Hardcore mode is now LIVE!

[Sodaboy]

You can now create a "Hardcore" account through the web page at http://ephinea.pioneer2.net to play PSO with.

The Hardcore experience differs from the Normal experience in the following ways. Hardcore players:

- Have 2x experience bonus at all times.
- Have 2x rare enemy rate bonus at all times. This was removed in 2017 to allow hardcore players to play with normal mode players. Previously, there was a 'Hardcore' game type for parties which prevented Normal Mode accounts from joining. This restricted party hosting options for Hardcore players and was thus removed.
- Have a 30% increase in rare item drop rate applied on top of the normal bonuses.
- Can play with Normal players in Normal games, but not vice versa (Normal players joining Hardcore games). Hardcore players can now always join Normal parties, and Normal players can always join Hardcore parties. This change occurred in 2017 and was the cause for removing the rare enemy bonus.
- Cannot be in teams with Normal players (but can create their own for Hardcore players).
- When they die, outside of Challenge and Battle modes, they are dead permanently and the character is instantly deleted, unless they have a Scape Doll on hand. (Moon Atomizers and Reverser won't save you.)

Enjoy.

EDIT: Updated on June 6th, 2021 to indicate the rare enemy rate bonus was removed in 2017 due to removal of the hardcore game type.

 

[Nyte]

This looks awesome. If i tried this I'd play much much more carefully. The bonus xp would offset that. Great idea!

 

[CTB]

Does that mean Shambertin is offlimits for hardcore accounts?

Interesting idea, dunno if I'll try it now but I will eventually.

 

[Natural]

If you die early, you will bring shame upon your family.

 

[Sodaboy]

Hardcode mode has had it's rare item find boost changed from 15% to 30%.

 

[Xcross]

Can a hard mode character share your account bank with your other characters?

If so, the choice of wanting to stack your hm character at the risk of losing all the cool things if they die.

Edit: Nevermind just realized that it is a hard mode account, not character.

 

[Mad]

Can I recognize Hardcore players somehow? Is their name in a different color? (but I guess this would not work nicely in combination with the Luck color change)

 

[Sodaboy]

They have a different colored name, it's reddish. You can totally distinguish it from the other players.

 

[Natural]

What if they die in cmode will the account get deleted? Or just in normal gameplay.

 

[Sodaboy]

Just Normal Gameplay. Challenge and Battle modes won't delete them.

 

[Sodaboy]

Does that mean Shambertin is offlimits for hardcore accounts?

Interesting idea, dunno if I'll try it now but I will eventually.

You bring up a good point. I will code an exception for POD to allow parties that exist completely of Hardcore characters to play it, provided they meet a certain level requirement on each difficulty.

 

[cojp]

Is there some kind of denotation on who is a hardcore player? Like, is there name a different color or something?

 

[Matt]

No, there isn't.

It's a good job Sodaboy didn't answer this a few posts up.

EDIT: When making a room as a hardcore character, the drop rate displayed is the one that the dynamic drop rate will give you. I'm going to assume this is just a visual error, and the bonus drop rate for H is still applied.

 

[Sodaboy]

Matt, it's not an error. Type /partyinfo. The DDR doesn't change, only the rare modifier.

Rare modifier is only shown with that command and not when joining a game or creating one.

 

[Matt]

Ah right, I see now.

Also for anyone wondering, this is what it looks like when you die (instant no. 100 error):

 

[Sodaboy]

Also, if you're over level 20, your death is announced server wide

 

[NYT Raven]

HC account created! My only question... WHOS COMING WITH ME?.....jan!?

 

[Ps0master]

Too bad you can't share the items with your other characters..

 

[Dumdedoo]

Sooooooo what happens if I create a hardcore character an do a run with some random non hardcores. Face Olga Flowen, He goes Orange on me and the randoms will do what any randoms do. and slash him ignoring that only 1 attribute actually hurts him and all the rest hurts me the hardcore player. I of course can't out resta the dmg they are inflicting. And die to get deleted.

 

[cojp]

Too bad you can't share the items with your other characters..

I suspect it's because of the increased rare drop rate. If you could share, you could strap on a level 200 mag, use mats, and stack scape dolls to hunt rares for your 'normal' character.