which I guess there's nothing wrong with that?). I personally love hard game modes after an initial playthrough because I love a good challenge and replaying a game in different ways. Making the hard-core mode easier in some way would turn me off a little bit.

 

It's OK to incentive-ize it somehow internally or externally, but it that incentive shouldn't make the game easier is all.

[Terror K]

Shouldn't it technically be less XP for each difficulty level if you really want to make each one more challenging?

[Luckmann]

Terrible, terrible idea. Reminds me of the experience increases for running higher difficulties in Fallout 3. We all know how good that didn't turn out.

[Tuco Benedicto]

Shouldn't it technically be less XP for each difficulty level if you really want to make each one more challenging?

According to what principle? if the game on the hardest setting it's -let's say- twice as hard, that experience bonus shouldn't make the game easier.

Just reward the player a little more, to a minor extent.

 

And I'd like to point that, as I already stated, I'm not very fond of that suggestion, but your objection sounds a bit baseless to me.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Tuco Benedicto

[licketysplit]

Shouldn't it technically be less XP for each difficulty level if you really want to make each one more challenging?

 

Unless the reward is meant to offset the greater difficulty. I see it as a bonus for playing on a higher setting.

Edited September 27, 2012 by licketysplit

[lordgizka]

Well if on higher difficulties there is going to be simply more enemies, as was stated in the update, it would be weird for these enemies to NOT yield more experience.

[BSoda]

So as reward for taking the more difficult way you want it to be...easier ?

[cyberarmy]

Call me crazy, but isn't the point of this stuff that the challenge itself is the reward? It always confuses me when people ask for extra difficulty, but then want some sort of reward for playing on the extra difficult mode.

 

Personally, I play on the hardest difficulties because I enjoy the challenge, and I wouldn't want any extra reward to make it easier, as that takes away from the challenge.

 

This,

We dont need no stinkin reward, we are here for suffering and pain. Nothing rewards like completiton.

But im ok for some achivment/badge system Something to seperate us from mere mortals. MUHAHAHAHAHAHA!1!

[Tlantl]

Shouldn't it technically be less XP for each difficulty level if you really want to make each one more challenging?

According to what principle? if the game on the hardest setting it's -let's say- twice as hard, that experience bonus shouldn't make the game easier.

Just reward the player a little more, to a minor extent.

 

And I'd like to point that, as I already stated, I'm not very fond of that suggestion, but your objection sounds a bit baseless to me.

 

wouldn't adding a bonus to earned XP make reaching the highest level easier? I'd assume that becoming stronger while the game stays the same would make playing the game easier, maybe even a cake walk that negates the difficulty setting.

 

I wouldn't much care since I don't actually plan on upping the difficulty from the default setting unless the game is really easy on that setting. I'm not much of a fan of having to beat on something for twice as long as normal to simulate a harder game. That's not to say these guys are just going to lower my chance to hit and increase hit points to the extreme like many other games do but it is the easiest and most common method of making games more difficult.

[ogrezilla]

one thing I would enjoy is a mode where the difficulty is designed for high or max level characters. For a typical play through I want reasonable leveling, but I could enjoy a run through where everything is an epic battle. That bandit and his dog that attacked you at the start of the game? Ya, now its a group of warlocks and their hellspawns and I'm hurling lightning bolts and cleaving them with my great axe.

 

Given the chance to make a list of priorities for the game, this is probably on page two. but I think it'd be fun. And yes, its inspired by a similar mode in Devil May Cry. Sue me, I like action games too.

Edited September 27, 2012 by ogrezilla

[dlux]

No.

[Sensuki]

I like the extra cool items in Heart of Fury mode in the IWD series, but no extra experience please.

[Loki Ador]

Shouldn't it technically be less XP for each difficulty level if you really want to make each one more challenging?

 

Unless the reward is meant to offset the greater difficulty. I see it as a bonus for playing on a higher setting.

 

But then, why should the game reward players with an inner mechanism that was meant to make the character stronger, and thus the game easier ?

 

Some players feel the need to be rewarded for playing in hardcore mod (although I cannot really understand why, but, well...), but providing more XP is not the right way to do so.

 

Maybe some dedicated achievements ? Or something like an in-game item that would have no specific power but would only be attributed to players that complete the game in higher difficulty modes ? Such as the ring of a king, that would have no magical power but would be cool anyway ?

[Jasede]

No thank you; incentives are not required for picking difficulties, especially not if they do anything to swing the odds in my favor. Challenge is its own reward.

And no to achievements.