I would like to have server difficulty settings as some sort of "minimal required difficulty settings" which doesn't always force certain options on the client.

As example:
Server has Crosshair on
Client has Crosshair off

Since the Client have the higher difficulty level as the server, the crosshair remains off on this client.
If it would be the other way around, the higher difficulty level of the server would be forced on the client and crosshair turned off.

Also a server config entry which could enable to always force servers difficulty level would be needed, as example for PvP as equal settings are quite important:
[code]
forceServerDifficulty = true;
[/code]

This way, if someone would like to play on a higher difficulty like the server dictates, he is able to do so.