Sad to notice it but it looks like HCL is more a problem than a good idea for SSG

[drathdragon]

I wouldn't write this but i felt like i must.

I noticed that devs are unwilling to talk about hardcoreleague:
no informations, no details on launch, no ideas to renew it, rewards are just ''a work to be done'' and
(most important clue) is not properly sponsorized.

Today is the launch of season 6 of hard core league in DDO and there is not even the advice in the
launcher.

I think that HCL with time is becoming more a problem than a good idea for devs..
probably they already regret the whole plan of having such formula.

Now, please convince me that i am wrong.

[Jynxxx]

https://twitter.com/DDOUnlimited/sta...62001436467202

https://forums.ddo.com/forums/showth...=1#post6528799

Still in the launcher

Now through July 21st!
Season 6 of the Hardcore League begins on July 27th!
Wed, 13 Jul 2022 18:28:24 +0000
Read more about our next Hardcore season on DDO.com! The season will run through October 23rd.

[mikarddo]

Such nonsense

[Kayze]

I wouldn't write this but i felt like i must.

I noticed that devs are unwilling to talk about hardcoreleague:
no informations, no details on launch, no ideas to renew it, rewards are just ''a work to be done'' and
(most important clue) is not properly sponsorized.

Not sure what you want. There's already a thread with rewards and pictures. It's advertised on their twitter. It's on their launcher. They are keeping any new mechanics under wraps and that is their prerogative. The main website will probably be updated once HCL 6 begins after maintenance July 27th like it has in previous seasons.

Sponsorized is not even an English word.

Today is the launch of season 6 of hard core league in DDO and there is not even the advice in the
launcher.

What kind of advice do you want? Stay calm and don't die?

I think that HCL with time is becoming more a problem than a good idea for devs..
probably they already regret the whole plan of having such formula.

If hardcore was not lucrative and was not worth the developer time, then HCL6 would not be running.

Now, please convince me that i am wrong.

If you do not want to participate in HCL6, no one is forcing you.

[drathdragon]

Such nonsense

why ?

explain better your thought.

maybe the word ''sponsorized'' is not the perfect word to use but you know what i mean.

i mean that if you have an interesting event in DDO why you don't use trumphets and banners to say
''hey there is a big event starting soon in DDO, why you don't give a try ''

that's the basic in marketing and i know that SSG is good in that, but no
actually there is nothing like that around.

I guess that SSG is already done with DDO population, they don't need more people.
But it's weirdly against any marketing basic rules: more people = more money.

I still don't understand, how i still get surprised of how white knights immediately come to
defend anything even against the most simple and innocent doubt.

[drathdragon]

Still in the launcher

Now through July 21st!
Season 6 of the Hardcore League begins on July 27th!
Wed, 13 Jul 2022 18:28:24 +0000
Read more about our next Hardcore season on DDO.com! The season will run through October 23rd.

i am sorry but i don't see anything like that in the launcher.

[Kayze]

i am sorry but i don't see anything like that in the launcher.

Scroll down?

[mikarddo]

why ?

explain better your thought..

You completely ignore the info on the forum, on the Web site, on Twitter, on the launcher, yet expect to be taken seriously? Nah.

[LittleLexi]

I actually think the OP has a semblance of a point here.

They delayed posting the rewards, at the very least, for too long. Mechanics can be a surprise – that's fine. But the rewards should be up 2 weeks prior to the event start(for the sake of hype, and so people can decide if they're in or out; thus beginning to plan builds/form groups). And the haphazard pictures taken of them do lean into the idea that they aren't treating it with much care.

Those wings are awesome. Do them justice and take a glorious picture in the Feywild!

It's one thing to have pictures on plain backgrounds for us regs to see them in clarity. But there should be a picturesque, banner-worthy, game coverage-worthy image of those rewards as well. Again– for the hype. But also for any possible onlookers who don't play DDO on the regular, and for gaming journalism sites. DDO does have some representation in that realm. It could have more with better marketing and better event promotion

I also think Hardcore is rather profitable for them. Long may that continue, provided it remains fair and accessible for all.

[Sylvado]

Sponsorized is not even an English word.

You may take issue with the claim in the OP, as I do, but don't assume everyone posting here has english as a first language.

[fatherpirate]

OP- You don't like HCL - fine, cool.
anything else?

My advice is not to play it.
Unlike a lot of mechanics in DDO HCL is one you can
totally skip. Just hop back on to your regular server
and have fun.

bye

[Cordovan]

In general we prefer to keep things like the rewards and secrets of the season under wraps until launch.

[ekaterina]

Makes sense - post things in advance and, people being people, you get many "that sucks" or "same old same old" posts and people are discouraged from trying it.

Leave us guessing and people being people there will be hope. After we have created characters and spent some time inertia will keep many of us there. Alternatively some of those who leave will have already used the store for their new characters.

[Aelonwy]

In general we prefer to keep things like the *snip* secrets of the season under wraps until launch.

That makes sense.

In general we prefer to keep things like the rewards *snip* of the season under wraps until launch.

But that's just nonsensical... unless... you wait till the last minute to have them ready and/or you aren't sure they are going to be good enough to attract people.

The guy had a point, REWARDS should be the hype, the secret mechanics of the season are the mystery.

[drathdragon]

In general we prefer to keep things like the rewards and secrets of the season under wraps until launch.

first of all: sorry for ''the brutality'' of my post, i realized only later that the tone is a bit annoying.

then i would like to tell to everybody that I LIKE HardCoreLeague and i want to play it.

At the same time i am sad because it seems to me a little understimated as event and i would like to see it bigger and more
rich as rewards.

Beg pardon if someone felt offended by my enquiring.

[knightindullarmor]

OP- You don't like HCL - fine, cool.
anything else?

My advice is not to play it.
Unlike a lot of mechanics in DDO HCL is one you can
totally skip. Just hop back on to your regular server
and have fun.

bye

DDO is almost impossible to play and have fun with if you are not a long-time player with a lot of spare time on your hands.

Nobody wants to group with the 1st lifer, or even the character with 2 or 3 past lives which is still too new to keep up with the average group running content at the difficulty that the 'average' DDO player plays at (groups running endgame LV30 + content in Reaper modes). A dozen PLs with their bonuses along with the resources and gear gained from playing those PLs makes your average character on a static server three times as effective and survivable than a 1st lifer.

HC allows those of us with jobs/family/etc... to enjoy our game for a couple months without going through a divorce. HC season ends before the wife walks out because of me spending 3 hours a day playing a video game. But since everyone starts at level 1 with no past lives, all of a sudden it is possible to find groups to run the content with. If you want to try your hand at crafting, people will share materials or they will be available for reasonable prices. Nothing like trying to buy some Glass Phials or Amber Vials on a static server and there is one person selling them for $50k each. To a newer or casual player, spending 3,000,000 plat on mats to make one item is not a viable option.

The power-creep in DDO is real and after 15 years of it, it makes newer and casual players not want to play the game. I only play during HC season unless I am trying out a build pre-season on a static server but running with HC rules so that I can try out any new content or new build or changes to enhancement trees, etc...

For all those reasons - "just hop back on the regular server and have fun" is about impossible for casual players like me. **** advice from someone that likely has a dozen or dozens of PLs.

[ekaterina]

"DDO is almost impossible to play and have fun with if you are not a long-time player with a lot of spare time on your hands."

Not entirely true - one can do quite well with a static group or with friends or family or guildmates that play the same way and don't worry too much about only playing with 50 life groupmates racing through the dungeons at warp speed.

Not entirely true - but mostly true.

Few things are as popular in a MMO as a new server - especially a progression server. Everyone starting over together is enormously appealing to jaded MMO veterans.

I would say one weakness of DDO is that it does not have such things the way LOTRO, for example, does. But given the state of the current servers and all the complaining about how even a three month HCL guts them - I can understand why it doesn't. Plus DDO pushes the accursed store more aggressively than most MMOs and two seasons a year gives more incentive to buy than one new server every few years.

[Jerevth]

But only six people haven't played HCL before. (Kidding, only kidding)

But, in truth- HCL kind of self-hypes. We have a forumite who posts along the lines of "I hate HC, skip it!" then turns around and starts posting threads of "When is the next Hard Core?"
Others post questions, ask advice and ideas and get greeted with quite a bit; people are falling over themselves to be helpful in the lead-up to this one.

The Wings look great but: a) they are likely a reward that is unobtainable to me (5k favor or Reaper 10?) and b) while it would be hilarious... I don't want to play a dwarb with fairy wings... (However... a Bladeforged with wings- that's an intriguing thought).

Oh, and, building a counter argument by pointing at someone's spelling? I struggle with a second language- the people who are fluent in their mother language AND English are worthy of respect, whether they spell something perfectly or no. Most English speakers seem to struggle with spelling in English so... 50 points deducted from Slytherin.

[Aelonwy]

But, in truth- HCL kind of self-hypes.

Yes and No. I have selectively joined some hardcore seasons because the rewards truly appealed to me, Celestial one because I play a cleric and a paladin, Mimic one because of my GOO warlock, I skipped the demon one because there was nothing about a dretch pet and a spine hanging off my shoulder that appealed to me or any of my characters.

[fatherpirate]

The real crutch of the matter is this,
there are 3 types of players

HATE - HCL
Neutral - HCL
LOVE - HCL

The love-HCL group generally would like the HCL to be active often if not always.
The hate-HCL group would like HCL to be active never.

The biggest fear the hate-HCL has is that there will be a perm HCL server
and those players will never come back to their server.
It is a selfish fear of abandonment.

I personally refuse to be anyone else's 'content'.
I also have very little sympathy for folks that have the idea that other
players are 'obligated' to fill their raid groups.
This attitude of mine has often earned a great deal
of animosity. So be it.

As long as the majority of vet players maintain the elitist atmosphere
on regular servers, they will always be a retention issue.

Why spend your time and money playing a game where
other players treat you like trash?

Most of the population issues in DDO are the established player bases
own fault.

off my soap box