If you play a low difficulty, do you ever feel ashamed?

[Gulleko]

My difficulty setting depends on how good I am at that kind of game.
For example; I really suck at FPS, so on those games it's easy, going higher if it's too easy.
If it's puzzles or RPGs, I play on hard, going lower if I get my ass kicked too much...

 

[KaosuHamoni]

Erm... No?

I always play on the hardest available first time through, unless it's something ridiculous, like a mode where you get one life and no saves.

I'm not saying this to go "Oh look how good I am", it's just what I do. I enjoy playing hard games =]

 

[blizzaradragon]

What I usually do is play on normal and move up with multiple playthroughs of the game. I generally dislike playing a game on easy cause I feel like I'm either A) cheating myself out of fun or B) not playing the game as the developers intended. So far I have only played one game that I went against this mold, and that was Catherine. By Thor's hammer that is a difficult game, so first time through I needed to be on easy so I would still have hair on my head by the end of the game.

 

[Lonely Swordsman]

I wouldn't know, the only game I really play on Easy is Minecraft.

 

[Shanshu_Prophecy]

I decided a long time ago that playing everything on the highest difficulty just to prove something to myself was a waste of time. No matter what difficulty setting you use, games are meant to be "won". So whether you play on easy or super nightmare, you will eventually beat the game. I have beaten many of the original NES "Nintendo Hard" games but I found the level of frustration I had to endure playing over and over to memorize levels to beat these games outweighed the eventual accomplishment of beating them. I was just happy to never have to play it again and say that I beat it. I guess it depends on what the individual needs in order to feel they have succeeded.

I still feel some games can become too boring when you are breezing through with no challenge, but taking on the highest challenge just because? I play now to experience the game, not to be beaten down by it.

So to me, the main difference to me that difficulty makes is therefore frustration level vs. sense of accomplishment.

 

[Slenn]

Touhou 6 on easy? BAH! You can't even get the good ending if you beat it with no continues on easy! And you won't get to the final stage on easy either.

Normal is hard enough for people as it is. And I don't know when I'll get back to it and kick Remelia's @$$. Oh, I'll get you... just you wait.

 

[Argtee]

The only game that I play on the lowest difficulty is "X-Com: UFO Defense".

I'm not ashamed! That games still pretty hard on the lowest difficulty!

 

[Nightmare-Child]

Nope, I just get bored.

 

[RedMagic]

I don't think playing on easy is something to be ashamed of. If it comes down to playing easy or never being able to finish and enjoy a game, then I'd go with the former. Usually I play on easy on the first playthrough if I want to just enjoy the story without breaking the flow too much. It's on the second playthrough that I play the harder difficulty modes for the challenge and extra rewards.

 

[Smertnik]

Why would anyone feel ashamed about it? You play games for enjoyment, not to show off to somebody (at least I do). I always play on normal and switch to easy when it gets too difficult (if there's such an option, that is).

About that "playing for fun, not for challenge" thing. Are you really having fun if you can just breeze through the game without any opposition? Doesn't it get boring when you never get to accomplish anything? I honestly can't figure out that way of thinking. It's like solving a crossword puzzle by looking up every word you don't immediately know from the solution.

More like it's a puzzle in between passages of a book which doesn't let you read further until you solved it. Maybe I don't like crossword puzzles but really enjoy the book itself.

 

[AmaterasuGrim]

Nope games are meant for my enjoyment not me raging for 10hours at ai.

 

[kickyourass]

No, I don't feel ashamed, because I'd rather have something slightly too easy then something WAY too hard.

 

[Simeon Ivanov]

Not really ... if I play on Hard I usually die a lot and I feel ashamed then.

 

[Dragonpit]

Easy difficulty is just that: a difficulty. Knowing that, I don't feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable playing on easy. That said, I usually start on harder difficulties.

 

[Llil]

About that "playing for fun, not for challenge" thing. Are you really having fun if you can just breeze through the game without any opposition? Doesn't it get boring when you never get to accomplish anything? I honestly can't figure out that way of thinking. It's like solving a crossword puzzle by looking up every word you don't immediately know from the solution.

More like it's a puzzle in between passages of a book which doesn't let you read further until you solved it. Maybe I don't like crossword puzzles but really enjoy the book itself.

I can understand that in games that are all about the story, kind of. But how can you get any enjoyment from the actual gameplay if it gives you no challenge what so ever? I'm just going to use the crossword puzzle example again. Crossword puzzles are all about solving the puzzle, like games are almost all about gameplay. The gameplay in a crossword puzzle is the solving part. If you skip that, there's nothing left.

Of course I'm not trying to stop you from playing on easy difficulty if you want. I simply cannot understand why you would enjoy it.

 

[dyre]

I like the feel of being nearly as vulnerable as the mooks I'm killing, so I tend not to play on low. But if the game's being unreasonably difficult, I'll change the difficulty as required.

I do feel a bit weird doing it sometimes, like I wasn't good enough to beat it on hard, but w/e, the game won't judge me.

 

[dyre]

I like the feel of being nearly as vulnerable as the mooks I'm killing, so I tend not to play on low. But if the game's being unreasonably difficult, I'll change the difficulty as required.

I do feel a bit weird doing it sometimes, like I wasn't good enough to beat it on hard, but w/e, the game won't judge me.

EDIT: doubleposted for some reason. disregard

 

[___________________]

It's a game so who cares. You should only care if it messes with getting something from the game that you can't get if you play in a lower setting. I didn't read the other posts but I really hope no one said yes and then went to cry in a corner.

 

[Exile714]

I like to lower the difficulty (if not to the easiest setting then normal, or mid-hard) and then handicap myself. Like playing through CoD with only pistols, no dying, entire game in 3 hours (maybe not the best example, but one people can read and understand). It's all about the challenges I invent for myself. Sure, one could handicap themselves on the hardest difficulty, but it's just not as fun if it becomes too hard.

That said, I don't think you can ever really get the full experience out of a game until you beat it at its hardest.

 

[aarontg]

I like to play games on the higher difficulty unless they're particularly difficult. I had to turn don the witcher 2 and it feels like the game resented me for it as I began to rip thorough everything with little difficulty.