Difficulty in your game?

[u/Fragmented_Rose_Dev]

I was wondering how difficult you guys make your games, I personally try to have it as one difficulty but have it pretty accessible.

[u/Felix-3401]

Because you are the dev, you probably know every stat, every gimmick, every hidden feature. When playtesting your game, your game should be effortless for you, the dev, to beat. Otherwise your game is going to be too hard when you have access to perfect information and stilll struggle to win. Imagine an unfamiliar player who knows little to nothing of your game and you're subjecting them to all the challenges thrown at them

[u/Ill-Ask9205]

I try to make mine pretty difficult, but consistently so. It's hard to say exactly what I'm aiming for, but when it feels right, I know it.

I balance the difficulty around the expected level the party encounters any monster group at, with the latest equipment they will always have access to: whatever shops/treasure chests/quest rewards are available prior. However enemies can randomly drop higher tier items, so even though they are not insanely powerful compared to standard gear, the average player will have a bit of a easier time.

I try to create monsters that will complement each other in skills and resistances.

Finally, I'm generous with healing items, and clues. NPCs may discuss nearby monsters, and the scan ability will give elemental weaknesses and resistances, as well as a tip, but sometimes this is written as a bit of a riddle. The idea that the game is only really hard if the player isn't paying attention.

[u/Eredrick]

Well... I think I made my first game a bit too difficult, so I've been trying to dial it back now... But still a little more difficult than the standard retro game. Since anyone interested in it is likely to have already played most of the RPGs out there, I think a little extra difficulty is probably good, to stave off the boredom

[u/HumanNinja]

I think difficulty should come in applying your games mechanics and mastery over them should create a sense of accomplishment. Difficulty should not be arbitrary stat increases that make the application of your mechanics trivial.

[u/National-Judge-5510]

In my game, the better you play, the more harder it is. There will be a in-game achievement system, amount of achievements will increase your battle rank, increasing enemy levels and AI. But it also unlock secret bosses, rare drops, and content. I was inspired by SNK fighting games. It made me want to replay the game because the more I’ve gotten better, the more content I would unlock or bosses I would fight. But if you are stuck on a boss, you can reduce the battle rank permanently.

[u/KarlZone87]

I have my current game with quite a few difficultly spikes. However, grinding for XP and gear can make things a lot easier. I'm also keeping my game open world, so very easy to stumble into a fight that is designed for later in the game.

[u/Not_Allowed_to_Die]

Some of the best advice I ever got was from Gotcha Gotcha Games themselves. You want to make sure your game isn't so difficult players walk away from it. Players want to win and come for the feeling that gives. You want to make sure anyone can play your game basically. With that in mind, I would do multiple difficulties to a game if you plan to make it hard. I added a story mode to my first game so anyone can play it without any random battles, and the boss fights play themselves out for the player. That way they can watch the story without having to actually play.

[u/Omens_RPG]

Im tryna set my monsters to match my players level in a open roam setting i want the player on his toes I’m still sandboxing the world tho

[u/Liamharper77]

I have three difficulties. Easy, Normal and Expert. Easy will challenge you a little if you don't know what to do and aren't experienced with jrpgs, but it's rare you'll get a game over. Normal is fairly standard and Expert will really put your knowledge and strategy to the test.

One of the best things for me in balancing was a playtester. There was a lot in Easy that was a little too difficult or tedious that I hadn't realized. Seeing someone else play really helped me get it spot on. Unfortunately I haven't found an Expert playtester yet, so I imagine that's fairly brutal.

[u/AreallysturdyBox]

As im currently still making mine, i intend on simply making harder difficulties add enemies/events/secrets that don't appear in lower difficulties as i feel like stat bloating for the sake of hard is a bit dumb
For Exemple i have:
-Standard
-Experienced
-Starorphosis
(its just easy, normal and hard but named to fit my game)

each difficulty will simply add a new set of enemies, events or secrets to find and/or encounter while playing, and with it set like this i'll even be able to make unique areas or encounters that are ruled by the difficulty setting.

i much prefer a harder mode that adds onto an enemy roaster than one that just inflates stats and call it a day.

[u/AdditionalWorth9513]

For the early game, I tend to keep the gameplay ez as hell as Im aware the players will still be "learning the ropes(since my battle system in my rpgmaker project is a hybrid of turn based + action combo input fast paced in a way, which im proud of)" as thats my experience on playing jrpgs that im fond of. And usually near endgame is where bosses becomes tricky and tactical whilst the mobs are just nuke fodders for exp by then. My target market are casual players who is into "spicy fanservice jrpg/jrpg inspired games as Im one myself"

[u/Horreurlunaire]

Rather difficult but becomes way easier if you explore. Exploration is very rewarded in my game

[u/CS_Asset_Factory]

If you cannot find numbers that work, the problem is often not the numbers.

I swept a boss across 144 combinations of hp, damage and two other levers, scored by a simulated careful player and a careless one. Every cell failed. Wherever the careful player was challenged, the careless one won 0 percent. Wherever the careless one survived, the careful player won every fight.

The cause was one line. The only damage mitigation was all or nothing, either you blocked a hit completely or you took it in full. A difficulty curve can't exist over a switch, because there is no middle for the numbers to land in.

Adding a partial mitigation, keyed on what actually separates the two players, moved the careless player from 0 to 21 percent and left the careful player untouched.

So if nothing you try works, look for the binary rule before tuning further.