Hello, adventurers
I have few thoughts about difficulty of a game (and why it's often much easier that it should be).
1. Changing the parameters of the roll to initiative greatly simplifies the game.
Dice roll D20 was changed to D4. The consequences of such a change are that my party's members often act one after the other, which, in turn, makes it possible to concentrate attacks on a specific target (and, with a high probability, eliminate it).
How exactly do I choose target? In pen-and-paper campaign I never knows who of my enemies acts next (and this is good thing). But here, via UI I have that data. I always know the order in which my enemies will act. Given the above, I can eliminate the targets before they can take action. It is not necessary to
destroy, there are many spells to control/disable the opponent. With advantage of that meta gaming data, I can use spells much more effectively, that I should.
Ability to see the attributes, states and descriptions of any NPC in greater detail also does a disservice to storytelling as well. Example: who is that charming and suspicious old lady from the Grove, who sells potions? Oh, nice old lady has strength and charisma 18 and constitution 16. Her Health is 112 aaaand her race is fey. In any case, I shouldn't know this.
I think it is possible to hide the order of actions of the enemies on the panel by putting a question mark instead of names and portraits before the move (action) is made.
1.2. Inventories of (almost) all vendors in the game are unlimited source of magic items. Every time you rest, the merchants' inventory is updates and new items appear in it. Infinitely. There is small list of unique items, with does not appear again, but items +1, +2 are infinite. These items are also very cheap. I can understand the appearance of scrolls and potions in the druid grove, they clearly have trained alchemists and guys who can write scrolls, but weapons? Especially when the tiefling blacksmith is killed/gone. Anyway, there is too much magic items, which leads to their devaluation. This kind of magical inflation cannot be a good thing. Imagine how your attitude about scrolls will changes if they are no longer 'respawned' by merchants. Scrolls will become a real treasure. Especially for a wizard, who can learn spells from the scrolls. To sum up: an infinite number of scrolls, potions and magic trinkets greatly simplifies the game.
2. (+ about difficulty) In the D&D E5 (in all editions, truly), every level up increase character's strength dramatically and the difficulty of the battles linked with a difference in levels between the opponents and the party. So, any slowing down exp. progression equal to increasing difficulty.
3. I disagree with the statement that the limiting long rest will make a good service. The game has an extensive system of relationships with companions, which is evolves through dialogues in the camp. All that system will crumble like card house with long rest limitations. It's not possible to change, it's to basic mechanic of game storytelling. And it's not only about companions, it's tool of main plot as well.
But alternative exists - areas with lock down of teleportation runes. Good mechanics, which, for my taste, is used too rarely.
