#Difficulty Analysis

[breakingarrows]

Killzone 2 Difficulty Analysis

Some time ago I was thinking alot about video game difficulty. This has been a topic of conversation and Twitter discourse many times, especially around FromSoftware releases due to their reputation for being difficult to play to the end and the lack of any options to ease that difficulty. However I was thinking about it from the angle of what exactly we mean when we say something is difficult. Does it mean the player takes fewer hits before being reset to an earlier point, whether it be the very outset of a run in a rogue-like or a checkpoint a minute earlier in a Call of Duty campaign. Is difficulty determined by how many hits an enemy can take before being defeated, is it harsher scoring qualifications for a Devil May Cry, is it enemy behavior becoming more adaptable or sophisticated, learning from the player actions or being given more capabilities the higher the setting? Killzone 2 has a reputation of being one of the tougher games to complete on its hardest difficulty level: Elite. And so I wanted to take an analytical, frame-by-frame look at Killzone 2 and its four difficulty levels to see what exactly separates each option from each other.

As a first person shooter I expected the main differences between difficulty settings are: player takes less hits to die and be reset the higher the setting, the enemy takes more hits to die the higher the setting, and I was curious as to whether the enemy AI is more aggressive with flanking/grenade usage/firing at an exposed player the higher the setting. Below is a table with my findings upon reviewing my footage in Premiere Pro going frame by frame to count the amount of actual hits to kill and milliseconds to die:

Former is multiple, latter two are a single enemy firing. No aiming reticle. Enemy moved while in cover back and forth, throwing grenades at my cover point. Blood splatter to indicate taking damage appears in the frame before the bullet is actually fired.

Reviewing the footage and the table both Recruit and Trooper are relatively tame. The standard ISA M82 assault rifle takes 6 hits on average to kill while the Helghast assault rifle the StA52 takes 5 hits to kill. Your time to die on Recruit is over 15 seconds while Trooper is barely over 10. On Recruit the enemy AI was more preoccupied with the ally NPC than my player character, focusing fire on him despite me standing in the open. On Trooper their hits were more consistent, and the time to die would have been even shorter if not for the enemy soldier reloading and taking time to take cover. Veteran is where things really change drastically. Enemies take more shots to kill, ranging from 2-4 on both assault rifles. The time to die is significantly shorter, about just 2 seconds continuously exposed before death. Elite had a consistent 9 bullets per enemy with the M82, whereas the StA52 was more varied between 6 and 10 bullets. Time to die on Elite is pretty much the same as Veteran. Additional details on the Elite difficulty is I noticed enemies would move while in cover to avoid the player zeroing in on their exposed areas. Grenades were thrown more often on Elite than on easier difficulties, and the player lacks the aiming reticule when firing from the hip that is present in every other difficulty setting.

Reviewing this it appears Killzone 2 has two main difficulty levels: Normal and Hard with more acute differences between their sub-divisions. Killzone 2 adheres to the expected difficulty variation of the higher the difficulty the more damage is required to achieve a kill and the less damage you can take before being reset to an earlier checkpoint. I do appreciate the finer details on Elite with enemy AI appearing to become more capable to combat the player’s actions compared to every other option.

Lastly, some miscellaneous details: Average time to load a checkpoint upon death was 9 seconds 39 milliseconds 26 microseconds. Average time to load a level from mission select was 28 seconds 59 milliseconds 40 microseconds.

[lotus-pear]

bsd fic authors i understand yalls pain SO well right now why is it so fucking HARD to write dazai. like i have a whole fucking spreadsheet dedicated to tireless analysis i have done on my part so i can accurately characterize him but he is such an unpredictable and morally gray character that it's hard knowing his limits and boundaries and where he draws the line for himself.

[pyrosomatic-metamorphosis]

hey kings quick reminder to tag dis/course and fandom/team/character neg! i have seen some very nasty things from red AND blue pov watchers today- we're all enjoying the same series, let's be considerate of each other. purgatory is hard enough when our streamers are going thru The Torments lets not bring the torments here

[puppyeared]

who up seeing their disorder in a fictional character but feel like its not their place to put a name on it

[sharkieboi]

okay okay I know how we all talk about like light vs dark and good vs evil and the very very VERY cool concept of like dark being good and light being evil.

rewatching Nimona movie and IT LITERALLY DOES THAT.

currently on the scene of the first time Balistar gets arrested. and like the light shining on her and the shadows he’s in. but he’s also surrounded by light (the electronics) and she’s surrounded by darkness (the empty cells)

idk i’m always having many feelings

[pancakeke]

why do so many people in amazon reviews want product instructions spelled out with words. most of the time when I see these complaints, adding text to the illustrated instructions wouldn't add any additional clarity.

I get that some people might process information better in the form of text but there comes a point when a matter is so simple that reading any amount of words is more complicated than seeing a visual. like if a coffee table arrives as a tabletop with four pre-drilled holes and four screw on legs what the fuck are these people doing leaving a review saying "garbage instructions don't explain anything". like how did they even figure out how to buy things online.

though I guess these are probably just shit-stirring "this is america and everything should be written in american" types.

[fatalism-and-villainy]

Further thoughts on season 3 -

Because season 3A is, of course, the show sloughing off the remains of its police procedural suit and letting its dreamlike gothic vibes-based surrealism run wild. It doesn’t have the same comforting, familiar scaffolding to contain the weirdness that the show previously had.

But also intriguing to me is the way the second half mines its uncanny qualities from its seeming return to normalcy. The Italy arc hinges on the characters being temporally fractured and unmoored from the surroundings that once defined them - and this is reflected in the structure and placement of “Aperitivo”, in which the characters are all, through their introductions, tethered to their pivotal moments of trauma.

But season 3B, oddly, doesn’t try to make the three year gap felt in that same way - the story simply breaks off at Hannibal’s capture, the stylization of the arc not applicable to the mundanity of his trial and incarceration - and then when we rejoin the characters, they’ve all been relocated and shunted into their proper positions for the Red Dragon adaptation to play out. The uncanny effect comes from how simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar everything feels - the return to a more “conventional” crime story, the anchoring of Fuller’s “remix” approach in a well-known and previously adapted larger plot line (much more straightforwardly so than the show’s adaptation of the novel Hannibal) with previously used lines and story elements retrodden, and the characters in similar places to where they were introduced to us. Will is married now, but once again pressed by Jack into consulting; Hannibal is in prison but still entertaining guests; Alana has Chilton’s former role. And yet there’s such an underlying sadness and loss to all of it - it feels insufficient and insubstantial, somehow. The passage of time is felt in just how much it isn’t dwelt on, like the characters have someone melted into these new and unsustainable approximations of their old roles.

And the editing, too, is so much artier than the previous seasons were, even in little cinematic details like the transitions from scene to scene. It’s as though the conventions of the plot are haunted by the strangeness of the first half of the season - as though there’s something far more bizarre and violent trying to burst out of the straitjacket of its plot, just like Dolarhyde’s violent side bursting free of him. And of course, it does, by the end, with Will’s transfer of his allegiance to Hannibal’s way of thinking.

I often think that the lack of flashback to time within the three year gap, and general effort to make that length of time feel weighty, feels like a curious excision. And I’d ideally have liked to see both halves of the season expanded into their own full seasons, because there’s so much more you can mine there than just suggestion. But I think the lacuna itself is a fascinating bit of fragmentation in its own right.

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

You know how you hc that the twins battle each other all the time, and thus are basically their hardest opponents? That post you made about Ingo's brutal Path of Solitude made me desperately want Ingo and Emmet challenging each other to various versions, sometimes with Ingo having the upperhand like in the game, sometimes with Emmet making Ingo use a wurmple against a staraptor. And sometimes, for fun, they even make it a double battle. They make the most buff pokemon in existence and everyone is sufficiently terrified

they so would frfrfr. wait this reminds me i had two sort of mutually exclusive path of solitude points i wanted to make in the same post i'm just gonna do it here hang on

1) ingo was really like, here's a new style of battle challenge i'm introducing that's literally not done anywhere else even in the future, i invented it myself. the challenge is you have one single pokemon and you have to face a very difficult opponent and you're not allowed any other help than what you go in with and you're all alone forever. this is based on absolutely nothing at all and was inspired by nothing. i am fine.

2) path of solitude is really like turbo single battles honestly like of course the guy who is The Single Battles One came up with this. what do you think emmet would have done if he was here instead. would he be like ok pick a pokemon and i'm giving you an entirely random partner. no planning beforehand gotta figure it out when you open the pokeball and we start the battle. dwi.

[philosophersystem]

From M[0], M[1] & S: About the Social Difficulties caused by Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder

We’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand the social difficulties faced by those who are living with both Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Like ourselves. It’s been a journey, much like exploring a path, where we constantly shift perspectives, reshaping how we think about these conditions. The following reflects what we know and have learned as we dive deeper into the social landscapes of these disorders.

Imagine the mind as a social compass, guiding us through interactions, relationships, and connections. But what happens when that compass is broken or when multiple compasses point in different directions? This is the essence of social challenges in both Schizophrenia and DID. Whether it’s the fractured reality of Schizophrenia or the divided sense of self in DID, each piece tells its own story. However, it’s the gaps between these experiences, the barriers that arise, that create the real difficulties in connecting with others.

Schizophrenia: Navigating a Distorted Reality

Schizophrenia can feel like trying to use a compass that’s been shattered—each piece pointing in a different direction, making it hard to find a stable path through the social world. Here’s what we’ve come to understand:

Paranoia and Social Isolation: People with Schizophrenia often experience paranoia—a constant feeling that others may be plotting against them or have ill intentions. This fear creates a barrier to trust, widening the gap between the person and the people around them. Over time, these feelings can lead to isolation, where imagined threats take the place of real conversations, and connections with others start to feel unsafe.

Difficulty with Social Cues: Schizophrenia can affect how a person interprets social situations. Just as a broken compass can point off-course, someone with Schizophrenia may struggle to read facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language. This can lead to misunderstandings or responses that seem out of sync with the situation, further distancing them from others. Yet, despite these challenges, many people with Schizophrenia work hard to reassemble their social compass and find brief moments of connection.

Dissociative Identity Disorder: Living with Multiple Paths

In DID, it’s not just one compass that’s broken—there are several compasses, each one belonging to a different identity or “alter”. These alters hold pieces of the social puzzle, but no single alter has the full picture. Here’s what this can mean for navigating the social world:

Switching and Memory Gaps: For someone with DID, social interactions can feel like moving between different realities. When one alter takes control, they might be familiar with the situation. But when another alter switches in, they may not share those memories, making the social landscape suddenly unfamiliar. These gaps in memory can create confusion for both the individual and those around them, as if they’ve suddenly been dropped into a new social context without warning.

Conflicting Social Needs: Different alters may have different desires and attitudes toward social interaction. One alter might crave connection and closeness, while another might feel more withdrawn or even fearful of others. This internal tug-of-war can make it difficult to form consistent relationships, as each alter has its own direction in navigating social experiences.

Where Schizophrenia and DID Overlap: Common Challenges

Despite their differences, Schizophrenia and DID share some common ground when it comes to social challenges:

Fragmentation: Both disorders create a sense of fragmentation—whether it’s the reality-distorting effects of Schizophrenia or the identity-splitting nature of DID. In either case, the person’s experience of the social world feels fragmented, which can make building relationships difficult.

Social Withdrawal: Both disorders often lead to withdrawal from the social world. Whether due to paranoia, confusion, or internal conflict between alters, people with Schizophrenia or DID may retreat from others, sometimes as a protective measure. This isolation can create a self-perpetuating cycle, where the fear of misunderstanding or rejection leads to even less social interaction.

Navigating the Intersection: When Schizophrenia and DID Coexist

In rare cases, like our own, a person may live with both Schizophrenia and DID. When these two conditions intersect, the social challenges can intensify. Paranoia or delusions from Schizophrenia can further complicate the already fragmented experiences of switching between alters in DID. The result can be a complex and overwhelming social landscape, where the broken pieces of both conditions collide.

However, even in the face of such challenges, there is always hope. With the right support, patience, and understanding, individuals with Schizophrenia and DID can begin to bring the pieces of their social compass closer together. While the journey toward connection may be slow and uncertain, every step forward is a victory.

Conclusion

If you’ve been following us on this journey, you know that understanding these complex conditions is an ongoing process. The social challenges of Schizophrenia and DID are unique and varied, but they share a common theme of fragmentation. Whether the challenge comes from a fractured reality or a divided sense of self, it’s important to remember that with compassion and support, the pieces can be brought closer together, guiding individuals back toward meaningful connections with others.

If you have any thoughts, questions, or experiences to share, we’re always open to learning more. This is just another step in our journey of understanding these complex conditions, and we invite you to walk alongside us.

[ganymedesclock]

I think one of my favorite things about Prisoner's character is how much his jokes (to himself, because he is isolated and voiceless in a zombie apocalypse) about having no standards betray how much he has standards.

He comments how he should have a moment of silence for a dead prisoner before interrupting his own moment claiming he has better things to do, even though he is the only person who asked, and given the spacing of the comments, does it anyway, even if he kicks the body afterward.

He has several comments about riffling through others' stuff including one that is justifying it to himself because they're all dead, even though he says it's wrong to rummage in what wasn't his, and then later a comment that you "start to like it" and it's a great way to save on money suggesting despite his obvious, consistent, and mostly unrestrained glee at finding new things, he still feels a little guilty about it.

He also gripes at one of the two wells you can find in the Promenade that he's getting tired of crawling into the darkness and the wet.

(the comments about looting are also interesting how little theft Prisoner actually commits on anything alive- you can smash the golden doors or rip off the bank- which even has an achievement for it- or deny the Collector cells by breaking the door, but you notably can't rob the nearly stationary merchants even though they appear to have no way of preventing you from doing so. the implication seems to be Prisoner just refuses to!)

[bonefall]

If Feathertail and Stormfur had chosen to remain in Thunderclan instead of returning with Misty to Riverclan, who do you think Bluestar would have picked for the Prophecy in TNP? Who do you think would have been Riverclan's pick?

It seems that StarClan was intentionally picking cats who were half-clan, for a reason that doesn't seem consistent imo.

Half-Clan cats are more likely to care about all the clans instead of just one?

...they're also more likely to be trusted, somehow? Because they're all... respected and worthy? uh

The Half-Clan cats need chances to prove themselves as truly representative of their clans

Erins were like, "How do we justify StarClan picking the kids who were too young to be main characters in TPB" and kinda worked backwards.

BUT ANYWAY, I don't think it's necessarily a terrible notion to pick cats who were half clan, out of a stern passion. "You will trust the cats WE pick or you will die by your own xenophobia, StarClan has fucking SPOKEN."

Reedwhisker

I think the most obvious pick would be Reedpaw, as Bluestar's grandson. Personally I'm really fond of the idea that he wasn't completely overlooked by TigerClan's persecution, but squeaked by for being 75% RiverClan and having the a TigerClan loyalist Blackclaw for a father... but he was always on thin ice and it gave him extreme anxiety growing up, delaying his assessment for a long time.

(and, even, making some RiverClan cats start to believe that maybe Tigerstar had a point about halfclan blood. A vicious cycle where they hyperfocus on his weaknesses and ignore his strengths.)

I think it would have been better for the dynamic, too. I feel like Feather and Storm weren't well characterized, but an extremely nervous and cautious Reedpaw? That could have been neat, next to Competent Leader, Incompetent Leader, Hissing Ball Of Rage, and Squirrelpaw.

Mothwing

They really could have used a medic, and as an outsider and the daughter of Tigerclaw, I think she could have made an excellent pick for StarClan's message.

And development-wise? Excellent. Mothwing is insecure to the point of fucking up when Hawkfrost is around to pressure her. Having her go on this journey and prove that she's actually super skilled as a medic, even without StarClan? That would have been awesome.

Not to mention how Bramble and Tawny would feel about their surprise sister who didn't grow up with the pressure of being Tigerkin at all!

And in terms of personality, no one could have improved the dynamic more. She's unable to stand up for herself because of Hawkfrost's abuse, finding herself thrown to a pack of assertive bastards. They could ALL learn a lesson from humbling themselves to ask Mothwing what she's thinking, with her constantly having a good ideas when they make sure to include her.

How would she GET the StarClan message though...? Would be fun if Leafpool communicated it to her, and Mudfur confirmed it after they left.

Hawkfrost

I'm super fond of "Hawkfrost goes on the journey" type AUs, though I don't know if I can say I prefer it. I think he would have an important place in the Forest, if the narrative could commit to this being a comment on Leopardstar, and the remnants of Tigerstar's ideology.

But, either as Moth's tag-a-long, or as a chosen hero, I think it would have set up Brambleclaw's arc a lot better. We could have seen Squilf actually not trusting him. We could get Hawkfrost's good traits-- making for a TRULY tragic death at the lake.

I really would have liked something to make us care more about Hawkfrost, make us not want to believe that he's actually pure evil and just interpreting the code in a way that fits him.

[pyrosomatic-metamorphosis]

no but im still going crazy over the code having access to the tasks. why is it warning them. why does it have access to the tasks. if it has access to the tasks and it wants to kill the eggs then why has it never used the tasks to set up an ambush. there was that one day that there were so many laggy tasks (the same day that the code did that really awful attack on phil and pomme that got taken back- and what was up with that, too? why were there no warnings? why did it kill so quickly?)

it really makes me think that the code is in a position similar to the players. it has things it wants to do, but the federation is somehow able to limit it. but the code keeps pushing past those limits- like the full warning in the tasks. "you're running out of time." time for what? to leave the island? why warn them now? the timer has been up for days.

mm. the code can spawn mobs. we haven't really seen any mob spawning from the feds, but we've seen a lot from the code. I almost wonder if the increased difficulty in the mobs is from the code too- and i'm really wondering who put all those mobs in the federation dungeon. was it the code? the feds didn't seem to be able to activate that timer themselves- why else get the jaidens to do it after the facility has been abandoned for so long? if the code put all those mobs in there as a deterrent to starting the timer, then they obviously had some access to the facility, so who was it that contacted cellbit and made him take all the books?

what the hell is behind that frosted glass?

[ame-to-ame]

i can't sing a love song really makes me. ugh. i really like Kita!!! I'm just like her fr 😭😭😭

[simplyender]

yall can send me asks abt spot whenever you guys want btw. i love talking about the guy.

[airenyah]

i did it guys, i turned my thai drama obsession into my bachelor thesis

[loveyougoodbi]

Hamilton to Ferrari and Charles Leclerc

I promised a post with my opinion on this move (specifically how it affects Charles) and honestly I'm still undecided but I thought it's best to sit down and put my thoughts in written form and maybe post later as well.

First of all, what my problem with Lewis moving to Ferrari was. Ferrari had gotten my hopes up in the few weeks prior to the announment in the sense that they want to focus on Charles and that they will give Charles the treatment he deserves. The news of the move shattered all that to pieces in my eyes. To me all it meant was that they are not planning to win the championship with Charles. They are again not giving him the support and trust he deserves. And that hurt.

If you read my thoughts when Charles signed the contract I kept saying one thing: this announcement has changed nothing for me. Ferrari has to prove to me that they are serious about Charles and that Charles' role in the team is the role they claim to have given him: a leader. There are 3 things that (to me) would make me happy about the contract extension and I will now look into each of them separately and how they relate to Lewis joining under the cut.

1. They have to give him a competitive car suited to HIM, not his teammate. ✔️

This is still possible. Charles is the undisputed leader of ferraris car development for 2024. That is more than clear now. 2024 (and probably 2025) cars will be done with charles' feedback.

However, 2024 and 2025 do not matter from a championship perspective. They are still Red Bulls year. And I find it highly unlikely that any team would be able to come close enough in these regulations to even fight for a championship with red bull. The year that matters from a championship perspective is 2026. The car that will be built in 2025 aka the year Lewis is joining. I'm not saying Lewis will automatically take over everything (charles IS ferrari after all) but it's also safe to say that having a 7 time champion with the rank and reputation of Lewis Hamilton would sway the cards to a more equal playing field. And this would happen for the car that matters. But Lewis is a great driver who can drive any car as long as its fast (unlike some people iykwim). So is Charlrs. So this is not a huge concern in terms of them having to slow down the car like they did in 2022. Check

2. He has to have a teammate that will not sabotage him ✔️

Listen im not saying Carlos ever sabotaged Charles but im also not NOT saying that. The impeding (frankly he does that to everyone), the preferable strategies, the purposefully trying to prove he's better (he's not), the whining on the radio, Silverstone, Singapore, refusing to help at any given moment. You get it.

I do not see Lewis (yes I know I called him half of brocedes just yesterday but I was in shock ok? Look away) doing any sort of thing like that to charles. Mostly because Lewis has nothing to prove.

Am I sad and dissapointed that once again Charles has to fight tooth and nail to get that n1 driver position? Yes. Would I have preferred Ferrari to give him a teammate aware of his role (the role being fighting for Charles)? Yes. Do I think Charles can beat 41yo Lewis? Yes I genuinely think he can. I still wouldve liked it if he had it a little bit easier for once in his life but we work with what we can get.

What will happen in 2026 if they are somehow competitive and the team has to choose who to help with the wdc fight? They will probably choose Lewis. Unless Charles is far ahead in points. I am still pissed that they made him have it so difficult and in the end he still might end up having to help someone else get a wdc. I will never not be bitter about this. But I'll move on cos I am not a bitter person (she said lying like a liar).

All in all anything is better than what he had the last 2 years (and probably this year) so I gave it a check just for the fact that it's not Carlos.

3. Ferrari has to want to do it with him, not anyone else. ???

This one im not so sure about folks. If this was true they would not sign the biggest name in the sport who is chasing a record breaking title. They simply wouldn't. A team that believes in you believes in you. They do not bring you competition. They bring you help. Like Christian brought Max help. Like Toto Wolff chased Lewis' help away in 2021 which ultimately led to Lewis losing (yes I do think he would've won 21 if Toto had not chased Bottas away when Lewis needed him most)

That leads me to my final point (more like a question): Why did Charles sign The deal if he didnt feel like Ferrari wants to win with him? I dont think he would do that. What if Lewis IS the help Fred is bringing Charles? I personally would love to see Charles and Lewis bringing Ferrari back to its glory days together. Lewis by bringing in the team and reputation, Charles by being a generation talent, Il predestinato my beloved. Either Ferrari lied to us (and Charles) or Fred is COOKING!!! Honestly now that we're in this, it all comes down to: I'm just waiting and seeing what will happen and I trust Charles immensely which means I also trust him to leave if he doesn't feel like his dream is being taken care of. That is it.