Change difficulty level?

[Fry McFly]

Is it possible to change it in an ongoing game? I'm currently in the middle of the campaign and have noticed that it has become way too easy.
If you can't change this in a running campaign, I'd like to have that as a feature.

[GenericUsername]

I don't believe you can. In the tutorial it stated the difficulty cannot be changed. That would be a nice feature to be added.

Unless you can be adjusting the difficulty in the game files, but I have never looked into that.

In the patch notes today the devs said they were looking into custom difficulty modifiers and removing the 'doom clock' so being able to change difficulty settings mid campaign would be a good addition to those.

The only thing I could suggest in your case is to add your own restrictions to make the game harder. Sidearms only!

[Pavletto]

I'd started at normal and it was a good challenge for me. But in alien queen area in Dead Hills aliens simply killed marines just by number. Ok, killed queen and then 2 options: 1st-marines killed after 2nd or 3rd wave which are one by one. 2nd-same as 1st but at the bridge. And reloading a save-just a lottery of these 2 options. SO. I've started with easy difficult. But now game can't give me challenge at all. I would like to change a "agression bar" at least but i'll need to start game again...And if i would like to add more difficulty? Start agaiin-)) I think it will be great if it will be possible change "secondary" difficulty options like "agression bar" and aliens reaction time.

[Fry McFly]

I played on medium and that became too easy for me. On the one hand, because I have a wealth of experience from other real-time tactics games, and on the other hand, because over time I learned how to trick the opponents / the game.
Laying mines in tight spots, spawn camping / trapping with Automated Sentry Gun, save scamming with elevators etc.
In general, one of the problems this game has is that it portrays the aliens as predictable creatures with low intelligence, causing them to lose much of their menace and uniqueness.

[Pavletto]

just finished Dead Hills on easy...Damn, this waaay too easy. No save reload, just 1 medkit used. But restart the game 3rd time to try to "guess" right settings for me-no, thanks.

[Hudson242]

Is saving the veterinarian McNeil in Dead Hills supposed to be so hard? I tried like 15x tonight, trying different tactics to no avail, before rage quitting. The xenos just keep. coming. I almost am sure it’s bugged. Watched someone do it on YouTube and it looked like he only had to kill like 6 xenos. I’m seeing WAY more. Have no idea what difficulty he was using. For me, I’m guessing I chose whatever was default. That’s my usual speed.

[ChiefWhiteHalfoat]

Sorry, it's not possible to change difficulty settings after starting campaign!
You can learn more about the difficulty levels in our guide to this game, hope it clears things up:
https://guides.gamepressure.com/aliens-dark-descent/guide.asp?ID=68816

[m.MECKE #❤️HIMARS]

I have completed 35% of the game and I am on map 3. After the first map you know how the game works. I never had to load a save game after that and I didn't lose a single soldier. I play on medium. Will that still be demanding? otherwise I'll start again on hard.

[Prince Ian]

My philosophy on game difficulty always has been that it should be easy for smart players. If you know the game and make good choice, then you should be rewarded and the game naturally becomes easy. I don't like cheap difficulty that punishes the player for making good choices.

[Haggis MechHaggis]

Originally posted by m.MECKE #❤️HIMARS:

I have completed 35% of the game and I am on map 3. After the first map you know how the game works. I never had to load a save game after that and I didn't lose a single soldier. I play on medium. Will that still be demanding? otherwise I'll start again on hard.

won't be too demanding. if you found the queen encounter in the mines in dead hills easy you're going to find the rest of the game a bit basic i reckon
start again on nightmare or hard if medium is too easy (nightmare isn't as difficult as it sounds)
the higher skill levels don't change gameplay as much as you think but the damage the xenos do is drastically different to medium

[Sgt.Ray]

@Hudson242 Don't underestimate the power of suppressing fire and flares. Between the sentry gun, suppressing fire slow, and flares for accuracy bonus, plus a opportunity grenade when 3 group together.... aliens don't stand a chance against my USMC. Not on easy settings either.

[m.MECKE #❤️HIMARS]

Originally posted by Haggis MechHaggis:

Originally posted by m.MECKE #❤️HIMARS:

I have completed 35% of the game and I am on map 3. After the first map you know how the game works. I never had to load a save game after that and I didn't lose a single soldier. I play on medium. Will that still be demanding? otherwise I'll start again on hard.

won't be too demanding. if you found the queen encounter in the mines in dead hills easy you're going to find the rest of the game a bit basic i reckon
start again on nightmare or hard if medium is too easy (nightmare isn't as difficult as it sounds)
the higher skill levels don't change gameplay as much as you think but the damage the xenos do is drastically different to medium

Thank you. The queens were no challenge at all.

[=M$= Oroberus]

How hard the queens or some trigger events are, doesn't really depend on the set difficulty but on how much you've already ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up your deployment at this point.

Starting a Queen Fight or Trigger on easy when only 5 seconds away from an Onslaught while a Crusher is spawned and the aggrressivnes is already turned to hard will most likely cost you dearly while a Queen or Trigger on Nightmare while you've not even been hunted before is a cakewalk