Insane Difficulty: Mareike - Viewing Profile - Insane Difficulty

Yo guys, had a question about the latest version.

I played BNW in 2013 I think, enjoyed it a lot. Despite it not explicitly being a difficulty mod, for all the changes and new mechanics to even be relevant, it of course needs to be difficult enough that you actually have to USE them instead of mashing the B button through battles. On that front, I found the version i played a few years ago mostly satisfying until it got way too easy towards the end.

BUT! I'm trying 1.8.4 now, and it seems to be vastly easier than I remember, to the point of trivializing any need to use the modified mechanics that BNW was created for. I'm just mashing through battles, and it wasn't like that before. So I'm wondering, did I patch my ROM incorrectly or was it deliberately made way way easier?

I followed the instructions and it appears to be working as intended - Whelk does the Wave Cannon, the dialogue is fine, etc. It just feels incredibly wrong in terms of balance. Is there a surefire way to check if this is working correctly? For example, should Vargas and Ultros be pushovers that go down in only a few turns? Is there an enemy I can test with, like how strong it should be, how much damage it should take/deal? Thanks amigos

PS: I have never grinded in an RPG in my life

yo, i'm looking forward to this release since APS patcher seems to have been wiped off the face of the internet so there's no way to play the current version. godspeed dude