Universal Nightmare mode as difficulty option

[Solarsyphon]

Can we please get a system that changes nightmare mode from being an alert type system to something that is available on all missions? I think nightmare mode is a good beginning to a system that is essentially a difficulty option for missions and would go a long way to address many of the difficulty complaints I've heard.

• Allot of people want more difficulty but its also unfair to lock fun game play behind enormous amounts of grind because nightmare is a modifier not a new game mode it can add difficulty without completely locking out new players.
• Night mare mode has higher level enemies which is often requested and a random element in the form of modifiers that mixes up game play to give more replay ability
• It exists already for the star chart but is some what forgotten in its current form
• it would optionally allow players to skip to higher levels in endless rather than waiting long periods
• Being a modifier if it included a goal such as completing star chart on night mare or some new items it could add a massive amount of missions to veteran players itinerary 

It's not perfect it would need some changes and I would like to see it do a few things such as

• Firstly, the key point, it needs to apply to the majority of mission types including some of the none star chart / alert missions like sorties and arbitration. It shouldn't be all missions of some notable exemptions being Kuva siphons, given the presence of floods, alerts, given how random and transient they are,  and fissures given the effect it would have on the prime economy. On the other hand I think  Sanctuary onslaught and arbitration having  higher levels, additional modifiers and rewards as an option would make them a much better end game. These could be locked behind something such as completing the star chart on nightmare first
• Have higher levels than it currently does for star chart. it should start at a level close to where star chart ends and increase in level faster so possibly level 50 +( 2x original level). That puts star chart in a range from about 56-140. None star chart missions like sortie would have level 150-250 which puts them at like a 
• Have better rewards such as an additional mission reward drop for star chart and of course a nightmare mod. Sortie and arbitration could have the same or it could simply allow you to play sortie for a second time during that cycle. For conflicts they could simply allow you to achieve your the number of missions you need faster 
• Some more modifiers would nice. Variety is the spice of life

 

I like nightmares as a core to a difficulty option because it does have allot of flexibility and some what already exists but I also think a general discussion about what is good difficulty and end game is important. So to finish I have some community questions:

• What is the most enjoyable level range? I'm worried about enemies getting to too high a level and becoming annoying bullet sponges
• Are there modifiers you really hate?I know some people find certain modifiers irksome but I personally would like more options than less
• Would you prefer random modifiers or set ones? I know some people like to be able to plan but I personally like variety
• Would repeating that star chart again be too annoying? are there other gating mechanisms you'd prefer for gating hard mode or should it be ungated? I think encouraging a replay of the start chart would be a good thing
• Is gaining rewards faster through double reward drops enough of a reward incentive? I think achieving rewards faster is valuable and I also think its more realistic and universally applicable than asking for a whole sweet of new items

There are some other posts about difficulty options but I think mine is a bit more specific.

[peterc3]

1 hour ago, Solarsyphon said:

it could add a massive amount of missions to veteran players itinerary 

Double the existing star chart is hardly massive. It's not new, just doing the same tilesets with the same enemies, only with random, sometimes tedious, modifiers and enemies that are vulnerable to infinite CC and the same tactics used in the rest of the game.

1 hour ago, Solarsyphon said:

Have better rewards such as an additional mission reward drop for star chart and of course a nightmare mod. Sortie and arbitration could have the same or it could simply allow you to play sortie for a second time during that cycle. For conflicts they could simply allow you to achieve your the number of missions you need faster 

You aren't going to get better rewards and access to Nightmare mods if this applies to the entire star chart.

This just gives vets more resources to further trivialize old crafting recipes and forces DE to either push new crafting requirements up, making it harder for newer players, or allow vets to steamroll new weapons and provide 0 impetus to buy the weapon.

Not to mention dividing the player base into 2 parts that will almost never mix.

[Solarsyphon]

40 minutes ago, peterc3 said:

Double the existing star chart is hardly massive. It's not new, just doing the same tilesets with the same enemies, only with random, sometimes tedious, modifiers and enemies that are vulnerable to infinite CC and the same tactics used in the rest of the game.

You aren't going to get better rewards and access to Nightmare mods if this applies to the entire star chart.

This just gives vets more resources to further trivialize old crafting recipes and forces DE to either push new crafting requirements up, making it harder for newer players, or allow vets to steamroll new weapons and provide 0 impetus to buy the weapon.

Not to mention dividing the player base into 2 parts that will almost never mix.

It wasn't really meant to be new. The point is people often comment that star chart is too low level and they have no reason to return to it. This is something that addresses those ideas. I did also mention the key part was that it extend beyond the star chart.

As for rewards I meant just the mission rewards not drops. So they'd mostly get things like credits, endo, mods and blue prints. Most things wouldn't see an increase in drop rate and what is increased is highly accessible else where.  The only real increase in rewards would be in things like sorties which is why I suggested being able to do a second nightmare run on top of the normal rather than given straight rewards.