Difficulty?

[Chester]

Wondering from people who have played the game, how difficult is it? I enjoy difficulty, so is the game a challenge or does it get simple once your units get powerful?

[SolidH2O]

I wouldn't say the main game is particularly easy or difficult. A few levels can be difficult.

The actual satisfyingly difficult levels are in the New Game+ levels.

Beat the main game to unlock.

[Concerned West Virginia Resident]

The game's difficulty largely depends on how much you want to grind the repeatable missions. If you do it more, the game gets way easier, if you don't do it, it gets significantly harder.

[fungbest]

Chapter 12 is harrrdddddd.

[SolidH2O]

Originally posted by fungbest:

Chapter 12 is harrrdddddd.

One of my favorites.

[Chester]

Interesting. What is the New Game+ like? Is it the same missions tweaked to be harder? Or is it new missions/storyline?

[SolidH2O]

I am starting the 5th New Game+ mission next.

There is a cute story gimmick justifying the replay featuring a tabloid journalist girl trying to figure out what really happened during Pauline's spectacular career. She writes propaganda and lies for public consumption. As it happens, some of the characters in the story relate to her the adventures from the main story missions...but with embellishments.

The gimmick is that you play an embellished version of the missions you've already played in order for the journalist to make sense of what is purported to her as having happened.

It's very cute and I love it.

These missions are tweaked versions of some of the missions in the main story.

All enemy units are at max level 30. As long as your army is also at max level 30, level differences will have no bearing on your success.

Your tactics alone will decide victory.

Though the missions have similarities to the missions you've already beaten, they are not identical to the main story missions.

It's not just that the enemy compositions and number of enemy units are different from the original missions, there are all new complications and game mechanics introduced as well.

And it's not the bad kind of increased difficulty of the sort I hate. These missions aren't harder because the enemies are more powerful than they should be or because the game cheats.

As usual for this game, level design in NG+ is very fair. I think the game mechanics designers and the level designers on this project have done an exceptional job on this game.

For instance, NG+ chapter 4, which is now my all time favorite level design in any tactical rpg game I've ever played, requires you to keep a lot of factors in your head as you play. The increase in difficulty is due to the increase in complexity of compounding complications and challenges. Yet, the increased complexity doesn't overwhelm you even if it does feel daunting at times.

As you play through the problems posed by the mission, you are able to discover and understand what must be done to beat the level. So you're not really kept in the dark too long about what you have to do.

So in the end, it's up to your imagination to form and execute the strategy that will beat the mission in a way that will suit your playing style.

I think you'll enjoy the NG+ missions. Generally, they are more entertaining and satisfying than the missions in the main game.

[dogsea]

most of them are hard and kinda furstating, but feels really rewarding when you can complete them. especially miss elisa's missions.

[Kuno]

Originally posted by SolidH2O:

I am starting the 5th New Game+ mission next.

There is a cute story gimmick justifying the replay featuring a tabloid journalist girl trying to figure out what really happened during Pauline's spectacular career. She writes propaganda and lies for public consumption. As it happens, some of the characters in the story relate to her the adventures from the main story missions...but with embellishments.

The gimmick is that you play an embellished version of the missions you've already played in order for the journalist to make sense of what is purported to her as having happened.

It's very cute and I love it.

These missions are tweaked versions of some of the missions in the main story.

All enemy units are at max level 30. As long as your army is also at max level 30, level differences will have no bearing on your success.

Your tactics alone will decide victory.

Though the missions have similarities to the missions you've already beaten, they are not identical to the main story missions.

It's not just that the enemy compositions and number of enemy units are different from the original missions, there are all new complications and game mechanics introduced as well.

And it's not the bad kind of increased difficulty of the sort I hate. These missions aren't harder because the enemies are more powerful than they should be or because the game cheats.

As usual for this game, level design in NG+ is very fair. I think the game mechanics designers and the level designers on this project have done an exceptional job on this game.

For instance, NG+ chapter 4, which is now my all time favorite level design in any tactical rpg game I've ever played, requires you to keep a lot of factors in your head as you play. The increase in difficulty is due to the increase in complexity of compounding complications and challenges. Yet, the increased complexity doesn't overwhelm you even if it does feel daunting at times.

As you play through the problems posed by the mission, you are able to discover and understand what must be done to beat the level. So you're not really kept in the dark too long about what you have to do.

So in the end, it's up to your imagination to form and execute the strategy that will beat the mission in a way that will suit your playing style.

I think you'll enjoy the NG+ missions. Generally, they are more entertaining and satisfying than the missions in the main game.

Do you get all of the characters that you unlocked in your previous playthrough from the beginning in new game + or do you not get them until you normally would like in the first playthrough?

[SolidH2O]

New Game+ is a continuation of the game. So whatever you have at the end of the main story is what you are going to fight with.

So if you missed a secret weapon, you won't have that. If you missed picking up secret commanders, you won't have them. If you let Desaix die, then you'll use his sister. etc.

[SolidH2O]

The analogous missions of New Game+ are not presented in the order you saw in the main game.

[SolidH2O]

Also, I shouldn't say that your tactics alone will determine victory. Luck is definitely a factor in this game.

[SolidH2O]

Also, if you failed to max out your reputation with some of the political factions at the end of the main game, the New Game+ levels will give you opportunities to earn more reputation points.

[Prepare your Angus]

I'm on my 2nd play through with NG+ but I'm not seeing these hard missions are you guys describe, seems to be just the game again but this time I have every commander.

[Prepare your Angus]

Originally posted by Prepare your Angus:

I'm on my 2nd play through with NG+ but I'm not seeing these hard missions are you guys describe, seems to be just the game again but this time I have every commander.

For anyone lost there's a free DLC you need to download to play this extra content.

[SolidH2O]

Originally posted by Prepare your Angus:

I'm on my 2nd play through with NG+ but I'm not seeing these hard missions are you guys describe, seems to be just the game again but this time I have every commander.

Well it's my first experience going through NG+.

I find it much more difficult and entertaining than the story missions.

But I guess everyone's skill is different.

Right now I'm working through the 5th NG+ mission. But every time I fight the boss around the second javelin, someone on the right side of the map keeps dying. D:

So I keep having to start over. But I'll figure it out.