Reintroducing Original Difficulty and Content? I Heard This Somewhere

[ChrisPharmD]

I'm really sorry if this is easily found information. I Googled searched this, but there are way more articles and forum/reddit posts commenting on the difficulty/content that either there is no information or it's just buried beneath it all... or maybe I just suck at searching. (probably that - skill issue, ngl)

I'm fine with these games how they are now so I'm not complaining. I would have purchased them anyway.

I heard somebody on YouTube say, "Since the Pixel Remasters got the OG difficulty, the new games are tougher." It was just a clip so I didn't hear that person elaborate.

Did they actually add the original difficulty and old content back into the games? I booted up FFII and I didn't see anything new.

After I get my answer, I can delete the thread. I promise I'm not trying to stir up drama. Just checking.

[Petrus24]

Originally posted by ChrisPharmD:

I heard somebody on YouTube say, "Since the Pixel Remasters got the OG difficulty, the new games are tougher." It was just a clip so I didn't hear that person elaborate.

Did they actually add the original difficulty and old content back into the games? I booted up FFII and I didn't see anything new.

I believe what the person was referring to were the current additions since console ports were released. The thing that adds "OG difficulty" kind of is this thing that allows the player to control XP gains. Unfortunately it hasn't been added on PC which I myself I'm still waiting for before I would buy the games.

[Pack 4 Potatoes]

No, pixel remaster has increased exp, gold and the level cap is higher. It also has new items to make the game easier, but there are likely mods to change it to the original difficulty. Otherwise, only the PS1 version kept the original difficulty, but with quality of life updates and bug fixes.

[Nyingje]

The original difficulty can't really be recreated, since it partly relies on bugs that are fixed in this version of the game. But for the PC version there's a mod out there called 'Origins Normal Mode Rebalancing' that has three difficulty options. You can get it at nexus. There's also one to make bosses "less squishy", but I can't remember where I found it.

[ChrisPharmD]

Originally posted by Nyingje:

The original difficulty can't really be recreated, since it partly relies on bugs that are fixed in this version of the game. But for the PC version there's a mod out there called 'Origins Normal Mode Rebalancing' that has three difficulty options. You can get it at nexus. There's also one to make bosses "less squishy", but I can't remember where I found it.

Forgive me because it's been a long time since I posted this. So, I don't really remember what I was thinking about then.

I don't doubt that bugs played a part in making the games difficult, but from my understanding, the Pixel Remasters have been rebalanced in such a way to simply make them more digestible games to play.

I could be wrong, but I haven't really thought about it since I posted this thread. And if I am wrong, I genuinely don't care that much because it's not that big of a deal. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm not about to pick a fight with people who have played the games when I haven't.

Thanks!

[LOBEI]

I played the original NES not too long ago, and it is a much easier game than people remember it was. Pixel Remaster difficulty isn't far from the original at all, and some bosses like the final boss are actually harder in PR.

[Destroyer_of_Worlds]

Originally posted by ChrisPharmD:

Originally posted by Nyingje:

The original difficulty can't really be recreated, since it partly relies on bugs that are fixed in this version of the game. But for the PC version there's a mod out there called 'Origins Normal Mode Rebalancing' that has three difficulty options. You can get it at nexus. There's also one to make bosses "less squishy", but I can't remember where I found it.

Forgive me because it's been a long time since I posted this. So, I don't really remember what I was thinking about then.

I don't doubt that bugs played a part in making the games difficult, but from my understanding, the Pixel Remasters have been rebalanced in such a way to simply make them more digestible games to play.

I could be wrong, but I haven't really thought about it since I posted this thread. And if I am wrong, I genuinely don't care that much because it's not that big of a deal. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm not about to pick a fight with people who have played the games when I haven't.

Thanks!

I played the original(s) back in the day. It was released with TWO difficulty versions. The harder was only available in Japan (originally, or only meant to be). The rumor I heard was that they either didn't think North Americans were smart enough, or didn't want to train us to be as tough as they aimed for the Japanese market. Either way, it came with a printed bestiary (sp) back in the day, playing at a friends I noticed a difference. On clearly had higher HP than the bestiary list had from the other, then eventually we noticed they were, in fact, different. The one had harder enemies, and I think item costs were higher.

The BIGGER differences in the new version, big enemy spawns for opening treasure, were guranteed encounters on the tile(s) to get in before. Meaning, if you stepped away, you had to fight the pseudo boss again to get the chest, or potentially to leave the room, and potentially certain other spots in the dungeon. I used 1 particular spot to grind levels before in one of the earlier dungeons, and I miss it. They also didn't have pheonix downs, or ways to restore MP other than the inn, or tent/cabin. Saves were also only with, I believe, sleeping items outside, or inns, which added a whole new level, especially with no 'quick saves'. The spell damage was supposed to increase with caster stats, but a glitch made that not work, and monks became over powered compared to all others late game, but in the earliest stages needed help. There also was no way back out of the final dungeon without a white mage or a black mage, I don't think a red mage had either required spell. I came to the discussion to try to check that it wasn't required in this version, as I was thinking of trying my first run without a mage (since the numbers of spells you can cast per level (and I'm trying to hold somewhat to the original difficulty by not using ethers) without healing is sooo low, the spells aren't super damaging, and I can level past needing big healing spells in battle. But I want that ultimate weapon at the end, and I'm sick of dragging a mage through the game for that one purpose when it's a dead weight compared to my other characters!

I honestly wish they had difficulties to choose from, as I'd like even harder than the original, but last time I said something all I got back from people was "well, make your own rules to increase difficulty, don't blame others, make it harder yourself", when I want everything to scale in difficulty evenly like before! You really had to ration your potions, going through a dungeon, so they'd last, you used your healing spells because they made the difference of being able to make it or not through a long dungeon, or, in the beginning, they were a way to get more out of each inn visit to play the delicate balance of saving coin for equipment and spells early, and not dying before you got anywhere. There's elements that have been lost with the 'simplifying' of these games. the Japanese version was supposed to be "normal" the north american "easy", now that I'm older, I was hoping for a "hard" setting, scaled in difficulty the same way the other 2 had between them.