Difficulty setting for the game (Essence of "Why, oh why...")

[pegnose]

Do you perceive the game as too easy or too hard? And in what way?

[Hardcorewolf7]

Too easy for me but that is because I’ve played the game from launch and have learned the game’s mechanics so the challenge has gone for me

[Ulvslayer]

Yeah, no damage and empty loot canisters. I remember. That’s hard mode

[Aesyle]

In addition I’d love to learn what it is that you guys experience as too hard or too easy.

I’ll make it short.

To me, GZ is too easy since:

1. I’ve learned the tactics of machines and know the best way to deal with them.
2. GZ has had several updates that made it easier compared to the launch time.

The 1st point was achieved by playing solely and strictly in SP, never giving up. Even the constant game crashes didn’t scare me away. Also, i advanced slowly, learning at each step.

For the 2nd point, i have three examples:

• Getting first aid kits from most machines and gaining about 80% of spent ammo back when taking down bigger machines (harvs/tanks).
  There was a time where runners and hunters didn’t give any first aid kits whatsoever and it was rare to get first aid kit from harvs and tanks. Also, you got only specific ammo from machines, true to the weapon they had, not the weapon you used to take them out. Now, there’s much less initiative to explore and collect your gear (first aid kits and ammo) from looting.
  Introduced in June’s Update. From patch notes, read: “Machine Loot”.
• Easier missions.
  Reduced gas damage in set areas (e.g: “Behind the barricade”) and reduced machines amount at the mission locations (e.g “Wrench in the works”, “Back on track”, “Spiking the guns”).
  Introduced in June’s Update (main missions) and August’s Update (side missions).
• Ability to get end-game weapons at the beginning of the game.
  Here, i mean experimental weapons from rivals. Those should be locked behind final mission, just like Alpine Unrest is.
  Introduced in October’s Update.

[pegnose]

Thank you for your point of view and the detailed analysis, Aesyle!

experimental weapons from rivals. Those should be locked behind final mission

At least they should not pop up in the starting area. I agree.

just like Alpine Unrest is.

Is it? I didn’t know!

[Bootie]

I’m with @Flick and @Aesyle on this. I think at the start you should be able to choose between playing a mainly solo game, or a mainly multi-player. The solo would be completely immersive, in the sense that it would be true to the original vision of the game, whereas the multi-player would spawn more “Bossy” type machines, upgrade weapons dropping from anywhere and more “horde” type scenarios.

I think that you learn how to survive in the world, and once you have you don’t want it any “easier”. I want the world to be like the world is, and I have to get better and think about strategies after every engagement. I use far more tools now than I did. I worked out where I needed flares and what type - how to use mines, and hand grenades to my best advantage. If I died I went back over the engagement to see what I could have done better, which meant that I was “playing” for hours after I stopped playing! In the next engagement, I was better prepared. But what I love is that I am facing the same challenges as everyone else - and when we discussed it, we can share experiences, knowing that the others know exactly what we are talking about.