Are we not meant to be doing this yet? What is the intended progression path through the game? Melee hits killed us in around five hits. However, when we tried the next difficulty level it was a huge spike. We feel encouraged to move on to the next difficulty level. Originally posted by internisus:My friends and I have passed the point where loot boxes drop loot below our power levels. Pick a weapon you like and master it then gradually move on to other weapons it'll make a huge difference. Knowing these tricks and when to use them gets more and more important as you go up in difficulty. Kruber's 2h sword for example has a fast vertical chop as it's push-attack, which is ideal for headshotting enemies, and it's charged attacks cleave multiple targets even through armor. Just spamming attacks at enemies leaves you exposed, so you need to learn what cycle of attacks you have for any situation. Spend some time at the target dummy with your favorite weapon and learn it's combos and quirks. Stormvermin overhead melee strikes in particular need to be dodged, preferably sideways, because they will lay you out and have a long reach. Learning which enemies have which attack patterns, and when to dodge and block are key. Push attacks (block, then attack to push, and keep holding attack for a moment for a special followup attack) are very valuable, since they create an opening to safely attack in. Learning to avoid damage becomes a major priority. The biggest difference between Recruit and Veteran is that there are much fewer healing items. Veteran should be doable regardless of level. Other then that, the only thing holding you back is skill and experience with the game mechanics. I don't suggest moving up to Champion until you hit level 20, because the Temp HP talents make a huge difference.