Difficulty balancing: a conundrum

[bobstremglav]

On 3/13/2024 at 4:32 AM, erzboesewicht said:

Obstacle placement for higher diffs is also something I approve (although I still hate Scythe Map28 ;) ).

I played Scythe only on ITYTD in coop and it still was hard, what happens on higher difficulties (death options)

[yakfak]

one invulnrosphere on hmp

no invulnrosphere on uv

thirteen invulnrospheres on hnsr \o/

[SuyaSSS]

My practice is the classic tried and true: "F around and find out"

 

Are there 2 revenants? maybe reduce them to 1 on HMP and lower, If it feels too easy then add them back for HMP. Reduce low tier enemies like imps and shotgunners and just keep the main threats around. I really don't have a rule book to follow for difficulty settings as it is going to be different based on the area surrounding the battle and the type of map that I'm making.

Edited June 12 by SuyaSSS

[magicsofa]

On 3/13/2024 at 3:36 AM, blueyosh43 said:

How often do people just not take into consideration other difficulties? When I start mapping I'm most likely just going to flag everything to appear on every difficulty. I'd rather just make my intended vision and have it at that, I'm not interested in compromising or adding stuff. What's the consensus on this? 

 

Fairly often, but as a critic I would say that the map is incomplete. The only changes to gameplay occur on ITYTD (double ammo, half damage taken) and NM (double ammo, fast monsters). If you don't implement difficulty flags then HNTR, HMP, and UV are all exactly the same experience. Your vision is not going to suffer from adding a few health packs or removing a few token monsters.

Of course, what you do is completely up to you, and if you're not interested in making a complete map then that's your call. But from a critical standpoint, a map without difficulty settings shouldn't pass QC

[Li'l devil]

HNTR: place barons

HMP: place more barons

UV: place even more barons, only give the player the shotgun and the chaingun

Edited June 13 by Li'l devil

[Scypek2]

I also like to take continuous play into account. On HMP, my maps should be fun and challenging from pistol start. On UV, my maps should be fun and challenging in a continuous playthrough and survivable on UV. And I don't mean survivable on a blind run.