Please do not make hardcore cosmetics from previous seasons available again

[Capricorpus]

I've seen multiple posts asking for the old hardcore rewards to be re-released so they can get them.

While I completely understand why people want an opportunity to get cosmetics that they like, the entire selling point of HCL is exclusive cosmetics. Bringing old rewards back just because people want to get exclusive cosmetics that are no longer available removes that exclusivity.

If people are interested in the bloody footprints (which from what I've seen seems to be the most popular request), perhaps you guys could consider releasing a similar cosmetic with a different color/theme (icy footprints? chaos footprints? etc) if you decide to do that 30 day season. That would be a reasonable compromise to make folks who want footprints happy without removing the exclusivity of something that people worked for years ago.

Thanks!

[Hawkwier]

I've seen multiple posts asking for the old hardcore rewards to be re-released so they can get them.

While I completely understand why people want an opportunity to get cosmetics that they like, the entire selling point of HCL is exclusive cosmetics. Bringing old rewards back just because people want to get exclusive cosmetics that are no longer available removes that exclusivity.

If people are interested in the bloody footprints (which from what I've seen seems to be the most popular request), perhaps you guys could consider releasing a similar cosmetic with a different color/theme (icy footprints? chaos footprints? etc) if you decide to do that 30 day season. That would be a reasonable compromise to make folks who want footprints happy without removing the exclusivity of something that people worked for years ago.

Thanks!

As someone with no dog in this fight as have zero intention of ever running anything for something as useless as cosmetics, let alone hardcore, I still take issue with this stance on three points...

1. Some folks may not have been playing when HC1 was released.
2. HC1 excluded everyone who wasn't VIP.
3. Work is work, and it seems irrelevant to me when you put the work in.

If the issue is one of HC being made progressively easier then that's a separate issue. For sure HC1 difficulty can be replicated to earn HC1 rewards.

But blanket denying folks the opportunity to earn a reward, especially over something as innocuous as cosmetics, seems to me the very definition of elitism that can ruin the game for a number of players. Not to mention petty in the extreme.

Why on earth does it matter so to you that someone else can leave a trail of red footprints running around (good for you, who cares?)? It certainly doesn't make any difference to my playing experience one way or the other.

I don't care much either way about the specifics here and can't envisage me having or even wanting bloody footprints, but the attitude behind it, frankly, stinks.

/not signed

[MasterKernel]

Oh, I was waiting for this !
Of course, someone got to have a gravely fear he wouldn't be so elitist anymore and has to start such a thread, lol.
How sweet.


the entire selling point of HCL is exclusive cosmetics
Nope. It was the answer to all the "the game is to easy" complains coming from the 1% for the players. That would make the game harder for them without changing anything for the rest. :-\

PS. They should just put all of the cosmetics into the store and be done with it. :-D

[mikarddo]

I've seen multiple posts asking for the old hardcore rewards to be re-released so they can get them.

While I completely understand why people want an opportunity to get cosmetics that they like, the entire selling point of HCL is exclusive cosmetics. Bringing old rewards back just because people want to get exclusive cosmetics that are no longer available removes that exclusivity.

If people are interested in the bloody footprints (which from what I've seen seems to be the most popular request), perhaps you guys could consider releasing a similar cosmetic with a different color/theme (icy footprints? chaos footprints? etc) if you decide to do that 30 day season. That would be a reasonable compromise to make folks who want footprints happy without removing the exclusivity of something that people worked for years ago.

Thanks!

I fully agree. I really like the bloody footprints which I do not have but I would prefer a new reward that is similar rather than the same. Icy footprints sound good.
That would also give those with the bloody footprints a reason to run for the new reward - so it would be a win-win situation.

[HungarianRhapsody]

I've seen multiple posts asking for the old hardcore rewards to be re-released so they can get them.

While I completely understand why people want an opportunity to get cosmetics that they like, the entire selling point of HCL is exclusive cosmetics. Bringing old rewards back just because people want to get exclusive cosmetics that are no longer available removes that exclusivity.

If people are interested in the bloody footprints (which from what I've seen seems to be the most popular request), perhaps you guys could consider releasing a similar cosmetic with a different color/theme (icy footprints? chaos footprints? etc) if you decide to do that 30 day season. That would be a reasonable compromise to make folks who want footprints happy without removing the exclusivity of something that people worked for years ago.

Thanks!

The entire point of HCL is selling consumables that whales buy for their characters in order to chase the cosmetics.

If SSG can milk the whales some more, then I'm down with that.

[Epicsoul]

the entire selling point of HCL is exclusive cosmetics. Bringing old rewards back just because people want to get exclusive cosmetics that are no longer available removes that exclusivity.

It doesn't remove exclusivity. The cosmetics would still be exclusive to the HCL, and, presumably, the goalposts would stay the same to get the rewards. If the work required to get the same cosmetics was made easier, then that would be unfair.

[deuxanes]

The entire point of HCL is selling consumables that whales buy for their characters in order to chase the cosmetics.

If SSG can milk the whales some more, then I'm down with that.

Playing on the Hardcore Server isn't really that hard. You can have the same feeling on any server with a static group playing according to permadeath rules (or any similar custom ruleset). You don't need to buy consumables for real money. The game provides everything for you. You get consumables (potions, scrolls, wands) with in-game currency at various vendors throughout the game. You get equipment with in-game currency at vendors or the auction house. Finally even the phiarlan house buffs are worth having. Eventually you can get a guild ship and ship buffs for in-game money. The only thing that is really useful is being able to start any quest at any difficulty (i.e. subscription or the elite unlock tokens), so you don't get bored too fast by repeating quests too often.

No need for getting milked like a cow or whale.

Personally I lose interest in a toon when I upgrade it with real money (e.g. tomes, past lives, etc.). If you can buy things with real money there is no purpose for playing. Either I get things in-game by playing or not at all.



But to return to the topic.

I like the cosmetics. If don't see a reason for them being exclusive. Put them in the store so the company can earn some bucks.

[Antheal]

I think exclusivity of fun "flavour" stuff such as cosmetics seems a bit mean, especially when acquiring them in the first place is something not everyone had an opportunity to do.

Why not have them as "timed exclusives" that will become available in the DDO store at a later date, like some other things are?

(On a semi-unrelated note, there are many permanent hirelings that are no longer available to own anymore, I'd like the chance to get some of those, too.)

[voxson5]

I think exclusivity of fun "flavour" stuff such as cosmetics seems a bit mean, especially when acquiring them in the first place is something not everyone had an opportunity to do.

Why not have them as "timed exclusives" that will become available in the DDO store at a later date, like some other things are?

(On a semi-unrelated note, there are many permanent hirelings that are no longer available to own anymore, I'd like the chance to get some of those, too.)

It was a pretty decent challenge to get, with a quarter of a year timeframe, and it should not be cheapened with how much easier it is to get 5k favour these days.

It should serve as a reminder or welcome to other players to participate in HC seasons to get something cool and maybe something better.

If anything, the further seasons should have something new and awesome.

[BillyBlaze]

I agree with the rewards should be earned. Those who earned past rewards should be exclusive to those who earned them.

I think the red reaper pet is really cool and would of loved to have earned the reward. However I did not have the time. Those are the breaks.

I do not think it should come back. HC1 was much harder then HC2 and HC3.

[mikarddo]

I do not think it should come back. HC1 was much harder then HC2 and HC3.

Was HCL1 really that much harder than HC2? Wasnt HCL1 back when Inquisitive and Ratcatcher were yet to be nerfed and at a point in time where lag wasnt all over the place - the way it was during HCL2. I didnt play during HCL1 so its an honest question.

Either way, I dont think they should offer the same rewards - just add in some icy blue footprints and other small variations so its not the same but very similar. That should please most people I would hope.

[BillyBlaze]

Was HCL1 really that much harder than HC2? Wasnt HCL1 back when Inquisitive and Ratcatcher were yet to be nerfed and at a point in time where lag wasnt all over the place - the way it was during HCL2. I didnt play during HCL1 so its an honest question.

Either way, I dont think they should offer the same rewards - just add in some icy blue footprints and other small variations so its not the same but very similar. That should please most people I would hope.

HC1 was much more different because it was brand new and everyone was trying to figure it out. Experience makes things easier. There were more quests added for each league making it so you could skip the harder quests.

[Capricorpus]

As someone with no dog in this fight as have zero intention of ever running anything for something as useless as cosmetics, let alone hardcore, I still take issue with this stance on three points...

1. Some folks may not have been playing when HC1 was released.

Accurate, but not relevant. I don't have a Birthday Parrrty Invitation (or Raider's Reward Boxes, or any number of other things that you could name) on most of my accounts because those accounts weren't around back when they were handed out. I'm not entitled to limited time items just because I want them.


2. HC1 excluded everyone who wasn't VIP.

The VIP experience bonus also excludes anyone who isn't a VIP. Being a paying subscriber sometimes allows you to obtain things that people who are not paying subscribers do not have access to.


3. Work is work, and it seems irrelevant to me when you put the work in.

Totally fair, and if HCL had been advertised as something that was always going to be accessible that would've been fine. My stance is based around it being not super cool to the folks who invested time and money into getting the season one rewards primarily BECAUSE the rewards were advertised as being exclusive, one time things that would never be available again..


If the issue is one of HC being made progressively easier then that's a separate issue. For sure HC1 difficulty can be replicated to earn HC1 rewards.

That's definitely a factor as well. There have been a ton of changes to the game since season one including both balance changes and new quests (borderlands in particular being extremely easy favor to grab).


But blanket denying folks the opportunity to earn a reward, especially over something as innocuous as cosmetics, seems to me the very definition of elitism that can ruin the game for a number of players. Not to mention petty in the extreme.

My opinion is that the opportunity was available to anyone who wanted it during season one. If you didn't buy VIP, you aren't entitled to play on what was (at the time) a VIP-exclusive server and earn VIP exclusive rewards. If you didn't play DDO, you aren't entitled to exclusive rewards once they're no longer available just because you want them.

Thanks for your response!

[Capricorpus]

It doesn't remove exclusivity. The cosmetics would still be exclusive to the HCL, and, presumably, the goalposts would stay the same to get the rewards. If the work required to get the same cosmetics was made easier, then that would be unfair.

I hear what you're saying, but the cosmetics were definitely implied to be (if not outright said to be) leaving forever once the first season was over. I wouldn't care at all if they had made all hardcore cosmetics permanently available as a general rule (or if they started doing that going forward), but I'm not a huge fan of what to me would be walking back on what was originally said.

That time gated exclusivity was the number one reason that I bothered logging on to hardcore in the first place, and I assume I was not alone in that.

[Capricorpus]

Either way, I dont think they should offer the same rewards - just add in some icy blue footprints and other small variations so its not the same but very similar. That should please most people I would hope.

Yup, that would be a great compromise! I think different themed footprints could be really cool and could fill the same niche without making anyone unhappy.

[Capricorpus]

I think exclusivity of fun "flavour" stuff such as cosmetics seems a bit mean, especially when acquiring them in the first place is something not everyone had an opportunity to do.

Why not have them as "timed exclusives" that will become available in the DDO store at a later date, like some other things are?



Timed exclusives would be 100% fine going forward (although that would massively decrease the interest that people would have in grinding for them and would therefore decrease how much money hardcore would generate), but things shouldn't retroactively become timed exclusives after they were described as being genuinely exclusive. That isn't cool.

[Annex]

I have no horse in this race but it really begs interesting philosophical questions regarding the duty of care that game developers owe to players.

On the one hand, Standing Stine Games gains sales through trust. For example, if players trust that DDO will exist five years from now, they have a very strong incentive to invest in the game. With regards the rewards from Hard Core League, if a player trusts that a particular reward will only exist for one season, and the player wants that reward, it creates a very powerful incentive to play Hard Core League for that season and invest money to succeed.

On the other hand, Standing Stone Games gains sales through accessibility. For example, offering an expansion for DDO Points three months after release increases sales because the price falls low enough for miserly players to become interested in the product. In the case of the Hard Core League, some players covet rewards from previous seasons. If the developers make those rewards available a second time, players who missed the first time now have a powerful incentive to play Hard Core League. This generates sales from a completely different group of players than those who participated in the first iteration.

These considerations place an interesting dilemma before sales strategists. Does the company erode the trust of one group of players to earn revenue from another group of players? Does the company earn more money in the long term by preserving trust with first adopters or by instead embracing a strategy of creating initial scarcity, than removing that scarcity for a second round of sales? Would the release of 'very similar' rewards maintain the trust of first adopters while simultaneously drawing in a second chance revenue steam?

It really is an interesting dilemma, both in terms of corporate ethics and sales performance.

[Tobril]

I have the feet and they are a fun flex.

If other people are able to get them from the store or new season I wouldn't mind.

[ironmaiden-br]

I've seen multiple posts asking for the old hardcore rewards to be re-released so they can get them.

While I completely understand why people want an opportunity to get cosmetics that they like, the entire selling point of HCL is exclusive cosmetics. Bringing old rewards back just because people want to get exclusive cosmetics that are no longer available removes that exclusivity.

If people are interested in the bloody footprints (which from what I've seen seems to be the most popular request), perhaps you guys could consider releasing a similar cosmetic with a different color/theme (icy footprints? chaos footprints? etc) if you decide to do that 30 day season. That would be a reasonable compromise to make folks who want footprints happy without removing the exclusivity of something that people worked for years ago.

Thanks!

Agreed they should be exclusive for each event. No chance to buy or earn later

[Coffey]

The HCL rewards were advertised as exclusive so they should remain that way IMO.

[Tobril]

Why on earth does it matter so to you that someone else can leave a trail of red footprints running around (good for you, who cares?)? It certainly doesn't make any difference to my playing experience one way or the other.


I've found these to be unintentionally helpful with regards to guiding other people.

"Hey where did you go?" gets replaced by "Oh you went around the corner".


Also you can draw, um, objects with them :P

[hit_fido]

Since the hardcore "n lives to live" effect seemed to work like a persistent character debuff, SSG could cater to each play style: single life like season 1 or earned lives like season 3. Just let a new character select the debuff when they zone in for the first time, probably from Jeets or a Jeets replacement.

So if you wanted to get bloody footprints, tell Jeets you only want one life. If you're fine playing by Season 3 rules for Season 3 rewards or equivalents, choose that option. Jeets could give you the appropriate debuff. Requires some work by SSG but could resolve the desire for exclusivity of rewards for meeting a specific challenge. It would also keep the hardcore league more accessible which is probably good for SSG as well as a segment of the player base - I enjoyed it but personally I wouldn't seriously play hardcore again without the extra earned lives over the issue of uncontrollable lag, I speculate I'm not the only one.

[boredGamer]

The HCL rewards were advertised as exclusive so they should remain that way IMO.

I tend to agree, it's cool to have something unique. But I also thought we would have many seasons, with many cool unique cosmetics, and clearly the bloody footprints are an outlier. I took an 8 month break around hc1 and all of hc2. Wish I would've gotten those bloody, but respect to those who did.

So I'm in the boat, just release cool new things going forward, knowing they won't be back makes each season that much more desirable. But please release something "footprints like" (I'm thinking fey footprints that leave some vines that grow into butterflies and disappear, for example).

Also, let's have HC4!

[Aneles]

It was a pretty decent challenge to get, with a quarter of a year timeframe, and it should not be cheapened with how much easier it is to get 5k favour these days.

It should serve as a reminder or welcome to other players to participate in HC seasons to get something cool and maybe something better.

If anything, the further seasons should have something new and awesome.


Actually, I have a spreadsheet for hubby and I when we do HC. It is still just as difficult to get 5K favor. You just get to be a tiny bit pickier with the quests/raids you exclude. Borderlands, Feywilds and Keepers do not give a lot of favor, in reality. It gives just enough that they can substitute for ToEE, Chronoscope, etc.

ETA: That said, as for the original post, I agree. Keep it exclusive. We have done all three HCs, so far. We like it for the challenge. However, due to my job, I am limited on my ability to play. I did manage to get lvl 20 in HC3, so I got the head piece and the cloak. And I am proud of my hubby for getting rewards that I do not have, as he has some from each season.

[Coffey]

I tend to agree, it's cool to have something unique. But I also thought we would have many seasons, with many cool unique cosmetics, and clearly the bloody footprints are an outlier. I took an 8 month break around hc1 and all of hc2. Wish I would've gotten those bloody, but respect to those who did.

So I'm in the boat, just release cool new things going forward, knowing they won't be back makes each season that much more desirable. But please release something "footprints like" (I'm thinking fey footprints that leave some vines that grow into butterflies and disappear, for example).

Also, let's have HC4!

I too respect all the players that were able to get the 5K Fav and or Reaper prizes and they should be proud of their accomplishments and their unique prizes from each season. Im not a very competitve person anymore but i like the thrill of HCL and the even playing field it starts on. The game feels well balanced with a new character playing on Elite difficulty with an empty storage using what you find getting really excited about that first useful +4 stat item you find feeling stronger more comfident as you progress and piece it all together. Its fun and it doesnt feel like a grind at all though i only play for maybe 5 hrs at most when i do. Feels great with everybody on the same page thats running with you around you. The server feels Alive!

I havent had the time to play enough to even get close to the prizes yet. Took it for granted this would be an ongoing event with a month break in between. A little advance notice for HC4 starting date would be nice as i was really ready to roll after new year but they put it off. I feel lost without the HCL server. But i guess its just as well because the creeping lag needs to be fixed for good first.

The Bloody Footprints idea was the best prize so far and and definetly the most useful as Tobril describes it :D

I like the fey vine foorprint to butterlies idea sounds pretty wild. Im sure threre are many useful prize ideas that they can come up with as well because I agree that really would be the type of prize worth getting.

[Capricorpus]

...It is still just as difficult to get 5K favor. You just get to be a tiny bit pickier with the quests/raids you exclude. Borderlands, Feywilds and Keepers do not give a lot of favor, in reality. It gives just enough that they can substitute for ToEE, Chronoscope, etc.

This is simply not true. The 3 packs you listed grant a combined total of 594 favor, nearly 12% of 5000. That's without even taking into consideration various other balance changes that would make HC extremely different than it was in 2019.

Even if HC1 were released again exactly as it was the first time in regard to available content and balance you would still be re-releasing ostensibly 'exclusive' cosmetics, which I would not be a fan of.

[Capricorpus]

I tend to agree, it's cool to have something unique. But I also thought we would have many seasons, with many cool unique cosmetics, and clearly the bloody footprints are an outlier. I took an 8 month break around hc1 and all of hc2. Wish I would've gotten those bloody, but respect to those who did.

So I'm in the boat, just release cool new things going forward, knowing they won't be back makes each season that much more desirable...


Strongly agree. They shouldn't release the footprints again, but they should absolutely release equally cool/desirable cosmetics to entice people to play on their money making server.

[cru121]

Totally fair, and if HCL had been advertised as something that was always going to be accessible that would've been fine. My stance is based around it being not super cool to the folks who invested time and money into getting the season one rewards primarily BECAUSE the rewards were advertised as being exclusive, one time things that would never be available again..


Can I see a dev quote on that claim?

[Graskitch]

Totally fair, and if HCL had been advertised as something that was always going to be accessible that would've been fine. My stance is based around it being not super cool to the folks who invested time and money into getting the season one rewards primarily BECAUSE the rewards were advertised as being exclusive, one time things that would never be available again..



Can I see a dev quote on that claim?

Cordovan did a livestream around the hardcore server and I had asked him about whether the hardcore season rewards being 'exclusive' (one-time opportunity rewards never being offered/available again) was similar to the dissatisfaction with the Menace of the Underdark pre-order 'exclusives' (the onyx panther). He said that they were extremely careful in the wording of the hardcore league releases that the rewards were NOT exclusive, and could potentially be offered again.

most hardcore league players assumed that the rewards are exclusive, but that was more an assumption from the mindset going in - that being the challenge and competitive nature of hardcore. I do not think that SSG would be breaking their word by offering the rewards again, although I totally understand hardcore players *wanting* the rewards to be exclusive. It is a really difficult position for SSG to be in to keep everyone happy: they have players that are dissatisfied because they cannot get the rewards, and players that would be dissatisfied because they do not want others to be able to get the rewards because they feel it diminishes the value.

[Capricorpus]

Cordovan did a livestream around the hardcore server and I had asked him about whether the hardcore season rewards being 'exclusive' (one-time opportunity rewards never being offered/available again) was similar to the dissatisfaction with the Menace of the Underdark pre-order 'exclusives' (the onyx panther). He said that they were extremely careful in the wording of the hardcore league releases that the rewards were NOT exclusive, and could potentially be offered again.

most hardcore league players assumed that the rewards are exclusive, but that was more an assumption from the mindset going in - that being the challenge and competitive nature of hardcore. I do not think that SSG would be breaking their word by offering the rewards again, although I totally understand hardcore players *wanting* the rewards to be exclusive. It is a really difficult position for SSG to be in to keep everyone happy: they have players that are dissatisfied because they cannot get the rewards, and players that would be dissatisfied because they do not want others to be able to get the rewards because they feel it diminishes the value.

It's difficult to make a case for either side based on the wording of the event page from season one because that page was changed for subsequent seasons, but the cosmetics were definitely implied to be exclusive to hardcore season one even if it wasn't said outright. I vaguely recall the word 'exclusive' being used, which was interpreted by a lot of players to mean 'exclusive to this hardcore season' as opposed to 'exclusive to hardcore', but whatever SSG intended to communicate, the message that people got seems to have largely been that the cosmetics wouldn't be available once the season was over.

They were described as being part of a limited time event, and if the intention at the time was to potentially make those rewards available again somewhere down the line SSG should've done a better job at communicating that than they did so players could make educated decisions as to whether or not it was worth spending time and money acquiring those items.

SSG has contradicted themselves (or, more charitably, changed their minds) before. I'm less interested in what was literally said than I am in making sure that the spirit of hardcore league, as interpreted by a large group of players, remains intact.

[Satyriasys]

I just want the season 1 reaper cloak, they can remove the skull from it so it doesn't diminish existing ones.

[Oxarhamar]

Cordovan did a livestream around the hardcore server and I had asked him about whether the hardcore season rewards being 'exclusive' (one-time opportunity rewards never being offered/available again) was similar to the dissatisfaction with the Menace of the Underdark pre-order 'exclusives' (the onyx panther). He said that they were extremely careful in the wording of the hardcore league releases that the rewards were NOT exclusive, and could potentially be offered again.

most hardcore league players assumed that the rewards are exclusive, but that was more an assumption from the mindset going in - that being the challenge and competitive nature of hardcore. I do not think that SSG would be breaking their word by offering the rewards again, although I totally understand hardcore players *wanting* the rewards to be exclusive. It is a really difficult position for SSG to be in to keep everyone happy: they have players that are dissatisfied because they cannot get the rewards, and players that would be dissatisfied because they do not want others to be able to get the rewards because they feel it diminishes the value.

Citation

[Graskitch]

Citation

ugh, I have to go back and watch all the ddo weekly livestreams until I find the one where cordovan answered that. I will see if I can find it, but it will take a while.

[Graskitch]

It's difficult to make a case for either side based on the wording of the event page from season one because that page was changed for subsequent seasons, but the cosmetics were definitely implied to be exclusive to hardcore season one even if it wasn't said outright. I vaguely recall the word 'exclusive' being used, which was interpreted by a lot of players to mean 'exclusive to this hardcore season' as opposed to 'exclusive to hardcore', but whatever SSG intended to communicate, the message that people got seems to have largely been that the cosmetics wouldn't be available once the season was over.

They were described as being part of a limited time event, and if the intention at the time was to potentially make those rewards available again somewhere down the line SSG should've done a better job at communicating that than they did so players could make educated decisions as to whether or not it was worth spending time and money acquiring those items.

SSG has contradicted themselves (or, more charitably, changed their minds) before. I'm less interested in what was literally said than I am in making sure that the spirit of hardcore league, as interpreted by a large group of players, remains intact.

this was the wording for the event page for hardcore league season I -- as far as I can tell, there is nothing implied that the rewards would be 'exclusive'

When you say 'the spirit of hardcore league, as interpreted by a large group of players', yes a lot of players interpreted the seasonal rewards that way, but unfortunately, I think it is more that the players WANT it to be interpreted that way - ssg deliberately was not specifying that the rewards were 'exclusive' so that they COULD offer the rewards again (if they wanted).

... that being said, yes, I am more in favor of them NEVER offering the hardcore rewards ever again, nothing similar or re-skinned. on the other hand, if they did run a limited season offering the rewards again, I would not be upset, and would not interpret it as it being a breach/violation of trust.



The Hardcore League is a three-month experience from August 16 through November 15 that tests the skill of players with the ultimate penalty for failure - permadeath!

During the Hardcore League, goals are set for players, and progress is based on two factors, each with their own ladder: One tests the player’s ability to conquer as many quests as possible, and the other tests the player’s ability to survive in the hardest mode ever brought to the game.

Here are the goals and rewards for the Hardcore League:


Reaching a Total Favor of 1750 - Eyes of Darkness cosmetic
Reaching a Total Favor of 5000 - Bloody Footprints cosmetic
Gaining 10 Reaper Enhancement Points - Special Tattered Cloak
Gaining 20 Reaper Enhancement Points - Blood Reaper Pet



A cosmetic prize will be awarded to anyone who can reach Level 20. The top 100 winners of the two ladders will be immortalized in the Hall of Heroes, and any character who reaches at least Level 5 and survives on the server will be recognized in The DDO Chronicle newsletter.

Once you reach a goal, speak to the Hardcore League NPC to collect your reward! The reward will be unlocked for your account, and can be accessed by any of your characters on any of the servers.

When the Hardcore League ends on November 15, players will have a limited time to transfer any character from the Hardcore Server to any of the existing DDO servers of their choice - even characters who have died. These dead characters will miraculously find their way out of the Land of Lost Souls to reenter the world of the living and resume play like a normal character. It is not possible to transfer a character from another world to the Hardcore League.

The Hardcore League Server is a members-only experience available to VIP subscribers and Season Pass holders.



Hardcore League FAQ

Do I need a separate game client to play in the Hardcore League?

No, you can use your regular DDO game client and simply select the "Hardcore" server from the list.

What happens when you die in the Hardcore League?

When you die in the Hardcore League in any way - be it combat, falling, internet outages, playing the last section of The Shroud - your character is immediately taken from the playable area of the game to the Land of Lost Souls, a World between Worlds occupied only by those lost. There is no way to interrupt this process by being raised from the dead, and certain abilities that promise to save you from death will not function (such as Death Pact). When you die, you will lose your spot on the leaderboards for that character, but you will not lose access to any Milestones that you may have earned with that particular character. You will be able to chat, move around, emote, and manage your guild, but beware... there is no escape from death ...

When the Hardcore League completes, you will be able to transfer your character(s) off the Hardcore League server onto one of the existing normal DDO servers and resume playing them.

What is different about the game while playing in the Hardcore League?

When your character dies, they instantly are transported to the Land of Lost Souls. Resurrection abilities / items will not prevent this - you will not create a soul stone nor will you get a chance to walk to resurrection shrines, to use resurrection items, to activate abilities, etc. Dead is dead. ("Incapacitated" however, is NOT dead)

There is a level lockout to prevent characters from running quests too far over level. (Base level +4, or effective level on elite +2)

All Iconic characters start at level 1 instead of level 15, though they must still start the game with their iconic class level. Iconics will still receive their equipment upon reaching level 15

Veteran status is disabled - all veteran status account characters on the Hardcore League server will start at level 1 and go through Korthos like any other level 1 character.

The /death feature will not function on the Hardcore League server.

What are the rewards for participating in the Hardcore League?

There are two kinds of rewards for playing on the Hardcore League server:

Milestones:

For reaching certain personal milestones, you will unlock Bound to Account cosmetics, which will be available to all your characters on your account across all servers. Once you've earned a milestone, you can visit the NPC named "Mortality" to claim your rewards. Milestones are as follows:


Reach 1750 Favor - "Eyes of Darkness" cosmetic
Reach 5000 Favor - "Bloody Footprints" cosmetic
Earn 10 Reaper Points - "Tattered Cloak" cosmetic
Earn 20 Reaper Points - "Blood Reaper" pet
Reach Character Level 20 - Commemorative Hardcore League Cloak cosmetic

Leaderboards:

There are three Leaderboards for bragging rights that will list the top performing characters in the following areas:

Top 100 Characters in: Total Favor

Top 100 Characters in: Reaper XP

All characters who reach at least level 5 and survives will be featured in a special edition of the DDO Chronicle player newsletter at the end of the Hardcore League.

Who can play on the Hardcore League server?

The Hardcore League server is available to all VIPs and Season Pass Holders.

What happens to the items in your Shared Bank when a character dies?

Items that are in your Shared Bank will remain in your Shared Bank, even if the character who stored them is lost. Items on your character will remain on that character even in death. There is no Shared Bank in the Land of Lost Souls, so plan accordingly.

How many characters on one account may participate?

You may make as many or as few characters as you would like, limited by your available character slots for your account. Note that dead characters are not automatically deleted when they die. Because the Leaderboards are character specific, it is even possible for one account to place with characters on more than one Leaderboard, or to achieve more than one rank on a given Leaderboard!

What happens to my characters at the end of the Hardcore League?

At the end of the Hardcore League, we will be offering free Character Transfers to all characters - living or dead. Dead characters will be able to find their way back to the land of the living once they set foot on a non-Hardcore server. Characters will also bring their personal inventory with them, as with a regular character transfer. Note that normal character transfer restrictions apply - shared bank items, guild airships, TR caches, etc will not transfer off the server.

Can you use Hirelings, and if so, what happens if they die?

Hirelings will function as they do on non-Hardcore League servers, and will not be banished from the playable space when they die.

Can you create or join a Guild in the Hardcore League?

Yes, creating and managing a guild functions just as it does on non-Hardcore servers. However, note that Guild Airships and Guild deposits stay on the Hardcore League server and cannot be transferred off.

What happens when a Guild Leader dies?

They will still be able to manage their guild from beyond death. Bureaucracy, it seems, transcends even the mortal coil.

The Shroud kills you, does that count?

Yes, dead is dead. We do not recommend doing this quest.

How can I find out who is currently placing on the Leaderboards?

Speak with the NPC "Mortality", and select "Show me who is in the running against the reapers" from Mortality's available dialogue options. Mortality can be found in several locations including:


The beach near Jeets when you first create a Hardcore League character
Just outside "The Grotto" tutorial quest on Korthos Island
Inside the Eberron Hall of Heroes
Inside the Forgotten Realms Hall of Heroes


I was in the top 100 list, then I died, and now my name is gone. I thought the leaderboard was for most favor / most reaper XP?

Remember, the leaderboards are for the top *living* characters. If you die, you fall off the list.

I made it to level 5 on the Hardcore League server but then I died. Why isn't my name featured in the DDO Chronicle?

Remember, the Chronicle spotlight is for living characters. If you die, you fall off the list.

How can I receive my cosmetic rewards?

Speak with the NPC Mortality and select the milestone that you reached. If you have not yet reached the milestone, Mortality will tell you.

Specific claim details about the cosmetic rewards:

Cosmetic Cloaks Milestones:

The Cosmetic Cloaks will be automatically placed in the inventory of all your characters on your account, and all new characters you make, after you speak with Mortality and claim either of the Cloak milestones

Footprints & Eyes Milestones:

Each character on your account that you'd like to receive these effects must speak with Mortality individually.

Blood Reaper Creature Companion Milestone:

Speak with Mortality and claiming the milestone to get the Creature Companion Certificate. You may additionally speak with Mortality on each server that you'd like to receive a Certificate for that server's Creature Companion stable. Note that the Blood Reaper Creature Companion certificate is not able to be traded.

Will festivals or DDO bonus day events be active on the Hardcore League server?

No festivals or DDO bonus days will be active on the Hardcore League server.

[cru121]

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/507659-Hardcore-League-FAQ

[FengXian]

/signed

I wasn't around for either HC1 nor HC2 but it's nice for some truly exclusive stuff to exist. If they really, really must add them, at least make sure they are reskinned.

They are cosmetic it won't hurt anyone to not have them. But yeah, nowadays games don't really have exclusive stuff anymore and it's lame.