Game difficulty - we ALL are actually playing on "easy"

[Handel]

I had some suspicions for a long time (even made a topic asking about it) so decided to check the _mod_on_off.h file... and found there are not two but THREE difficulty sliders.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->///////////////////////////////////////////////////
// complexity
// Next Level rate
int MOD_EXP_RATE = 10; // это база... + (сложность)
//int Level_Complexity = 5; // by default только настройка
// complexity of fantom skill
int MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE = 1; // 1- easy; 2; 3; 4; 5-medium; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10 - hard (please, do not set more 10 or less 1 it mays crash game
#define MOD_Complexity_1_DMG 3.0<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

This is from my game on "captain" difficulty and XP slider in the middle (default) position.
So the 1st slider from the options is obviously this:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->//int Level_Complexity = 5; // by default только настройка<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
- corresponds ot "captain" level
The second slider from the screen options is the rate at which the Hero gains XP
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->int MOD_EXP_RATE = 10; // это база... + (сложность)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The russian words mean the base rate of XP gain is 10 plus additional bonus rate from the slider itself OR 10 plus additional bonus rate from the 1st slider; anyway it is not less then 10.
And now here comes the 3rd slider which is not shown in the Option screen at all:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->// complexity of fantom skill
int MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE = 1; // 1- easy; 2; 3; 4; 5-medium; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10 - hard (please, do not set more 10 or less 1 it mays crash game<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So I asked on the russian forum for confirmation and it appears... well, exactly as it appears - no matter which difficulty we choose the enemies quickly fall behind the main hero.
So for more equal (medium) game either the 3rd slider must be set manually or the game must be modded the this slider to become visible too on the Options screen.
I guess Playlogic decided the game is too hard and simply removed the possibility to chosse how fast the enemies level up <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="sad.gif" />o)

 

[woopypooky]

sometimes it is insanely hard;
-the pirates raid on Panama
-Ascold quest inside Inca temple
-COAS casper clan

 

[Sordid]

Yeah, I don't particularly want to make it more difficult either. But go ahead, crank it up and report what effect it had on the game. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

 

[Handel]

<!--quoteo(post=336960:date=Jul 13 2009, 11:38 PM:name=woopypooky)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (woopypooky @ Jul 13 2009, 11:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=336960"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->sometimes it is insanely hard;
-the pirates raid on Panama
-Ascold quest inside Inca temple
-COAS casper clan<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

True because the game quests are not corresponding to the Hero advance. You can easily take a quest at lvl 1 which requires the Hero to be lvl 30+ to be able to survive (like Enchanted City quest).

 

[veradin]

I do think that random enemies become easier once your skill improves and you get better weapons, but shouldn't it be that way? I mean, most of the characters you encounter are simply random thugs in the jungle or crew when you board a ship. I don't think it's realistic in the least that everyone becomes stronger just because you're becoming stronger. However, and this is an important exception, <b>if</b> you could design it so that only certain enemies grew stronger with you, like hired assassins, that would make sense. If someone is paying people for your head, they're going to have at least SOME idea about your abilities after the first few assassins end up dead, so sending stronger ones as the bounty rises makes good sense and keeps up the challenge. For the rest, I think a good distribution of random levels would work better for 'bosses' like ship captains that's not just based on their crew but on the type of ship they have, so you can potentially fight a man o' war captain that's 10 levels above you with great skills. Right now (at least for me), it doesn't matter how powerful a ship or crew these captains command, I can run them through in 4-5 swipes without a problem. This would require a lot of manual tweaking and may not even be possible, though.

To summarize: I don't like the idea of everyone in the caribbean constantly improving to match you, I DO like the idea of specific enemies that make sense being a constant challenge and I DO think the levels of 'boss' characters should be based on the type of ship and crew they command.

 

[Croaker]

<b>Slider 1: Complexity</b>
Any idea what becomes more complex? My first few games I played on the easiest, but now I have bumped it up two notches. I am not noticing a huge difference, but maybe I'm just a better pirate now and I know more tricks.

<b>Slider 2: Hero exp gain.</b>
I have actually set this down as low as it will go and found the game much more enjoyable. With the default setting I had a few skill maxxed out far to early in the game.

<b>Hidden Slider 3: Enemy exp gain.</b>
I am thinking this might refer to 'competitors'. If you have the debug window on, you can hit F10 and see a list of all of your 'competitor' pirate captains. They gain levels, buy ships, take quests and travel the carribean just like you. It doesn't really make sense for the game to track exp gain for the ship captains that are randomly generated on the map.

 

[Handel]

But the competitors are not "Enemy". They are either with you or neutral. Giving them faster lvl up doesn't make the game harder.

 

[kevinwastaken]

I have to reload often enough as it is, I'd hate to make the game any harder. In fact, I wish I had chosen Sailor difficulty, due to PITA sword fights

 

[Croaker]

<!--quoteo(post=337039:date=Jul 13 2009, 08:08 PM:name=Handel)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Handel @ Jul 13 2009, 08:08 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337039"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->But the competitors are not "Enemy". They are either with you or neutral. Giving them faster lvl up doesn't make the game harder.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Correct. I'm assuming "Enemy" is among the countless translation errors in this game. Terminology is very inconsistent everywhere in the code.

 

[Handel]

I asked for more detailer explanation on the russian forum. So here is the answer:

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Every npc. This is a part of the game system. The higher dificulty level - the higher will be all NPC level.
Sailor, if i have not forgot, the npc level is lower than player's level. On the impossible - the npc level is much higher, and they have more skills and a better equip - that's why is difficult to defeat them.
The special, quest npc - they have a static level, wich does not depends of the player's level.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->