Instance Difficulties

Template:Tocright

Introduction

The Instance Difficulty System enhances instanced content by allowing players to choose from five difficulty levels. Higher difficulties offer increased EXP and drop rates but apply significant penalties to player stats and increase monster strength, providing a greater challenge for greater rewards.

Key Features
Difficulty Levels	Players can select from five tiers: Easy, Normal, Hard, Nightmare, and GOD.
Player Penalties	Higher difficulties apply penalties that reduce player stats, movement speed, attack speed, HP/SP, and increase cast time. These are visible as status icons.
Mob Enhancements	Monsters in higher difficulties have increased stats (HP, ATK), reduced speed (making them easier to kite), and take significantly less damage. Their names are also prefixed with a decorator (e.g., [GOD] Poring).
Party Requirements	Easy, Normal, Hard: Can be entered solo or with any party size. Nightmare, GOD: Require a party of 3 or more members to enter.
Special Rewards	Successfully completing instances on Nightmare or GOD difficulty rewards players with special points that can be spent in exclusive point shops.

---

How to Select Difficulty

Choosing a difficulty is part of the instance entry process.

• 

1. Access Instance Menu: When creating or joining an instance, a difficulty selection menu will appear.
2. Choose a Level: Select one of the five options. The colors indicate the tier: Easy, Normal, Hard, Nightmare, or GOD.
3. Check Party Size: If you select Nightmare or GOD without at least 3 party members, you will receive an error message: "This instance difficulty requires 3 or more party members."
4. Enter Instance: Once a valid difficulty is selected, your character will automatically receive any corresponding penalties, and you can enter the instance.

Note on Party Restrictions: The 3-member party requirement for Nightmare and GOD difficulty is bypassed for players who have reached Base Level 275 on an Eternal (x0.5 Rate) character.

---

Difficulty Levels & Modifiers

Each difficulty level adjusts gameplay by modifying player stats, monster stats, and reward rates.

Easy Difficulty
EXP & Drop Rate	80% of Normal
Monster Modifiers	Stats: 80% of Normal Movement Speed: 120% of Normal Damage Taken: 100% (takes full damage)
Player Penalties	None

Normal Difficulty
EXP & Drop Rate	100% (Baseline)
Monster Modifiers	Stats: 100% of Normal Movement Speed: 100% of Normal Damage Taken: 100% (takes full damage)
Player Penalties	None

Hard Difficulty
EXP & Drop Rate	150% of Normal
Monster Modifiers	Stats: 150% of Normal Movement Speed: 90% of Normal Damage Taken: 50% (takes half damage)
Player Penalties	-10% to Movement Speed, ATK, MATK, All Stats, and FLEE. +10% to Variable Cast Time.

Nightmare Difficulty
EXP & Drop Rate	200% of Normal
Monster Modifiers	Stats: 200% of Normal Movement Speed: 80% of Normal Damage Taken: 10% (takes only 10% damage)
Player Penalties	-50% to All Stats, MaxHP, MaxSP, ASPD, ATK, MATK, and FLEE. -30% to Movement Speed. +50% to Variable Cast Time.

GOD Difficulty
EXP & Drop Rate	600% of Normal
Monster Modifiers	Stats: 900% of Normal Movement Speed: 70% of Normal Damage Taken: 1% (takes only 1% damage)
Player Penalties	-70% to All Stats, ASPD, ATK, MATK, and FLEE. -50% to MaxHP and MaxSP. -30% to Movement Speed. +70% to Variable Cast Time.

Instances with Difficulty Modes

Instances Avaibles For Rewards
Airship Assault	Airship Crash	Airship Destruction	Baggot Laboratory
Bakonawa Lake	Bangungot Hospital	Buwaya Cave	Constellation Tower
Edda Fall of Glast Heim	Edda Half Moon in the Daylight	Endless Tower	Faceworm Nest
Geffen Night Arena	Ghost Palace	Hall of Life	Heart Hunter War Base
Horror Toy Factory	Immortal	Infinite Space	Isle of Bios
Iwin Patrol	Lake of Fire	Last Room	Lost Farm
Malangdo Culvert	Mazes of Oz	Morse Cave	Nightmare Jitterbug
Nidhoggur's Nest	Octopus Cave	OGH Challenge	Old Glast Heim
Old Glast Heim Normal	Orcs Memory	Poring Village	Sarah and Fenrir
Sara Memory	Sealed Shrine	Sky Fortress	Sticky See
Sunken Tower	Temple of Demon God	Thanatos	Tomb of the Remorse
Vildkat Deception

---

Rewards

Higher difficulties offer exclusive rewards in the form of points, which can be used in dedicated shops.

Difficulty Tier	Rewards
Easy / Normal / Hard	Standard instance rewards (EXP and item drops), scaled according to the difficulty's rate.
Nightmare	In addition to scaled EXP/drops, you will receive 1-2 Nightmare Points (#NightmarePoints) upon completion. These can be spent in the Nightmare Point Shop.
GOD	In addition to scaled EXP/drops, you will receive 3-5 God Points (#GodPoints) upon completion. These can be spent in the GOD Point Shop.

---

Tips & Strategy

Party Up	For Nightmare and GOD difficulties, always form a party of at least 3 members to meet the entry requirements and handle the increased challenge.
Counter the Penalties	The stat reductions are severe. Prepare your character with equipment and buffs that provide All Stats, percentage-based bonuses (%ATK, %MATK, %HP), and cast time reduction to counteract the penalties.
Risk vs. Reward	Hard difficulty is often the most efficient for farming standard drops and EXP due to its manageable penalties. Attempt Nightmare and GOD modes specifically when you are prepared for the challenge and want to farm exclusive points for the point shops.
Check Your Instance	Use the `/instance` command to check the current status of your party's instance, including the selected difficulty, before entering.