CBU3. Please respect your players.

[Tizzy_Tormentor]

Honestly, given how there are players too stupid to beat the solo instances in this game without an easy mode being added, I can see why they treat players like absolute morons.

I remember someone here who couldn't even beat the Estinien instance without a guide and lots of failure beforehand, you know, that instance that basically wins itself for you on the default settings.

[PintyMcEars]

FF14 players are chronically afraid of challenge or anything that may use 2% of their Brainpower.

Nobody tell Shinkuno they are a FF14 player, they might get offended...

[Kazhar]

Honestly, given how there are players too stupid to beat the solo instances in this game without an easy mode being added, I can see why they treat players like absolute morons.

Nobody is questioning the existence of an easy mode for those who want to enjoy the story or those who are just bad at action game. What's baffling is that they DID create a hard mode but they gatekept it behind the completion of a pretty long game.

[Xaruko_Nexume]

The requirement to beat the game on "normal" before even being able to access hard mode is likely to protect players from themselves, who might launch the game immediately into hard mode with no business there.

[SomeGuy22]

The requirement to beat the game on "normal" before even being able to access hard mode is likely to protect players from themselves, who might launch the game immediately into hard mode with no business there.

Eh, someone who has no business in hard would be humbled a couple of times, think to themselves "hm, maybe I should restart on normal..." and that would be that. Locking difficulty options as an answer to a player biting off more than they can chew feels redundant even in a short game. In such a lengthy game like XVI, it also ends up bumming out the people who want more challenge right out of the gate.

I feel that a better solution would be leaving hard mode unlocked from the start, and allow the player to change it mid-playthrough (or maybe even encourage it a la DMC, if they're struggling enough).

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

Usually if a Hard Mode is locked behind a game completion, it's because there are additional things like a True Ending as an example.

If there is no difference in Hard Mode instead of just making the game.... well, hard. Then this is a terrible game design decision.

[thevanguard]

The requirement to beat the game on "normal" before even being able to access hard mode is likely to protect players from themselves, who might launch the game immediately into hard mode with no business there.

So in other words... They quite literally do not respect their players.

[Rufalus]

You're not missing out by hard mode being locked at the start. It's not harder than the first run, it's just arranged slightly and the enemies have leveled up to match the player level carried over from the first run. It won't change how you feel about the game.

[Syln]

I see that calling out Creative business unit 3 is the new meta for some forum dweller :3

[Shougun]

The requirement to beat the game on "normal" before even being able to access hard mode is likely to protect players from themselves, who might launch the game immediately into hard mode with no business there.

Why couldn't they just allow you to change it on the fly? I played GoW 2018 one on hard, then got to the valkyries where it was going okay until that green one that does dive bombs lol, switched to easy and carried on as I didn't intend to come back (tough is fun until it gets in the way of time, limited schedule means as much fun as it might be to finish on max setting it will take a lot longer). Basically the same thing happened for the second one lol, although it was because of the dang twins fight... everything else was fine- twins were really hard imo. Interestingly combat is excellently balanced even on easy, will feel like a "god" but can't entirely ignore the game either (good).

Since it was brought up already (comparing the two), I do wish FFXVI telegraphed better- I have timely focus because some of the telegraphs are meh- GoW had such solid telegraphs it was easy to dodge most attacks, but I feel like the item in FFXVI should have just been better attack identifiers. Especially can't see through my own tornado (garuda) lol. Dont really feel like going much into feedback of FFXVI since I'm not entirely sure it will reach anyone (which department gets feedback for they game they are not working on?).

Harder to do on mmos but I don't really see the point in excluding players whether they are skilled or relaxed play / not. /If/ possible just let people play what's going to suit them, asap.