Best for: Experienced players, larger groups, increased challenge
Hard difficulty increases pressure across all systems while maintaining playability. It's designed for players who have mastered Normal difficulty and want a more demanding experience.
Every figure below is this preset's value. Where a page elsewhere on the wiki quotes a "default", that default is Normal.
- Starting Cash: 100 (same as Normal)
- Higher Penalties: 20 per respawn, 10 per fast travel
- Expensive Building: 1.5x multiplier for placeables, buildables, and vehicles
- Reduced Trading: gun dealers pay only 30% of an item's value, and base procurement rises to 90% of the vehicle price
- Lower Income: 15 per civilian in taxes, 3 per supporter in donations
- Expensive Recruits: 500 per fighter, double Normal
- Expensive Buses: 50 per kilometre, ten times Normal
- Heavy Patrols: 4-6 defense groups at radio towers, and up to 10 defense positions per base
- Deep Reserves: each occupying-faction base starts with 1500 resources, double Normal
- Faster Growth: 320 resources per 6 hours into the faction pool, plus up to 640 more scaled by threat
- Better Value: a base resource cost of 10, down from Normal's 15, so the same resources buy the occupying faction more troops
- Faster Responses: counter-attacks roughly every 80 seconds, give or take 20
- Higher Starting Threat: the resistance starts at a threat level of 250
- Slower Threat Reduction: 0.004 factor means areas stay hot longer
- Shorter Sabotage Downtime: a sabotaged radio tower is back up in 20 minutes
- 70% Disguise Effectiveness: Disguises are less reliable
- 75% Detection Range: Enemies spot you from further away
- Extended Wanted Timers: 2 minutes per level for levels 2 and above, 3 minutes for level 1
- Reduced Wanted Reduction: 60% reduction when using disguises
¶ Standard QRF System
- NOQRF Mode: while a QRF is running you cannot fast travel into its area, but travel elsewhere still works
- 1200 Maximum QRF: larger response forces than Normal's 750
- M9 Pistol with magazine
- Radio for communication
- 1.5x building costs reward careful planning and resource management
- A 20 respawn penalty makes death expensive
- Lower tax income (15 per civilian) means more towns are needed for the same revenue
- Gun dealer selling returns only 30%, so it is a poor primary income source
- At 50 per kilometre, bus travel stops being a casual option
- 4-6 patrol groups make base assaults significantly more challenging
- Bases hold deeper reserves and buy troops more cheaply, so garrisons rebuild faster
- Faster counter-attacks (about 80 seconds) leave less time for looting
- Areas stay dangerous longer due to slower threat reduction
- 70% disguise effectiveness leaves a real chance of being seen
- Longer wanted timers (2-3 minutes) make mistakes more costly
- Increased detection range shortens the distance at which an approach stays quiet
- Expensive vehicles (1.5x cost) require significant saving
- Higher fast travel costs make ground movement more common
- Building cost increases put a premium on essential infrastructure
- Early Game: Conservative expansion, focus on essential infrastructure
- Mid Game: Careful base selection, avoid unnecessary conflicts
- Late Game: Coordinated assaults with proper planning and backup
- Lower tax income means controlling more towns is necessary
- Balance expansion speed with economic constraints
- Heavy patrol presence (4-6 groups) rewards coordinated attacks
- Bring more equipment due to faster enemy responses
- Hit-and-run tactics compare well against prolonged assaults
- Vehicle costs at 1.5x require careful saving and planning
- Gun dealer trading is much less profitable than on Normal
- Procurement is still workable but noticeably dearer
- Reduced disguise effectiveness demands better planning
- Longer wanted timers make a safe house and some patience worth having
- Stealth works better for reconnaissance than as a primary strategy
- Experienced Players: Mastered Normal difficulty mechanics
- Larger Groups: 4-6 players who can coordinate effectively
- Challenge Seekers: Want increased difficulty without extreme punishment
- Tactical Focus: Prefer planning and coordination over action
Hard difficulty maintains the core Overthrow experience while adding significant challenges that reward skilled play and coordination. It's ideal for experienced players who want more demanding gameplay without the extreme constraints of the highest difficulty.