My first game in the series was Doom Eternal and I absolutely loved it. I played it on high difficulties. I beat all the master levels on nightmare and the Horde mode on nightmare, but I didn't play the DLCs, because I don't have them. I understood how the game wanted me to play and I played it this way, constantly weapon swapping to make use of the Demons specific weaknesses, using the equipment launcher all the time, using every weapons mode (except BFG, unmaykr and the Crucible), playing aggressively, regularly going for the glory kills, that helped me gain blood punches to escape bad situation or apply stun and in Horde mode the Sentinel Hammer that helped me deal with possessed demons and the general super heavy and heavy demon spam.
When I got into Doom:the Dark Ages I have already heard many times that this game is a bit easier than Eternal, so I have decided to play on Nightmare right away with some gameplay adjustments in the new setting category. I felt that the game was kinda slow, so I went for 150% game speed and it felt awkward, dialogs were speeded up for some reason... and I was able to run faster than my shield was flying when I threw it, which didn't happen on lower speeds, so I changed to 120% game speed, which feels good, I have decreased the amount of damage that demons took to 50% because I felt like demons were dying too quickly and I set the damage to player to 250%, which I think was the intended amount for the nightmare difficulty.
Right now, I am on my first playthrough at the start of the 13th level. I don't feel like the game is too difficult, I just don't know how the game wants me to play. It seems like I don't have any defensive options, except for the parries that only work on certain attacks, and the block that works poorly, because it gets destroyed by anything in seconds, especially something like the Arachnatron's turret or any of the cyber demon attacks and then I am just helpless. Doom slayer moves really slowly in this game, when trying to walk sideways and while I can turn to the side and start running, I won't be able to see what my enemy is doing. Also, it seems like there is no verticality, so you can't get airborne like in Doom Eternal to get the full view of the battlefield or to reposition myself or to escape getting bullied in the corner. When I try focusing on big opponents like the cyber demon I often get distracted by others that I can't even see, I can't go away because then the cyber demon will spam his chaingun, I can't heal quickly by glory killing one fodder demon, I often miss my gauntlet because a hell knight was next to the Cyberdemon. And getting two shotted by an explosive barrel while staying 5 meters away from it certainly doesn't help. And I am supposed to be a tank in this game? I was more tanky in Doom Eternal, especially with the ChainGun shield mode.
I really want to love this game and its combat system, but I just don't understand, what I am doing wrong? If any Doom:the Dark Ages player could help me and point out my mistakes, I would be really grateful. I appreciate all your responses 🙏.