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Is it just me or is GH III's difficulty jump massive from Medium > Hard?
- Thread starter DarkJediKnight
- Start date
Prince of Space
Banned
I'm in the same boat as the OP. Trying to transition from Medium to Hard in Rock Band is a challenge, but seems like a manageable one -- all I really need to get down is moving my fingers up and down the neck. I've already done a handful of songs on Hard, and I'm slowly, but surely, learning more.
Guitar Hero III on the other hand, is a cast-iron bitch. I've 5-stared pretty much all songs on the set list plus a few of the bonus songs on Medium, but I've only managed to get through When You Were Young on Hard, and that's really only because that song's the same set of notes ad nauseum. It's just ridiculously complicated, and not fun. I watched a friend of mine whose made his way through Hard Career repeatedly get his ass kicked on Knights of Cydonia once the song demanded every other note be hammered on. No thanks.
Guitar Hero III on the other hand, is a cast-iron bitch. I've 5-stared pretty much all songs on the set list plus a few of the bonus songs on Medium, but I've only managed to get through When You Were Young on Hard, and that's really only because that song's the same set of notes ad nauseum. It's just ridiculously complicated, and not fun. I watched a friend of mine whose made his way through Hard Career repeatedly get his ass kicked on Knights of Cydonia once the song demanded every other note be hammered on. No thanks.
I don't bother playing hard on Guitar Hero 3, cause is a chore.. not fun for me at all, even though I can pass most of the songs, I play hard on rockband though and I find it much more fun, even if its easier.. I have not much desire to play expert right now I just like to have fun with it
Just keep at it. If you can get past the first section on hard, the rest of the hard songs will be easy, at least until you get to the muse/disturbed/queens of the stone part. I got stopped dead in my tracks at that section. That's where the real difficulty jumps up, and even going over to expert on the other songs was easier.
i have the same problem
i can 5 star every song on medium pretty easily, and then i fail on like the Poison song on the first tier on hard, and i can do like 99% on raining blood on medium
at that point i'm like wtf and quit, i was the same way in guitar hero 2
i'm too lazy to practice i guess, and want instant gratification damn it
i can 5 star every song on medium pretty easily, and then i fail on like the Poison song on the first tier on hard, and i can do like 99% on raining blood on medium
at that point i'm like wtf and quit, i was the same way in guitar hero 2
i'm too lazy to practice i guess, and want instant gratification damn it
Oddly, I love playing that song because of the nice on your feet speed. I'm stuck on Holiday In Cambodia on Expert, which is just a nasty song. It's all the intro. Some of the songs after that aren't anywhere near as demented. I'm imptoved a fair bit since last trying it, so I might give it shot, actually.StoOgE said:
As for Hard mode, I'm having real trouble with beating Raining Blood on it because of the pull offs on it, and I haven't practiced hammer-ons and pull offs at all, really because I never played the tutorial until just recently.
But answering the OP, yeah, I found Hard to bea big jump because it introduces the moving yout hand up and down aspect into it, while simultaneously increasing the complexity of the note sequences. As soon as Hard doesn't seem "hard" anymore (except for Raining Blood and maybe One, if you don't save your star power), the jump to Expert isn't that bad, until Holiday In Cambodia, methinks.
Very true. GHIII is the one I've played most by far, yet it's the only one I haven't finished Hard on yet. 80s is a peace of piss, 2 is easy and 1 is really easy too, except the last couple of songs, but they're no biggies. III is easily the hardest.Adamrogo said:
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
As somebody who consistently will beat any song on Expert, I feel bad for people who are starting with GH3. The difficulty jump is WAY harder. Frankly I'd suggest GH2 for learning. The medium > hard jump there is difficult, but not so bad. I had very little trouble with hard > expert there.
In general I think GH2 is just a better choice, especially if you're still trying to learn your way up to Expert.
In general I think GH2 is just a better choice, especially if you're still trying to learn your way up to Expert.
Guitar Hero takes a lot of practice but its usually rewarding - till you get to the show stoppers. For me it was "Psychobilly Freakout" in GH2. It took me a *LOT* of tries to get 5 stars on medium and it's a lot worse on hard because I was stuck there for weeks.
GH3 is even worse in that respect because there are several show stoppers for me on hard: Knights of Cydonia, Raining Blood and One. It's really annoying when you can play through Cliffs of Dover and Cult of Personality on your first try on hard and another song that's supposed to be easier kicks your ass for god knows how long.
GH3 is even worse in that respect because there are several show stoppers for me on hard: Knights of Cydonia, Raining Blood and One. It's really annoying when you can play through Cliffs of Dover and Cult of Personality on your first try on hard and another song that's supposed to be easier kicks your ass for god knows how long.
The Mighty Schwein
Member
I really hate what they've done with the difficulty on these games. I want my damn achievements! 
For expert mode:
Stuck on Free Bird in GH2. Stuck on the last block in GH3, I don't expect to be able to beat Raining Blood. Stuck on Green Grass in Rock Band, although I think this one is doable with some effort.
Honestly they should scale it back and add a "super expert" mode or some such crap (that has no associated achievements lolz -achievement whore). This way the really REALLY good players, which has got to be less than 1% of user base, can jerk off over their leaderboard scores and the rest of us can be happy.
On this topic: Yes the jump is too big, it wouldn't be so big if they added a 5th difficulty. At least you'd hope not.......
For expert mode:
Stuck on Free Bird in GH2. Stuck on the last block in GH3, I don't expect to be able to beat Raining Blood. Stuck on Green Grass in Rock Band, although I think this one is doable with some effort.
Honestly they should scale it back and add a "super expert" mode or some such crap (that has no associated achievements lolz -achievement whore). This way the really REALLY good players, which has got to be less than 1% of user base, can jerk off over their leaderboard scores and the rest of us can be happy.
On this topic: Yes the jump is too big, it wouldn't be so big if they added a 5th difficulty. At least you'd hope not.......
BakedPigeon
Banned
Have you tried it using the controller? I never found guitar hero fun or entertaining until I was at my friends house and his guitar broke so I started using the 360 controller, and I actually had a blast.
It basically took the guitar to break before I enjoyed guitar hero, kinda odd.
It basically took the guitar to break before I enjoyed guitar hero, kinda odd.
GH3 is easier than GH2 for me because of the huge window for hammer-ons. Going back to GH2 after a few months of GH3 kinda sucked because I was missing hammer-ons left and right.
I can't speak for the learning curve in 2 and 3 because I started with GH1, and its transition from medium to hard wasn't too bad. Still, I never thought I'd really be able to grasp the orange button, but now I'm a solid expert player.
If you've only had the game for a couple weeks and still have some 4 stars on medium, keep playing medium for a while until you can 5 star practically everything before trying hard again.
I can't speak for the learning curve in 2 and 3 because I started with GH1, and its transition from medium to hard wasn't too bad. Still, I never thought I'd really be able to grasp the orange button, but now I'm a solid expert player.
If you've only had the game for a couple weeks and still have some 4 stars on medium, keep playing medium for a while until you can 5 star practically everything before trying hard again.
TheRagnCajun
Member
Basically theres an initial lump you've got to get over before you can start completing Hard songs.
TheGreatDave
Banned
The problem is that Easy is too easy. Medium should be the starting point.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
yeah. The first time I played the game I failed a song on easy. I had to take GH1 and go through all the songs easy, medium, hard, and then expert. I started GH2 on expert but it required me learning the game thoroughly on GH1 first. I couldn't just jump in anywhere.
see, now, that's just rude. what did Rock Band ever do to make Guitar Hero III a non-fun game?OnPoint said:
The big problem i've had with the difference on Medium -> Hard is that i have to move my grip.
And that has so far been a big issue for me. I'm very comfortable with using my 4 fingers on Medium , but when i have to switch my grip i easily get lost.
I got 3 songs left on hard to beat , one of them being the most annoying song ever. Slayer - Raining Blood.
It's fucking crazy
(I have Slayer - Raining Blood , Metallica - One (the last damn solos are killing me) , and the boss fight left on hard btw)
And that has so far been a big issue for me. I'm very comfortable with using my 4 fingers on Medium , but when i have to switch my grip i easily get lost.
I got 3 songs left on hard to beat , one of them being the most annoying song ever. Slayer - Raining Blood.
It's fucking crazy
(I have Slayer - Raining Blood , Metallica - One (the last damn solos are killing me) , and the boss fight left on hard btw)
TheGreatDave
Banned
bune duggy said:
Tricked people in to thinking that boring guitar tracks and simple charts make games more fun, I imagine.
My wrists still hurt from making the leap from Medium to Hard. I have Hard almost beat, but the final couple of sets made me feel like I had to have the songs memorized to beat them and I just didn't see any fun in that. I love a challenge, but I hate when a game starts to feel like a chore. My need for completeness drives me crazy though. Damn video games.
TheGreatDave
Banned
It took me a day to beat GH2 (My first) on medium. It took about a month to do hard. This isn't a GH3 specific problem.
TheGreatDave
Banned
I really think Easy mode should make you move your hand. Keep the notes as infrequent as they are now but get people used to moving their hands right from the beginning. The problem is people learn to keep their fingers on each fret, which makes hard mode even more difficult.
Maybe start people off with four notes on easy, and five on medium? It honestly wouldn't make the first tiers much more difficult - those songs could use the last note sparingly or even omit them entirely on occasion.
You can't do it now, but you can learn to do it.
Slide your hand down further.
AlexMogil said:
You can't do it now, but you can learn to do it.
Slide your hand down further.
Metroidvania
People called Romanes they go the house?
for me, it's the last set on hard, but I've played through I and II on expert. I do agree that on I, getting up to hard took a while getting used to the orange button, though.
Hard...
Rain of Blood....too many tries to count for Mosh 1, but I scraped by with Star Power. One, I just had to get the solo down.
But Lou....I loathe him.
On expert....ugh. Second to the last tier, stopped dead by Before I forget and 3's and 7's.
Hard...
Rain of Blood....too many tries to count for Mosh 1, but I scraped by with Star Power. One, I just had to get the solo down.
But Lou....I loathe him.
On expert....ugh. Second to the last tier, stopped dead by Before I forget and 3's and 7's.
TheGreatDave
Banned
TwinIonEngines said:
I still haven't met anybody that started GH or Rock Band on easy. I played my first song on GH:2 on easy, and got 100%. I'd never used the fucking controller before. My girlfriend started on medium. Her roommate, who I've been playing Rock Band with all last week, had never played a single guitar game before we brought it down, now she can beat Reptilia on hard after starting out of medium. Maybe I just know talented people or something, but I don't "get" easy mode. It barely relates to the music and it's no fun at all.
Skellig Gra
Member
I started the original Guitar Hero on easy. Although back then I smoked cigarettes while playing so it was more difficult. Many people think the game on easy is fun. Especially during Co-op with a person who is new to the game or is a non-gamer.TheGreatDave said:
Prince of Space
Banned
This was a real problem for me at first as well, but you will get the hang of it, trust me.AlexMogil said:
TheGreatDave
Banned
Hollywood Duo said:
Hmm. Fair enough. I've just honestly never came across it. Although I do occasionally play people online intentionally looking for those who play on easy, so I guess people are out there.
CajoleJuice
Member
A few of my friends played Rock Band on easy for pretty much a whole night.
The difficulty setting issue isn't GH3 specific but GH3 does have a screwed-up song progression when you hit tier 7 and the difficulty explodes. GH2 had a similar problem but they rearranged the 360 version. I know you have a vendetta against Rock Band but the progression up to GGAHT is much, much smoother than GH3.TheGreatDave said:
TheGreatDave
Banned
No6 said:
I can agree with that. My number one issue with GH:3 is it's really easy up until tier 7, then it explodes in a ball of songs you never want to touch again.
LakeEarth said:
I still think they should use the blue note in easy though. People need to get used to moving as soon as they play, or they're just going to have huge issues later on.
Spirit of Jazz
Banned
Japan is GH3's Hanger 18.
TheGreatDave
Banned
Jesus, Hanger 18. I remember playing that song 9 time straight until I beat it on Expert, constantly failing at 85% and having to play that LONG AS HELL INTRO every time.
On Guitar Hero II, I 5-starred everything on medium, and got perfect on a few songs. I tried to bump up to Hard and couldn't get past the 2nd song. I tried it for a couple of weeks and finally just threw in the towel.
For GH III, I've 5-starred everything on medium, got perfect on a few songs, and now I've beaten every song on Hard up to the 1st Boss Battle. I just CANNOT beat that damn boss battle on hard and its pissing me off because there are several songs I really want to try on hard and I can't go any fucking further. The boss battles are the stupidest fucking thing I've ever seen put in a game. It pretty much ruins it for me.
For GH III, I've 5-starred everything on medium, got perfect on a few songs, and now I've beaten every song on Hard up to the 1st Boss Battle. I just CANNOT beat that damn boss battle on hard and its pissing me off because there are several songs I really want to try on hard and I can't go any fucking further. The boss battles are the stupidest fucking thing I've ever seen put in a game. It pretty much ruins it for me.
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
TheGreatDave said:
When GH2 came out for 360, I'd never played it before. I bought it and started on Easy, probably ended up beating the game on Expert late this summer. I'd characterize myself as an excellent GH player and I started on Easy. In fact I've always recommended people do so. I always felt that the way Easy worked was that you were just playing the very basic elements of the song, and it helped me understand how stuff was actually supposed to sound. This came in handy a lot when I got to Expert.
VindicatorZ
Member
I think you're just being soft. I've never played guitar in my life, and I'm an expert guitar hero player, I can clear almost any song, except a couple like Dragonforce and Slayer. Just keep practicing, because when GH1 came out, Bark at the Moon on MEDIUM seemed impossibly difficult, and now I almost laugh at it on expert compared to some of the new songs. Just practice and you'll see how much more fun it is.
1) As a zillion people have already noted, the jump from Medium to Hard in GH3 is much worse than the jump from Medium to Hard in any of the other games. If you have access to a earlier GH game for your system, I would strongly recommend going back and playing it for a while before returning to GH3. Once you "get" playing with five frets, it will be much easier for you to go back to GH3 and take a swing at Hard and Expert. (Also, as an added bonus, you will get to play a much more enjoyable game. Both the original GH and GH2 are vastly superior to GH3 in terms of track listing.)
2) Also as noted before in other threads, going from Medium to Hard requires you to "unlearn" some instincts. Your strumming speed will have to improve -- possibly to the point that you need to alternate-strum to keep up in some songs. Notes will start following the song's rhythm more closely, and you won't be able to settle into a consistent strumming groove for as much of the song. You may have to learn how to do hammer-ons and pull-offs to handle quick runs of notes, especially in solos. Finally, you will have to learn to move your hand among the fret keys. Other GH threads have provided some helpful hints about how to make this jump, and it's worthwhile to go back and read them. (In particular, the idea that Hard is basically Medium with two hand positions -- index on red or index on green -- is very helpful.)
3) Easy mode is awesome for friends who aren't gamers. Many people don't have the hand/eye coordination skills of even a casual gamer, but Easy gives them a chance to get through a song and enjoy the game. I would agree that it isn't a factor once you get used to the game -- I've started subsequent games on Medium and worked up -- but it was a great introduction to the mechanics when I bought the original GH game.
4) Personally speaking, I think GH3 was designed for the hardcore GH players who crave ever-more-silly levels of difficulty, rather than more casual gamers. People like TheGreatDave represent the 99th percentile of GH players, but with all due respect, it's a mistake to focus on their needs without considering everyone else. I don't object to Expert being a REAL challenge, but I think every game should be scaled so that almost anyone can get through Hard without spending their whole life on the game.
2) Also as noted before in other threads, going from Medium to Hard requires you to "unlearn" some instincts. Your strumming speed will have to improve -- possibly to the point that you need to alternate-strum to keep up in some songs. Notes will start following the song's rhythm more closely, and you won't be able to settle into a consistent strumming groove for as much of the song. You may have to learn how to do hammer-ons and pull-offs to handle quick runs of notes, especially in solos. Finally, you will have to learn to move your hand among the fret keys. Other GH threads have provided some helpful hints about how to make this jump, and it's worthwhile to go back and read them. (In particular, the idea that Hard is basically Medium with two hand positions -- index on red or index on green -- is very helpful.)
3) Easy mode is awesome for friends who aren't gamers. Many people don't have the hand/eye coordination skills of even a casual gamer, but Easy gives them a chance to get through a song and enjoy the game. I would agree that it isn't a factor once you get used to the game -- I've started subsequent games on Medium and worked up -- but it was a great introduction to the mechanics when I bought the original GH game.
4) Personally speaking, I think GH3 was designed for the hardcore GH players who crave ever-more-silly levels of difficulty, rather than more casual gamers. People like TheGreatDave represent the 99th percentile of GH players, but with all due respect, it's a mistake to focus on their needs without considering everyone else. I don't object to Expert being a REAL challenge, but I think every game should be scaled so that almost anyone can get through Hard without spending their whole life on the game.
A strategy I used to make the jump to hard was to make my default position on the frets the Red-Yellow-Blue-Orange position. You should try it. It works better because it is much easier to reach the Green button with the index finger then to reach the Orange button with the pinky.
This way I don't even move my hand unless I have to press Green and Red button together, which makes a huge difference to make things easier.
This way I don't even move my hand unless I have to press Green and Red button together, which makes a huge difference to make things easier.
wandering goat
Member
Is Guitar Hero III really that much harder than the first (differences between difficulty options aside)? I worked my way from medium to expert in the first, did all expert in the second, and didn't have much of a problem getting 5 stars (on most songs, anyway). I have played piano for many years though, so I'd think my fingers should be quick and coordinated. I'm going to have to buy III sometime. . . I've just put it off, waiting to perhaps get the Wii version once it becomes stereo, with a new, wireless guitar.
TheGreatDave
Banned
-jinx- said:
I'd agree. I think Hard, especially in GH:3, is too difficult, but that's primarily because easy and medium teach bad habits.
I can't really comment on moving from medium to hard, but for me GH3's curve was a letdown. I've been with the series since GH1 and I think they catered too much to the extreme fans with the difficulty.
I beat Expert GH1. I have one or two songs I may never get by on GH2 Expert. I struggled like a bitch to beat Raining Blood on Hard in GH3. I still haven't beaten the last boss battle (boss battles, seriously? Why?), so I haven't really played a lot of expert, but I know it's going to kick my ass. Before it was a tough challenge.... now I'm roadkill.
There are some things that are cool in the game. The little animated interludes? Nice touch... the setlist? Pretty good. The streak counter? I like it!
But the difficulty sucks. Garnett on 1Up Yours likes to say how awesome it is that they got the Scorehero guys or whoever they are, but I think they're part of the problem...
If they wanted to make the game a far bigger challenge, they should have added an "insane" difficulty.
I beat Expert GH1. I have one or two songs I may never get by on GH2 Expert. I struggled like a bitch to beat Raining Blood on Hard in GH3. I still haven't beaten the last boss battle (boss battles, seriously? Why?), so I haven't really played a lot of expert, but I know it's going to kick my ass. Before it was a tough challenge.... now I'm roadkill.
There are some things that are cool in the game. The little animated interludes? Nice touch... the setlist? Pretty good. The streak counter? I like it!
But the difficulty sucks. Garnett on 1Up Yours likes to say how awesome it is that they got the Scorehero guys or whoever they are, but I think they're part of the problem...
If they wanted to make the game a far bigger challenge, they should have added an "insane" difficulty.
TheGreatDave
Banned
The boss battles really aren't that hard if you just get used to saving your power ups and play it like a good game of Mario Kart. Lou, sure, he's a pain in the arse, but on Hard it's really just a matter of learning where the phases are and making sure you hit them, then using your magical powers to stop him being able to use a power up on you. Expert, on the other hand, I found myself totally dependent on getting lucky with the whammy.
I'm mixed on the Score Hero thing. On the one hand, I do think Neversoft's charts are far and away the best, most authentic guitar charts I've played, and I say that aware of the irony of including "authentic". But then you have TTFATF, Take This Life, shit I just don't enjoy playing in the least.
I'm mixed on the Score Hero thing. On the one hand, I do think Neversoft's charts are far and away the best, most authentic guitar charts I've played, and I say that aware of the irony of including "authentic". But then you have TTFATF, Take This Life, shit I just don't enjoy playing in the least.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Weren't all these points brought up in the Zero Punctuation review of GHIII?