Vintage Story Is Designed for Difficulty

[Rudometkin]

When members new and seasoned continuously express dissatisfaction about the difficulty of the game that you specifically designed to be uncompromising, you know you've succeeded!

Every such complaint is a love letter.

I hope Vintage Story continues to grow in this uncompromising challenging direction. It is so refreshing to see a game be developed in the right direction, against the popular opinion. I have faith Anego Studios will keep this up.

As Markus Persson (aka Notch) once said (I paraphrase him): "I think it is better to have a game that is too difficult, rather than too easy." The difficulty keeps you coming back, and provides the sense of reward. It makes the adventure *rich*.

Enjoy your adventures, everyone!

[Krougal]

Forget I responded.

I am not trying to bait you into getting yourself banned, even though I dislike you, every game owner should have the right to post here.

Going back to ignoring you.

Edited August 17, 2025 by Krougal

[Rudometkin]

12 minutes ago, Krougal said:

It makes a great hype line, but what does uncompromising even mean actually?

The word itself never even has a good connotation.

Great question. We can break the word down. Where the prefix "un" renders it the opposite of "compromise". Basically, in general, the game is not so much intended to become easier just because we find it difficult. For example, in general, if people complain it is difficult to find clay, the game affirms this is precisely their problem to figure out, and it is not geared toward making clay easier to find.

Quote

Making games is full of compromises.

It isn't referring to the "development" of the game. It's referring to the experience when one is playing it. That it's uncompromising in its gameplay. Not its development.

[CastIronFabric]

What I do like about VS very much is the ability to customize difficulty.

Because my days of 'uncompromising' or 'brutal' are over...done..finished..stick a fork in it and turn it...done. no more.

 

[ThatMaxGuy]

I mean, this goes to the conversation that circles around during any soulsborne game release, on whether games should be made wholly accessible no matter the level of skill/time/dedication/whatever. Like CastIronFabric said, VS has a lot of customization, and that's good, but personally I don't think "It's too difficult" is a good reason to require change.

You can give your opinion to the developers, of course, but if doesn't fit their vision, adapt or find a game better suited for you. 

[CastIronFabric]

7 minutes ago, ThatMaxGuy said:

I mean, this goes to the conversation that circles around during any soulsborne game release, on whether games should be made wholly accessible no matter the level of skill/time/dedication/whatever. Like CastIronFabric said, VS has a lot of customization, and that's good, but personally I don't think "It's too difficult" is a good reason to require change.

You can give your opinion to the developers, of course, but if doesn't fit their vision, adapt or find a game better suited for you. 

I agree that its not really as difficult as some youtube channels have suggested but I will say I stayed away from this game for years becasue of those video titles.

Anyway, there are different kinds of difficulty.

-There is writing MIPS code in Stationers to help prevent your gasses from phase shifting 

-There is skills that require a high level of twitch skills in which if you loose you loose 10 hours of game play.

-There is even 'hard game play' that requires you to stare at a wall for 10 mins because you cant go outside.

Regardless of which kind of challenge people like or do not like, I think customizing ones game experience is always helpful.

But as I said, I am done with words like 'uncompromising' and 'brutal' and I will hunt those features down and change them.

Edited August 17, 2025 by CastIronFabric

[Bomboclaat]

Maybe in default settings it's difficult at first but I always customize the game so I can make decent progress and not deal with too much crap because I don't really have time for constant ball busting bullshit, thats something I well and truly love about the game. I even keep my stuff on death. Even got a mod (not sure if it's smithing plus or combat overhaul) that makes you make plate armor on the anvil with MUCH less materials and MUCH less time compared to my OG vanilla playthrough and I find that far more enjoyable than working night and day for an in game week or two for same result but from a crafting grid and with enough iron to make a whole ass car, not armor.

None the less I'm enjoying the game regardless. I just wish that armor smithing system I used could become vanilla eventually.

[ThatMaxGuy]

By all means, if the tools are there to make it easier people can absolutely use them. The issue comes with demanding those tools, or claiming something is bad because it's hard. Not saying that either of those things are happening, and I'm not targeting anyone specific. What I'm trying to say is that:

- personally I like where the game is going 

- customization is good, but not mandatory 

- give your opinion, but be respectful and let the developers follow their vision

- if you end up not liking where the game is, it's fine. Bad purchases happen, and the team seems pretty lax about refunds anyway

[CastIronFabric]

1 hour ago, ThatMaxGuy said:

By all means, if the tools are there to make it easier people can absolutely use them. The issue comes with demanding those tools, or claiming something is bad because it's hard. Not saying that either of those things are happening, and I'm not targeting anyone specific. What I'm trying to say is that:

- personally I like where the game is going 

- customization is good, but not mandatory 

- give your opinion, but be respectful and let the developers follow their vision

- if you end up not liking where the game is, it's fine. Bad purchases happen, and the team seems pretty lax about refunds anyway

nothing is mandatory. It their game they can do what they wish.

 

[ThatMaxGuy]

8 minutes ago, CastIronFabric said:

nothing is mandatory. It their game they can do what they wish.

 

Exactly

[Facethief]

That said, the developers won’t make the game harder than their vision entails either.

[Sparticus247]

I like that this game is just hard enough without making it feel like it's being artificial about it. Remember those final fantasy boss fights that were hard because the enemy HP is just the size of a planet? That kind of difficulty I despise. 

This game usually lets me know that I am the one that messed up.

Can't make any baskets or other things out of cattails, because I ate all the roots in the area? That's my fault. 

Having a hard time making copper tools because I didn't mark down where all the bits were and used them all in a 5,000 block radius? That's my fault. 

Didn't bother making any food storage for the winter and now I'm having a hard time? That's my fault. 

Etc etc. The game can be punishing, but it's usually fair about it.