Hardcore Seasonal Patterns?

[Qadashael]

Season 6 is my favorite so far - discovering how the hounds work and adapting builds has been awesome, and I haven't really had much time to pull myself out of game to play. But I also realize not everyone feels this way, as can be seen here on the forums. And perhaps SSG has had some foresight and catered to everyone - by alternating their intended audience based on even or odd seasons:

Season 1: HCL launches and defines a standard ruleset
Season 2: Devils introduce new champion affixes for people to learn. It was designed to be MORE challenging with new meechanics.
Season 3: Extra Lives. I skipped this season mostly, but it was catered to those who liked the idea of permadeath but wanted some death protection.
Season 4: Mimics enabled. Players had to adapt with acid potions, but it wrecked a lot of players at low levels. Many groups avoided chests, or spread out in a defensive formation while someone looted and tumbeld backwards away to save themselves. It was awesome, but geared towards those wanting more difficulty and something to discover again.
Season 5: A repeat of season 1. The rules were known, the most celebrated reward so far (bloody footprints) was on the table again for those that had asked here on the forums for it often. I'm of the opinion that the season rewards earned should be an option on completion - let people get whatever they want for 5k, it's still an accomplishment every season. Especially so now that you can't pike an alt for favor gains easily. But to each their own.
Season 6: Houndoom. But more murderous than the pokemon.

So....is it a pattern? Do you think it would be fair, given the split on the forums, to continue to cater to each preference once a year?

[dogsoldier]

I have just played seasons 3, 4, and now 6. People often comment that season 3 was easiest due to the extra lives, but there was a huge amount of lag that season. Season 6 Hounds do make it the toughest, sure, especially when they bug, but lag is almost nonexistent by comparison to season 3. Season 4 the mimics were absolutely deadly fresh off the boat in Korthos, but once you had an acid absorption and resistance item, they were almost a non factor. I got 5k favor in both season 3 and 4, season 4 was probably 10x easier to achieve, lag was there, but it was not oppressively constant. I am of the opinion that they added extra lives season 3 specifically because they knew how bad lag was going into it.

Up to this point in season 6, I have not thought it was possible for me to get much in the way of rewards, but then I am not that interested in them anyway. I just want another solid mule, but even that is going to be a challenge as level 11+ wilderness zones, and level 9 quests on Elite (VON3/4) get Tier 3 Doom Reaper hounds. I will have to try some things after the patch to see how things look.

It is a pretty safe bet that season 7 will be easier than season 6, so your pattern will likely continue.

[rish]

- let people get whatever they want for 5k, it's still an accomplishment every season. Especially so now that you can't pike an alt for favor gains easily. But to each their own.

Yes...options on rewards would be awesome...

[knightindullarmor]

There is one additional pattern. Shorter HC seasons with longer wait times between seasons.

I enjoy the HC seasons so much that I rarely play on the regular servers unless I am trying out a new build or testing out a new game mechanic that I am considering for the next HC season.

I know the 'whales' (and I don't mean those who spend a lot of money, but those who have a ton on time invested and have a dozen or more PLs) hate HC league because it takes away from their playerbase and endless cycle of running end-game raids over and over.

But a good number of the DDO players that I talk to only come around for the HC seasons and don't play much at all between seasons.

HC started with a 3 month season and 3 or 4 months with no HC. Now we are at 7 to 8 week seasons with 6 or 7 months with no HC. If this pattern continues, HC season 10 will be 3 weeks with a year wait until season 11.

[C-Dog]

So....is it a pattern?

Yes and no.

People see a "pattern" in flips of a coin. If you get heads 4 times in a row, is that "a pattern"?

Humans see clear images of in clouds - that's "pattern recognition". It's one of several survival traits humans evolved that make us a successful species. It's why we know not to put our hand on a hot stove, why we know to vote for one political party over another, and why we know black cats are bad luck.

(Okay, it has its down side. )