Mission Difficulty levels - When did you switch?

[quinch1199]

When did you start changing the difficulty level on the main Instances/Missions? Just really curious as I've been playing through all of it on Normal but thinking I've missed a trick and I'm now to late (on that character) to go back to replay on next level up for example. 

Did you wait until you'd finished all of them THEN go back (as I was planning) or did you replay them almost immediately?

 

[MichFan]

I completed the entire game first and played a good bit in the DZ and even then I hadn't given it much thought until they came out with the new daily missions. Going back through on hard for a few purple items just didn't seem worth it when I could get twice as many in the DZ in no time. 

 

[quinch1199]

I completed the entire game first and played a good bit in the DZ and even then I hadn't given it much thought until they came out with the new daily missions. Going back through on hard for a few purple items just didn't seem worth it when I could get twice as many in the DZ in no time. 

This is why I was thinking I should have done it much earlier...but at what level or is it still scaled I wonder? I could, for example, take one of my level 5 characters back around on Hard right now....it might be the way its meant to be perhaps but I'd like to know if others have done this.

 

[MichFan]

This is why I was thinking I should have done it much earlier...but at what level or is it still scaled I wonder? I could, for example, take one of my level 5 characters back around on Hard right now....it might be the way its meant to be perhaps but I'd like to know if others have done this.

If you go in with a level 5 character for instance you would be facing level 5 veteran NPCs. Now if you go in as a level 5 with your friends who are level 30 than you would be facing level 30 veterans. So if that is what you mean when you say scaled, yes it is based on your level first or if you are with high level players then it is scaled as their level. 

 

[quinch1199]

If you go in with a level 5 character for instance you would be facing level 5 veteran NPCs. Now if you go in as a level 5 with your friends who are level 30 than you would be facing level 30 veterans. So if that is what you mean when you say scaled, yes it is based on your level first or if you are with high level players then it is scaled as their level. 

Oh yes, which is why I think I'm best off waiting until 30 with this character to roll again....I may not get a match maker match for my level (been tough enough recently...been matched with Chinese and Japanese players recently!).

 

[Xeromaus]

My first hard mission was at 15, field hospital on hard. A group of similar leveled players and I cleared it without much issue, but it did take some time.

My first challenge mission was at 30 with all purple gear, but we didn't have gear score back then, hard modes rarely dropped yellows, and we were walking uphill both ways to and from school, with newspaper for shoes,

 

[W1th4m]

My  story is: the first mission i tried was the subway morgue on normal, straight at the start I found myself rushing through the mission. As I didn't want to finish this game within a day or 2 I chose to play everything on hard. And before starting the mission I would clear all connecting area's of side missions and collectibles. (Which brought my level higher then the required level of that mission.) Challenging missions started as soon as I finished the story mainly with purples blues and even a green here or there.

 

[quinch1199]

My  story is: the first mission i tried was the subway morgue on normal, straight at the start I found myself rushing through the mission. As I didn't want to finish this game within a day or 2 I chose to play everything on hard. And before starting the mission I would clear all connecting area's of side missions and collectibles. (Which brought my level higher then the required level of that mission.) Challenging missions started as soon as I finished the story mainly with purples blues and even a green here or there.

Now that sounds like solid advice! Basically don't move out of a region until you've done the missions there on Hard as well?

 

[Xeromaus]

Now that sounds like solid advice! Basically don't move out of a region until you've done the missions there on Hard as well?

With the drop/loot changes now, hard can wait. I'd say clear EVERY mission out of each zone on your way to 30 (normal runs and side missions/encounters), then go back and sweep up all the intel (plus loot from crates in hard to reach places near intel locations...bonus: trophies/achievements!), then hit all the hard modes one by one (trophy/achievement!), and by the time you're done that, vanilla challenge modes will be cake. You'll be farming them in no time for a full 182 set, then it's off to the incursion/darkzone.

 

[quinch1199]

With the drop/loot changes now, hard can wait. I'd say clear EVERY mission out of each zone on your way to 30 (normal runs and side missions/encounters), then go back and sweep up all the intel (plus loot from crates in hard to reach places near intel locations...bonus: trophies/achievements!), then hit all the hard modes one by one (trophy/achievement!), and by the time you're done that, vanilla challenge modes will be cake. You'll be farming them in no time for a full 182 set, then it's off to the incursion/darkzone.

This I will do with my level 29 character...basically I've inadvertently done just this... Story Missions on Normal, then all side missions & encounters (plus any intel etc I've spotted as I was passing). I'm collecting loot as I go back to farm materials as well but essentially once I hit 30 with this one I can go back and try story missions on Hard.

I understand what you mean regarding drops but as they scale as well I can try the other method with one of my low level characters. 

 

[Xeromaus]

I understand what you mean regarding drops but as they scale as well I can try the other method with one of my low level characters. 

absolutely, I meant more as a time saver. Under 30, you'll be in a hard mission for a WHILE man lol.