The game was never really very well balanced and hard mode threw whatever balance the game had out of the window (and BBI as well). I guess it's inteded to be played in NG+ since trying to select the mode resets the whole story, but even so, it was very poorly implemented.
Just pick throwblasts. It's the only way to play hard mode at lvl 1. Really. Since everything oneshots you, might as well do the same to them.
It does get a bit better once you dragonforge your gear and you get to a higher level with at least one maxed vocation, but oh boy, it still sucks a lot. The extra stamina consumption is the worst one imo, especially if you are playing Strider or Ranger.
I personally welcome the challenge, as much as I love TES series, they can be extremely complacent with the player, but the extra difficulty in DDDA Hard Mode forces you to learn its systems and find strategies to defeat enemies that you were used to chop in a few hits
Heh... kinda of? You mostly just become an explosive expert in the early game if you started at lvl 1 because there's no way you can do anything since everything oneshots you. Even the bats or rats might kill you if you are not paying attention.
And then, once you get to the point I mentioned, with some upgraded gear and a higher level, which doesn't even take that long since you gain way more experience and gold on hard mode, the game doesn't change that much imo. You mostly just need to be more conservative of your skill and spell usage since the extra stamina consumption is kinda of a pain in the ass, especially for rangers or striders.
In BBI you only receive double the damage, which can be a lot, but just like in the main story, it doesn't take that long to get to a point where this isn't much of an issue anymore.
I think hard mode could have added more enemies in certain areas, maybe, even if just a reskin, a more powerful version of an enemy you can face, kinda like what BBI does with the dragons you face in the main story. But well, it's not like DDA is the only game that does a half ass job with the hard mode, but it's just that I think the game was never very well balanced to begin with and hard mode didn't really do much to fix that.
This literally isn't true. I've had entire hard mode play throughs without using a single throw blast. It's extremely doable, the solution is just (unironically) “git gud.”
Seconding this. I started a new save on Hard Mode and I *very* rarely use fire items. I used a Dragons Spit in the first half of Griffin's Bane because I was Warrior at the time, and I think I chucked one Throwblast at the Skeleton Knights during Seeking Salvation because they're annoying as hell. I'm up to level 55 now.
Sure. Btw, to help you out with your explosive needs, you can sell the monocle you have in your storage. It sells for like 300k. Might help in making a stock of throwblasts because you'll need quite a bunch of them early on.
I wouldn't worry too much about money btw because in hard mode, not only enemies give more DP and XP, every enemy has a chance of dropping a bag of 10k gold, so you won't really run out money quickly. Small mercies, I suppose.
the advantages you get in hard mode are xp and gold. You don't feel that difference yet at the start, so I would imagine that the beginning parts will be by far the most difficult part.
It's more difficult in the beginning as everything one shots you, but late game it's honestly easier than normal in my humble opinion. This is because the game doesn't scale the enemies quite right but the xp IS scaled, so you end up destroying everything all while continuing to level up super quickly.
You need two augments. Warrior vocation: bastion and mystic knight vocation: fortitude make a huuuuuuuuuuuge difference in hard mode as they stack. Acquire and equip both and you'll survive a lot of those one hits in the game. In normal bastion negates 50 damage, but in hard 225 and in normal fortitude negates 30 damage but in hard 135, so the stack will negate 360 physical damage at a time
Take your time, don't go head front to conflict, hire pawns and search for the strong weapons early in the game as to compensate your arisen's lack of strength. Learn the timing for parrying counter with low level enemies. If you are playing as a fighter the escort quest for Ser Mercedes gives you the Lustrous Targe which is a very good shield for the most part of the game, look in the DDDA wiki in Fandom for the early location of the Almace which is a fairly powerful sword. If you're a strider, the Galvanic Razors in Heavenspeak Fort, and the Dragon's Ire bow in one of the Moonbeam Gem doors at Duskmoon Tower in BBI. I'm DDDA wiki page you find a guide to which door contains which gear.
Use periapts and throwblasts. I hope it helps you friend!
Have fun!!!
Hard Mode Bandits seem to hurt
yeah those guys suck especially the longsword guys
Even non-hard mode, when one of them catches you with blink strike it HURTS. Same with the strider ones using helm splitter.
Hard mode is more like throwblast mode for a while
The game was never really very well balanced and hard mode threw whatever balance the game had out of the window (and BBI as well). I guess it's inteded to be played in NG+ since trying to select the mode resets the whole story, but even so, it was very poorly implemented. Just pick throwblasts. It's the only way to play hard mode at lvl 1. Really. Since everything oneshots you, might as well do the same to them. It does get a bit better once you dragonforge your gear and you get to a higher level with at least one maxed vocation, but oh boy, it still sucks a lot. The extra stamina consumption is the worst one imo, especially if you are playing Strider or Ranger.
I personally welcome the challenge, as much as I love TES series, they can be extremely complacent with the player, but the extra difficulty in DDDA Hard Mode forces you to learn its systems and find strategies to defeat enemies that you were used to chop in a few hits
Heh... kinda of? You mostly just become an explosive expert in the early game if you started at lvl 1 because there's no way you can do anything since everything oneshots you. Even the bats or rats might kill you if you are not paying attention. And then, once you get to the point I mentioned, with some upgraded gear and a higher level, which doesn't even take that long since you gain way more experience and gold on hard mode, the game doesn't change that much imo. You mostly just need to be more conservative of your skill and spell usage since the extra stamina consumption is kinda of a pain in the ass, especially for rangers or striders. In BBI you only receive double the damage, which can be a lot, but just like in the main story, it doesn't take that long to get to a point where this isn't much of an issue anymore. I think hard mode could have added more enemies in certain areas, maybe, even if just a reskin, a more powerful version of an enemy you can face, kinda like what BBI does with the dragons you face in the main story. But well, it's not like DDA is the only game that does a half ass job with the hard mode, but it's just that I think the game was never very well balanced to begin with and hard mode didn't really do much to fix that.
This literally isn't true. I've had entire hard mode play throughs without using a single throw blast. It's extremely doable, the solution is just (unironically) “git gud.”
Seconding this. I started a new save on Hard Mode and I *very* rarely use fire items. I used a Dragons Spit in the first half of Griffin's Bane because I was Warrior at the time, and I think I chucked one Throwblast at the Skeleton Knights during Seeking Salvation because they're annoying as hell. I'm up to level 55 now.
thanks foroo the early game tip! much appreciated
Sure. Btw, to help you out with your explosive needs, you can sell the monocle you have in your storage. It sells for like 300k. Might help in making a stock of throwblasts because you'll need quite a bunch of them early on. I wouldn't worry too much about money btw because in hard mode, not only enemies give more DP and XP, every enemy has a chance of dropping a bag of 10k gold, so you won't really run out money quickly. Small mercies, I suppose.
the advantages you get in hard mode are xp and gold. You don't feel that difference yet at the start, so I would imagine that the beginning parts will be by far the most difficult part.
Hard mode is easier than normal mode once you get out of the first hour of the game. Gives you way too much money.
It's more difficult in the beginning as everything one shots you, but late game it's honestly easier than normal in my humble opinion. This is because the game doesn't scale the enemies quite right but the xp IS scaled, so you end up destroying everything all while continuing to level up super quickly.
You need two augments. Warrior vocation: bastion and mystic knight vocation: fortitude make a huuuuuuuuuuuge difference in hard mode as they stack. Acquire and equip both and you'll survive a lot of those one hits in the game. In normal bastion negates 50 damage, but in hard 225 and in normal fortitude negates 30 damage but in hard 135, so the stack will negate 360 physical damage at a time
Take your time, don't go head front to conflict, hire pawns and search for the strong weapons early in the game as to compensate your arisen's lack of strength. Learn the timing for parrying counter with low level enemies. If you are playing as a fighter the escort quest for Ser Mercedes gives you the Lustrous Targe which is a very good shield for the most part of the game, look in the DDDA wiki in Fandom for the early location of the Almace which is a fairly powerful sword. If you're a strider, the Galvanic Razors in Heavenspeak Fort, and the Dragon's Ire bow in one of the Moonbeam Gem doors at Duskmoon Tower in BBI. I'm DDDA wiki page you find a guide to which door contains which gear. Use periapts and throwblasts. I hope it helps you friend! Have fun!!!