I really like the idea of it but…the implementation feels a little off.
It feels like Brutal+ should be Brutal with a single mutator, Brutal+3 should be 3 mutators, etc.
As it stands, Brutal+ is very much luck based - especially at the suggested level of 15. I like more challenging content, but it feels like more of a curve is needed here.
TL/DR: Brutal+ has the potential to be a gradual endgame progression much like Torment is in Diablo 3 or M+ Keys in WoW. However, as it stands, it’s more of a brick wall.
I’d like to see Brutal+ change from random modifiers to a simple difficulty increase - more units, maybe some fun minibosses?
It’s not hard to ESC, leave game, and restart, takes literally less than 20sec. So finding mutators that you want is a breeze for premade parties and dual/solo users.
It’s thanks to Brutal+ that it took me only 3hrs to get my Mengsk up to 15 after his release.
Mm. See - I don’t like that either. The game being more about endless restarting until you get a beatable combination of mutators feels like exactly what had to be fixed with Diablo 3, initially in terms of Elites and later with GRifts.
The issue isn’t so much the difficulty here - it’s that there is nothing between Brutal (which with two players who know how to play can feel a little easy) and Brutal+ (which requires you to endlessly restart).
The takeaway is up to that individual player to make what they want of it. But at the end of the day as with any game it’s all about adapting to it, or ranting about it.
I agree that the learning curve feels a little off. Essentially, I am going into a mutation without knowing what is coming. In several mutations, I adjust my masteries and commander choice for it. I cannot do that here, which is fine, but I think dealing with 4 mutators blindly is too much for me. Maybe they can make an intermediate step between the current brutal+1 and brutal.
I’m happy to see an update. Surprised (and mostly pleased) to see Brutal+ difficulty added. However I’m not particularly happy with the implementation of it. It feels like a toned-down Chaos Studios, relying more on RNG to avoid mutators that counter your commander or are just not fun to play.
In addition (I didn’t try many games beyond Brutal+1, but) the difference between +1 and +6 seemed less drastic than I anticipated. From the ‘Abomination Mode’ post a few months? ago, my Brutal+1 games had 8-9 points of mutators while the one Brutal+6 I tried had 14 (Polarity, Transmutation, Hardened Will, Lava Burst). I would have expected something more along the lines of 4-6-8-10-12-14 (and it’s entirely possible the mutator values have changed since then) but perhaps thats too easy for B+1 at 175% exp?
Choosing commanders after seeing the map and mutation would help considerably (and make it more in line with a random weekly mutation) but would also be inconsistent with the way the other modes work. (This is likely my preferred change though).
Overall I’m underwhelmed because it’s just custom mutations with an exp bonus.
Thought I’d be interested in this, but no. A Brutal +0.3/+0.5, with only the lower point mutators and only 1–2 of them, could be my everyday casual duo difficulty to add a bit of spice. I don’t know why it’s out of the question to look at a difficulty between standard Brutal and an average weekly mutation.
I also don’t know why Blizzard feel their mutators can’t possibly stand to be played without 2–3 others crowding in. When I play duo I play casually with friends. Not only are weekly mutations usually too hard for them to enjoy, but as casual players they’re too crowded with mechanics for them to care to follow.
There’s a gulf between “here’s a standard Brutal, it’s routine for you” and “okay so you need a lot of hitscan static to handle these missiles from this first mutator, and you can’t see where the attack waves or the crystals are due to this second, and don’t hit too hard or your units will take too much damage from this third”. Please occupy it!
(Incidentally, Faster Hard with the same mutator strength I describe here, so like 4 points, would also be my everyday casual solo difficulty, and be even more valuable to replayability for me.)
Mm. Right now the game is in an awkward state where Hard is far too easy, Brutal is about right (provided you don’t get a level 1 looking for a carry) and Brutal+ is nigh impossible.
Hard and Brutal is noticeably harder for you average casual player
It makes sense for Brutal+ to be the way it is now. Because it’s like Mutation difficulty but with the added option of restarting to get other mutators. It’s in a good place
Okay, but why does it make sense for nothing to be inbetween Brutal and Brutal+1? They’ve just added six new difficulties… Brutal +1 could be 4 points and you’d still have access to the current Brutal + 1 experience in Brutal + 2.
I have literally no idea where you’re getting any of that from. If you’re allowed to like it, I’m allowed to dislike it. That doesn’t mean one of us is pretending anything. I’m glad you’re having fun, and hope you’re equally considerate of my fun too.
I agree. Brutal +1 should be scaled down to 1 difficult mutator or 2-3 ez/free mutators. Right now, you pretty much get both, which is as difficult as weekly mutations if you consider the fact you can’t pick commanders around it.
Like others have mentioned, we have 6 new difficulties, why not have brutal +1 be a little bit extra challenge, +3 or +4 be the average weekly mutation, and +6 be harder than mutations?
They could just have labeled this as the addition to mutation mode that it is (minor as it may be with custom mutations already in place).
Instead they picked up the requests for a brutal+, a completely seperate increase in difficulty besides the mutation mode which has become necessary and a popular suggestion due to massive power creep over the years.
Its clear they applied that name to a mutation feature because we are not ever getting a proper brutal+ down the road and that’s kind of the saddest part for me. It means there won’t be any AI tweaks or map revamps and there won’t be any sensible additions to make regular attack waves less susceptible to the massive amounts of aoe burst damage any commander has and promote the use of other strategies and unit strengths instead. Seems like this is the most build variety that non muta mode is every going to get.
I am also really disappointed that I am going to continue playing custom mutations because I can do without the sh!t tons of downright unpleasant-not-challenging mutators out there and they didn’t provide any ranking system for them that hides them behind a certain difficulty. This just means I will be playing the same games as everyone who justs enjoys queue dodging on the bad rolls but without the bonus exp.
This is pretty bad design imo but fun > exp bonus for me.
