The first time you play a new game, do you put it on the “normal/default” difficulty setting, or something else?
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Considering there’s easy, normal and hard, I’d usually go for normal, just to get the best experience the game can offer me. Equal parts of good and bad.
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Usually easy since more often than not I’m playing the game for the story. If I like the gameplay/want to replay the game for whatever reason, then I’ll go for normal.
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Easy. Always easy. Life’s already hard enough. 
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Usually normal unless it’s a sequel/successor to another game or genre I’m very familiar with, in which I case I might try Hard (but no higher) to start.
Sub-easy. Because I choose easy and then cheat like heck anyway. 
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Easy/very easy if the game is mainly story based.
Normal/hard if other elements which need you to be proficient in game mechanics are prevalent.
Easy if I chose hard or normal I probably would die in the game.
For something like this? Play easy (or normal at most) and experience the storyline of the game how you’d like to see it played. Can always go back for a challenge later.
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It depends on the type of game.
If it’s an RPG (as in, RPG game with visuals and movement and so on) or tactical RPG or whatever, I always play on normal, or something around that.
If it’s an action game, based on reaction, platforming and stuff like that, or an rythm game, I’ll most likely start on easy because I SUCK at reaction. I usually switch to normal once I’m used to it though.
If it’s an IF that has difficulty levels (or a visual novel with stat raising / management elements), then I’ll always play on easy and stay on easy, and purchase whatever things can make the game easier if there is something like that (like all of the attribute and skill bonuses for Zombie Exodus Safe Heaven, for example).
I can’t stand stat based games if it’s a text based IF or a visual novel. I hate management. I hate skill distribution and planning and stuff… 
Really, it destroys any pleasure I could have had from the game, usually, so while I won’t actually cheat by tweaking the code or looking at a detailed walktrough or anything like that, I WILL try to negate whatever management or skill raising there is.
I play these games for the story, and while by no means I would consider it “bad” to make a stat based game, this isn’t what I’m looking for in IF or VNs. The only challenge I want in these is making the “right” choices to get the ending I want.
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Always the easiest (unless it’s one of those modes that removes some of the gameplay completely. Then the second easiest).
I play games to have fun, be distracted, or be immersed in a story. The constant threat of death or failure works counter-productive to that, for me. And I don’t really get that feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that other people seems to get from beating a game on higher difficulties, so there’s not really anything in it for me…
Of course, if I get really good at a game, I might try the higher difficulties, just to try something new.
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Playing games is how I let it off stress from my day, so I play on easy mode. Higher difficulties just add stress that I’m trying to get rid of. That, and I honestly just enjoy easy mode anyhow - I’m not super competitive or looking for a major challenge or anything. I’m just chilling out. Don’t need to play on hard mode for that.
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Always go for hardest there is, but there are times my abilities are lacking or grinding is just too much then lower to normal/hard.
Usually normal, not too hard to need grinding/careful min-maxing to progress and enjoy the game.
Choice of games I go for easy/normal: I prefHighly depends on the type of game and what the developers intended to be the base experience. Shooters and the like i start on the second harderst, strategy I usually go for whatever difficulty is marked as “For people with experience on the genre” which tends to be just above normal, RPGs depends on the mechanics, but i tend to use mods that make enemies less spongy but add more of them/makes them smarter
I usually think of asking the reader to choose easy/medium/hard in a game as not good game design. Are there any CoG’s that do this?
@exfret: iirc, breach: the archangel job has an option in the beginning where you can set the difficulty. same goes for hero or villain: genesis as well as the sequel hero or villain: battle royale. that’s all at the top of my head so far, so i’ll add more as soon as i find them.
I always begin on the easiest level possible, even using cheats if available. The thing with me is that, I want to experience an uninterrupted story first, before experimenting with challenges.
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Easy or story mode. It’s more about the story for me too and about roleplaying.
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This has been an interesting thread to follow. I’ve never published a game with difficulty levels (unless you include Zip’s ‘cheat mode’ with unlimited Juice) but Talon City will be published next year and it will have Easy/Story Mode, Standard Mode, and Preposterous Mode (likely to result in death).
I think I would usually play Easy/Story mode in games to allow myself to relax and enjoy the journey, but I think there are some folks out there who enjoy a challenge, especially when there’s a shiny Achievement to be obtained by conquering said challenge.
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