games

Some games can easily scale with difficulty so it does not matter if there is options

Difficulty in this sort of rpg comes down to what your build is and if you exploit weaknesses, which is the best way to do it

For action rpgs I don’t really see a point for difficulty settings

all difficulty does in most games is "enemies do more damage and have more health"

I can't find really a good argument for difficulty settings. Likewise, I can't really find a good argument against difficulty settings.

which is lame anyways

Besides if it takes up development time that could be placed elsewhere.

For Fire Emblem Fates pika, the harder difficulties are very fine tuned and well made based around characters

I mean, features are features. If you want to make some feature, it cannot devalue the game, only be neutral

I mean I agree pika should be forced to play on lunatic no phoenix for all fire emblem games

For most games though

If there is no thought put in

fire emblem difficulty is retarded

lunatic fates is a real game

*lunatic fates conquest

In WoW & FFXIV, different levels of difficulty in raids aren't just numerically different, they're also mechanically different, but an MMO is a bit different than a primarily single-player game.

MMO difficulties actually make sense imo

you don't want to have to do hard tier mechanics with absolute spergs

True, they also tell you which things to avoid if you play games properly and avoid powergaming

I agree with bopit

And yet LFR in WoW is actually harder to clear than with a raid finder group on normal, sometimes even heroic, because you have to have SOME type of communication to put together even a normal mode raid.

in all the FromSoft games, if you really need an easy mode, just load up cheat engine

not true

Just use guides

LFR is literally made for people who want to go AFK

This is all deviating from my original question, though

Just play with gyro like they intended

you get a buff every time you wipe

and there are 0 mechanics that are

one person fucked up now the whole raid dies

like in tiers above

The question was, is there really a good argument for or against difficulty settings, permitting it's not eating up dev time that could be spent elsewhere?

In a primarily single player game?

yes

I think there should be an option for me to spend 3000000000 hours playing conquest on lunatic

There is no problem with having difficulty options

A good difficulty adds player retention and potential more thoughtfulness required from the player

An easy mode would absolutely ruin fromsoft games

strategy games especially should have a difficulty

metroid dread is a good example

so braindead retards can enjoy the game

the game is fucking hard, playing it on normal first then hard is a good experience

and its almost designed for that

but the real audience can enjoy what they came for

a strategy game

easy phoenix mode should exist for the people who want waifu sim

Okay, let me rephrase the question for you guys besides Pika:

I think having a "this is hard, but doable" and then a "this is hard, and if you do not really understand the game mechanics you cannot progress at all" modes are good

Is there a good reason for or against there not being a "hard mode" difficulty setting, above normal.

the game would make more money if it could be marketed to a bigger audience

Yes

Because I see: "Easy will ruin it, no point for easy," etc

I don't evenm know how you would implement an easy mode to fromsoft games though

That's not actually explaining anything.

pheonix mode is the best way to play fire emblem

the easy mode is essentially using summons

otherwise

you can grind souls

and enhance your gear

other than lazy permadeath modes, which aren't really "hard" in the traditional sense I don't think most balance scales very well, it'll feel good in parts, it'll feel bad in parts

to tune the content for yourself

@Lute You're completely missing what I'm saying.

I was more hitting on gent's point

I'd rather a dev design an intended experience, and then let people just cheat/mod themselves to have +50% health/dmg if it's too hard for them

The answer is most games are dogshit and poorly made and so difficulty shouldn’t exist

All games should be 5 hour cutscenes

how would you make an easier version of dark souls

Bopit

Make bosses have actual tells without fake outs

It’s annoying having to parse out the “definitive” way to play the game then having arguments online about how you didn’t do the right difficulty setting

you would need to msake the boss have less paterns and their attack be less punishing

that you can realistically beat the first try by paying attention

open up cheat engine, give yourself +50% dmg dealt, -50% dmg recieved

done

and not through trial and error

But beyond that something like souls is meant to be difficult and punishing ti reflect the world you’re in

that is

the laziest way to implement difficulty

Because if there was an easier difficulty, where enemies had less health or did less damage or some trash mobs were removed, you can still use summons, grind souls, enhance your gear, etc.

that's the ONLY way to implement difficulty