Difficulty (LWR): Difference between revisions

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Expectations

LWR Easy is similar to Long War 1.0 Normal.

LWR Classic is similar to Long War 1.0 Classic.

LWR Brutal is around as hard as Long War 1.0 Impossible.

LWR Impossible is tough, unforgiving, and will sometimes feel Impossible.

Playing Ironman is like jumping all the difficulties up another notch.

It's probably best to start out a little easier if you've never played LWR before.

Landed UFOs and swarming abductions are quite challenging -- treat them with respect and do not rule out retreating.

Expect to have satellites shot down, to not be able to stop a lot of UFOs, to lose soldiers, to lose missions, and to lose around 1 country per month (give or take).

Last, if you feel like being masochistic and decide to play on impossible: please expect to lose many (literally many) times before you even come close to winning. Expect the game to feel unfair and punishing. I'd recommend treating impossible as more of a "How far can you get?" rather then a "Can you beat the game?". Impossible in Long War Rebalance is much harder than that difficulty was in Long War 1.0.

Difficulty Levels

In Long War Rebalance, difficulty levels scale many different aspects of the game. Difficulty level can also affects perks like the effectiveness of the Outsiders' Growth ability.

To select the Pain difficulty you must press the down key on Impossible difficulty and then press the space bar. It is intentionally somewhat hidden.


Strategic Changes
Difficulty	Alien Level Up Speed	Speed of Incursion Strength Regression	UFO HP	Home Country Daily Credits	UFO Alloy Yield	UFO Elerium Yield	Fragment Yields	Meld Yields	Injury and Fatigue Times	Starting Power	Initial Panic	Monthly Soldiers	Starting SHIVs
Easy	90%	120%	40%	45	120%	120%	120%	120%	40%	45	500	2	4
Classic	95%	110%	70%	40	110%	110%	110%	110%	80%	40	600	2	3
Brutal	100%*	100%	100%	35	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	35	700	1	2
Impossible	105%**	90%	120%	30	90%	90%	90%	90%	120%	30	800	0	1
Pain	110%**	80%	130%	25	80%	80%	80%	80%	120%	25	900	0	1

* On Brutal difficulty the Alien Level accelerates later into the game by the formula AL *= 1 + ((AL/30)^2)

** On Impossible and Pain difficulty the Alien Level accelerates later into the game by the formula AL *= 1 + ((AL/20)^2)


Alien Changes
Difficulty	Mobility	Base HP	Damage	Aim	Will	Alien Level Attribute Gains	Alien Leader Appearance Chance Multiplier	Alien Leader Levels	Prepared Chance (0/1/2 Active)	Sneak Mode / CR when no LoS	Temple Squad Size
Easy	-1.3	80%	-2	-20	-20	80%	0.6	-2	0%	No	12
Classic	-0.6	90%	-1	-10	-10	90%	0.8	-1	40/0/0%	No	10
Brutal	0	100%	0	0	0	100%	1.0	0	70/40/0%	No	8
Impossible	+0.6	110%	+1	+10	+10	110%	1.2	+1	100/70/40%	Yes	6
Pain	+1.3	120%	+2	+20	+20	120%	1.4	+2	100/100/70%	Yes	6


Alien Perk changes
Difficulty	Growth	Deflection Shield	Plasma Shield	Fractal Spawn	Taunt	Psi Fade
Easy	25%	25%	20hp	No	No	No
Classic	50%	50%	40hp	No	No	No
Brutal	75%	75%	60hp	Yes	Yes	No
Impossible	100%	100%	80hp	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pain	100%	100%	100hp	Yes	Yes	Yes


First Mission Alien Count
Difficulty	Sectoids/Drones	Outsiders
Easy	5	-
Classic	6	-
Brutal	6	1
Impossible	7	1
Pain	8	2

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 == Expectations ==
-'''LWR Easy''' is easier than '''Long War 1.0 Normal'''.
+'''LWR Easy''' is similar to '''Long War 1.0 Normal'''.
 '''LWR Classic''' is similar to '''Long War 1.0 Classic'''.
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 It's probably best to start out a little easier if you've never played LWR before.
-Larger UFOs and swarming abductions are quite challenging -- treat them with respect and do not rule out retreating.
+Landed UFOs and swarming abductions are quite challenging -- treat them with respect and do not rule out retreating.
 Expect to have satellites shot down, to not be able to stop a lot of UFOs, to lose soldiers, to lose missions, and to lose around 1 country per month (give or take).
-If you are wondering how your campaign is faring (especially after a few squad wipes), use the grade the council gives you at the end of the month as a good indicator. This grade reflects how well you are doing in your campaign and how likely you are to pass it. C or higher is a good grade.
 Last, ''if you feel like being masochistic and decide to play on impossible'': please expect to lose many (literally many) times before you even come close to winning. Expect the game to feel unfair and punishing. I'd recommend treating impossible as more of a "How far can you get?" rather then a "Can you beat the game?". Impossible in Long War Rebalance is much harder than that difficulty was in Long War 1.0.
@@ Line 27: / Line 25: @@
 In Long War Rebalance, difficulty levels scale many different aspects of the game. Difficulty level can also affects perks like the effectiveness of the Outsiders' Growth ability.
-To select the Pain difficulty you must click down on Impossible difficulty and then press the space bar. It is intentionally somewhat hidden.
+To select the Pain difficulty you must press the down key on Impossible difficulty and then press the space bar. It is intentionally somewhat hidden.
 <br/><br/>
 {| class="wikitable" style="max-width: 1800px;"
@@ Line 36: / Line 34: @@
 |- align="center"
 ! Difficulty
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | <div align=center style="display:table-cell; background:#333333; height:32px; width:32px; vertical-align:middle">[[File:Event Research2.jpg|link=Research (LWR)|32px|Research required]]</div>'''XCOM Research Speed'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:ABILITY LEAD BY EXAMPLE (EU2012).png|32px]]<br>'''Alien Level Up Speed'''
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:PENALTY PANICKED.png|33px]]<br>'''Initial Panic'''
+| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:ABILITY LEAD BY EXAMPLE (EU2012).png|32px]]<br>'''Speed of Incursion Strength Regression'''
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:PENALTY PANICKED.png|33px]]<br>'''Panic Reduction per Defector'''
+| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Health_Long_War.png|31px]]<br>'''UFO HP'''
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | {{Meld Icon}}'''Starting Power'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Credits Long War.png|33px]]<br>'''Home Country Daily Credits'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | {{AA Icon}}'''UFO Alloy Yield'''
@@ Line 46: / Line 42: @@
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | {{Weapon Fragments Icon}}'''Fragment Yields'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | {{Meld Icon}}'''Meld Yields'''
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Health_Long_War.png|31px]]<br>'''UFO HP'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Damage Long War.png|31px]]<br/>'''Injury and Fatigue Times'''
+| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | {{Meld Icon}}'''Starting Power'''
+| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:PENALTY PANICKED.png|33px]]<br>'''Initial Panic'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:RANK_SQUADDIE.png|31px]]<br>'''Monthly Soldiers'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Fire_In_The_Hole.png|31px]]<br>'''Starting SHIVs'''
 |- align="center"
 | style="width: 6%;" | Easy
-| style="width: 7%;" | 150%
+| style="width: 6%;" | 90%
-| style="width: 6%;" | 80%
+| style="width: 6%;" | 120%
-| style="width: 6%;" | 500
+| style="width: 6%;" | 40%
-| style="width: 7%;" | 6
+| style="width: 6%;" | 45
+| style="width: 6%;" | 120%
+| style="width: 6%;" | 120%
+| style="width: 6%;" | 120%
+| style="width: 6%;" | 120%
+| style="width: 6%;" | 40%
 | style="width: 6%;" | 45
-| style="width: 6%;" | 60
+| style="width: 6%;" | 500
-| style="width: 6%;" | 100%
+| style="width: 6%;" | 2
-| style="width: 6%;" | 100%
-| style="width: 6%;" | 100%
-| style="width: 6%;" | 100%
-| style="width: 6%;" | 50%
-| style="width: 6%;" | 80%
-| style="width: 6%;" | 3
 | style="width: 6%;" | 4
 |- align="center"
-|Classic || 133% || 90% || 600 || 5 || 40 || 55 || 80% || 80% || 83% || 83% || 60% || 90% || 2 || 3
+|Classic || 95% || 110% || 70% || 40 || 110% || 110% || 110% || 110% || 80% || 40 || 600 || 2 || 3
 |- align="center"
-|Brutal || 117% || 100% || 700 || 4 || 35 || 50|| 60% || 60% || 67% || 67% || 80% || 100% || 1 || 2
+|Brutal || 100%'''*''' || 100% || 100% || 35 || 100% || 100% || 100% || 100% || 100% || 35 || 700 || 1 || 2
 |- align="center"
-|Impossible || 100% || 110% || 800 || 3 || 30 || 45 || 50% || 50% || 50% || 50% || 100% || 110% || 0 || 1
+|Impossible || 105%'''**''' || 90% || 120% || 30 || 90% || 90% || 90% || 90% || 120% || 30 || 800 || 0 || 1
 |- align="center"
-|Pain || 83% || 120% || 900|| 2 || 25 || 40 || 50% || 50% || 50% || 50% || 120% || 120% || 0 || 0
+|Pain || 110%'''**''' || 80% || 130% || 25 || 80% || 80% || 80% || 80% || 120% || 25 || 900 || 0 || 1
 |}
+'''<nowiki>*</nowiki>''' On '''Brutal''' difficulty the Alien Level accelerates later into the game by the formula AL *= 1 + ((AL/30)^2)
+'''<nowiki>**</nowiki>''' On '''Impossible''' and '''Pain''' difficulty the Alien Level accelerates later into the game by the formula AL *= 1 + ((AL/20)^2)
 {| class="wikitable" style="max-width: 1800px;"
@@ Line 83: / Line 83: @@
 |- align="center"
 ! Difficulty
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Damage Long War.png|31px]]<br/>'''Base Damage'''
+| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Mobility Long War.png|31px]]<br/>'''Mobility'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Health_Long_War.png|31px]]<br/>'''Base HP'''
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:HEAVY WILLTOSURVIVE.png|32px]]<br/>'''Base DR'''
+| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Damage Long War.png|31px]]<br/>'''Damage'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Aim_Long_War.png|31px]]<br/>'''Aim'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Will_Long_War.png|31px]]<br/>'''Will'''
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Mobility Long War.png|31px]]<br/>'''Mobility'''
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:Defense_Long_War.png|31px]]<br/>'''Base Defense'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:ABILITY LEAD BY EXAMPLE (EU2012).png|32px]]<br/>'''Alien Level<br>Attribute Gains'''
-| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:ALIEN_LAUNCH.png|32px]]<br/>'''OW Chance<br>(Drop-in/Launch)'''
+| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:ABILITY LEAD BY EXAMPLE (EU2012).png|32px]]<br/>'''Alien Leader Appearance Chance Multiplier'''
+| style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:ABILITY LEAD BY EXAMPLE (EU2012).png|32px]]<br/>'''Alien Leader<br>Levels'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:MEC_AUTOMATED_THREAT_ASSESSMENT.png|32px]]<br/>'''Prepared Chance (0/1/2 Active)'''
 | style="background-color: #eaecf0; padding: 8px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;" | [[File:ABILITY_GHOST.png|32px]]<br/>'''Sneak Mode / CR when no LoS'''
@@ Line 97: / Line 96: @@
 |- align="center"
 | style="width: 7%;" | Easy
+| style="width: 7%;" | -1.3
+| style="width: 7%;" | 80%
 | style="width: 7%;" | -2
-| style="width: 7%;" | 50%
-| style="width: 7%;" | 50%
 | style="width: 7%;" | -20
 | style="width: 7%;" | -20
-| style="width: 7%;" | -1.3
+| style="width: 7%;" | 80%
-| style="width: 7%;" | 50%
+| style="width: 7%;" | 0.6
-| style="width: 7%;" | 25%
+| style="width: 7%;" | -2
-| style="width: 7%;" | 25%
+| style="width: 8%;" | 0%
-| style="width: 8%;" | 0/0/0%
 | style="width: 7%;" | No
-| style="width: 7%;" | 11
+| style="width: 7%;" | 12
+|- align="center"
+|Classic || -0.6 || 90% || -1 || -10 || -10 || 90% || 0.8 || -1 || 40/0/0% || No || 10
+|- align="center"
+|Brutal || 0 || 100% || 0 || 0 || 0 || 100% || 1.0 || 0 || 70/40/0% || No || 8
+|- align="center"
+|Impossible || +0.6 || 110% || +1 || +10 || +10 || 110% || 1.2 || +1 || 100/70/40% || Yes || 6
+|- align="center"
+|Pain || +1.3 || 120% || +2 || +20 || +20 || 120% || 1.4 || +2 || 100/100/70% || Yes || 6
+|}
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+|+
+|- align="center"
+! colspan="8" style="padding: 6px;" | '''Alien Perk changes'''
+|- align="center"
+! style="padding: 4px;" | Difficulty !! style="padding: 4px;" | [[Abilities_List_(LWR)#Growth|Growth]] !! style="padding: 4px;" | [[Abilities_List_(LWR)#Deflection Shield|Deflection<br>Shield]] !! style="padding: 4px;" | [[Abilities_List_(LWR)#Plasma Shield|Plasma<br>Shield]] !! style="padding: 4px;" | [[Abilities_List_(LWR)#Fractal Spawn|Fractal<br>Spawn]] !! style="padding: 4px;" | [[Abilities_List_(LWR)#Taunt|Taunt]] !! style="padding: 4px;" | [[Abilities_List_(LWR)#Psi Fade|Psi<br>Fade]]
+|- align="center"
+|Easy|| 25% || 25% || 20hp || No || No || No
 |- align="center"
-|Classic || -1 || 75% || 75% || -10 || -10 || -0.6 || 75% || 50% || 50% || 10/0/0% || No || 10
+|Classic || 50% || 50% || 40hp || No || No || No
 |- align="center"
-|Brutal || 0 || 100% || 100% || 0 || 0 || 0 || 100% || 75% || 75% || 35/10/0% || No || 9
+|Brutal || 75% || 75% || 60hp || Yes || Yes || No
 |- align="center"
-|Impossible || +1 || 125% ||  125% || +10 || +10 || +0.6 || 125% || 100% || 100% || 100/35/10% || Yes || 8
+|Impossible || 100% || 100% || 80hp || Yes || Yes || Yes
 |- align="center"
-|Pain || +2 || 150% ||  150% || +20 || +20 || +1.3 || 150% || 125% || 100% || 100% || Yes || 7
+|Pain || 100% || 100% || 100hp || Yes || Yes || Yes
 |}
@@ Line 137: / Line 154: @@
 |Pain || 8 || 2
 |}
-== Difficulty Curve ==
-'''Long War Rebalance''' is designed for players of all skill levels, offering a greater range of difficulties and even more Second Wave options to customize your experience.
-In general, Easy difficulty is easier and Impossible is harder (vs Long War 1.0). Veteran Long War players who are new to this mod should seriously consider dropping their difficulty a level or two as the mod can take some experience to get used to.
-The difficulty curve is also adjusted so that the game starts off easier and gets significantly harder as the game progresses. The exception to this is impossible level difficulty that starts off extremely difficult and continues at that level throughout the entire campaign.