Hard mode is too easy (part 2)

[LadyCrimson]

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Is hard mode "too easy" for you but PotD isn't what you want either?  Discuss!

[Matt516]

So... how bout that "PotD enemy types and numbers, but no inflated stats" difficulty level? Anyone got the modding chops to pull this off?

 

I say this without having played PotD yet, so take that as you will. Might be that PotD is just the right amount of difficulty for me - though I'll still hate that most things I learned on Hard will be invalid due to the stupidly inflated stats. I'd much rather just have more numerous and more difficult enemies.

[PBJam]

I don't think hard mode is too easy, but for those who do, maybe options can include some setting such as monster HP multiplier, monster density, monster level bonus, etc

Edited April 12, 2015 by PBJam

[View619]

So... how bout that "PotD enemy types and numbers, but no inflated stats" difficulty level? Anyone got the modding chops to pull this off?

 

I say this without having played PotD yet, so take that as you will. Might be that PotD is just the right amount of difficulty for me - though I'll still hate that most things I learned on Hard will be invalid due to the stupidly inflated stats. I'd much rather just have more numerous and more difficult enemies.

 

FWIW, I'm playing through POTD now and it seems to provide some challenge (Act 1 atm). The inflated stats just make debuffs and buffs matter imo, vs hard where I used them just because. It still has the AI path-finding and engagement issues, of course.

 

Take a look and see if the difficulty is right for you, at least until OE adjusts "Hard" mode.

Edited April 12, 2015 by View619

[ruzen]

(to be continue from last posts)

I think because of the repetitive combat* people really get borred by the game and that couse the most of the dissapointment about the story. Is deep lore wasted? Yes. Especially in Drywood but essentially there is so little going on in living places. Yes visuals and music is amazingly well. The writing is there; I think Its very well writen and edited. Maybe content wasnt quite there? There is not epic things going on but I feel its fitting more...but items and abilities are lacking epicness. There is really no joy selling 1000 items to vendor. It feels like Diablo. I quite enjoyed game and I really think Its a good game but after "some" time, game gets really repetitive.

 

*repetitive combat: Game throws you horde style enemies and there are other boss fights doesnt feels epic anymore because in %70 fights you fight with hordes. Also no real changing between enemy types and higher difficulty could give "mobs" more ability to use.

Edited April 12, 2015 by ruzen

[ComplyOrDie]

I wouldn't want a mode between hard and PotD to be looked at ahead of upping PotD, but I think enemy accuracy and ai scripting should be the priority for both modes which should add some much needed depth. I also like the idea of radicalising some enemy resistances and abilities. Let's make those slimes really pierce resistant and give them a nasty poison or something etc. (min damage might get in the way of the resistance) many encounters currently quite samey. And let's sort the enemy human parties out so they are actually a threat! Clearly don't touch normal etc. no need for this.

Edited April 12, 2015 by ComplyOrDie

[demeisen]

The more I play, I'm realizing that hard is about right for me at its hardest, so I don't really want to up the difficulty of the nastiest fights.  However, it's much too easy in the most common cases, such as through most of the main plot.

 

That makes PoD not a good fit for me.  I want the floor raised, but the ceiling left alone.

[Matt516]

The more I play, I'm realizing that hard is about right for me at its hardest, so I don't really want to up the difficulty of the nastiest fights.  However, it's much too easy in the most common cases, such as through most of the main plot.

 

That makes PoD not a good fit for me.  I want the floor raised, but the ceiling left alone.

 

Same here. Most encounters are simply right click-able, then every once in a while there's a really fun boss fight.

[Elgyn]

Number one want: Give me Sword Coast Stratagems level AI.

A few other things I'd like:

 

* Smaller groups of highly skilled opponents, compared to zerg waves.

 

* More complex/flexible magic/chant/focus/etc.. system. (DLC requirement I'm sure.) Bring the spell duels of BG/IWD back. We have firearms in this game to keep it from being oppressive to people who dislike that.

* Single user stealth options, and more hidden-type ambushing enemies.

* I hate to use the term mini-boss as it brings up the wrong idea for some people, but I want to see those creatures that aren't quite a Dragon fight, but it takes your entire party to deal with just one of them.

* ACTUAL traps/puzzles. I didn't run into anything that didn't seem like a-b-c-solve. I want something (probably best used as an optional zone) that is more puzzle-solving and thinking things out that popping aoe's into the hordes of critters.

* A big threat that makes upgrading the keep and hiring defenders have a payoff. A really good end of 'quest-line' fight for the upgraded Keep, not counting Od Nua (which I loved).

[NoQuitt]

Number one want: Give me Sword Coast Stratagems level AI.

 

I know nothing of programming AI. Is something like this really complicated and difficult to do? Does it demand too much time and resources from the developers? I'm playing through SCS for the first time and loving the AI. 

[Elgyn]

 

Number one want: Give me Sword Coast Stratagems level AI.

 

I know nothing of programming AI. Is something like this really complicated and difficult to do? Does it demand too much time and resources from the developers? I'm playing through SCS for the first time and loving the AI. 

 

I don't know enough to give you an honest answer other than I *think* for someone who understands how to program a video game, it's probably not that hard as fan modders have improved the AI of many video games, so I would think people actually making the games would have the same experience/talents at the very least.

 

For time/cost, I dunno. If they are making expansions, it seems like something they could easily roll into one of them and be the perfect time to do so. A 'tactical' difficulty setting or some such, so people who just want the story or do not want to micro-manage at the level SCS requires could simply avoid.

[Shevek]

I doubt we wll get SCS for this game since they are not using Unity 5 and, thus, a potential modder wont have access to a legit free version of Unity to mod things with.

 

I also dont think a SCS like mod is the answer either. The easiest way to fix the difficulty curve is to...

 

1) Nerf bounty XP

2) Rebalance critical path content to level 10 rather than level 8.

 

I would suggest that OE should consider SIGNIFICANTLY upping certain enemy resistances to certain attacks. Slimes shouldnt be able to be blinded easily. Flying enemies should be MUCH harder to make prone. Etc etc. I don't advocate immunities but higher resistances (which you can still debuff) seems fair.

[ioci]

i wish the enemy can be more organized. for example, when you r attacking raedrics hold, as one group of guards start to engage your men, they could also call the others guards near by, even they havent spotted you yet, so that your single encounter could be more challenging with a ration, and the player wont be able to use those filthy strategic anymore.

AI should have more man power too, so that they could flank the player easier, and the flank penalty should include a percentage of total deflection with a minimum value, so say good bye to tank & big gun style.

[View619]

Well, I'm sure they'll do something regarding the lack of difficulty, this thread has branched off into a second part after all. Honestly, it shouldn't be very difficult to do.

Edited April 12, 2015 by View619

[PIP-Clownboy]

 

For time/cost, I dunno. If they are making expansions, it seems like something they could easily roll into one of them and be the perfect time to do so. A 'tactical' difficulty setting or some such, so people who just want the story or do not want to micro-manage at the level SCS requires could simply avoid.

 

 

For those people, Normal/Easy exist. Hard should actually be 'hard'. 

[Elgyn]

I doubt we wll get SCS for this game since they are not using Unity 5 and, thus, a potential modder wont have access to a legit free version of Unity to mod things with.

 

I also dont think a SCS like mod is the answer either. The easiest way to fix the difficulty curve is to...

Well, I meant more along the lines of SCS-type behavior. Not actually SCS modded by DavidW for Pillars.

 

I halfway agree as I would like to see xp slowed down, but I still would love to see smarter enemies/targeting patterns and more dangerous spellcasters. 

[Justinian]

I hope Obsidian have been working on solutions for the difficulty problem for a while now and are simply waiting on patch 1.05 to roll them out.

 

I can't wait to get back into the game but I refuse to play until this difficulty fiasco is sorted out.

[tinderbox]

As someone who participated early in the first thread ... I do feel that the difficulty level is gradually decreasing as I progress through the game. I think I'm deep into act two now: I just took out the Sanitarium challenge and am wandering around Dyrford doing the stuff from the backer beta.

 

I noticed that finishnig the Sanitarium that while attrition was steady, it was never really dangerous, even though my party started in a bad initial position for the encounter and I was able to play my way out of it without too much difficulty. Primarily, the paralysis attack of my PC cipher is proving really powerful.

 

I was able to use it to great effect in the spider cave at Dyford Crossing, esp in the boss fight against the spider queen. I think that length of paralysis needs to be shorter. Or it needs to be a higher-level mind ability so the cost to use is higher.

 

Poison damage against your characters is not nearly as threatening either and that curtails the threat of spiders and wood beetles an awful lot.

 

I noticed a similar tendency within the backer beta when I played it through just before the end. Hitting level seven and eight, the BB content is a bit too easy.

 

Act 1 seems to be really well balanced for challenge. Act 2 is less so.

[Killyox]

I was a bit disappointed to find that monsters only differed in stats and skills but not special characteristics. Why not make so that you can't Blind skeletons for example or that jellies are immune to sicken and so on. Would further force to develop new tactics depending on the fight.

 

I would love to have POTD number of monsters without stat increase which I do find a bit cheesy, altough not that hard

[Namutree]

So... how bout that "PotD enemy types and numbers, but no inflated stats" difficulty level? Anyone got the modding chops to pull this off?

 

This is what I want too.

[Namutree]

I was a bit disappointed to find that monsters only differed in stats and skills but not special characteristics. Why not make so that you can't Blind skeletons for example or that jellies are immune to sicken and so on. Would further force to develop new tactics depending on the fight.

 

With luck new enemies in the expansion will be like this.

[Lmaoboat]

I was just about ready to turn the difficulty up to hard when ogre druids. 

[Hebruixe]

 

So... how bout that "PotD enemy types and numbers, but no inflated stats" difficulty level? Anyone got the modding chops to pull this off?

 

I say this without having played PotD yet, so take that as you will. Might be that PotD is just the right amount of difficulty for me - though I'll still hate that most things I learned on Hard will be invalid due to the stupidly inflated stats. I'd much rather just have more numerous and more difficult enemies.

 

FWIW, I'm playing through POTD now and it seems to provide some challenge (Act 1 atm). The inflated stats just make debuffs and buffs matter imo, vs hard where I used them just because. It still has the AI path-finding and engagement issues, of course.

 

Take a look and see if the difficulty is right for you, at least until OE adjusts "Hard" mode.

 

 

PotD is quite good up until about level 10. The fights are challenging (sometimes nerve wracking) but not unfair or punishing. Of course, I'm assuming you always have a tank and healer in your party.

[Fun3z]

I played my game through on normal and then after I finished everything, returned back and killed the last boss on hard difficulty.. in one try.

 

Full melee party expect my main who is ranger, just used dps potions, 3 summon items, priest crit buff and maybe 2-3 heals and the fight was over.

 

Started new game on potd, early levels 2-4 were tough but now after level 6-7 the game is just way too easy, party is of course fully optimized and min maxed to my view of "perfection". I'm sure I will have some difficulty with big groups of shades and the few toughest fights but the rest has been just faceroll. Most of this is because the fact that you only need one tactic to beat 99% of the fights, you don't need to adapt or change strategies.. just tank and spank your way through everything.

[Eurhetemec]

Start of previous/original thread

Last page of previous thread

 

Is hard mode "too easy" for you but PotD isn't what you want either?  Discuss!

 

Feels kind of odd that a moderator seems to be saying the only opinion allowed here is "Hard mode is too easy", but I'm guessing I'm reading it too literally!

 

Anyway, assuming other opinions are allowed, I would say that Hard mode is not too easy, but I can totally see why people think that it is. I've played the whole game on Hard, and I've found it adequately challenging, about as challenging as other CRPGs on Hard-type settings. As someone who has been playing CRPGs since 1986 or so, it seems reasonable to start on Hard and I usually do.

 

Anyway, the two issues that stuck out for me as possibly making people think Hard wasn't hard enough seem to be:

 

1) If you have a reasonably optimized party (good choices, good equipment), you don't really need to use consumables, they just make things a lot easier and extend your endurance considerably.

 

2) Making a reasonable optimized party does not require reading lots of guides and searching for arcane secrets, it requires understanding how the game works and reading what abilities do. For me, this is a good thing, but I know some people don't feel "challenged" unless they have to look stuff up out-of-game.

 

The other issue is that there should probably be something between Hard and PotD, where monsters are "overcharged", but not in giant packs like PotD. Of course then people would be complaining that was too easy, because chain-CC'ing enemies could work. Unless part of it was reducing the effectiveness of CC or something.