I understand what the game already tells you in the general sense… it changes enemy damage, resistances, and chance of legendary monsters appearing.
But, specifically, how does the difficulty level affect the game? Is going from Normal to Hard a 5% increase in damage? 50%? 200%? Are there any additional things changed that aren't mentioned. Does Survival mode add any extra mechanics, or is it just even bigger numbers than Very Hard?
Best Answer
Gameplay changes that affect you as you change difficulty from Easy -> Very Hard -> Survival. I have tested most of this in game in a simple way. I've brought my melee character and have quicksaved before a scripted Swan fight. I found out a few things:
Survival mode is even worse. Consider Survival mode "Extreme" mode. It features extremely tough enemies, as every single enemy gets huge damage and HP buffs, turning them into deadly bullet sponges. Ammo conservation actually becomes a thing in my survival playthrough, and in terms of playstyle, I found hanging back, slowly going through areas, and backtracking if enemies came a lot more useful. Explosives became very important, as well as mines, which were excellent at covering your ass when a Super Mutant is chasing you down a hallway and your entire clip of Laser Rifle ammo does absolutely nothing.