Current Events > How do you feel about Dynamic Difficulty in games?

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Dynamic Difficulty is when the game secretly makes itself easier or harder depending on your performance. The Devs want you to enjoy the game so they adjust the difficulty of the game as you play to accomplish this. How do you feel about this?

I personally hate it. If I want to beat a hard level, I want to beat it at its peak difficulty. I dont want it to get easier under the hood

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Hate it. EA games do it all the time to "simulate real world conditions".

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God Hand did it perfectly

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Re4 did it well

Nothing else did

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I don't mind it too much, but I do feel that it should be optional.

If it's optional, sure. I've taken to playing games on easier difficulties lately - the experience/cathartic power trip (hello, Doom Eternal) is becoming more fun for me than the challenge - and some days I just feel like kicking ass and taking names.

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ArianaGrandSlam posted...

Dont love it, honestly. I want to overcome a challenge when Im playing something, not have it lowered for me. Also dont really love being punished for doing well.

Bump

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Only game I recall that had it was RE4

Mainly in areas with a crap ton of enemies, like the Water Room.

Sometimes a axe throw will do like 3 bars of damage, then other times it'll barely do one from the same enemy.

It's weird

Rubberbanding is stupid game design

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It's good, as long as it isn't noticeable.

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CalypsoDoom posted...

wow that's actually how the rn licensure exam works (kind of)

And the GRE, LSAT, etc. Which is fucked up, because those systems are really easy to game.

In games? It depends, I guess. I love RE4.

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I feel conflicted about it, but am mostly not in favor for it, especially if the game doesn't notify the player about it and is always in effect and cannot be deactivated. It's artificial difficulty added mainly to more heavily punish the player for doing well and thus should be optional, or just reserved for higher difficulties.

Its dumb. If youre going to have difficulty adjustments, it should be up to player choice. Last thing Id want is a realization that I got a pity win because Im so trash at the game.

PowerOats posted...

Only game I recall that had it was RE4

Mainly in areas with a crap ton of enemies, like the Water Room.

Sometimes a axe throw will do like 3 bars of damage, then other times it'll barely do one from the same enemy.

It's weird

Thar is the only game you are aware of that does it. Im pretty sure the Devs actually said they did this. Most games dont tell you. Also, how much you want to bet that multiplayer games do this too? Im not talking about SBMM either


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If it's the default difficulty I think it's fine. I believe this is what happened in Max Payne. But it should be optional.

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I like it when done well. For example, Mega Man Legends 2 has multiple Diggers License Exams which have you run through a straightforward dungeon with pre-set equipment and a time limit. If you succeed you get a higher ranked license which gives you access to a new optional dungeons, and makes the game harder, but also makes enemies drop more money. The way that Resident Evil 4 and Left 4 Dead do it is also good. In a game like Dark Souls, however, it would be a bad choice.

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The23rdMagus posted...

If it's optional, sure. I've taken to playing games on easier difficulties lately - the experience/cathartic power trip (hello, Doom Eternal) is becoming more fun for me than the challenge - and some days I just feel like kicking ass and taking names.

Agreed. Absolutely hate it in sports games though, where the AI just blatantly cheats if you're doing too well.