[Request] More/Advanced Difficulty Options
HeroicSpur
Member Posts: 907
Many players returning to, or coming to BG will be looking for a new challenge. While BG can be difficult, with some 'strategies' (read minor exploits), the game can be quite easy. Having the option for a greater challenge is therefore, I would say, very important.
The first point to be made is that the ideal world solution is that the AI be made much better. AI is something integral to the game, and improvements should exist at all levels (the difference between easy and hard should not be what the ai does, but how effectively it does it). Unfortunately, judging by the astonishing number of games with terrible ai, chances of this aren't great. But it is the ideal solution.
The next point about difficulty is that rule-compliant options should be available and introduced preferentially.
Once those two avenues are exhausted we are reduced to 'standard' difficulty options.
Seeing as Trent mentioned the possibility implementing some of the stuff from Sword Coast Strategies, I think it would be nice to see some of these options avaiable in an 'advanced difficulty' sub-menu (i.e. in the bgconfig.exe file).
The first question to ask is how higher difficulty should be implemented, should it be a new difficulty notch added to the slider? or should it be a sub-menu in some advanced options allowing players to customise it? or both?
The second question to ask is what exactly 'higher difficulty' should entail. Seeing as 'higher difficulty' has been thrown around a lot, I've suggested some of the options that might include:
1. Enemies pre-buff (select either off, partial or fully, i.e. enemy groups cast all their buff spells automatically as you approach)
2. Higher enemy HP (at varying levels, possibly also option for 'max hp' for monsters, so all enemies have the equivalent of max hp on level).
3. Dangerous Wizards (enemy spellcasters have access to higher level spells than usual)
4. Higher damage (higher than the extra already offered by 'insane'
5. Better AI (I'm loathe to put this here as there is no reason for ai not be better at any level of the game, but you never know...)
6. Enhanced monsters (provides some of the SCS buffs to monsters, e.g. faster bears)
7. Expensive world (all shop prices are increased by an amount, and sale values reduced, e.g. slight, medium and massive increase 15%, 50% and 100% or something like that)
8. A tougher experience (experience values from enemies are reduced by a % depending on the level selected)
9. Harder resting: resting is more dangerous, with higher chances of being attacked and more enemies attacking depending on the level selected
10. Any other options you can think of...
I would reiterate that my preference would be for difficulty options, so that you can pick and choose, rather than forcing anything on the player.
But equally imagine a new difficulty option on the slider 'Legend of the Coast' or even 'Oster' if you wanted something comparable to a 'Sid' level of difficulty as in Civilization. This difficulty could pick an optimum selection of features from those listed above and others, to make the game more terrifying for those returning and looking for a real challenge.
The first point to be made is that the ideal world solution is that the AI be made much better. AI is something integral to the game, and improvements should exist at all levels (the difference between easy and hard should not be what the ai does, but how effectively it does it). Unfortunately, judging by the astonishing number of games with terrible ai, chances of this aren't great. But it is the ideal solution.
The next point about difficulty is that rule-compliant options should be available and introduced preferentially.
Once those two avenues are exhausted we are reduced to 'standard' difficulty options.
Seeing as Trent mentioned the possibility implementing some of the stuff from Sword Coast Strategies, I think it would be nice to see some of these options avaiable in an 'advanced difficulty' sub-menu (i.e. in the bgconfig.exe file).
The first question to ask is how higher difficulty should be implemented, should it be a new difficulty notch added to the slider? or should it be a sub-menu in some advanced options allowing players to customise it? or both?
The second question to ask is what exactly 'higher difficulty' should entail. Seeing as 'higher difficulty' has been thrown around a lot, I've suggested some of the options that might include:
1. Enemies pre-buff (select either off, partial or fully, i.e. enemy groups cast all their buff spells automatically as you approach)
2. Higher enemy HP (at varying levels, possibly also option for 'max hp' for monsters, so all enemies have the equivalent of max hp on level).
3. Dangerous Wizards (enemy spellcasters have access to higher level spells than usual)
4. Higher damage (higher than the extra already offered by 'insane'
5. Better AI (I'm loathe to put this here as there is no reason for ai not be better at any level of the game, but you never know...)
6. Enhanced monsters (provides some of the SCS buffs to monsters, e.g. faster bears)
7. Expensive world (all shop prices are increased by an amount, and sale values reduced, e.g. slight, medium and massive increase 15%, 50% and 100% or something like that)
8. A tougher experience (experience values from enemies are reduced by a % depending on the level selected)
9. Harder resting: resting is more dangerous, with higher chances of being attacked and more enemies attacking depending on the level selected
10. Any other options you can think of...
I would reiterate that my preference would be for difficulty options, so that you can pick and choose, rather than forcing anything on the player.
But equally imagine a new difficulty option on the slider 'Legend of the Coast' or even 'Oster' if you wanted something comparable to a 'Sid' level of difficulty as in Civilization. This difficulty could pick an optimum selection of features from those listed above and others, to make the game more terrifying for those returning and looking for a real challenge.
5
Comments
Opening the advanced difficulty options menu could also result in a dialog box warning like: 'warning, these are advanced difficulty selection options. It is strongly recommended that you do not adjust any of these settings unless you are already familiar with the game.'
Drawing the new players is a seperate issue to be addressed in a seperate thread.
I would also like to see options like "Hit point rolls are maximum", "Characters cannot permanently die" and "All spells learned automatically" to be check boxes, not something controlled by the difficulty slider.