Artificial Difficulty

[Gallus]

This isn't artificial difficulty, it's just something that you don't like.

Nope, it's real difficulty. Stuff based on reflexes is real difficulty, because not everybody is capable of doing it. A fight based on a scripted rotation can even be done by someone with the reflexes of a snail, the only thing you might need is just more tries.

As for

Having fights rely on RNG has its problems too because then you'll have times when the fight is easy and others when you simply just can't win.

Extend the length of the fights and this problem is instantly solved.
"But then it wouldn't be fun". Well I'm not talking about fun, I'm talking about what would be really difficult. Knowing what's coming beforehand triviallizes your skill and then it all becomes a memory battle (which everyone can do and the only difference between someone really skilled and someone utterly demented will simply boil down to more tries).

[Reynhart]

A fight based on a scripted rotation can even be done by someone with the reflexes of a snail, the only thing you might need is just more tries.

And on each try, you will improve yourself until you manage to pull it off perfectly. That's one kind of difficulty. Something we see all the time in rythm games, for example.

Extend the length of the fights and this problem is instantly solved.

Then you'd also need to restrict some mechanics. If Titan Ex decides to spam Double Gaols, you're screwed...
If tankbusters happen every 15 seconds, your tank will surely die, too...

But, a fight where each attack has its own cooldown, and where the boss can chose whatever ability he wants that is not on cooldown, could be very fun and interesting.

[Gilthas]

Nope, it's real difficulty. Stuff based on reflexes is real difficulty, because not everybody is capable of doing it. A fight based on a scripted rotation can even be done by someone with the reflexes of a snail, the only thing you might need is just more tries.

Sorry, but I don't limit difficulty to "twitch-based" mecahnics. That's just what you prefer, so you deem memorization as "artificial difficulty".

Extend the length of the fights and this problem is instantly solved.

No it wouldn't. Like the above poster mentioned, several mechanics will need to be put on cooldown or your party can be easily screwed by the RNG.

[StouterTaru]

Nope, it's real difficulty. Stuff based on reflexes is real difficulty, because not everybody is capable of doing it. A fight based on a scripted rotation can even be done by someone with the reflexes of a snail, the only thing you might need is just more tries.

The problem is not every machine/connection is capable of dealing with your definition of difficulty. I find it hard to call real difficulty if they telegraph it with a giant red outline on the floor and give you time to get out of it.

[HReincarnate]

Okaaaaaay.... now I see why everyone jumped my throat when i mentioned Artificial Difficulty in my thread. lol

[Melch]

I've seen this term tossed out countless times over the last couple of years, and I'm curious to know what you think constitutes artificial difficulty, and what constitutes real difficulty. Things I've seen mentioned as artificial difficulty in other threads:

• DPS checks aka performing perfect rotations
• RNG
• Twitch Mechanics
• Scripted mechanics aka memorization
• Team jump rope aka finding 8 people who know the fight
• Content gates or lockouts

The only artificial difficulty I can think of is ravana not being targetable for a millisecond when it switches stance and leading you to target it again.

[Reynhart]

I find it hard to call real difficulty if they telegraph it with a giant red outline on the floor and give you time to get out of it.

It's a delicate balance. If the attack cannot kill you by itself, and is only targeted at you, ok, you don't need to telegrah it.
If the attack as a specific radius that you can't really guess, not telegraphing it is a step toward fake difficulty.
If the attack can one-shot you, no telegraphing it is totally fake difficulty.

And any mechanic where you absolutely need to die at least once to learn is also fake difficulty.

[Gallus]

It's not very hard to understand...
Something based on reflexes = not everyone is capable of doing it.
Something based on memory = potentially 99% of the people can pull it.

If everyone can do it, it's not difficult.

What I've found hard in videogames until now? Stuff like:

Red bull challenge in GT5 (people screamed for nerfs because only like 1% were capable of getting gold there xD, and it wasn't a matter of repetition, some people weren't going to succeed even if they were to live 7 times xD).

Certain bosses from the soul games in very low levels. One single mistake and you are one shot.

Now...a scripted battle? It's like saying that memorizing a paragraph is hard. Please get real.

If you want a real challenge or something that really proves your skill, go to any populated PVP moba and make it to the top 100. You are going to make it through real difficulty in order to get there. No artificial difficulty involved.

And no, it's not "different kinds of difficulty". One thing is difficult, the other one is not.

[Reynhart]

If everyone can do it, it's not difficult.

They key term is not really "difficulty" but "artificial".

Like I said, anyone can stop moving or attacking to dodge Blighted Bouquet, so it's not really "difficult".
But nothing in the game indicates that "stop moving or attacking" is the way to survive Blighted Bouquet, so it's totally artificial.

The same is true for T9, with Iceclaw and Fireclaw. First hit ? Almost no damage. Second hit ? One shot ?!

Comparatively, you have Angra Mainyu in WoD. When he does double-vision, you know you have to be in one of the colored area. And you'll see that you take more and more damage to more you stack the same debuff by staying in the same area, so you'll probably switch to the other area, where you'll see that the new debuff overlaps the one you have.
You faced the mechanic, you learned, you found the solution. Not artificial (But this particular mechanic is not that difficult )

[Eisenhower]

But nothing in the game indicates that "stop moving or attacking" is the way to survive Blighted Bouquet, so it's totally artificial.

The same is true for T9, with Iceclaw and Fireclaw. First hit ? Almost no damage. Second hit ? One shot ?!

No.

The mechanics of Blighted Bouquet are not artificial, since they can me dealt with via player skill. They are obfuscated since it's difficult to realize details surrounding the event, but trial and error will reveal this information even if the initial clue provided is sparse. Planned, systematic testing of the ability will reveal it even faster.

The ice and fire attacks are neither artificial in difficulty, nor are their mechanics obfuscated as the tooltip clearly reads "Icebitten: Resistance to attacks by Iceclaw is decreased." and "Firescorched: Resistance to attacks by Firehorn is decreased.".

A challenge is artificially difficult if player effort is disregarded for calculating the result of the challenge.