Difficulty?

[onomastikon]

I just recently got this game and am enjoying its beginning phases. While I'm surprised it's more of an rpg than I had imagined (I seem to spend more time talking to folks and navigating the abbey than in combat) I am still surprised at the lack of difficulty.
I'm no expert, I usually play XCOM type games at "normal" or default difficulty. Here, however, the default difficulty results in my team taking minimal scratches - which apparently disappear entirely between missions. I also cannot increase the difficulty until I unlock that option, but the UI gives no indication of how many "stars" I need to do so.
Anyone know?
Or do missions soon (when?) Get significantly more challenging? I do hope so

[wpegg]

Difficulty increases are unlocked by getting 3 stars on a mission for several missions. It seemed to me to be that you can unlock the next one after getting 3 x 3 star results. You get the 3 star results by completing the missions in as few turns as possible, for standard non villain missions that is usually within 3 turns. If you're finding it easy but not getting the option to increase the difficulty it's probably that you're taking too many turns to finish.

EDIT: If you have ever declined a difficulty increase such that you're not currently on the max possible then it won't ever prompt you again and you'll only get back on the increase train if you go to the options and push yourself to the top difficulty.

[onomastikon]

Thanks.
I believe I've had 5 missions I total so far, and all have been 3 stars except for one, which was 2 (i remember too misclicking, having sent someone on a "move" which was very suboptimal, but since I've never been in danger of any kind, I've never reloaded.) I've never been prompted to increase difficulty so I've never declined the option to do so. The main menu or the settings menu has the next difficulty locked still, so 3x 3 stars seems questionable to me.

[wpegg]

Originally posted by onomastikon:

Thanks.
I believe I've had 5 missions I total so far, and all have been 3 stars except for one, which was 2 (i remember too misclicking, having sent someone on a "move" which was very suboptimal, but since I've never been in danger of any kind, I've never reloaded.) I've never been prompted to increase difficulty so I've never declined the option to do so. The main menu or the settings menu has the next difficulty locked still, so 3x 3 stars seems questionable to me.

It might be a cumulative thing so perhaps it needs a chance to get going. 5 missions isn't much, if you don't get any prompt after a few more then it might start sounding like a bug.

[onomastikon]

Ok we'll see.
So I take it the game will not get more difficult by default?

[wpegg]

Originally posted by onomastikon:

Ok we'll see.
So I take it the game will not get more difficult by default?

Not really no. In fact I struggle more with the early missions because the base cards have fewer capabilities for example knockback on the quickstrike. Later game is probably easier if anything so once that diff option comes up don't be afraid of it.

[onomastikon]

Originally posted by wpegg:

Originally posted by onomastikon:

Ok we'll see.
So I take it the game will not get more difficult by default?

Not really no. In fact I struggle more with the early missions because the base cards have fewer capabilities for example knockback on the quickstrike. Later game is probably easier if anything so once that diff option comes up don't be afraid of it.

Oh, that's quite disappointing, but good to know, thanks. I'm certainly not afraid, so far the biggest danger has been losing 7 health from a total in the team of 180 or so.

[Arani]

Originally posted by wpegg:

Difficulty increases are unlocked by getting 3 stars on a mission for several missions. It seemed to me to be that you can unlock the next one after getting 3 x 3 star results. You get the 3 star results by completing the missions in as few turns as possible, for standard non villain missions that is usually within 3 turns. If you're finding it easy but not getting the option to increase the difficulty it's probably that you're taking too many turns to finish.

EDIT: If you have ever declined a difficulty increase such that you're not currently on the max possible then it won't ever prompt you again and you'll only get back on the increase train if you go to the options and push yourself to the top difficulty.

Are you sure? I got 1-star out of almost every mission because I couldn't have cared less about timers. I drew the fights out on purpose, healing and protecting and taunting and playing it safe. And I still got new difficulties unlocked steadily until getting Ult 3 somewhere in the later parts of the game.

[wpegg]

Originally posted by Arani:

Are you sure? I got 1-star out of almost every mission because I couldn't have cared less about timers. I drew the fights out on purpose, healing and protecting and taunting and playing it safe. And I still got new difficulties unlocked steadily until getting Ult 3 somewhere in the later parts of the game.

Well, I was until you said that.

EDIT: Wiki also suggests it's Star related: https://marvels-midnight-suns.fandom.com/wiki/Difficulty , maybe it's just about accruing enough stars over time...

[Arani]

Originally posted by wpegg:

Originally posted by Arani:

Are you sure? I got 1-star out of almost every mission because I couldn't have cared less about timers. I drew the fights out on purpose, healing and protecting and taunting and playing it safe. And I still got new difficulties unlocked steadily until getting Ult 3 somewhere in the later parts of the game.

Well, I was until you said that.

EDIT: Wiki also suggests it's Star related: https://marvels-midnight-suns.fandom.com/wiki/Difficulty , maybe it's just about accruing enough stars over time...

Ohh interesting yeah. Wiki says
"Some Difficulty levels are not available at the start of the game, and will unlock over time as the player performs well on Missions. Players can unlock up to 2 higher Difficulty levels from their current setting by receiving a 3 star rating on 3 Missions, or by receiving a 2 star rating a larger number of times."

So prolly it is just getting enough total stars while still playing the highest / second highest available mission. That would explain it for me. And I mean I didn't "only" get 1 star ratings, just mostly. Could very well be only 2-3 star ratings work towards unlocking higher difficulties.

[onomastikon]

So I had only completed 4 missions. Just completed the 5th and was offered "heroic". Hope that makes things a bit more challenging

[Alpro]

Difficulty in this game isn't meant to be something you choose at the start and stick with it 'til the end. Unless you are just going for the story, it gets too easy as your characters grow in power. I've had my butt kicked really really hard on my first Heroic 2 mission, but near the end i was completing Ultimate 3 without breaking a sweat.

[onomastikon]

I can't imagine it getting any easier. I've turned up the difficulty as soon as I was allowed and am still just getting tickled.

[Zebedee]

The difficulty does increase initially with the boost to NPC health and damage but the game is, at heart, a power fantasy which just snowballs as cards/decks/synergies improve and stats increase. Even U3 level 40 missions eventually become just an opportunity to see how well you style on what's in front of you. It's a bit of a reverse from majority of TB games in that sense.

[undeadpriest94]

Originally posted by Zebedee:

The difficulty does increase initially with the boost to NPC health and damage but the game is, at heart, a power fantasy which just snowballs as cards/decks/synergies improve and stats increase. Even U3 level 40 missions eventually become just an opportunity to see how well you style on what's in front of you. It's a bit of a reverse from majority of TB games in that sense.

I wonder if that's what further turned off most Firaxis fans.

[Zebedee]

Originally posted by undeadpriest94:

I wonder if that's what further turned off most Firaxis fans.

'Most'? Don't know. But if TTB has now come to mean 'you must endlessly recycle the X-Com formula in every way' then I can see why Jake Solomon has walked away to do something less creatively limiting.