how difficult is the game?

[SirMaoh]

I love metroidvanias and I also like traditional RPGs, but I don't like turn rpgs where its nearly impossible to lose. Is this game "hard enough" so I have to think about fights, which ability to use etc.? :)

[darien]

Very much so. Even on normal difficulty, the game will push you; if that's not enough for you, there's a "hard" difficulty and a "chaos mode" that the developer describes as directly unfair (though it is possible). One of the key features of Crystal Project is that it doesn't really have any conventional "trash pulls" -- every encounter is potentially deadly, and you need to develop your strategy to succeed. Which is not a euphemism for "grinding." It actually rewards grinding surprisingly lightly compared to most such games.

[Erika]

It's hard compared to most jrpg, but a key to it is that buff/debuff actualy matter in this game. beating the game whitout using those is likely impossible. Even in basic random encounter, you'll need to use buff/debuff or likely have a very hard time.

[SirMaoh]

all of that sounds great, thanks a lot! :)

[Melodia]

Originally posted by darien:

Very much so. Even on normal difficulty, the game will push you

Hell even on easy it's no walk in the park.

[Weltall8000]

Just started. Picked hard mode. See if I can make it. Definitely had some randoms kill armored party members when I hadn't established threat yet and they focus fired a party member.

[Shneekey]

Originally posted by Weltall8000:

Just started. Picked hard mode. See if I can make it. Definitely had some randoms kill armored party members when I hadn't established threat yet and they focus fired a party member.

There's a solution to this problem, the fourth crystal you would normally find (through normal gameplay, without sequence breaks) will unlock a passive to start combat with a small amount of threat to prevent just such issues. There are other solutions to this as well, but that's the first and easiest solution.

[Weltall8000]

Originally posted by Shneekey:

Originally posted by Weltall8000:

Just started. Picked hard mode. See if I can make it. Definitely had some randoms kill armored party members when I hadn't established threat yet and they focus fired a party member.

There's a solution to this problem, the fourth crystal you would normally find (through normal gameplay, without sequence breaks) will unlock a passive to start combat with a small amount of threat to prevent just such issues. There are other solutions to this as well, but that's the first and easiest solution.

Oooooh, no, no, no! I am not complaining, and I am looking forward to the challenge! Hahaha! Just commenting on the subject of difficulty, namely, how enemies can ♥♥♥♥ your ♥♥♥♥ up. Haha

[Shneekey]

Originally posted by Weltall8000:

Originally posted by Shneekey:

There's a solution to this problem, the fourth crystal you would normally find (through normal gameplay, without sequence breaks) will unlock a passive to start combat with a small amount of threat to prevent just such issues. There are other solutions to this as well, but that's the first and easiest solution.

Oooooh, no, no, no! I am not complaining, and I am looking forward to the challenge! Hahaha! Just commenting on the subject of difficulty, namely, how enemies can ♥♥♥♥ your ♥♥♥♥ up. Haha

Oh yea, they absolutely will. Actually... this is a good point to really highlight, this game doesn't have 'trash' encounters. Even random encounters can and will wreck your crew if you don't take them seriously. You have to take every encounter serious. Fortunately, you can dodge the flame, avoiding the encounter entirely. This is the expected and intended method of 'running from an encounter', and why you don't have a 'run' command (unless you have a Rogue in the party).

[darien]

Originally posted by Shneekey:

Even random encounters can and will wreck your crew if you don't take them seriously. You have to take every encounter serious. Fortunately, you can dodge the flame, avoiding the encounter entirely. This is the expected and intended method of 'running from an encounter', and why you don't have a 'run' command (unless you have a Rogue in the party).

This is a very important thing to remember as you progress. There are a few zones in fact in which the mobs will obliterate you "on-level" -- you're expected not to be fighting them. So keep an open mind strategically and don't just try to power-grind your way through and I think you'll find a lot to love about the game.

[Chad "The King" ThunderCuck]

standard mobs are standard attack spam trash, bosses are overtuned trash that require specific strategies or overleveling to beat. this dosent change with hard mode, it just becomes more tedious.

[Weltall8000]

Originally posted by Chad "The King" ThunderCuck:

standard mobs are standard attack spam trash, bosses are overtuned trash that require specific strategies or overleveling to beat. this dosent change with hard mode, it just becomes more tedious.

I am pretty early on, but, on Hard Mode, if I don't use abilities and properly manage threat, my party members will drop like flies to standard enemies.

[Chad "The King" ThunderCuck]

Originally posted by Weltall8000:

Originally posted by Chad "The King" ThunderCuck:

standard mobs are standard attack spam trash, bosses are overtuned trash that require specific strategies or overleveling to beat. this dosent change with hard mode, it just becomes more tedious.

I am pretty early on, but, on Hard Mode, if I don't use abilities and properly manage threat, my party members will drop like flies to standard enemies.

probably just using the wrong classes, plus wasting time on "managing threat", you just pile everything on the same enemy till theres none left.

[Weltall8000]

Originally posted by Chad "The King" ThunderCuck:

Originally posted by Weltall8000:

I am pretty early on, but, on Hard Mode, if I don't use abilities and properly manage threat, my party members will drop like flies to standard enemies.

probably just using the wrong classes, plus wasting time on "managing threat", you just pile everything on the same enemy till theres none left.

I think you are misunderstanding, I am not having persistent problems. In my party, I have a monk as my tank. When my monk is targeted, that's all good. However, if I don't manage threat, and my Wizard starts face tanking, things don't go as well.

So, I manage threat, while determining whether to burn down something or to spread damage around while monk tanks the hits until I can safely delete an enemy/enemies.

[Shneekey]

Originally posted by Weltall8000:

Originally posted by Chad "The King" ThunderCuck:

probably just using the wrong classes, plus wasting time on "managing threat", you just pile everything on the same enemy till theres none left.

I think you are misunderstanding, I am not having persistent problems. In my party, I have a monk as my tank. When my monk is targeted, that's all good. However, if I don't manage threat, and my Wizard starts face tanking, things don't go as well.

So, I manage threat, while determining whether to burn down something or to spread damage around while monk tanks the hits until I can safely delete an enemy/enemies.

He's just a troll. Ignore him. Everyone else does.

[Weltall8000]

Originally posted by Shneekey:

Originally posted by Weltall8000:

I think you are misunderstanding, I am not having persistent problems. In my party, I have a monk as my tank. When my monk is targeted, that's all good. However, if I don't manage threat, and my Wizard starts face tanking, things don't go as well.

So, I manage threat, while determining whether to burn down something or to spread damage around while monk tanks the hits until I can safely delete an enemy/enemies.

He's just a troll. Ignore him. Everyone else does.

Ah, haha. Thanks for context.