HC3 is my first. So much fun and such a huge disappointment.

[Feralthyrtiaq]

Maybe it would be different without the connectivity issues.

Maybe it would be different if the Cosmetic Horse nearly EVERYONE is chasing was a 20 or 10 Reaper AP reward.

However, maybe 5% or fewer LFM are for anyone doing Reaper content. Nearly impossible to find groups or get people to join groups. The variety of player base interested in Reaper is just not there or out of my level range.

It's frustrating that the HC server is probably 99% made of people doing the 5k slog that I've already done a dozen times or more. Mostly for myself but also for guild mates that wanted a +5 Stat Tome (and I got some purified dragonshards as a tome trade in)

I had really hoped there were more folks doing reaper so didn't end up trying to solo content on R1/R2 from 15-19 and having to Quickened Teleport to portable hole due to lag or a bad reaper/champ draws.

Hardcore apparently means racing for a cosmetic horse whose run speed is the same as an upgraded horse from Borderlands slayers and not actually doing tougher content that is a little out of the "comfort zone".

[vageta311]

Hardcore apparently means racing for a cosmetic horse whose run speed is the same as an upgraded horse from Borderlands slayers and not actually doing tougher content that is a little out of the "comfort zone".

I mean, all of hardcore is about racing for a cosmetic. Whether it be a horse, or a helmet, or a cloak... I'm not sure what you were expecting. You have a 32 point build at most, no past lives, no reaper points and random drop gear. Only experienced players with a deep knowledge of the game are running reaper, and probably with a regular play group with other experienced players. Running reaper with a random group is dangerous if you don't know their capabilities. This isn't a problem with hardcore, it's a problem with players jumping into reaper unprepared and relying on others. If you die enough times to others ineptitude you're probably gonna steer clear of reaper groups.

[Coffey]

A lot of people run reaper at level 30 after farming gearset because the rexp is higher payout in Epics.

[Hafeal]

Maybe it would be different without the connectivity issues ...

However, maybe 5% or fewer LFM are for anyone doing Reaper content. Nearly impossible to find groups or get people to join groups. The variety of player base interested in Reaper is just not there or out of my level range.

I had really hoped there were more folks doing reaper so didn't end up trying to solo content on R1/R2 from 15-19 and having to Quickened Teleport to portable hole due to lag or a bad reaper/champ draws.

I believe you have answered your own disappointment.


Especially since no one is as good as you. :p


... doing the 5k slog that I've already done a dozen times or more.

[AlmGhandi]

Hardcore apparently means racing for a cosmetic horse whose run speed is the same as an upgraded horse from Borderlands slayers and not actually doing tougher content that is a little out of the "comfort zone".

It's a free horse for every character on your account on every server... theoretically forever.
So for those of us with more alts than sense... it is a worthwhile goal. Farming Borderlands horses got pretty old pretty quickly....

[voxson5]

It's a free horse for every character on your account on every server... theoretically forever.
So for those of us with more alts than sense... it is a worthwhile goal. Farming Borderlands horses got pretty old pretty quickly....

This is the real reason to aim for 5k

[kanordog]

on R1/R2 from 15-19 and having to Quickened Teleport to portable hole due to lag or a bad reaper/champ draws.




I would surely not group with someone who has quickened teleport to leave me in a mess and make me waste all the effort&hours I put into a toon to get to level 15-19 on HC.

Thank You.

[Annex]

It was fun for 5 levels but the reward structure is terrible.

The Lord of the Rings Online recently added a new festival. In about an hour I can earn a new horse. There are four to earn. I can earn new dresses, new items for my house, and unlock new emotes, all by sleep walking through a few trivial ride and click quests each day.

DDO requires me to play about two hundred hours to earn a new horse, with all my effort erased if one thing goes wrong. The 'Angelic' horse is black. *baffled*

I am happy for those of you who enjoy such things. Truly. My time is better spent elsewhere.

[Dark_Lord_Mary]

Most people who go after R rewards do it in Legendary content due to the 1st time bonus. There are some static groups who run lowbies, but they are likely ones that have TR'd due to deaths in Legendaries. And there are some players who only run R, it just takes patience.

[Razor_Wit]

It's a free horse for every character on your account on every server... theoretically forever.
So for those of us with more alts than sense... it is a worthwhile goal. Farming Borderlands horses got pretty old pretty quickly....

Can achieve the same thing instantly by buying the bonus items from KotBL from the store.
If you weigh the cost v.s. time to farm them out in HC- the choice is an easy one for me.

[knightindullarmor]

I never viewed hardcore the way you do. For me, it is a challenge. A way to run the same quests and have a totally different experience. I get bored with games that dont have a hardcore mode - anyone can slog their way to level cap while dying hundreds of times. Hardcore let's me test myself. Since nobody has the PLs, packmule alts with bags full of named items and raid gear, etc... all of the 'meta' builds aren't an option or have to be modified to account for lack of gear and dozens of Past Life bonuses.

I find the unique challenge of devising a build and an overall strategy to handle hardcore mode makes DDO interesting again. Sure, bragging rights are nice, and nobody can argue that you are noob if you are toting a Death Walker cloak or riding a celestial steed. However, every time that I log in and see my character in her Acharon helm and Deathwalker sash, it makes me not feel so bad that my 'main' only has a half-dozen PLs and is 'gimped' compared to most players with 30+ PLs.

[Ralmeth]

I haven’t played DDO since the first Hardcore season. As a challenge to myself I wanted to level to 20 while only playing quests on elite, at level (not 2 over). It was a blast, and for me anyways, a perfect mix of difficulty vs. fun. I had a lot of heart pumping close calls. With no past lives, no twink gear, no silly Reaper stuff, and a real fear of death, it seemed to me that this is the optimal difficulty level for DDO.

[FengXian]

I would surely not group with someone who has quickened teleport to leave me in a mess and make me waste all the effort&hours I put into a toon to get to level 15-19 on HC.

Thank You.

He did say he used it while soloing. But yes, I don't understand OP's complaint.

1) People farm rxp at 30, or generally in epics.

2) You may be bored of 5k favor runs but for me running every quest on Heroic was a blast, and nostalgic too. Great way to revive older/less popular content, I would never do it for just a +5 tome but on HC, with easy to find groups, was the best.

[Jacoby]

I mean, all of hardcore is about racing for a cosmetic. Whether it be a horse, or a helmet, or a cloak... I'm not sure what you were expecting. You have a 32 point build at most, no past lives, no reaper points and random drop gear. Only experienced players with a deep knowledge of the game are running reaper, and probably with a regular play group with other experienced players. Running reaper with a random group is dangerous if you don't know their capabilities. This isn't a problem with hardcore, it's a problem with players jumping into reaper unprepared and relying on others. If you die enough times to others ineptitude you're probably gonna steer clear of reaper groups.

It's all good till level 10, then it becomes a game of luck. If a Reaper spawns on top of you, you can be dead in a second.

[duey]

"so much fun and such a huge disappointment". The primary point of playing a game is for fun. Check that box. Being 'hugely' disappointed is relative to your expectations. Most that have replied to your post have identified reasons you may feel that way as well as how you are missing the point of the HC. You entered S3, I wonder how your opinion would change if you had entered s1-2, with1 life only.

You can't take away anything material from the gaming experience-everything you earn from hours of game play is digital and has no value in RL, except entertainment and memories from playing. And hence your time playing has no value beyond entertainment.

HC is a pseudo amalgam of PNP and MMORPG experience, The fact you can die and that characters life is done, encourages you to 'care' about your build, tactics and party, a bit like pnp.

I believe most, but not all, play HC for the fun and experience, the more dynamic and supportive interplay of characters in the party, with survival the primary objective. Some do play for bragging rights but with bleh leader board acknowledgment as a reward, I think most play for the fun and excitement and that there are consequences to decision making.

You could buffer your disappointment if you focused more on the 'fun' part of your comment.

Grinding is the death of all mmo's, I only play hardcore now.

To the next Coffee!

ps-I don't expect s4 until late Dec or early Jan, 3 seasons a year an all...

[Feralthyrtiaq]

HC3 was fun. The challenge was fun. Finding uses for gear I would not even think twice about vendoring was fun. The guild I was in was helpful and fun.

Maybe I was unclear in my original post. I was NOT disappointed in HC play.

I was disappointed in the very small number of players doing Reaper content.

I was disappointed that HC play for most people was doing elite.

One of the points for HC was to encourage grouping. The low number of players interested in reaper spread out across many character levels made grouping sparse and sad.

My disappointment was with the community of players. Not the HC server gameplay.

If anyone felt angered by my original post or felt the need to lecture me about anything then YOU are probably part of the disappointment...

[fatherpirate]

do keep in mind that a sizable section of HCL are F2P

They will run in generally 2 ways

Look for groups so they can do reapers or elite
or
runs on normal to get cloak at level 20 then Reincarnate and shoot for favor awards.

[Oxarhamar]

do keep in mind that a sizable section of HCL are F2P

They will run in generally 2 ways

Look for groups so they can do reapers or elite
or
runs on normal to get cloak at level 20 then Reincarnate and shoot for favor awards.

Or not that way you think they will

Every player does not play in the way in which you imagine

There's absolutely no need to TR for favor awards only reason to TR is for more Reaper

[Oxarhamar]

HC3 was fun. The challenge was fun. Finding uses for gear I would not even think twice about vendoring was fun. The guild I was in was helpful and fun.

Maybe I was unclear in my original post. I was NOT disappointed in HC play.

I was disappointed in the very small number of players doing Reaper content.

I was disappointed that HC play for most people was doing elite.

One of the points for HC was to encourage grouping. The low number of players interested in reaper spread out across many character levels made grouping sparse and sad.

My disappointment was with the community of players. Not the HC server gameplay.

If anyone felt angered by my original post or felt the need to lecture me about anything then YOU are probably part of the disappointment...

HCL was originally intended to boost VIP subscribers hense the lockout

My suggestion is find a static group of players who share play schedule and are interested in playing Reapers before the season starts.