[Request] Itemized Difficulty Settings - Let's Make Everyone Happy

RomulanPaladin

In the original games, we had a single slider that controlled the difficulty settings. I like the slider, we should keep it. However, once that slider has been set, an advanced option page for difficulty should also be available so that we can tweak the individual components and mix-and-match effects of different difficulty settings. This will allow the designers to include many features that are important to some people but not universally popular such as full HP every level or a nerfed wild magic table.

Things that could / should be available to tweak individually:

1.) Monster damage modifications (the standard difficulty slider included this)

2.) Full HP / rolled HP

3.) Wild surges: Increased chance / normal chance / normal chance BUT uses less aggressive table (for those who bemoan the stronger effects of the surge table) / normal chance BUT surged spells simply fail - no effects.

4.) Learn spells automatically / normally

5.) Yes / No permanent death

6.) Normal duration for disabling spells / reduced duration / reduced duration AND charm and confusion effects cause characters to do nothing instead.

Anything else? What should we be able to tweak individually as far as difficulty or other options go?

Edvin

Friendly fire ? ( by spells )

kiros

The one thing I don't agree with when it comes to the slider, is that increasing the difficulty causes enemies to inflict more damage.
I would much prefer it to increase AI as opposed to just buffing everything.

elminster

Yea I agree better ai should be a part of difficulty increases.

Brude

I'd love for something like SCS to be available at the far end of the slider.

@RomulanPaladin Full HP, 100% scribing, and no chunking is already handled by the slider in the current game.

RomulanPaladin

Brude said:

@RomulanPaladin Full HP, 100% scribing, and no chunking is already handled by the slider in the current game.

Yes, but the point is that the slider is crude; you must accept all properties of that setting. The suggestion is that an option to separate these settings is available. That way we can have a core rules setting + full HP or some other combination not predefined.

Bercon

2) I'd add "average HP" for those of us who desire more balanced throughways without randomness in character progression. (For mage this would be 2.5 hit points per level + constitution bonus etc. So +2 hp on odd levels and +3 on even levels + const)

From what i've understood switching between different AIs with a button is not that easy to implement so lets just leave all that for SCS as it is now.

I'd also might include option for destroying loot with spells on/off (petrification, disintegration and freezing can destroy loot afaik).

Debaser

I do really like this idea a lot. I think having more selectable options for difficulty would really add to replay value.

Dee

5) Personally, I'd rather implement a change where no death is permanent, but if you want to raise someone at a temple, you have to carry their body. Create an inventory icon for each NPC that weighs somewhere comparable to what that NPC would actually weigh (100 lbs for Imoen, 220 for Minsc, etc.), and make the player tote the NPC back to town for a Raise Dead.

I'd still allow a "true resurrection" type deal, where you can raise someone even without the body, but I'd require a Diamond (just a regular old diamond gemstone), and increase the cost enormously.