Do you ever lower the difficulty?

[escapistraptor]

I used to always play games on easy first, just to explore the game itself, then up the difficultly accordingly. But due to mocking by friends, I've started starting at the normal level. I did slip back once though, when I first got L4D2, an experienced friend and I both got killed by a Tank on the second mission. I totally played the rest of the game offline and on easy after that so I could know what to expect from the missions.

 

[VampiresDontSparkle]

I, uh, always play on the easiest mode available.

>.>

 

[oreopizza47]

Nowadays, I start out easy, and then ramp up as fast as possible after the first playthrough. This is mostly due to the fact that I am an insufferable Trophy-whore and most games nowadays have Trophies for beating the game on a high difficulty. Before the advent of Trophies/Achievements, I would do the same, but for the sake of bonus content, not Trophies. Ah, the sweet naivety of youth, how I doth miss thee... erm, I mean, damn there are way to many Trophies and not enough time.

 

[Omikron009]

I never, ever lower the difficulty, even if it means serious frustration for me. It usually doesn't, but there have been times when I've come close to doing so. Most often in Dragon Age.

 

[aether-x3]

Dragon Age is just mean, I too got to the first ogre and just couldnt do it so I turned it to casual and have played on casual ever since.

I most likely play on easy. Its good for when you just want to get through a game without having to die alot. L4D/2 is an exception, I play them on Normal, Only use easy for achievement-whoring. I generally suck at games in general so Im fine with Easy.

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

I think games that are all about outrageous destruction should be played on the lowest difficulty for maximum obliteration as a rule. It's just more fun and gives you that warm fuzzy maniacal feeling.

Nah, im not too sure about that. Have you played [PROTOTYPE]?

Alex Mercer is pretty much a powerhouse when it comes to causing destruction and slaughter on massive scales as it is, and I found that the hardest difficulty setting made the game decently difficult as opposed to ridiculously easy.

After all, the guy can shrug off bullets (they don't do much damage at all individually) hijack an attack helicopter in mid air and even smash the crap out of a battletank with his bare (albeit shapeshifted/mutated) hands. If I have those powers at my disposal then any further "handicap" certainly shouldn't be necessary.

 

[WonderWillard]

I hate lowering the difficulty mid-game. I feel like it's a sign of weakness. I had to do it in Dragon Age though, I started with it on normal and had to drop down to casual in the circle of magi tower. My old school RPG skills were a bit rusty.

 

[Yomandude]

I usually play on Normal difficulty, then again on the hardest if there are trophies for it.

This.
Beating some games on the hardest mode for me can be crazy. I can start throwing the controller and all that. I recently tried beating Bioshock 2 on Hard without any of the Vita-Chambers, and this is how it went:
La-di-da, oh, this difficulty's a bit different. I guess I should use cover a bit more. Oh, no, the Big Sister killed me. I guess I'll reload another 50 times trying to beat THE SAME F***ING BIG SISTER STUPID MOTHER FU
Same with Just Cause 2. Normal even made me want to have an aneurysm.
But some games do difficulty settings well. Reach appealed to me a ton by making the "Monument" achievement not undoable, but all your wits are needed about you.

 

[WolfThomas]

Am I the only one who had to turn up the difficulty in Dragon Age? That said in games like that I obsess over the stats and party management, till it's a well oiled killing machine.

But usually I start on normal and rarely change it.

 

[daftalchemist]

I used to always play games on easy first, just to explore the game itself, then up the difficultly accordingly. But due to mocking by friends, I've started starting at the normal level. I did slip back once though, when I first got L4D2, an experienced friend and I both got killed by a Tank on the second mission. I totally played the rest of the game offline and on easy after that so I could know what to expect from the missions.

I used to always play on easy as well due to lack of confidence and because I really didn't care either way. But once I started dating my current boyfriend, he kept egging me on to just try normal difficulty, and now I feel like a newb loser if I think of going down to easy at all. For instance, just tonight I restarted The Witcher on easy mode. I tried fighting The Beast at least 10 times, and decided to just restart on easy to make my life easier. Then he starts asking me if I have any interest in playing any games on normal difficulty anymore. Thanks to the replies from this thread, I felt very confident in saying that I will be putting any game that gets too frustrating down to easy so that I can continue fitting games into my schedule.

 

[C95J]

Sometimes on Normal difficulty, mostly on the highest and NEVER any lower than average.

I like a challenge.

 

[daftalchemist]

Am I the only one who had to turn up the difficulty in Dragon Age? That said in games like that I obsess over the stats and party management, till it's a well oiled killing machine.

But usually I start on normal and rarely change it.

My boyfriend played through it on hard. I think it had to do with him being a fighter. I was a mage, and that first ogre was just impossible. I went in with another mage and Alistair. Alistair held his own for a short while, but that second mage just went down in an instant, and I only had enough mana to cast one spell. It was ridiculous.

 

[Iron Lightning]

I only lower the difficulty if I'm absolutely convinced that the level in question is impossible to beat without lowering the difficulty (as can happen in several RPGs.)

 

[Chaosthief]

I tend to play on the most moderate difficulty there is, or easier. I've always had a bit of a god complex and generally like to dominate a game, but I lack the attention span to improve much to cope with difficulty. I'm less picky if I'm on multiplayer, thankfully. ^_^;

 

[RatRace123]

I used to start at easy but now I start every game at normal, just decided it was time to man up.
Though with Dragon Age I actually upped the difficulty to hard, I hate saying this it makes me sound like a tool, but I just got too good at the tactical combat. Things were actually lacking challenge, so I upped the difficulty.

I never lower difficulty, though. I refuse to let games beat me. I will not bow to you games, YOU WILL BOW TO ME!!!

 

[DustyDrB]

I usually start games on Hard. I don't go below that often.

But I went to - commence humiliation - easy in Dragon Age when I went up against Gaxkang. All I could think when I finally beat him (after many deaths. Yes, even one on easy) is Why can't I have this guy on my team?

 

[secondcircle]

I almost always play through games on their easiest level first. If I like the game enough I'll go through it on the harder levels when I play it again.

 

[ReaperzXIII]

Never I play it on the hardest difficulty, stop playing for months for no reason, come back and finish the game.

This has not gone well for Ninja Gaiden 2

 

[Trebort]

I always play on Easy, always.

I want to relax and play a game, not sweat like a nun in a brothel and struggle my way through.

Gaming for me means relaxing.

 

[Wiiiiiiilliam]

No I would feel like too much of a ***** if I lowered it.

Although I did start Reach on legendary and had to force myself to bring it down to heroic about 3 missions in.