Dynamic Difficulty Levels: PvE game design theory at work (Destiny)

by Kahzgul, Tuesday, December 26, 2017, 15:15 (2602 days ago) @ Cody Miller

Deus Ex didn't feature enemy levels in the way that D2 or D2 do. In a game where only the main character has levels, difficulty selectors are appropriate.

Level isn't the only thing that a difficulty selector can change… enemies can be smarter. They can be more aggressive. More accurate. There can be more of them. They can be of different types and in different positions. They can have different weapons. And they can all be the same level.

True, and that's a great thing that many games do very well. Destiny could do that too, if it wasn't so focused on "look your numbers got bigger" and was instead focused on compelling moment to moment gameplay.