To take another tack on it, the point of the fixed-level enemies in traditional RPGs is to allow the player to choose their own difficulty level. With World of Warcraft, the game provides you far more quests than it expects you to reasonably complete, and provides them well before you’re ready for them. It’s up to you whether you take on overlevel or underlevel quests. If you’re finding the game too easy, go for a harder quest. If it’s too hard, go back and do one of the easier quests.
Strict scaling destroys that. I can see the point of scaling, but you need definite limits on it. Some stuff should be really easy even with scaling, and some stuff really hard. Just give the player some choices as to which he wants to tackle.
Marcin
3102
Yeah, this is what happened to us although we somehow had no quests left by the time we hit Sledge’s Mine. I probably did not explain this based on my responses (toughen up, things shouldn’t drop to 2 bullets, etc.) but we literally poured 3 people’s worth of full primary ammo stores, that is about a THOUSAND bullets into a +2 badass bruiser, and he still kept coming. That’s the part that’s no fun.
So yeah, tweak that ini file around levels 10-15, then tweak it back when things get more sane. Like I said, mods started dropping, more blues started dropping, and things got clicking.
My problem exactly with Borderlands. I always wanted to push on and get myself into trouble because I’m trying to fight guys 2x my level… In classical RPGs you can run ahead and do this, and it’s really freakign difficult. And it typically isn’t that rewarding when you accomplish it… but it’s the fact that you DID it that makes it so much fun. Like the first time I decided to go bare fist against a Gear in Xenogears. They squash you like little ants, but you can beat em! Sure, it takes a while and a LOT of health potion-things, but it’s doable! And that simple fact, that it can be done, makes it all worth while.
It’s one thing when they honestly are that hard… but when that massive difficulty is the difference between 10 exp, then it’s irritating.
That’s what the different enemy ranks are for. Either way, the method they’re using right now is pretty terrible unless you finesse the damn thing the whole way through.
Jag
3105
Yeah, same thing. I was head shotting the same guy repeatedly with a sniper rifle. Tons of hits, criticals and it barely affected his health. Then he sprays gunfire from a distance and I drop dead.
I hate scaling, but the damage modeling seems to be way out of wack.
86 hours in single player and I still haven’t touched co-op. If anyone wants to team up on the pc, hit me up on Steam. I think my highest character is in the low 40’s, otherwise I’d be up for starting from scratch too.
Got a soldier about 42, I’ll send you a friend request. Just completed Ned’s, hitting Knox next then Claptrap. Steam ID is glycerine74.
Wade42
3108
Added you two on steam… I have a Soldier @ 45 and Hunter @18.
Tony_M
3109
Like others have mentioned in this thread, the problem wasn’t enemy scaling, the problem was that the level power curve was waaay too steep. Just gaining 2 levels (relative to your opponent) made a huge difference in how much damage you delivered/received.
Thats why you’ll see some people complaining that a particular fight is really difficult, and others say “really? I sleep walked through it”. Then the next day the first guy comes back and says “yeah I did some side quests and now its really easy”.
For a completionist like me that meant the game was on the whole too easy. They need to fix the power curve in Borderlands 2. But that means they’ll also have to work harder to make encounters balanced rather than just relying on the dramatic power curve to hide any bumps in encounter difficulty or class balance.
Tony
Tony_M
3110
Like others have mentioned in this thread, the problem wasn’t enemy scaling, the problem was that the level power curve was waaay too steep. Just gaining 2 levels (relative to your opponent) made a huge difference in how much damage you delivered/received.
Thats why you’ll see some people complaining that a particular fight is really difficult, and others say “really? I sleep walked through it”. Then the next day the first guy comes back and says “yeah I did some side quests and now its really easy”.
For a completionist like me that meant the game was on the whole too easy. They need to fix the power curve in Borderlands 2. But that means they’ll also have to work harder to make encounters balanced rather than just relying on the dramatic power curve to hide any bumps in encounter difficulty.
Tony
My wife and I just finally finished a play through of this. She played the Siren and I the Hunter.
Early game I went with pistol enhancing skills because that was mostly what I found, then mid game I switched to bloodwing. Maxed out bloodwing on the plains against spiders is about broken because he will generate frankly ridiculous amounts of cash. Then later once I was at old haven I found he was getting stuck too much to be useful so I switched to pure sniper skill tree. Initially I didn’t think the shield pierce was worth it because the elemental effects on my weapons would end up damaging their shields anyway, but it proved to be amazing at the end of the game against guardians, who have way more shield than health. I was one shotting the flying guardians and 1-3 shotting the various melee/artillery ones.
My wife’s siren was largely tank focused as she liked to charge in until she was low and then phase to regen shields and then go back to kicking more ass. It worked well between the two of us because she would draw most of the attention letting me line up sniper or revolver headshots.
I definitely noticed that early in the game we ran into quests that were too hard for us and had to go back and just farm a couple early bosses like nine-toes. Late game all of the side quests were so trivial as to be boring so we just rushed the ending once we were around level 33, and finished about level 36.
Definitely a fun game, we’re looking forward to the next one. :)
Having got this for $5 from Steam, I’m having a good time. I particularly like the way my low slung buggy thing handles. I can see why people compared Rage unfavourably to this in various respects.
It’s ridiculous how cheap quality gaming can be now.
Pogo
3113
It’s a fun game, but it’s much better with a friend or two.
On that note, way to keep it classy Gearbox.
JM1
3115
“Way to keep it classy” is almost always used to criticise people, and I’m fairly sure that’s not what you intended! It’s a nice touch by Gearbox :)
I know but it still makes sense and I figured it would make more people click on the link ;)
Yeah, I expected something else. That’s cool of them
Just finished my $5 copy of this, playing solo, or at least just completed the Vault Quest. Is that supposed to make any sense at all? I kill a big thing?
That’s the beauty of Borderlands. The Vault is just a big McGuffin. The journey – with “journey” reading as “what obnoxiously, deliciously, overkill-ish weapons can I collect” is the reward.
The only problem with that is… well it’s a bit crap.
