PvE is too easy. PvP too hard. Solo mode, why not give us easy/medium/hard options?

[Silaz]

Obviously FD can't implement scalable difficulty levels in open, or group modes.

But all the work done on making AI good seems to have been wasted.

If people are going to complain AI for PvE is too hard, then people will also complain it's too easy. You can't satisfy everyone.

Surely it's possible to implement easy/medium/hard difficulty scales in solo mode? There are no other players except you. Why is this not possible?

It's just I get bored doing bounty hunting CGs in my over powered anaconda, needs to be more of a challenge.

 

[thirstyfish]

Obviously FD can't implement scalable difficulty levels in open, or group modes.

But all the work done on making AI good seems to have been wasted.

If people are going to complain AI for PvE is too hard, then people will also complain it's too easy. You can't satisfy everyone.

Surely it's possible to implement easy/medium/hard difficulty scales in solo mode? There are no other players except you. Why is this not possible?

It's just I get bored doing bounty hunting CGs in my over powered anaconda, needs to be more of a challenge.

because solo mode is in the same universe as PG and Open. All modes need to be equal and consistent in that respect.

 

[cmdr milesred]

Obviously FD can't implement scalable difficulty levels in open, or group modes.

But all the work done on making AI good seems to have been wasted.

If people are going to complain AI for PvE is too hard, then people will also complain it's too easy. You can't satisfy everyone.

Surely it's possible to implement easy/medium/hard difficulty scales in solo mode? There are no other players except you. Why is this not possible?

It's just I get bored doing bounty hunting CGs in my over powered anaconda, needs to be more of a challenge.

Even though what you say is true....go kill pirates with cargo in your hold = a bit higher difficulty level = (Medium)
make sure you have an active bounty on you in the system, then go kill pirates = a bit higher difficulty level = (Low)
go in to a cz = a bit higher difficulty level = (Medium)
go into a cz in a system where all factions are hostile(not PP hostile but actually hostile due to constantly attacking them) towards you = a bit higher difficulty level = (difficult)
....

 

[sb413197]

I would be ok with higher difficulty levels now that I have an engineered anaconda. HOWEVER I don't really need it - I attack other players when I feel bored ("hello my name is sb413197, and I'm a griefer"); or use smaller ships. Looking forward to finishing my engineering of my king of couriers, the RAPTOR - if my math is right I should be able to still whop everything in a CZ/CNB and at 709 plus speeds, we shall see

 

[CaptainKremmen]

I've always wanted to see the System Security Level and related system specifics play the role of "difficulty level".

In my opinion, system specifics should factor into everything from market price differentials (high profit in low-risk areas), mission rewards for going there (ditto), ambient hostile NPC type/aggression/fitout, police response times and capability, and even allowing/restricting permission for players to be in the system at all, using its primary ports, etc.

We have had a few of these thing added (in some form) over the years... but there is a lot more that can be made of it!

 

[Lucifer Hate]

Obviously FD can't implement scalable difficulty levels in open, or group modes.

But all the work done on making AI good seems to have been wasted.

If people are going to complain AI for PvE is too hard, then people will also complain it's too easy. You can't satisfy everyone.

Surely it's possible to implement easy/medium/hard difficulty scales in solo mode? There are no other players except you. Why is this not possible?

It's just I get bored doing bounty hunting CGs in my over powered anaconda, needs to be more of a challenge.

You seem to be under the popular misconception that solo is singleplayer. It isnt. With the shared universe and BGS all solo is is an instance in the same universe that no one else can enter. The only way Solo could have an option like this and be fair is with a seperate BGS and save and even thin it would not work as you affect everyone else in solo with your actions.

 

[Silaz]

Even though what you say is true....go kill pirates with cargo in your hold = a bit higher difficulty level = (Medium)
make sure you have an active bounty on you in the system, then go kill pirates = a bit higher difficulty level = (Low)
go in to a cz = a bit higher difficulty level = (Medium)
go into a cz in a system where all factions are hostile(not PP hostile but actually hostile due to constantly attacking them) towards you = a bit higher difficulty level = (difficult)
....

I'm sure all this works fine for you, but it really only means more ships attacking you at a time. I would rather the improved AI be allowed back, so that we experience greater variety in combat.

Just having more ships attacking me isn't harder difficulty. If we could have better AI, each using more various tactics, then I could improve my skills, and be more ready for PvP, without the embarrassment of failure in front of another player.

For example, in the bounty hunting situation I get some elite FDL always, every time face tanking me. So all I need to do is point the Anaconda at the other ship and fire beams, together with missiles until he's down, which now only takes a few seconds.

I don't learn anything from that. If we can get back to the AI, that has already been programmed, where we got more various tactics from the NPCs, we could learn more, and have more fun at the same time.

I don't get my kicks out of going into open and griefing other players for no reason. But it would be nice to get better practiced by playing AI without having to play PvP, which if we are honest with ourselves doesn't happen very much, unless it is all pre-arranged.

- - - Updated - - -

You seem to be under the popular misconception that solo is singleplayer. It isnt. With the shared universe and BGS all solo is is an instance in the same universe that no one else can enter. The only way Solo could have an option like this and be fair is with a seperate BGS and save and even thin it would not work as you affect everyone else in solo with your actions.

I realise this, but if one is given the option at the start menu for easy/medium/hard then one makes that choice, just like one makes the choice to play in open/group/solo every time they start to play.

It does not effect the BGS, the game code is on your computer, levels of NPC difficulty would be in the code there, BGS runs from the master server, it would not effect any other players, it would only affect you, it's your choice, if you want hard NPCs one day, that's fine. Maybe the next day you want easy. That would be fine too.

It's not fair if you play a trade CG in open and keep getting attacked by human pirates, where those in solo do not get attacked, or are only marginally harassed by useless NPCs. It's not fair, but it's a choice you make.

I'm just saying give us more choice.

 

[Commander Biscuit]

Obviously FD can't implement scalable difficulty levels in open, or group modes.

But all the work done on making AI good seems to have been wasted.

If people are going to complain AI for PvE is too hard, then people will also complain it's too easy. You can't satisfy everyone.

Surely it's possible to implement easy/medium/hard difficulty scales in solo mode? There are no other players except you. Why is this not possible?

It's just I get bored doing bounty hunting CGs in my over powered anaconda, needs to be more of a challenge.

I don't want to be that guy, but after experiencing the same thing as you I decided to follow my dreams and hop back into my Vipers, the ships I love the most and I'm having a blast.

Reserved the Corvette for combat zones and tutoring a friend in combat. Vipers are good for high/hazres.

Have you tried combat zones? The money is bad, but it's fun. Anyone with a Corvette probably doesn't need money really, so if you just want more difficulty than bounty hunting it's the way to go.

On Ai, it seems even more broken than ever since the last patch. For some reason ships with a good sight on me, instead of continuing to fire, turn around and wobble for a good long time with their flank exposed, before eventually righting themselves and aiming at me. They break and repeat this pattern fairly often, which is not good. But the sign is at least good that the devs are still working on combat AI, even if they are breaking it a bit while experimenting with it. Hopefully something scalable is in the works. Ai went from broken hard to broken easy in two patches.

 

[Cargobane]

There was a period in the beginning where there was s sort of progression and scaling to the game, but that was all thrown aside when it became apparent the bank was better served by going all in on micro-trans and max-upgrades-wins mentality. They already had everyone sicked into endless meaningless missions which takes days to complete. And the Console FPS crowd got to play along too. Now it's paint and app-micro-trans from here on out. You can say goodbye to any thought of a game that cares about what you do.

 

[Faded Glory]

You might want to look at this thread from a few days ago.

It addresses your question and offers a few possible scenarios to give players a better choice of challenge that would work better than a difficulty setting, which wouldn't work in this shared BGS / galaxy for reasons already given.

 

[Duckfat]

You can always adjust your own difficulty by downgrading ship/modules. Fly without shields. Practice flying with flight assist off all the time till you get just as good at it. Then switch to PVP and start owning all them scrubs who don't know how to fly.

 

[Silaz]

You might want to look at this thread from a few days ago.

It addresses your question and offers a few possible scenarios to give players a better choice of challenge that would work better than a difficulty setting, which wouldn't work in this shared BGS / galaxy for reasons already given.

Yeah OK, but that guy was suggesting the same as what I was suggesting. A difficulty slider that works in solo mode.

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

I don't buy the BGS argument, as long as the settings only make it harder, then it's no different from those who handicap themselves in some way. I am playing self Ironman (a handicap), I also have a set of rules that limit my repairs (a handicap). I am thus playing the game differently from others, I see RES farming as an exploit (personal view) so don't do it (another handicap).

I'm not however in favour of a difficult setting for two main reasons.
First I suspect it would simply end up being increase enemy numbers, not skill levels.
Secondly I want to see greater diversity between system types, ED already has the potential for difficulty based on system type/level/etc it just needs to implement it.
Here's one idea: for those who have played Oolite, remember how repairs were dependent on system tech level? There's lots of ways it can be done to add variety to the galaxy, that can affect difficulty at a local level and make the game more interesting at the same time.

 

[Jukelo]

Ultimately I assume they could, and to address the BGS concerns they could also add a modifier to your rewards and the impact on the BGS depending on the difficulty level you picked.

But Frontier is hell-bent on blindly applying the same rules to all game modes.

There are, however, better ways IMO of increasing the challenge. Like limiting it geographically (there's already a degree of that in the game, but it's so mild you never really notice it).

 

[Bomba Luigi]

You can't really make anything only available in one mode unless its about matchmaking. Modes are only a diffrent matchmaking, there are not 3 diffrent games, you can't change something in one mode without the others.

 

[Siranui]

If people are going to complain AI for PvE is too hard, then people will also complain it's too easy. You can't satisfy everyone.
Surely it's possible to implement easy/medium/hard difficulty scales in solo mode? There are no other players except you. Why is this not possible?
It's just I get bored doing bounty hunting CGs in my over powered anaconda, needs to be more of a challenge.

Yes, you CAN satisfy everyone, but not via a difficulty switch.

All that is needed is a wider scale of difficulties. There is scope for 'super REZ/CG' zones and areas which are intended to tackled, by wings, the more powerful vessels and those who have got gud.

 

[Stealthie]

Seems like the addition of a difficulty slider would entice people away from open mode.

People who wanted to get stuff done with as little hassle as possible would immediately opt for solo and then set the difficulty to "easy", simply to avoid inconvenience.

And, speaking as somebody who has absolutely nothing to do with the BGS in ED, I realise it's an important part of the stuff that happens in the game and i wouldn't want groups to have the opportunity skew it by setting up private groups set to "easy" so they could achieve some objective or other.

 

[Silaz]

People who wanted to get stuff done with as little hassle as possible would immediately opt for solo and then set the difficulty to "easy", simply to avoid inconvenience.

Like what we do already when we choose not to play a CG in open mode?

No, that is not what I meant, because easy mode would be the same baseline difficulty that we are all used to at present.

The option would be to increase the difficulty of the baseline standard, according to your taste.

At the moment it's easy. So you choose easy if you want easy mode. If you wanted it harder, you can choose that instead.

It makes no difference to the BGS, your bounty kill in easy mode is the same money and has the same effect on the BGS as it would have in medium or hard setting, open or group mode.

The only difference would be your experience. It would be more difficult to fight a more aggressive, intelligent AI for the same rewards. But it would be your choice and your option to do so.

Why do people have such difficulty understanding this?

 

[SkipRat]

Stupid idea.

The game should be about individual individual development and natural lit getting better over time, woo it lessons learned.

The game needs proper core game mechanics that work.

Properly developed career paths.

Make much better use of the ranking system....

The last thing this game needs is a easy, medium and hard mode. Not to mention the impracticalities of such a mechanic in a game like elite.

 

[Stealthie]

No because easy mode would be the same baseline difficulty that we are all used to at present.

The option would be to increase the difficulty of the baseline standard, according to your taste.

At the moment it's easy. So you choose easy if you want easy mode. If you wanted it harder, you can choose that instead.

Fair enough, I suppose.

Personally, I tend to find that there's still challenging NPCs around although they're not as common as might be desirable.
Just last night I was flying my AspX around on cargo missions when I stopped off at a "weapons fire detected" USS with a threat-rating of 2.
Dropped out of SC to find 3 Elite Anacondas attacking a T7 and a couple of Sidewinders.
Noped the hell out of there!

Seems like it would be much easier to just adjust the top half of the current "difficulty curve" a bit rather than spending time creating a whole new game-mechanic when that time could probably be better spent elsewhere.