Well, now that the conversation has at least begun, I feel like I can start talking about difficulty. Truthfully, I'd wished there would be a bit more discourse to draw from, but good graces are these forums slow… Anyway, let's get on with it.
First, I want to address the general difficulty of the new maps as a whole. When I say 'difficulty', I'm referring to how hard it is to beat the mission. Suffice it to say, I do not think the new maps are too difficult. There are some new mission types that are downright easy, like Protect the Bombchu. Not one single map in that regard has given me the slightest iota of trouble, and I've A-Ranked each one on the first try regardless of character level. There are some mission types, like the new dividing enemy scenarios, that also require a great deal of patience. Special attacks seem to do barely any damage, but thanks to the nature of the level you pretty much need to use them. A few characters or weapons can deliver simultaneous attacks, but not many. Personally, these are my least favorite mission types. However, 'tedious' does not equal 'difficult'.
It is evident that the damage has been scaled up on many of these new maps as well. Some of them just have a slight increase in damage, or at least appear to because they have no recommended element. I honestly don't have a problem with this. From what I've seen, even with characters between levels 50 and 80, I've needed this increase in damage to stay invested in the level. I routinely alternate between playing Twilight maps and Master Quest maps for completion, and I have to say I can't play more than 2-3 of the MQ maps at a time without getting sleepy. I can pick any level I want (for the heart container), breeze through it and get the A-Rank. I would almost say the new maps have spoiled me, because going back from that edge now seems extraordinarily dull.
But I feel we're closer to the heart of the issue here. There is a big difference between playing the maps to just beat them and uncover new maps or unlock costumes, and playing them for the Hard Skulltulas or A-Ranks/Rewards. If all you're doing is the former, then these missions are hard enough to keep your interest but otherwise not overly challenging. They're basically just compensating for increase in skill on the end of the player. By now, most of us have cleared or played mostly through Legend Mode and two Adventure Mode maps. Naturally, the new maps need to be objectively harder in some way just to challenge you the same amount as the earlier maps did when you players weren't as good as you are right now. But if you're going through for A-Rank rewards, that's a different story. In a few of these maps (not all, but some), a single hit from an enemy that isn't a mob can end your attempt on the spot. And even a few careless hits from simple mobs can do it too, i've seen them do 2-4 hearts of damage on a few maps. But when you think about it, we've already had maps that were essentially this difficult to A-Rank. They were in Master Quest, and they said 'Don't Get Hit!'. However, I think players are reacting to these new maps very differently for a reason. First, in the two prior maps, these levels readily stood out. They had summaries like "Watch Out! All attacks are devastating," or the aforementioned 'Don't Get Hit!'. But with names like that, players were expecting that to happen. So when you first take a hit and your entire health bar is shredded down to your last quarter heart, your reaction might be shock but at the same time it still seems fair because the game warned you. It's also mitigated by the fact that you can also 1-shot all enemies. Those elements work together to tell the player that the name of the game has changed. The Adventure Maps were all about forcing the player into a variety of new circumstances to make them adapt new strategies, widening the breadth of experiences delivered by the game and increasing the number of meaningful choices the player could make and implement, leading to an overall increased enjoyment of the game. With the release of Master Quest, and the new "DGH" stages, they at first seem daunting. You have to do the same things as before, but now your health is shredded down and your enemies get full health? Crazy! That was, until you leveled up more. While the levels retained a certain element of risk, you eventually became powerful enough through leveling and weaponry to slice through even officers with just a speedy combo or two. Reduced conflict time with enemies meant less chance to be injured by them, resulting in an easier time completing the stage without taking damage.
But the kicker that I think comes with the new maps is that there is no outward signal to the player that they are about to take astronomical damage, or face absurd odds at their current level. One example I can think of is this. My Cia, at one point, was around level 53. I started a mission that required her, on the Ruined Hyrule Field map. The game started, and I moved into the closest keep to take it and try to secure my rear lines. As I'd done so many times before, I executed her simple YYYX combo. The Keep Meter didn't budge. I did the combo again, and the meter still remained motionless. At this moment, I thought that maybe there was a problem with my game, perhaps it was having some lag issues and hadn't caught up. I executed the combo the third time, and the meter jumped down. It struck me then, the answer to my confusion: the keep meter was fine. It was just that the first two attacks weren't strong enough to even kill a minion. Soldiering on, I took the keep and proceeded to a mob of enemies and officers. I resigned myself to the fact that there was no likely way I was going to complete this mission, and just then I took a hit from a little minion… for 10 hearts of damage. Well, I decided to fight on for the EXP and just let myself die whenever. Really in the face of something like that, it's hard to be upset at a loss. What did I think would happen? But I was confused because that level has no outward sign that it was so out of Cia's league.
These new maps seem to have elevated the difficulty to an untenable degree… at first. However, my guess is that once the majority of players out there get their levels and weapons closer to their maximums, they will see that this spike in damage was necessary. With the new level cap, you'll be capable of much more. If you reach a level that seems punishingly difficult the first time you play it, it's highly likely you'll just have to suck it up and come back later. Because in the end, it comes down to player engagement. Sure, it can seem that at times when you're frustrated, the new levels are just too much. It can seem that the frustration can be a turn off. But if that happens, I'd advise you to go back to some of those older levels with some of your strongest characters. You may just find that 'sickeningly easy' is worse that 'frustratingly difficult'.
And between you and me, Cia is looking forward to her return to that map...
