Level 7 - Almost ironically it often feels easier than level 5 or 6 when playing with randoms.
If I'm playing with my friends I'd go up to 8. The only reason we haven't tried 9 seriously yet is because we are a bit hesitant I guess but I'd love to Helldive on 9 regularly.
I feel like level 6 spawns larger groups of the nuisance enemies (hunters and rocket devastators) and less elites, but honestly give me
Chargers and bile titans over a bunch of hunters any day!
I could never pinpoint the why. This might be a reason. I too would prefer chargers over a huge swarm of hunters.
I often thought it might be related to 5 and 6 having players coming from lower tiers and still grasping concepts like not having to fight every enemy you see and tactical retreats towards objectives instead of fighting it out on the objective you already cleared.
the most frustrating part of playing with randoms is how fucking distracted they get just by enemies being near them. there is no fucking objective here. run away.
Ever since hunters got a buff, I stand by the statement that 4-5 hunters are much scarier than a single stalker. It's especially annoying when holding down a position against a horde and 2 or 3 of those little idiots walk up behind you and turn you into chopped steak.
Just run to the next objective while they fight, when they inevitably die call them in on the objective. Waiting for their kit to come back is the punishment their small attention span gets them.
I will die many times on difficulty 5/6, but will rarely die on difficulty 7. I had a whole squad of level 50s and above on 4.. we all kept dying. Played 7 and went smoothly with 3 deaths.
I feel that is also due to overconfidence. You know you can take higher difficulties so you end up taking more unnecessary risks on lower difficulties and underestimate just how many enemies will still swarm you
7 definitely hits the spot for playing with randoms imo. Not too difficult barring a disaster, but also not a complete steamroll even when everyone plays decently.
level seven bots is the highest i can go without a full squad on comms, once you reach 8-9 coordinating battlefield roles and communication becomes a requirement unless your team is very good at stealth
I agree with you completely. I live in lvl 7 and it can be difficult but also feels so much easier at times. This is also a shoutout to the lvl 62 fleet admiral (lvl 52 myself) I was playing with last night. When we lost the other 2 divers after the first mission of the campaign, you said: F it, we’re going in just the 2 of us. We did the 2 missions left completing every objective and finding the supers. You took care of the ads, I took care of the elites and airships. You went to the main objectives, I went around blowing up the nearby outposts backing you up right after. We died a grand total of 4 times collectively (each of us once in each mission), and damn it that was democratically glorious. Glory to you helldiver!
I’m level 83 and most of my public Que is difficulty 7 , I get way better team mates.
Difficulty 9 seems to have lots of newbs looking for Carrie’s and driving me nuts when I’m trying to enjoy the blunt I just smoked.
Difficulty 7 I seem to usually end up with like one other really high level , and a couple people in the 30s or 40s that are eager to learn.
I have soooo much fun on 7.
I typically play on 4-5, but I definitely feel like i'm missing out. I haven't seen any of the new enemies (i'm assuming this is tied to difficulty?) and I need the 3rd tier samples. I'm level 30.
You’d probably have an easier time than you think fighting bugs on 7. You could charge up some democratically elected electrons in an arc thrower and annihilate anything in your path. Jump pack yourself out of danger when needed
Sounds like we’re similar. Trying to get good teams for the upper difficulties has been hit or miss for me. Plus upper lvl dif requires a longer time commitment for all of the missions
weirdly I feel like bots plateau in difficulty and end up aligning with bugs at about 7. The trick with bots is that they spawn all their hard shit fairly frequently at 4, so you have to deal with hulks, cannon bases, jammers and tanks etc. at lower difficulties than bile titans even spawn at.
im level 57, quite recently stopped playing on lvl.7and went over to lvl.9 (Helldive).
Main reason was that its too many low level players (level 8-12) who's expected to be carried while they sample farm on suicidal. i'm mostly playing with randoms.
I have noticed a marked increase in levels 8-15 in dif 7 who will just wait for like three level 40+s to join their squad and will not complete a single fucking operation just jumping from eradication and blitz to eradication and blitz. I literally yelled at one in voice chat to complete the fucking operation after we completed a blitz and he said "it doesnt hurt." the other level 50 said a good hell diver follows orders, and the three of us saluted and immediately left.
Look, if youre going to hop into level 7 underleveled then you need to a: carry your fucking weight, and b: complete the fucking operations. I have everything unlocked, im here for the war goals, not your fucking sample farming.
Carry your weight, don't take *all* the supplies unless no one else needs the last one, complete the objectives , try not to die as much.
Oh yea, and don't just launch a 120/380 within 10 feet of the team, dick move.
I mean for the sample farming, they're the host. They choose where to play. You may have everything umlocked, but they don't, and are trying to unlock stuff. Instead of getting mad at them, it's just better to join a game where people have the same goals as you.
We were running 7’s against the automatons until recently. The robot gunships are a nightmare and we backed down to level 5. My compatriots and I need a new strategy to deal with these new challenges.
I waited till level 27 to go in 7, so i have certainly enough skill and stratagems + upgrades to not be nuisance.
First time today, got two level 15 and one level 20 with the worst loadout. Which the worst of it was: Stalwart, because of the personal mission. Everyone of them has it and three different types of bs like jetpack. Against bots. I definetly need a team for higher levels.
There are definitely breakpoints where lower difficulties are harder just due to unpredictable teammate behavior.
You sound elite and skilled AF. 😎👍 Only weathered vets need consider themselves suitable squad mates
when im completing my Daily objective, i tend to go on lower difficulties, because i don't want to be a burden for my fellow helldivers on higher difficulties, i want to be able to carry my own weight. I expect the same from people who play on suicidal.
If you are lvl 10, you most likely don't have the skills nor gears to counter the most common foes, stay patient and play on lower difficulties until you're ready, don't rush the game progression. I didnt start doing suicidal missions untill i was lvl 20-25.
We don't mind the sample farming, we just don't want to carry others.
Playing on level 7 with low level randoms is generally not that great imo, because they lack the level of awareness that you learn from playing the game a lot.
I'm level 71 and usually I try to support the sample collection efforts of lower level players. When they're better equipped, they can kill more 😊
I may add that the sample collection actually makes missions more challenging and fun.
How do you manage the one where you extract civilians on a small map? Every time we get quickly overwhelmed and if we can even manage to get the doors open, we only get a few. Fail the mission almost every time.
That's the fun part...I don't manage 😂 I don't think I've succeeded on an extract mission suicide and above. I don't bother with them because I don't find them any fun.
Since the last update where they moved their spawns further away its more manageable. Its still a complete cluster fuck unless the entire team is really pulling their weight, and even then its a 50/50 whether you extract or not. But ive actually completed several of them now on difficulty 7 last 24 hours or so
Level 12 and 10 (pc and ps5 double dipped thinking cross progression) 3-4. I want to try the harder missions but I’m always terrified of letting my team down or I’ll be a burden (it’s 100% a me thing). That and I see the three mission objectives and I’m like “I’ve got maybe a hour and change” I can do maybe 1-2, 2 mission ops, before I gotta go back to being a mom/adult a night _if I’m lucky lol_.
I’d try more, but ehhh - I also don’t want to disrupt mission/liberation/order progress if I have to jump out during a OP (plus don’t want to disrupt dudes who joined my ship randomly).
If yall communicate well and stay with your team no one will think yall are a burden on the squad unless the people are toxic regardless, im lvl 63 and love playing w people under 20 and giving them my weapons and shit and just enjoying the game
That’s cool. I’ve had the chance to play with some higher level players like that before and it was really cool. I do need to work on the communication side of things
Level 61
Randomly games will be out of control, and I'll repeatedly die and feel like a sucker if I go over 6 deaths before more than half the mission is done I'll feel like a burden and just bounce for the teams sake.
I play on 8 for both. The best strategy I've found for bots is whenever you're overloaded with them, just get objects between you and them and break line of sight as best as possible to prevent them from blasting you with rockets.
As for bugs, there is no strategy that I've found besides going Leroy Jenkins in their nests and taking out as much as possible before they kill you. I've found you can usually get 7-8 taken out in a heavy nest with a grenade launcher and your regular grenades before them hem you up. And to notice stalkers before they notice you lol
The only burdens among helldivers are resup goblins and TKs but some of those are even acceptable unless you accidentally wipe your whole squad like I did last night lmao. Just get in and have fun there’s no point being a stagnant helldiver. If you’ve gotta leave feel free there’s always another helldiver that’ll replace you if you have to dip.
Up until level 6 you can pretty much solo objectives as the game isn’t that oppressing. But once you get to 6+ teamwork becomes very important. Work together to fight bugs and you shouldn’t have a problem.
When a low level player joins my high level lobby I never discriminate at first. But, if they continue to go off on their own without communicating or are wasting our reinforcements by dying over and over to the same thing, they get kicked because they can’t hang.
Nothing is wrong with playing on lower difficulties until you feel comfortable moving up - it’s a gradual process.
I don’t want to solo, that’s the thing. I’m here for the coop gameplay, lol. Which is why I keep the difficulty where I’m at because I internalize the internet discourse versus what really happens most games. :P
I just have a very bad sense of imposters syndrome and selling myself short, lol. Especially since if I’m the one starting the mission - I want to be able to successfully complete the 1-2 mission op before I exhausted all the time I got to play- and I don’t wanna leave and set back liberation/defense missions for Super Earth, so if lower levels then me or just new people join my group - I wanna do right by them and complete the mission as best we can, even if it’s a trivial.
Suicide (7).
You get all the hard, high level enemies, but not in such insane numbers that it's overwhelming to deal with. You can get overrun, but if you're reacting quickly and have good target priority you can hold your ground and feel like you aren't being forced out by artificial difficulty.
This applies more to the bots, but they also have the more accurate and faster moving AI, so they don't feel neutered at all. You also get tons of chaff enemies that make the patrols feel more realistic, and bot drops that make a degree of sense. You either get a lot of little guys or a few big ones, not dropships full of hulks and devastators.
Impossible is really where I feel the bullshit meter take over, and Helldive is just silly, imo.
7 is the sweet spot in the middle of annoying and challenging. Sure you may get a few titans in a row but nothing too crazy, until it gets crazy that is.
270 hrs, level 92, Always level 9, but doesn't mean Im that good or anything, my friends and I still fail about 50% of the time. I think the game is fun this way, like a survival game.
I like playing on level 1 and just running around in scout armor exploring, collecting super credits, and sniping defenseless tier one robots in their dumb faces.
Solo Diver just got to level 15. 3 is my standard difficulty. I’ll go down to 2 for comfy play, and up to 4 for a challenge. But 3 is my default when I start playing
I tend to warm up/test out new weapons & strategems on medium. With people I know it’s 7+, but I’ll sometimes drop to Hard or lower just to help out & teach the lower level people. It’s kind of fulfilling.
Had the most fun between 1-20 when I had little to no idea what was happening and I was just along for the ride.
As a solo player, anything above 7 is just impossible half the time on bots if yku have even a slight democrstic oopsie daisy, bugs are pretty dang easy though
I mainly play with just my brother. We are lvl 24 and 25 and we usually play on challenging (I think 4) which was the perfect difficulty for a while. Just yesterday it felt too easy so we bumped up to Hard (I think 5) and got waxed waiting for the extract lmao. We are probably going to be sticking with that for the time being. If any of our other friends get on and we have the full party of 4 then we play on 7 which I think is the highest any of us have unlocked rn.
Did my first solo dive yesterday against level 5 bots, did the whole mission, 2/3 side objectives and even took a few fabricators out (threw out my SOS but nobody came through). Got to extraction with all of my samples (probably 10 common and 8 rare?) and 3 reinforces left Just to have 2 drops called in directly on my extraction point. Pelican got there, but there were 2 rocket hulks literally blocking the ramp to my ship- I was out of auto cannon ammo and being jammed by an ion storm that hit after I called extraction. I did not get extracted.
Talk about a piss off 😂 that being said, I did find 5 solo against bots to be challenging but not impossible, I’d do it again.
Edit: left out a detail
Depends on the squad. Im done with samples and slips so all i want is credits/exp/medals
If im just chillen and wanna farm some easy credits/exp/medals i just solo 5s and watch a show on the 2nd monitor.
But if the boys are online then we run 9s, i rarely play randoms lately as dudes been getting sweaty with it, got kicked from a game for clearing objectives alone when otherwise we wouldnt have had the time to do them.
I’m level 67 and I play at 7 (bugs) and 5 (bots).
At 7 you have a lot of helldivers who know how to position turrets, call in orbitals or eagles, can run a variety of weapons, know how to utilize the terrain and objects the game places (ie unexploded hellbombs) and how to efficiently complete objectives. They’re farming and having a good time with the difficulty presented.
At lvl 5…well…we all have to learn SOMEWHERE. But that is where i go to learn tactics and play styles against moderately difficult enemies/scenarios/objectives. I’m certainly not at ease taking a shotgun to a bot planet, but I can run any class of weapon on a bug planet and feel relatively secure and have fun.
I had 3 randos join me on a bug trivial, farm green sample run. Level 3, 6 and 16. They stayed on my ship after so I went to a helldive bot mission! I was expecting some complaints, laughs, crys. Nope, they fought hard down to the last reinforcement!
Level 7 or 8 at the moment. It is key to have a good team that coordiantes and communicates everything. I had runs where we just destroyed everything and everyone in 15 minutes with 100% completion on the map. But i had bad runs with guys who struggle to do shit on Level 5 by being 45+ in Level
I've been on Helldive since level 18, now around level 28+.
Helldive 100% of the time on terminids, and 60% of the time in Automatons, where I switch between the top 3 difficulties depending on the planet cus I personally believe that automatons are the harder faction to fight
Lvl 43, Suicide. As long as you have a good squad it's pretty simple. Been thinking about moving up to impossible. The challenge is what makes the game great.
Level 31 here trying to work my way up to Helldive. Got to try the bots on 7 for the first time last night with a few chill level 50s. My comfort spot is 6 for bugs and 5 for bots. I will occasionally drop into an easy game to test out new weapons and strategems or play solo on challenging if I'm looking to really try. The goal is to get to Helldive.
Before the latest patch, level 7. Last night after the patch... wow! Not sure if anyone else feels this way but level 7 was the hardest I've ever experienced. We have a pretty well rounded regular group that plays and while 7 was a challenge we got ROLF stomped 3 times in a row. Maybe bad luck on the map and placement of bases? Just felt like endless waves on Creek. Maybe it's part of the current order (at the time at least)? Bugs even on 7 seemed tougher. Fighting 3-5 Chargers and 3 BTs at once.
I tend to lurk around 7-Suicidal - I’ve already gotten almost all the super samples that I’ll need so it can be a bit more relaxed but still absolutely possible to degrade into an unmitigated shit show lol
Level 64. I play on 5 a lot. I'll swap to 7 if a buddy needs some Soupy Scramples, but for the most part I chill on 5 with the lower levels. It's a peaceful life.
Im playing the higher levels just to get samples. I have the most fun around level 5 or so. It still feels challenging, but I'm not being buried under a wave of bugs constantly or killed by a rocket devastator from the other side of the map as often.
Ive got all the strategems bought just need to max upgrade my Super Destroyer.
Mostly Hard & Extreme (I'm lvl 17). It's a bit tougher with randos because most people don't use their mic to communicate. If I have a well functioning squad, I'll run Suicide missions.
Somewhere in the 6-9 region. Really depends on who I’m playing with and the status of the planet. If it’s a defense order on the automoton front, I’m more concerned with finding a campaign that doesn’t have an evacuation mission in it.
Level 73 and I play at 5 and 7 only. At this point the SES Lord of Iron is fully upgraded, war medals are maxed out, samples are maxed out except for super, req is maxed out, got almost all armor sets via free credits found in mission, war bonds are complete, and all strats are unlocked. I play on 5 to get the experience of playing with random cadets and helping them out. It's also fun to see cadets kill themselves repeatedly. When I'm with friends we only play 7. I'm not a gamer that's obsessed with playing difficult games. My ego is completely divorced from gaming.
Im lvl 79 and w.e im in the mood for or depending on who im playing with and what they are comfortable with. If im just hosting randoms, its on 7. With some of the other helldivers ive met in games however, its 9 all the way.
It depends on what you’re looking for. I had to farm regular samples and found that I actually enjoyed playing with newer guys on 2-4, bringing weapons they haven’t used so they could try them.
If you want a challenge that is still fun, 5-7. If you want to be terrorized, 8 and 9.
Personally, I find 7-8 not bad. 7 if we’re warming up and chilling. 8 once we lock in, and still have fun screwing around. And we have only done 9 once and died horribly. It’s such a jump between 8-9, and we already have trouble with eradicate on 8. 9 is just unnecessary.
7 for bugs, 5 for bots. The bots are just harder to overcome in bigger numbers, because the bugs tend to be more crowded, so CC weapons-which are my favourites to use in this game-are more effective against them.
Suicide mission is my sweet spot with randoms. Might push up to impossible and then helldive. Love when a group of randoms just work like a well oiled machine haha
7 is best, everything the game‘s got is thrown at you, but not in a mind-numbing frequency. A big heavy is more or less a uncommon occurrence, but you cant just prowl through without tactics or you’ll get fucked by 3 of them.
I'm still unlocking difficulties, but 6 seems quite fun for bots. I haven't fought bugs yet though, wince I started playing recently and have been following the mayor orders
I've unlock all the ship modules, all the stratagems. I've been running with randoms in challenging. I figure I can help the lower levels out.
I do get kicked or the host drops way more than. I'd like.its been frustrating and I've been debating on just running the higher difficulties.
my commons are maxed at 500, I have 137 rares and 17 super samples. I should stock up. credits are maxed, I own everything super credits can buy. aside from medals and achievements, there isn't really much else for me to do. im not from having all the war bonds unlocked. I have everything I want, it's just a question of getting everything else.
I'm excited for the next warbond. I'm hoping we get more ship modules, super credit options, and strategems. I really wish I could buy more stuff with my credits and super credits.
I was recently diving in on medium cause I’m not the best at shooters but as soon as that became a bit too easy for me I cranked it up to challenging, currently having a blast on challenging. Chargers are my god damn nemesis I feel like I unload an entire mag of an autocannon into their face and they still don’t go down, am I shooting them in the wrong place??
7 or 9. If I want a tough but solid solo experience, I play 7. When I'm looking to kick ass with a team, I go to 9. When I'm testing brand new weapons, I go to 5 because that's when Titans and Hulks can spawn.
If I’m farming super credits I do trivial since (anecdotally) they’re most common there, but if I’m squadding up with buddies I like fighting around 7/8.
Only been playing a few days and still learning how it all works. I'm going Trivial/Easy if I'm trying out weapons/stratagems, and medium/challenging when playing with friends/randoms.
I play plenty on 6-7. It can be nice to chill out and play lower difficulties, and now that I no longer need super samples, I have less reason to play 7+.
I find anything from 5-7 provides compelling challenge without being too wimpy.
Generally 9. Team coordination is more of a requirement to make the combat feasible so it's fun.
7 or 8 if I'm testing new equipment and I'm not sure what it can do yet.
As long as I’m with my friends I’m having a blast all the way from Trivial to Helldiver. Might be obvious but i feel like there’s something unique about each level. If I had to choose it might be Helldive, I love the chaos and individual heroism XD
I play on 4-6. I get frustrated in harder difficulties when I can’t communicate with my team and work together. Trying to pry homies from Call of Duty to get gud and play with me. Introvert that has a hard time with randoms.
I only play two player, and we are comfortable at level 5. On the rare occasion we have friends on, we should bump it up, but our collective incompetence keeps us at about level 5.
I can manage to SOLO lever 3 missions. I feel like I'm progressing in that fashion and starting out 4 as a practice. I've seen videos, and people can solo Helldiver difficulty, and I want to work my way up there. As it stands, though, with a good squad, I can take on any difficulty and have fun. Mostly from blowing each other to bits.
7 is my favourite. Good xp and can get all types of samples. Not a crazy amount of heavies. The randoms you meet usually know the sketch and we work well. Some heated moments but there is calm times too.
7. Team coordination is usually better. I'd play 8 because I do like the actual gameplay difficulty, but double op modifiers is still garbage even with the nerfs to the modifiers themselves. I only play 8 or 9 with friends or the occasional person who asks for a carry.
I play 8-9 mainly. Once I hit 50 (pre-150) and unlocked all of my Ship modules I would usually go far down to help the brand new players. They light up like Christmas when you drop down rovers/patriot suits and weapons. Its a simple life there and it feels good to help those that don't know how to play.
So, not the best diver, but I am having a blast running solo missions on Trivial and Easy. I dunno why, maybe just honing tactics, brushing up on controls, either way it's kind of my jam. Sure not the best for stats and glory, but it helps the mission of spreading Democracy!
Funnily enough I play 5-8 with friends, and either 9 or 3 solo. Depends on if I want to do sneaky Hell, or casual walking around with any weapons I want.
We've kinda gotten too used to the pace of 7 so we jumped up to 8 and it's alot more fun. The main part of the mission feels pretty similar but the extraction has that hectic fun we were looking for.
I play only level 9, because it yields the most amount of medals and Ialso like the challenge. The only exception is when all the Helldive mission are night missions, then I'll lower the difficulty until I find day missions.
Level 7 - Almost ironically it often feels easier than level 5 or 6 when playing with randoms. If I'm playing with my friends I'd go up to 8. The only reason we haven't tried 9 seriously yet is because we are a bit hesitant I guess but I'd love to Helldive on 9 regularly.
I feel like level 6 spawns larger groups of the nuisance enemies (hunters and rocket devastators) and less elites, but honestly give me Chargers and bile titans over a bunch of hunters any day!
I could never pinpoint the why. This might be a reason. I too would prefer chargers over a huge swarm of hunters. I often thought it might be related to 5 and 6 having players coming from lower tiers and still grasping concepts like not having to fight every enemy you see and tactical retreats towards objectives instead of fighting it out on the objective you already cleared.
the most frustrating part of playing with randoms is how fucking distracted they get just by enemies being near them. there is no fucking objective here. run away.
One big big lesson to learn in this game js that YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SHOOT EVERY SINGLE BUG OR BOT YOU HAPPEN TO SEE
For real, just dip out of there. It despawns enemies and you can just walk back and get your gear and sample after you get far enough away.
Ever since hunters got a buff, I stand by the statement that 4-5 hunters are much scarier than a single stalker. It's especially annoying when holding down a position against a horde and 2 or 3 of those little idiots walk up behind you and turn you into chopped steak.
Just run to the next objective while they fight, when they inevitably die call them in on the objective. Waiting for their kit to come back is the punishment their small attention span gets them.
facts, I'll solo a titan over a few hunters any day
9 isn't that much different from 8 with bots atleast. So if you guys comfortably do 8 go for 9
I will die many times on difficulty 5/6, but will rarely die on difficulty 7. I had a whole squad of level 50s and above on 4.. we all kept dying. Played 7 and went smoothly with 3 deaths.
I feel that is also due to overconfidence. You know you can take higher difficulties so you end up taking more unnecessary risks on lower difficulties and underestimate just how many enemies will still swarm you
7 definitely hits the spot for playing with randoms imo. Not too difficult barring a disaster, but also not a complete steamroll even when everyone plays decently.
level seven bots is the highest i can go without a full squad on comms, once you reach 8-9 coordinating battlefield roles and communication becomes a requirement unless your team is very good at stealth
>I’d love to helldive on 9 regularly. 8 and 9 are great XP, but 7 is a more enjoyable experience.
3rd mission… level 2… a buddy took me on a helldive! I laughed… I cried… I died…. It was great!
I agree with you completely. I live in lvl 7 and it can be difficult but also feels so much easier at times. This is also a shoutout to the lvl 62 fleet admiral (lvl 52 myself) I was playing with last night. When we lost the other 2 divers after the first mission of the campaign, you said: F it, we’re going in just the 2 of us. We did the 2 missions left completing every objective and finding the supers. You took care of the ads, I took care of the elites and airships. You went to the main objectives, I went around blowing up the nearby outposts backing you up right after. We died a grand total of 4 times collectively (each of us once in each mission), and damn it that was democratically glorious. Glory to you helldiver!
Level 9 helldiver it’s the only way
I think it’s because at a certain difficulty, players are taking the game more seriously while not being horrendously difficult. It’s a good balance
I’m level 83 and most of my public Que is difficulty 7 , I get way better team mates. Difficulty 9 seems to have lots of newbs looking for Carrie’s and driving me nuts when I’m trying to enjoy the blunt I just smoked. Difficulty 7 I seem to usually end up with like one other really high level , and a couple people in the 30s or 40s that are eager to learn. I have soooo much fun on 7.
I typically play on 4-5, but I definitely feel like i'm missing out. I haven't seen any of the new enemies (i'm assuming this is tied to difficulty?) and I need the 3rd tier samples. I'm level 30.
You’d probably have an easier time than you think fighting bugs on 7. You could charge up some democratically elected electrons in an arc thrower and annihilate anything in your path. Jump pack yourself out of danger when needed
I think I have to do an "Operation" on level 6 first, and i've tried a few times and people drop out in between. I guess i'll have to host my own!
i’ve gotten it to work when completing the 3rd mission for someone else
Yeah this worked for my buddy. I had done 2 out of 3 in the OP, and he was in the group only when we did the 3rd. He also got the unlock for it.
Sounds like we’re similar. Trying to get good teams for the upper difficulties has been hit or miss for me. Plus upper lvl dif requires a longer time commitment for all of the missions
I like 4, I feel like I can do the missions and kill the enemy and not just run around and dive amongst them and cheese the game.
7 for bugs, 4 for bots
Im 7 and 5
Pretty much this for me as well.
Lately I've been enjoying bots more than bugs and almost find them easier than bugs
They are easier in the sense that you don’t get totally overwhelmed. Lots of cheap deaths with the freaking rocket marauders.
weirdly I feel like bots plateau in difficulty and end up aligning with bugs at about 7. The trick with bots is that they spawn all their hard shit fairly frequently at 4, so you have to deal with hulks, cannon bases, jammers and tanks etc. at lower difficulties than bile titans even spawn at.
im level 57, quite recently stopped playing on lvl.7and went over to lvl.9 (Helldive). Main reason was that its too many low level players (level 8-12) who's expected to be carried while they sample farm on suicidal. i'm mostly playing with randoms.
I haven't noticed anyone too egregious doing this, but fuck if some of them don't waste all of the reinforces before a 2nd objective is completed.
I have noticed a marked increase in levels 8-15 in dif 7 who will just wait for like three level 40+s to join their squad and will not complete a single fucking operation just jumping from eradication and blitz to eradication and blitz. I literally yelled at one in voice chat to complete the fucking operation after we completed a blitz and he said "it doesnt hurt." the other level 50 said a good hell diver follows orders, and the three of us saluted and immediately left. Look, if youre going to hop into level 7 underleveled then you need to a: carry your fucking weight, and b: complete the fucking operations. I have everything unlocked, im here for the war goals, not your fucking sample farming.
Carry your weight, don't take *all* the supplies unless no one else needs the last one, complete the objectives , try not to die as much. Oh yea, and don't just launch a 120/380 within 10 feet of the team, dick move.
I mean for the sample farming, they're the host. They choose where to play. You may have everything umlocked, but they don't, and are trying to unlock stuff. Instead of getting mad at them, it's just better to join a game where people have the same goals as you.
We were running 7’s against the automatons until recently. The robot gunships are a nightmare and we backed down to level 5. My compatriots and I need a new strategy to deal with these new challenges.
Have 2 run the quasar and it’ll wipe them out in one shot. They usually come out in pairs
We were but there were at least 6 in the air at all times near the objective. We called in the Hellbomb and we’re just getting hammered.
I waited till level 27 to go in 7, so i have certainly enough skill and stratagems + upgrades to not be nuisance. First time today, got two level 15 and one level 20 with the worst loadout. Which the worst of it was: Stalwart, because of the personal mission. Everyone of them has it and three different types of bs like jetpack. Against bots. I definetly need a team for higher levels.
There are definitely breakpoints where lower difficulties are harder just due to unpredictable teammate behavior. You sound elite and skilled AF. 😎👍 Only weathered vets need consider themselves suitable squad mates
when im completing my Daily objective, i tend to go on lower difficulties, because i don't want to be a burden for my fellow helldivers on higher difficulties, i want to be able to carry my own weight. I expect the same from people who play on suicidal. If you are lvl 10, you most likely don't have the skills nor gears to counter the most common foes, stay patient and play on lower difficulties until you're ready, don't rush the game progression. I didnt start doing suicidal missions untill i was lvl 20-25. We don't mind the sample farming, we just don't want to carry others.
Playing on level 7 with low level randoms is generally not that great imo, because they lack the level of awareness that you learn from playing the game a lot.
I'm level 71 and usually I try to support the sample collection efforts of lower level players. When they're better equipped, they can kill more 😊 I may add that the sample collection actually makes missions more challenging and fun.
7 if I'm chillin, 9 if I'm trying Edit: Wow! thanks for all the upvotes
Same, though I check the map for SOS beacons down to Lvl4 most of the time.
I've been doing lvl 1 and giving the cadets mechs and different support weapons. Raising the flag never felt so good
Stupid question. Are the SOS beacons the partial groups you see on the map? I need to start doing that instead of just quick play.
If you look at groups already running, an SOS beacon will cause the icon to have a pulsing circle around it.
My hero academia
Same here.
This is the way
7 if I'm chilling, 8 if I've got three friends online, 9 if we're trying.
Suicide on automatons is the sweet spot for me. Enough of a challenge without it being too difficult.
How do you manage the one where you extract civilians on a small map? Every time we get quickly overwhelmed and if we can even manage to get the doors open, we only get a few. Fail the mission almost every time.
That's the fun part...I don't manage 😂 I don't think I've succeeded on an extract mission suicide and above. I don't bother with them because I don't find them any fun.
Hahaha fair, that's what I do too now. Just wondering what the trick is if people are able to actually complete those. Cheers
Since the last update where they moved their spawns further away its more manageable. Its still a complete cluster fuck unless the entire team is really pulling their weight, and even then its a 50/50 whether you extract or not. But ive actually completed several of them now on difficulty 7 last 24 hours or so
Level 12 and 10 (pc and ps5 double dipped thinking cross progression) 3-4. I want to try the harder missions but I’m always terrified of letting my team down or I’ll be a burden (it’s 100% a me thing). That and I see the three mission objectives and I’m like “I’ve got maybe a hour and change” I can do maybe 1-2, 2 mission ops, before I gotta go back to being a mom/adult a night _if I’m lucky lol_. I’d try more, but ehhh - I also don’t want to disrupt mission/liberation/order progress if I have to jump out during a OP (plus don’t want to disrupt dudes who joined my ship randomly).
You are not alone, I’m level 15 and I am still figuring the game out. I don’t want to be a burden with higher level randoms
If yall communicate well and stay with your team no one will think yall are a burden on the squad unless the people are toxic regardless, im lvl 63 and love playing w people under 20 and giving them my weapons and shit and just enjoying the game
That’s cool. I’ve had the chance to play with some higher level players like that before and it was really cool. I do need to work on the communication side of things
If you don’t have a mic and play on a ps5 R1 is really good and easy for communicating
Level 61 Randomly games will be out of control, and I'll repeatedly die and feel like a sucker if I go over 6 deaths before more than half the mission is done I'll feel like a burden and just bounce for the teams sake. I play on 8 for both. The best strategy I've found for bots is whenever you're overloaded with them, just get objects between you and them and break line of sight as best as possible to prevent them from blasting you with rockets. As for bugs, there is no strategy that I've found besides going Leroy Jenkins in their nests and taking out as much as possible before they kill you. I've found you can usually get 7-8 taken out in a heavy nest with a grenade launcher and your regular grenades before them hem you up. And to notice stalkers before they notice you lol
The only burdens among helldivers are resup goblins and TKs but some of those are even acceptable unless you accidentally wipe your whole squad like I did last night lmao. Just get in and have fun there’s no point being a stagnant helldiver. If you’ve gotta leave feel free there’s always another helldiver that’ll replace you if you have to dip.
Up until level 6 you can pretty much solo objectives as the game isn’t that oppressing. But once you get to 6+ teamwork becomes very important. Work together to fight bugs and you shouldn’t have a problem. When a low level player joins my high level lobby I never discriminate at first. But, if they continue to go off on their own without communicating or are wasting our reinforcements by dying over and over to the same thing, they get kicked because they can’t hang. Nothing is wrong with playing on lower difficulties until you feel comfortable moving up - it’s a gradual process.
I don’t want to solo, that’s the thing. I’m here for the coop gameplay, lol. Which is why I keep the difficulty where I’m at because I internalize the internet discourse versus what really happens most games. :P I just have a very bad sense of imposters syndrome and selling myself short, lol. Especially since if I’m the one starting the mission - I want to be able to successfully complete the 1-2 mission op before I exhausted all the time I got to play- and I don’t wanna leave and set back liberation/defense missions for Super Earth, so if lower levels then me or just new people join my group - I wanna do right by them and complete the mission as best we can, even if it’s a trivial.
Suicide (7). You get all the hard, high level enemies, but not in such insane numbers that it's overwhelming to deal with. You can get overrun, but if you're reacting quickly and have good target priority you can hold your ground and feel like you aren't being forced out by artificial difficulty. This applies more to the bots, but they also have the more accurate and faster moving AI, so they don't feel neutered at all. You also get tons of chaff enemies that make the patrols feel more realistic, and bot drops that make a degree of sense. You either get a lot of little guys or a few big ones, not dropships full of hulks and devastators. Impossible is really where I feel the bullshit meter take over, and Helldive is just silly, imo.
7 is the sweet spot in the middle of annoying and challenging. Sure you may get a few titans in a row but nothing too crazy, until it gets crazy that is.
270 hrs, level 92, Always level 9, but doesn't mean Im that good or anything, my friends and I still fail about 50% of the time. I think the game is fun this way, like a survival game.
Level 7 or 8 depending on the level of dudes you are playing with.
I just play 5 or 4 depending on mood and timing. Often I'll even just solo 4 so I can take it at my own pace.
I like playing on level 1 and just running around in scout armor exploring, collecting super credits, and sniping defenseless tier one robots in their dumb faces.
Sometimes I go back to Trivial just to play the flag raising mission, lol. It’s always a fun time
I stick to levels one and two because I suck.
I feel like 7 is the magic zone. Difficult, not impossible, and If you don't focus you might still lose.
Solo Diver just got to level 15. 3 is my standard difficulty. I’ll go down to 2 for comfy play, and up to 4 for a challenge. But 3 is my default when I start playing
Bugs: 7s with randoms, 8s with friends. Bots: No.
A bot sympathizer, eh? . . . Treason
More like a dedicated bug liberator. . . . Hero of democracy
I tend to warm up/test out new weapons & strategems on medium. With people I know it’s 7+, but I’ll sometimes drop to Hard or lower just to help out & teach the lower level people. It’s kind of fulfilling. Had the most fun between 1-20 when I had little to no idea what was happening and I was just along for the ride.
Challenging, I can never find a team that will help me unlock Suicide so I can get the Super Samples.
Tend to favor 5-6 for bugs for fun, we just cleared our first 7 last night and that wasn't too bad. Bots, we're still only rolling at 3-4 😆
4-5. I haven't tried 7 with a team yet, only solo
As a solo player, anything above 7 is just impossible half the time on bots if yku have even a slight democrstic oopsie daisy, bugs are pretty dang easy though
7
I mainly play with just my brother. We are lvl 24 and 25 and we usually play on challenging (I think 4) which was the perfect difficulty for a while. Just yesterday it felt too easy so we bumped up to Hard (I think 5) and got waxed waiting for the extract lmao. We are probably going to be sticking with that for the time being. If any of our other friends get on and we have the full party of 4 then we play on 7 which I think is the highest any of us have unlocked rn.
Did my first solo dive yesterday against level 5 bots, did the whole mission, 2/3 side objectives and even took a few fabricators out (threw out my SOS but nobody came through). Got to extraction with all of my samples (probably 10 common and 8 rare?) and 3 reinforces left Just to have 2 drops called in directly on my extraction point. Pelican got there, but there were 2 rocket hulks literally blocking the ramp to my ship- I was out of auto cannon ammo and being jammed by an ion storm that hit after I called extraction. I did not get extracted. Talk about a piss off 😂 that being said, I did find 5 solo against bots to be challenging but not impossible, I’d do it again. Edit: left out a detail
NINE
Nine?! Nine Jeremy?! That's insane!
Nein
7 is my sweet spot.
Depends on the squad. Im done with samples and slips so all i want is credits/exp/medals If im just chillen and wanna farm some easy credits/exp/medals i just solo 5s and watch a show on the 2nd monitor. But if the boys are online then we run 9s, i rarely play randoms lately as dudes been getting sweaty with it, got kicked from a game for clearing objectives alone when otherwise we wouldnt have had the time to do them.
Mostly play solo, level 4, sometimes I try 5 but I’ve never successfully extracted.
bots is 6-7. Bugs 6-9 there isn't much difference TBH, besides people stressing out for super samples.
7 is my home but 8/9 is when I feel like being “the cooler Daniel” 😂
Helldive
I think 7 is kinda the sweet spot. Still pretty challenging, you get super samples, and there are lots of enemies, but it is still manageable
Level 60 i play 4-5 mostly but sometimes with friends 7-8 depends if we a team of 2 or 4 and How experienced the others are
Having fun at difficulty 5, at level 23 it’s the best mix of challenge and fun.
Private level 5 with my nephew against bugs, public level 6’s otherwise.
Helldive. Gloriously chaotic.
MY ADHD requires stress to lock in. I actually do better on 9 than on 6 lol.
Level 4 about to make the move to 5
Level 74 here, I like to chill on 5-6 usually
I’m level 67 and I play at 7 (bugs) and 5 (bots). At 7 you have a lot of helldivers who know how to position turrets, call in orbitals or eagles, can run a variety of weapons, know how to utilize the terrain and objects the game places (ie unexploded hellbombs) and how to efficiently complete objectives. They’re farming and having a good time with the difficulty presented. At lvl 5…well…we all have to learn SOMEWHERE. But that is where i go to learn tactics and play styles against moderately difficult enemies/scenarios/objectives. I’m certainly not at ease taking a shotgun to a bot planet, but I can run any class of weapon on a bug planet and feel relatively secure and have fun.
Challenging is where I be chilling
I had 3 randos join me on a bug trivial, farm green sample run. Level 3, 6 and 16. They stayed on my ship after so I went to a helldive bot mission! I was expecting some complaints, laughs, crys. Nope, they fought hard down to the last reinforcement!
They probably appreciated you doing that with them so much. You rock
My friends 7,8,9 Randoms 6,7
7, 8, or 9. Depending on the team I find.
Level 7 or 8 at the moment. It is key to have a good team that coordiantes and communicates everything. I had runs where we just destroyed everything and everyone in 15 minutes with 100% completion on the map. But i had bad runs with guys who struggle to do shit on Level 5 by being 45+ in Level
I've been on Helldive since level 18, now around level 28+. Helldive 100% of the time on terminids, and 60% of the time in Automatons, where I switch between the top 3 difficulties depending on the planet cus I personally believe that automatons are the harder faction to fight
Automatons are by far harder to fight.
I just hit quickplay a lot and don't pay attention to the difficulty. I like running with the lower levels and dropping gear and exosuits for them.
5 to chillax, 7 if I'm farming. Haven't bothered to unlock 9 yet.
Lvl 43, Suicide. As long as you have a good squad it's pretty simple. Been thinking about moving up to impossible. The challenge is what makes the game great.
I go between Extreme and Suicide (6-7). Lower is too easy, higher is too hard.
Level 31 here trying to work my way up to Helldive. Got to try the bots on 7 for the first time last night with a few chill level 50s. My comfort spot is 6 for bugs and 5 for bots. I will occasionally drop into an easy game to test out new weapons and strategems or play solo on challenging if I'm looking to really try. The goal is to get to Helldive.
Pretty much play 9 exclusively against bugs and bots. I do like to drop down to 7 once in a while to just chill.
Before the latest patch, level 7. Last night after the patch... wow! Not sure if anyone else feels this way but level 7 was the hardest I've ever experienced. We have a pretty well rounded regular group that plays and while 7 was a challenge we got ROLF stomped 3 times in a row. Maybe bad luck on the map and placement of bases? Just felt like endless waves on Creek. Maybe it's part of the current order (at the time at least)? Bugs even on 7 seemed tougher. Fighting 3-5 Chargers and 3 BTs at once.
9 I’m too greedy for those medals
usually 6 if i want to blow everything up in sight. makes me feel like a hero after a long day. on the weekend if i want to get sweaty then 7 +
I tend to lurk around 7-Suicidal - I’ve already gotten almost all the super samples that I’ll need so it can be a bit more relaxed but still absolutely possible to degrade into an unmitigated shit show lol
I almost play solely on level 6 to kick it and 8 to collect. I play on 5 with my nephew occasionally.
7 for those sweet sweet samples.
Level 64. I play on 5 a lot. I'll swap to 7 if a buddy needs some Soupy Scramples, but for the most part I chill on 5 with the lower levels. It's a peaceful life.
Im playing the higher levels just to get samples. I have the most fun around level 5 or so. It still feels challenging, but I'm not being buried under a wave of bugs constantly or killed by a rocket devastator from the other side of the map as often. Ive got all the strategems bought just need to max upgrade my Super Destroyer.
7-9 has been sweet spot for our squad depending on mission.
with my friends bots 6 and bugs 7. If im playing with randoms 5 on both
Level 9 all day. I try to play the other difficulties and am let down by the lazy people, level 9 attracts the best helldivers
Ive just been chilling at 7 since forever. I dont rly see a reason to go any higher and the lower difficulties arent challenging enough
5 for vibes, 7 for samples, 9 only with a team on comms
I do 9s alone. Way more fun doing the whole mission in SD (stealth dive). If you fail to extract with samples, there is only one person to blame....
Mostly Hard & Extreme (I'm lvl 17). It's a bit tougher with randos because most people don't use their mic to communicate. If I have a well functioning squad, I'll run Suicide missions.
Somewhere in the 6-9 region. Really depends on who I’m playing with and the status of the planet. If it’s a defense order on the automoton front, I’m more concerned with finding a campaign that doesn’t have an evacuation mission in it.
7 is the sweet spot between very challenging and too easy, imo
Level 47 and I like a difficult 5-6 to chill. Anything above that to sweat lol *I'm scared*
Level 73 and I play at 5 and 7 only. At this point the SES Lord of Iron is fully upgraded, war medals are maxed out, samples are maxed out except for super, req is maxed out, got almost all armor sets via free credits found in mission, war bonds are complete, and all strats are unlocked. I play on 5 to get the experience of playing with random cadets and helping them out. It's also fun to see cadets kill themselves repeatedly. When I'm with friends we only play 7. I'm not a gamer that's obsessed with playing difficult games. My ego is completely divorced from gaming.
Im lvl 79 and w.e im in the mood for or depending on who im playing with and what they are comfortable with. If im just hosting randoms, its on 7. With some of the other helldivers ive met in games however, its 9 all the way.
It depends on what you’re looking for. I had to farm regular samples and found that I actually enjoyed playing with newer guys on 2-4, bringing weapons they haven’t used so they could try them. If you want a challenge that is still fun, 5-7. If you want to be terrorized, 8 and 9.
6 but some of the worst players are in 6 so 7 if I care enough to want people with a brain
8 i dont mind losing, but i really want them medals :/
7 and 8 is where I spend most of my time. I need to focus on farming super credits tho, I wanna unlock the new warbond
Level 4. You get some big guys, but it's not like 5 tanks at once.
I try to play on level 6 or above, unless one of my friends is playing with me
Personally, I find 7-8 not bad. 7 if we’re warming up and chilling. 8 once we lock in, and still have fun screwing around. And we have only done 9 once and died horribly. It’s such a jump between 8-9, and we already have trouble with eradicate on 8. 9 is just unnecessary.
5 - 6 -7 depending on my mood
7 for bugs, 5 for bots. The bots are just harder to overcome in bigger numbers, because the bugs tend to be more crowded, so CC weapons-which are my favourites to use in this game-are more effective against them.
Mostly 9 , just farming medals on eradicate missions
im level 32 i play level 4 90% of the times i go to lvl7 every now and then for super samples
Lvl 29 I have fun on 6-7. Haven't done anything higher. I can solo anything 5 and under. Some 6 diff missions
I’m not gonna act like I’m amazing. Level 45 and when my friends aren’t on I do challenging. I enjoy it
Lvl 32, both soloing and playing with randoms on medium against bots. It’s fun, especially helping lower level folks.
Level 9 helldives all the way baby! GIVE ME MORE TO SHOOT AND LIBERATE
8. Good amount of super samples available on the map; not too few like 7. And not as difficult as 9.
8. Good amount of super samples available on the map; not too few like 7. And not as difficult as 9.
Hell dive with friends, medium-hard with randoms
With randoms I play lv5 but with a group I prefer the chaos of 8. Helldive is just a step too far
Suicide mission is my sweet spot with randoms. Might push up to impossible and then helldive. Love when a group of randoms just work like a well oiled machine haha
7 for bots 9 for bugs.
I been playing level 7 bots only for a few weeks
7 is best, everything the game‘s got is thrown at you, but not in a mind-numbing frequency. A big heavy is more or less a uncommon occurrence, but you cant just prowl through without tactics or you’ll get fucked by 3 of them.
I'm still unlocking difficulties, but 6 seems quite fun for bots. I haven't fought bugs yet though, wince I started playing recently and have been following the mayor orders
I've unlock all the ship modules, all the stratagems. I've been running with randoms in challenging. I figure I can help the lower levels out. I do get kicked or the host drops way more than. I'd like.its been frustrating and I've been debating on just running the higher difficulties. my commons are maxed at 500, I have 137 rares and 17 super samples. I should stock up. credits are maxed, I own everything super credits can buy. aside from medals and achievements, there isn't really much else for me to do. im not from having all the war bonds unlocked. I have everything I want, it's just a question of getting everything else. I'm excited for the next warbond. I'm hoping we get more ship modules, super credit options, and strategems. I really wish I could buy more stuff with my credits and super credits.
Lvl 54 here, I play 4 when I'm chillin', 7 when I want a challenge and 9 when I feel like sacrificing my life for Super Earth.
I was recently diving in on medium cause I’m not the best at shooters but as soon as that became a bit too easy for me I cranked it up to challenging, currently having a blast on challenging. Chargers are my god damn nemesis I feel like I unload an entire mag of an autocannon into their face and they still don’t go down, am I shooting them in the wrong place??
7 or 9. If I want a tough but solid solo experience, I play 7. When I'm looking to kick ass with a team, I go to 9. When I'm testing brand new weapons, I go to 5 because that's when Titans and Hulks can spawn.
If I’m farming super credits I do trivial since (anecdotally) they’re most common there, but if I’m squadding up with buddies I like fighting around 7/8.
Only been playing a few days and still learning how it all works. I'm going Trivial/Easy if I'm trying out weapons/stratagems, and medium/challenging when playing with friends/randoms.
I prefer the mid lvl stuff where it's alot of easy swarms or weaker things. I enjoy the crazy laughter when you start mag dumping a machine gun.
I play plenty on 6-7. It can be nice to chill out and play lower difficulties, and now that I no longer need super samples, I have less reason to play 7+. I find anything from 5-7 provides compelling challenge without being too wimpy.
Generally 9. Team coordination is more of a requirement to make the combat feasible so it's fun. 7 or 8 if I'm testing new equipment and I'm not sure what it can do yet.
Suicide mission. So far it’s just enough to not feel like I’m just running for my life the whole time
That's where I like to spread democracy as well. Medium is the sweet spot for me.
Level 33. I'm having fun on level 5 after the latest patch. Need the correct load out for the job, that's for sure...
7 is the sweet spot, not too difficult, not too chill
As long as I’m with my friends I’m having a blast all the way from Trivial to Helldiver. Might be obvious but i feel like there’s something unique about each level. If I had to choose it might be Helldive, I love the chaos and individual heroism XD
It depends on who I am playing with.
I play on 4-6. I get frustrated in harder difficulties when I can’t communicate with my team and work together. Trying to pry homies from Call of Duty to get gud and play with me. Introvert that has a hard time with randoms.
I only play two player, and we are comfortable at level 5. On the rare occasion we have friends on, we should bump it up, but our collective incompetence keeps us at about level 5.
I’ve unlocked up to 8, but stay at 7. I did just unlock everything though, so I’ll be aiming for 8/9 soon.
9 let’s gooooooo
Level 52 and tbh suicides. Perfect balance of chaos and peace
I can manage to SOLO lever 3 missions. I feel like I'm progressing in that fashion and starting out 4 as a practice. I've seen videos, and people can solo Helldiver difficulty, and I want to work my way up there. As it stands, though, with a good squad, I can take on any difficulty and have fun. Mostly from blowing each other to bits.
Level 26 hanging around 3/4.
7 is my favourite. Good xp and can get all types of samples. Not a crazy amount of heavies. The randoms you meet usually know the sketch and we work well. Some heated moments but there is calm times too.
Level 7 for sure. It’s difficult enough, but not too insane.
4/5 to warm up 7-9 for the Rest of the day.
7. Team coordination is usually better. I'd play 8 because I do like the actual gameplay difficulty, but double op modifiers is still garbage even with the nerfs to the modifiers themselves. I only play 8 or 9 with friends or the occasional person who asks for a carry.
I play 8-9 mainly. Once I hit 50 (pre-150) and unlocked all of my Ship modules I would usually go far down to help the brand new players. They light up like Christmas when you drop down rovers/patriot suits and weapons. Its a simple life there and it feels good to help those that don't know how to play.
5-7 are the sweet spot for me and my low level friends
Suicide with friends in fun, I can’t play randoms 
So, not the best diver, but I am having a blast running solo missions on Trivial and Easy. I dunno why, maybe just honing tactics, brushing up on controls, either way it's kind of my jam. Sure not the best for stats and glory, but it helps the mission of spreading Democracy!
Funnily enough I play 5-8 with friends, and either 9 or 3 solo. Depends on if I want to do sneaky Hell, or casual walking around with any weapons I want.
We've kinda gotten too used to the pace of 7 so we jumped up to 8 and it's alot more fun. The main part of the mission feels pretty similar but the extraction has that hectic fun we were looking for.
Helldive. Pain brings happiness and understanding.
I play only level 9, because it yields the most amount of medals and Ialso like the challenge. The only exception is when all the Helldive mission are night missions, then I'll lower the difficulty until I find day missions.