What exactly is artificial difficulty?

[AILAD]

So whenever I play one of these games I see people complaining every now and then about "artificial difficulty". But most of the time it seems to me that they're just salty about a certain boss that they find hard.

So can someone explain exactly what that means and give examples?

[Silamon]

Originally posted by Viper:

Originally posted by Shiggieb00:

Here is a prime example of artificial difficulty...

Ever play a game where if you die, the game literally deletes your save file? That is called artificial difficulty. It's not actually more challenging. It doesnt make you think harder. It just makes it so if you dont know what is coming, and you die, you have to start all over.

For example, Divinity Original Sin 2 has this feature. The "hardest" difficulty is just this. Its basically banking on you not knowing what is about to happen, so it can trap you in a circumstance you cant get out of, kill you, and delete your file. So essentially, the best way to play this "difficulty" is to already have beaten the game, and already memorized what is coming.

People like to say things like "artificial difficulty" because it sounds like they know what theyre talking about.. But thats not what this is..

The one thing about ALL the Dark Souls games, is that the enemies are all on the same field as you. The game does not cheat. Sure, if youre trying to cheese a boss and you run behind a door it cant fit through because the collision boxes dont fit, but its hit boxes still go through, and it can hit you.. Thats not the game cheating. The game sees this as an opening to swing or shoot or whatever. In all my probably upwards or 10000+ hours of playing Dark Souls 1, 2, 3, and Bloodborne.. I can say for certain, anyone labeling these as "artificial difficulty" doesnt know what theyre talking about.

What they really mean is that its "too hard" to the point that it is "unfair" to them. But if the game gives you an ability which makes you invincible with infinite uses on recharge... How can you claim its "unfair"

this I agree with.. Unfair is not artificial however No such thing whether people say there is or not. Just an improper use of a word.

That's not actually what he said though... He is not claiming artificial difficulty does not exist, he even gave an example of what he believes is artificial difficulty.

[Shiggieb00]

Originally posted by Silamon:

Originally posted by Shiggieb00:

Here is a prime example of artificial difficulty...

Ever play a game where if you die, the game literally deletes your save file? That is called artificial difficulty. It's not actually more challenging. It doesnt make you think harder. It just makes it so if you dont know what is coming, and you die, you have to start all over.

For example, Divinity Original Sin 2 has this feature. The "hardest" difficulty is just this. Its basically banking on you not knowing what is about to happen, so it can trap you in a circumstance you cant get out of, kill you, and delete your file. So essentially, the best way to play this "difficulty" is to already have beaten the game, and already memorized what is coming.

I actually don't agree with that, playing an ironman save is usually optional way to make the game harder. For games it is not optional on it is usually the entire draw of the game, like rogue lites as an example.

Thats different. Thats the type of game.

In Dead Cells you dont spend hours and hours and hours leveling and finding all the best items for your build just so you can be surprised by a random enemy, killed, and start over fresh... No matter what happens in those games, you always start over in the game from the beginning. So of course it doesnt apply there. Thats literally the gameplay loop of those games.

[Silamon]

Originally posted by Shiggieb00:

Originally posted by Silamon:

I actually don't agree with that, playing an ironman save is usually optional way to make the game harder. For games it is not optional on it is usually the entire draw of the game, like rogue lites as an example.

Thats different. Thats the type of game.

In Dead Cells you dont spend hours and hours and hours leveling and finding all the best items for your build just so you can be surprised by a random enemy, killed, and start over fresh... No matter what happens in those games, you always start over in the game from the beginning. So of course it doesnt apply there. Thats literally the gameplay loop of those games.

In the games you are referring to it is an option for people that want it, not a required thing. I don't think I would call that artificial difficulty at all, it's just ironman mode.

[Viper]

Originally posted by Silamon:

Originally posted by Viper:

this I agree with.. Unfair is not artificial however No such thing whether people say there is or not. Just an improper use of a word.

That's not actually what he said though... He is not claiming artificial difficulty does not exist, he even gave an example of what he believes is artificial difficulty.

SO he gives an example..Big deal.Its his opinion.I want you to explain how those 2 words together make sense. that is what I want. Just because some people say it does not make it proper use of the word. Fake difficulty..seriously. If its difficult...IT IS DIFFICULT!

[Shiggieb00]

If you want the definition, artificial difficulty MEANS - (In terms of gaming) - The best way to succeed is to have already played the game through, so you already know whats coming.

[Silamon]

Originally posted by Shiggieb00:

If you want the definition, artificial difficulty MEANS - (In terms of gaming) - The best way to succeed is to have already played the game through, so you already know whats coming.

That is not how I have ever heard it described.

[Viper]

Originally posted by Silamon:

Originally posted by Shiggieb00:

If you want the definition, artificial difficulty MEANS - (In terms of gaming) - The best way to succeed is to have already played the game through, so you already know whats coming.

That is not how I have ever heard it described.

sorry I am annoyed at others..not you ..I am not being snotty to you...If my post read that way I apoligize.

[Altimely]

artificial difficulty

typically, a meme excuse made by players who aren't good enough to overcome certain obstacles

[Shiggieb00]

Originally posted by Silamon:

Originally posted by Shiggieb00:

If you want the definition, artificial difficulty MEANS - (In terms of gaming) - The best way to succeed is to have already played the game through, so you already know whats coming.

That is not how I have ever heard it described.

Well thats what it is. Imagine youre playing divinity on whatever the difficulty is that deletes your save file, right? Youre going through a dungeon, and the whole dungeon just explodes without any warning, killing your entire team, and deleting your save.

The only way you could have known that would happen, is to already have it happen to you.

This is artificial difficulty.

[Aldain]

Originally posted by Shiggieb00:

If you want the definition, artificial difficulty MEANS - (In terms of gaming) - The best way to succeed is to have already played the game through, so you already know whats coming.

Which can, in a way, apply to Souls games, hell DS1 was FILLED with cheap first time "gotcha" traps even as early as Undead Burg with a rolling barrel of death.

The Anor Londo approach, Blighttown, both outrageously irritating, doable, but rather than dying to enemies you mostly wind up dying because of slipping and falling off ledges.

Also the Bed of Chaos, which is just a hot mess.

...Sorry I just REALLY don't like DS1 in hindsight, I can't go back to it ever since I played Bloodborne.

[Bricky strong]

Artificial Difficulty is words used by some people to judge a game's difficulty based on their imagination of what they consider exceptable and condemn games for not meeting their expectation even though the condemnation is so broad that nearly any and every game can fall guilty of it.

[Akulakhan]

They programmed some of the ai to read your inputs and instantly counter them, now i don't know if that could be considered artificial difficulty or not but either way its bad.

[Silamon]

Originally posted by Shiggieb00:

Originally posted by Silamon:

That is not how I have ever heard it described.

Well thats what it is. Imagine youre playing divinity on whatever the difficulty is that deletes your save file, right? Youre going through a dungeon, and the whole dungeon just explodes without any warning, killing your entire team, and deleting your save.

The only way you could have known that would happen, is to already have it happen to you.

This is artificial difficulty.

I mean it sounds like you are just mad at Divinity because you chose an option you probably should not have. Iron man is usually for players that have played through the game enough times to know what to expect, that's kinda the reason it exists.

[Viper]

Originally posted by Aldain:

Originally posted by Shiggieb00:

If you want the definition, artificial difficulty MEANS - (In terms of gaming) - The best way to succeed is to have already played the game through, so you already know whats coming.

Which can, in a way, apply to Souls games, hell DS1 was FILLED with cheap first time "gotcha" traps even as early as Undead Burg with a rolling barrel of death.

The Anor Londo approach, Blighttown, both outrageously irritating, doable, but rather than dying to enemies you mostly wind up dying because of slipping and falling off ledges.

Also the Bed of Chaos, which is just a hot mess.

...Sorry I just REALLY don't like DS1 in hindsight, I can't go back to it ever since I played Bloodborne.

Are they difficult..Well then there difficult..lol. not fake difficult.

[Bricky strong]

A broad condemnation of a game that is useful to discredit a game that's targeted for destruction.