Novice, Adept, Master: What difficulty do you pick, and why?

[Mobsta]

Ive always preferred the medium setting in any game, if not then a slightly harder one. Cant stand the idea of turning the difficulty down and simply breezing from the start line to the finish in record time.

Some folk I know bump difficulty settings RIGHT down. ie in oblivion, I knew someone who played on level 1 of 101 (101 positions on the difficulty slider in oblivion!) or in Skyrim difficulty 1/5. They run through dungeons walloping everything on the head, no trouble, no fear, their health never falling below 75%.

Watching someone play a game on easy mode (not all games, but most) is almost like watching paint dry.

I personally enjoy the slightly-too-late sensation of trying (occasionally failing) not to st myself, when a terrifying monstrosity of a powerful creature rounds a corner. Fear makes films and games more fun. Not having to go and change my pants afterwards adds to my determination (++fun) of playing more carefully next time I attempt to do something.

Any Game: What difficulty setting do you usually choose, and why?

[Mastodon2]

First run, generally a "normal" or "medium" run to polish off weapon and skill based achievements and get any collectables, then I do a second run on the hardest difficulty.

[Stevenj214]

I don't see the appeal of making games easier. I tend to leave things on their default settings and that's fine for me. I have never completed a game though.

[Ruskie]

Call of duty 2,3,4,and MW2 all on veteran then World War was such a piss boiler I lost the will after getting grenade spammed over and over in the trenches. To much of a defeat to turn the difficulty down.

[Gun]

I play games at a level i enjoy, so on Forza 4 it's on expert but still a bit too easy whereas on Battlefield 3 I play on a fairly easy setting as i'm awful at FPS games.

[RemainAllHoof]

Shogun: Total War - in normal mode, after much struggling, I managed to win. Played it in the hardest mode and just couldn't get far at all. Maybe got one country then lost the original one. Got that country back and lost the new one. Repeat until uninstall.

Battlefield 2, single player mode - being quite good at BF2 online, I thought I'd play in single mode once when I lost net access. It's like everyone had aimbot apart from me.

Diablo II - I completed it in in normal mode so thought I'd try the mode where if you die, you die completely. It was so boring. Move-stop-move-stop-move-stop-fight-move-stop-move-stop-move-stop-fight etc.

[LocoCoco]

I'll always pick the hardest difficulty I can realistically manage. I don't feel any sense of accomplishment unless I pass part of a game that seemed impossible at first but doable after loads of tries and a bit of trial and error.
I feel like playing on too low a difficulty makes the game like an interactive movie that goes along at a steady pace 'till it's over. Play it on the right setting though and you actually have to learn and beat the game to finish it.

[Mobsta]

LocoCoco said:

I'll always pick the hardest difficulty I can realistically manage. I don't feel any sense of accomplishment unless I pass part of a game that seemed impossible at first but doable after loads of tries and a bit of trial and error.
I feel like playing on too low a difficulty makes the game like an interactive movie that goes along at a steady pace 'till it's over. Play it on the right setting though and you actually have to learn and beat the game to finish it.

Precisely this! Worded perfectly, my sentiments exactly.

Sorry to bump.
I have a nasty habit of coke and hookers not reading threads I start