Is it possible to switch a normal mode save over to hard mode?

[Chicken Jockey]

The fact that you can't simply switch it over to hard in the options menu is kind of odd. Does hard mode need to be a separate save or something?

I hope not, I'm enjoying my current playthrough but I wish it were a little more difficult.

[The White Rabbit]

From what I've read, if you do that it starts the game over, but you keep everything you have. Don't quote me on this though, since I'm basing it entirely off what other people have said.

[Chicken Jockey]

But that's stupid.

[Kenkimaru]

Switching modes from Easy/Normal will restart the game from the beginning of the story, but with all current progress with respect to levels and equipment inventory intact. This is to prevent players from progressing through the game in Easy/Normal Mode then switching to Hard Mode shortly before completing the game: the entire storyline must be completed entirely in Hard Mode.

However, if a player attempts Hard Mode and wishes to switch back to Easy/Normal mid-game, the storyline will continue from where the player made the switch out of Hard Mode.

source: http://dragonsdogma.wikia.com/wiki/Hard_Mode

[Wanderer]

If it didn't work that way, people would switch to hard mode just before finishing off a boss with bezel crown or weal to get like a billion xp.

[Asterozoa]

It's because there are two armors rewarded for defeating the last two story bosses in hard mode. This is to prevent people from rushing to the end on easy/normal, then switching to hard mode. Also, it will probably render the achievement for completing hard mode pointless.

[Saber]

No

[Manny]

no

[Chicken Jockey]

Originally posted by Gostanul:

It's because there are two armors rewarded for defeating the last two story bosses in hard mode. This is to prevent people from rushing to the end on easy/normal, then switching to hard mode. Also, it will probably render the achievement for completing hard mode pointless.

Why is any of this an issue though? It's their playthrough, if that's what they wanna do then what's the issue? It's predominantly a single player game anyway.

[Chicken Jockey]

Oh well, I guess I'll restart in hard mode anyway. The game seems to be getting easier the more I progress.

[Selfish Lee Everett]

no

[1A Gaming]

So if I "beat the game" on Normal, I will be able to start on Hard without losing all my previous work? If not, I'm deleting everything I've done and starting on Hard (and getting crushed). Would really suck ass to know Hard Mode is completely separate from Normal, and that all the work I did on Normal was useless if I wanted my second playthrough to be Hard. :-/

[Nicholas Steel]

XP, Vocation XP, Character Level, Main Pawn Level, Skillls unlocked, Equipment Gear, Items, storage stash will carry over when switching from Normal to Hard and also when continuing via New Game Plus. Any and all completed quests will be reset.

When switching from Hard to Normal (or Normal to Easy) the same happens, and quests that you've completed will remain completed.

Just never choose "New Game" as that will literally start you over from the beginning with nothing from previous playthroughs.

[1A Gaming]

But wait: (SPOILERS)

Does this mean I can beat the game, be God, go to Hard, then kill myself to start NG+ on Hard? Just seems so unlikely...though it's what I'm hoping for. I have no want to start NG+ on Normal, and starting from scratch on Hard would be horrible. Killing yourself immediately starts NG+, right? So I wouldn't be able to kill myself before turning it on Hard and still get the Achievement?

[Dread Arkive]

Originally posted by Joe Beezy:

But wait: (SPOILERS)

Does this mean I can beat the game, be God, go to Hard, then kill myself to start NG+ on Hard? Just seems so unlikely...though it's what I'm hoping for. I have no want to start NG+ on Normal, and starting from scratch on Hard would be horrible. Killing yourself immediately starts NG+, right? So I wouldn't be able to kill myself before turning it on Hard and still get the Achievement?

After the credits, just select Hard, and you start with all your stuff.

[1A Gaming]

After the credits, just select Hard, and you start with all your stuff.

Thank you. Was getting concerned.