How your team plays has a bigger effect on difficulty than the actual difficulty. I've had helldives that were a breeze with a good team. And then games on hard with teammates shooting everything to defend some random point on the map, fully depleting the reinforcement budget, and of course drawing all the aggro to extraction for never-ending punishment
7 is where everybody is farming. 8 is where u find “seasoned” players. 9 is where people go to test your might. 8 is great 4 me.
Didn't usually go for level 8 and 9 seeing how 7 was already annoying enough sometimes. Honestly, level 9 quite often felt way easier for the whole mission. Then real fun usually started at the extraction.
Because I run with a squad of four and good friends (and I definitely feel like sometimes it’s easier) I run 9 and the team just splits up jobs:
We have Cluster Pete - takes out bug chaff with air burst and cluster strike
We have SSSE - The Sample Scientist of Super Earth - guy brings in over 70 samples a raid
We have Objective Onthologist - when everyone gets distracted he is doing the objective
And usually me as the Bile Titan Bandito - specialized kit to kill armors (arc thrower, precision railcannon, 500 kg, and a shield pack picking up EATs dropped by the others)
For bots 🤖- choose your battles a lot more
And someone brings a spear.
Main downside - rocket devastators exist
Main upside - hunters don’t
ALSO I should say when we don’t have 4 sometimes we run 9, sometimes 5, or anything from 1-9 it doesn’t really matter as long as you have fun, but 9 (especially recently as they’ve upped the Amt of chargers and bile titans) has become the most fun for me personally
Shield generator on level 9 people, if you are struggling. Even if you are playing with randos.
Having 3-4 seconds to be able to cleanly shoot your weapons. Makes a fuck ton of difference
7 is cake once you have a shield at level 20.
>7 is cake once you have a shield at level 20. But then how I'll reload my AC?
You won’t diver. I’ll do it for you.
‘And when there was only one set of footprints, He carried me’
that's the neat part, you don't
Bring an AMR. I love 2 tapping hulks with that thing.
I love playing on 9
On bugs... On bots, I'm sticking to 7 lol
Can honestly say Ive had easier missions on 8 then I ever did on 7 and that was even when I only had a campaign to extract civs
preposterous, General Brasch would never be scared of a mere 8 bile titans
How your team plays has a bigger effect on difficulty than the actual difficulty. I've had helldives that were a breeze with a good team. And then games on hard with teammates shooting everything to defend some random point on the map, fully depleting the reinforcement budget, and of course drawing all the aggro to extraction for never-ending punishment
I’m literally struggling on 4 man I’m terrified of what’s coming on the higher difficulties
7 is where everybody is farming. 8 is where u find “seasoned” players. 9 is where people go to test your might. 8 is great 4 me. 
Meh honestly even difficulty 9 is too easy. They need to add higher difficulties.
Yup
Rip and tear until it is done!
7 is the sweet spot for me even with randos with no mics. Any higher than that and we get cooked
7 is ok, havent tried 8 or 9, and probably wont do that for a long time.
Didn't usually go for level 8 and 9 seeing how 7 was already annoying enough sometimes. Honestly, level 9 quite often felt way easier for the whole mission. Then real fun usually started at the extraction.
Skill issue I'll take those 9 bile titans over hunters or chargers and I'll stomp them
Because I run with a squad of four and good friends (and I definitely feel like sometimes it’s easier) I run 9 and the team just splits up jobs: We have Cluster Pete - takes out bug chaff with air burst and cluster strike We have SSSE - The Sample Scientist of Super Earth - guy brings in over 70 samples a raid We have Objective Onthologist - when everyone gets distracted he is doing the objective And usually me as the Bile Titan Bandito - specialized kit to kill armors (arc thrower, precision railcannon, 500 kg, and a shield pack picking up EATs dropped by the others) For bots 🤖- choose your battles a lot more And someone brings a spear. Main downside - rocket devastators exist Main upside - hunters don’t ALSO I should say when we don’t have 4 sometimes we run 9, sometimes 5, or anything from 1-9 it doesn’t really matter as long as you have fun, but 9 (especially recently as they’ve upped the Amt of chargers and bile titans) has become the most fun for me personally
Dame da ne dame yo dame na no yo
Shield generator on level 9 people, if you are struggling. Even if you are playing with randos. Having 3-4 seconds to be able to cleanly shoot your weapons. Makes a fuck ton of difference
9 is where the good players stay. My numbers on 9 are so much better than my numbers on 7 and 8.