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From: JAB <noway@nochance.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: What difficultly level do you play one?
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 2024 21:46:05 +0100
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On 07/07/2024 16:15, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
> On 7/7/2024 2:23 AM, JAB wrote:
>> This one came up on a channel for table top miniatures games but they 
>> did also talk about computer games. Now of course this is all personal 
>> preference as there's no right way to enjoy games but the main thrust 
>> of the argument was that the advantage of playing on easy mode (in the 
>> TT context that was interchangeable with social) was it gives you a 
>> lot more scope to be creative and play the game how you want and just 
>> try things out to see what happens.
>>
>> That's certain how I approach CRPG's. I don't want to go through 
>> numerous guides on how to build an optimal character, I want to pick 
>> what I fancy playing. My general strategy is start on normal mode and 
>> if it all becomes too much, which it often does as the game progresses 
>> and your character/party becomes progressively less optimal, change it 
>> to easy mode and carry on.
>>
>> One of the interesting parts they said is that if you're effectively 
>> going to use someone else's build then what not just watch them 
>> playing the game. Obviously that's a bit of hyperbole but I can 
>> understand their point.
>>
>> So for me, yep I play on easy mode.
>>
> I'm much the same.  I've had too much stress in my life and am getting 
> to old to be in a constant adrenaline rush playing a game.  I'm not 
> playing to prove anything, I'm playing to have fun and relax.
> 

Even as early as Silent Hunter III my enjoyment for the 'difficult' 
parts was waning. So although I had a lot of the realism settings in 
place I did switch off having to do the torpedo targetting calculations 
yourself as that was a step over the line from enjoyable to painful. It 
also really took away the feeling of being in the middle of a battle.

Strange really as when I look back at say Dungeon Master part of the fun 
was getting the graph paper out and making a map. Possibly games have 
swung too much they other way were it can feel like you're playing 
follow the quest marker. Another one I don't like is kneel behind a wall 
to recover health or the ability to 'long rest' in the middle of a dungeon.