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

by Kahzgul, Wednesday, December 27, 2017, 11:04 (2364 days ago) @ Blackt1g3r

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.

In Destiny though, you have to contend with public spaces. So difficulty can't adjust the AI in those spaces. If you don't adjust AI difficulty in those spaces would it be weird to then walk into a non-public space and have the enemies behave differently? Would it make the public spaces less fun as a result?

The difficulty setting in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands actually handled the difficulty setting really well. The difficulty setting only applies to you, not your allies. Also, in addition to adjusting weapon damage the game made several other adjustments. Enemies would spot you easier and would be more accurate when firing at you (not your teammates if they were on a lower difficulty setting), radar was less useful, etc.

Destiny could do similar things, adjust the amount of damange dealt and recieved, make snipers more accurate when shooting at you and maybe reduce their rifle charge time a bit so you have to be smarter about dodging, etc. So long as it doesn't impact other players in public spaces it remains fair. To encourage people to choose higher difficulties, you just adjust the loot tables a bit.

That is a really clever solution. I like it!