Day one in Hardcore, are deaths down?

[Marshal_Lannes]

Last season (my first HC), it seemed on Day one there were constant obituaries going across the screen. The number of deaths felt much lower today. I wonder if players are getting better and/or are more prepared? A few danger zones I noticed:

The Arcane Skeleton in Redemption reaps a lot of characters. Maybe let sleeping mages lie.

If you're a low DPS build don't feed the bears in the Borderlands.

The poison trap in Sunken Sewer is toxic for low HP characters. Probably should put a billboard advertising Warforged/Bladeforged in this area.

Kobald still hate you and those shamans have lightning bolts that will end your session.

As for me, I knew my build was going to start slow, and it has. DPS is terrible but survivability is elite. Luckily you're in full groups and there is always one THF Paladin, sonic blast Bard, or Inquisitive doing most of the killing. My DPS takes off around level 7-8. I'm at 5 so getting there, until then I look like the most gimp barbarian ever with my pointy dagger.

Another tip, I've made a decent amount of cash taking every Mastercraft reward option and putting it on the AH for 1000 buyout. They all sell. Don't be greedy and you can quickly build up a plat reserve.

[voxson5]

The number of deaths felt much lower today. I wonder if players are getting better and/or are more prepared?

Player's have been SIGNIFICANTLY buffed since HC1, and apart from permadeath there is nothing special going on and (currently) no surprises.

HC is normally fun... but this one feels a bit stale and past it's used by date.

[Memnir]

I think this iteration of HC is mostly folks who've run it before and know the rhythm of it. Less deaths to carelessness or being used to the status-quo of life on home servers.

My running theory, anyways.

[rabidfox]

HC4 had a lot of stuff added that killed people off. This being a rehash of HC1 makes it a much easier to survive season; people will still die a bunch and 5k will be a challenge but it'll feel easier than the prior round.

[magaiti]

There's no mimics in Korthos this season

[cru121]

Some death messages that I saw:

Jfk was killed by Leeharvey.
Freefall (or something like that) was killed by falling damage.

As long as people are having fun...

[marinersfan]

After playing the last 2 seasons - 2 characters to 5k favor and another to level 20 with 0 deaths, I got smoked by the fire beetles in the gnoll caves quest in the borderlands last night (on elite).

Everyone was waiting at the end fight room while I was grabbing the ring and lucky bone. Someone's arty-dog went rogue and opened the door to the beetles as I was running past to join the rest of the team. About 10 beetles all aggroed on me at once, not sure how many fireballs would have landed, but all it took was 2 shots to kill me (about 60 hp per hit, was a level 2bard/1rogue). Nobody admitted to telling their pet to open that door, so be careful in there if you do have a pet - might unleash a deadly hoard on your teammates.

RE death messages, I think anything under level 4 doesn't get any attention. Maybe the death messages will speed up today (at least I wasn't seeing any death messages from korthos or borderlands last night).

[Logicman69]

After playing the last 2 seasons - 2 characters to 5k favor and another to level 20 with 0 deaths, I got smoked by the fire beetles in the gnoll caves quest in the borderlands last night (on elite).

Everyone was waiting at the end fight room while I was grabbing the ring and lucky bone. Someone's arty-dog went rogue and opened the door to the beetles as I was running past to join the rest of the team. About 10 beetles all aggroed on me at once, not sure how many fireballs would have landed, but all it took was 2 shots to kill me (about 60 hp per hit, was a level 2bard/1rogue). Nobody admitted to telling their pet to open that door, so be careful in there if you do have a pet - might unleash a deadly hoard on your teammates.

RE death messages, I think anything under level 4 doesn't get any attention. Maybe the death messages will speed up today (at least I wasn't seeing any death messages from korthos or borderlands last night).

Oh man.. I think I saw that death last night. My guildmates got a good chuckle out of it as we died last season to that room (avoid at all costs).

This season is definitely easier as there are no mimics to pop up or super champions that will insta-kill you. So deaths are definitely down.

[brian14]

Last Hardcore Season had mimics, and no warning of mimics. So on day 1, people were dying in droves when opening chests. By the day 2 everyone figured it out.

This year there are no mimics. Which I think is unfortunate. I liked them.

[fatherpirate]

no mimics, but they did release the Champion level lag spikes.

[marinersfan]

Oh man.. I think I saw that death last night. My guildmates got a good chuckle out of it as we died last season to that room (avoid at all costs).

If the death was Pseudopod....that was me. If you did see it, my theory that low level characters aren't popping up as messages is debunked and I'm just in the unfortunate minority this time around. I had no intention of opening the door, but saw the arty dog running away from the door just as I was passing it and knew I was toast. It stinks...really busy in real life with work and kids and I made my wife a deal: I get 1 character this season, can play (within reason) as much as I can (I guess I was overconfident making this deal after the past few seasons). 90 minutes later..she comes out ahead on this deal lol.

At least my goal this season was to get my expansion purchases goodies :O

Also, agree with others - the mimics were super fun

[Phoenicis]

My theory is that people have gotten the hang of starting in HC, and avoid the things most likely to cause death at low levels.

I got whacked last night in the Borderlands wilderness while farming feather tokens. Got tripped by a wolf then killed in about three seconds as full spawns of blights and wolves ripped me a new one.

I was level 4.

Overconfidence for the loss. *nods

[Marshal_Lannes]

Overconfidence is a prime killer. In a Tangleroot group, our group leader went off to do one of the open crystal levers alone, got tripped by a champion wolf, and died.

Another big killer I've seen the last couple of days is the Mephits from Fire Caves - almost always on a character that is under level for being there.

Quest meta-knowledge is a huge advantage. Probably more significant than any build strategy.