Ultra Hardcore Mode (UDNB)

spaceBORT

spaceBORT

Member
Hello all,

Me and a couple brave souls tried running a bit of a variant on Hardcore Mode. I am making this thread to raise some interest in a challenging--and somewhat fatalistic--way to play PSO.

"Ultra Hardcore," "Ironman," "Deathcore," "UDNB Mode" or whatever else you want to call it means:
  • Hardcore mode
  • No Scape Dolls allowed
  • No Alt+Backspace or otherwise quitting the game to avoid death
  • No gear from non-UDBN players
  • No boosting
  • No AFK Mag feeding
  • Victory or Death!

One life, one death. Kill or be killed. Live on as a legend or die in a blaze of glory. Just make sure your last words come correct.

Try Ultra Hardcore today.

***

A couple rules I was wondering would be fun to implement or not:
  • No piping during a clear (a la Challenge Mode)
  • No buying gear or items, only use what you find in dungeon

Interested to hear some feedback on whether this seems fun at all. It's more like Diablo HC or most other hardcore game modes where one death is actually permanent.
 
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My 2 cents:

Given that piping exists within the game universe, I think no restrictions should exist there. Telepipes are a technology that exists on Pioneer 2 and hunters routinely use. This technology may be abusable, but a real-ass hunter on real-ass Pioneer 2 would sure as hell abuse it if it meant saving their own life, and you can count on that. The honor of having never telepiped means nothing to a dead hunter, from the perspective of a dead hunter.

I don't play Hardcore modes, generally, so take that input for what you will.
 
I do actually like the reasoning behind that. A skilled hunter would after all use every tool at their disposal. The no-piping rule is probably a bit too restrictive, I agree. Same with the no shop rule, for the same reason.
 
Another idea: item rulesets for each map. For example, start with 3x Monomates 3x Monofluids for Forest. Different for Caves and so on.

A possible rule about progression: once you clear an area (e.g. Forest -> Dragon), you must move on to the next area and may not go back to Forest. Move to the next once a level is cleared. Hard Mode is unlocked after Falz kill, and so on.
 
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EPISODE 1 PROGRESSION:

Goblin "the Muad'Dib, Electromagnetic, the Unstoppable," FOnewm: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le (SOLO), Mines1, Mines2, Vol Opt (SOLO), Ruins1, Ruins2, Ruins3, Dark Falz (SOLO)


Vesper, HUnewearl: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le
Cardinal S, FOmarl: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le
Gus, FOnewm: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le

Maybelle, HUnewearl: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le
Ashland, FOmar: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le
Tomi Phan, HUcaseal: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le
lad, HUmar: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le

Ceciland, HUcast: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le
Carolina, RAcaseal: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le
lolnotmila, FOmarl: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2, Caves3, Del Rol Le

MKNAOMI, RAcaseal: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2
animeHC, HUcast: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2
Dime?!, HUcaseal: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon, Caves1, Caves2 (VARIANT)

UDNB-Roo "Drakebane," HUcast: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon (SOLO)
Shakäste, FOmar: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon (SOLO)
BIG argo, HUcast: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon (SOLO)

Goblin, RAcast: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon (PURIST)
OOF v2, FOmar: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon (PURIST)

MKULTRA, RAcast: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon
Midnight, HUmar: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon
Drexel, HUcast: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon
LCKystrike, HUnewearl: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon
Beauregard, FOmarl: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon
chad, RAcast: Forest1, Forest2, Dragon

Fromage, HUcast: Forest1, Forest2



EPISODE 2 PROGRESSION:

Mouse "the Decoder," HUcaseal: VR Temple Alpha, VR Temple Beta, Barba Ray (SOLO)
 
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IN MEMORIAM:

Goblin, FOnewm
  • Slain by Dragon in glorious battle.
Pelligri, RAmarl
  • Slain by Dragon in glorious battle.
Ashland, RAmarl
  • Slain by Vol Opt in glorious battle.
Overcast, RAcaseal (PURIST)
  • Slain by Dragon in glorious battle.
Squeak, FOnewearl (PURIST)
  • Slain by Dragon in glorious battle.
Priscella, FOnewearl (PURIST)
  • Slain by Dragon in glorious battle.
Melody, FOmarl (PURIST)
  • Slain by Dragon in glorious battle.
Gaignun, RAmar (PURIST)
  • Slain by Dragon in glorious battle.
Mantis, HUcaseal (PURIST)
  • Slain by Dragon in glorious battle.
Shakäste, FOmar (PURIST)
  • Slain by Dragon in glorious battle.
Mouse, HUcaseal
  • Slain by a Gibarta trap unseen.
Gerbil, RAcast
  • Slain by a Grass Assassin in honorable combat.
Rattata, RAcaseal
  • Crushed to death.



May their fighting spirits live on....​
 

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Congratulations!
>BubblegumCrisis

Added Goblin to the progression record. Perhaps I will make a separate thread for progression recording, screenshots and graveyard if enough people start playing.
 
I did something very similar to this back in the day. We called it the "No-Grind challenge". The only difference between UDNB and NGC is that I allowed for you to keep a scape doll if you found it. I might be interested to play this some more. I can also record it as well for some added fun. Glad to see others interested in something I used to have so much fun with.
 
We did discuss the use of found Scape Dolls but decided against it for this particular variant. Another person mentioned playing a hardcore character with a finite amount of Scape Doll uses (5 in their case), which was also interesting. Also, that would be awesome, having recordings that is. Are you a streamer? Would love to play UDNB with you sometime, let me know! It has been a blast so far.
 
spaceBORT said:
We did discuss the use of found Scape Dolls but decided against it for this particular variant. Another person mentioned playing a hardcore character with a finite amount of Scape Doll uses (5 in their case), which was also interesting. Also, that would be awesome, having recordings that is. Are you a streamer? Would love to play UDNB with you sometime, let me know! It has been a blast so far.
Click to expand...

I'm not a streamer. I just occasionally record myself playing (mostly for time attacks). I forgot to I was messing with OBS the last time I used it, so this one isn't in 720p. I also forgot to set up BGM ahead of time, so there's no game music in this one.


I'll fix my settings and stuff next time. I was just anxious to play I guess, so I did this in a rush.
 
Oh this reminds me of the good old Ironman Fallout 2 challenge! I'll have to dig up the login details to my Hardcore account which I never did play later.
 
Won't you eventually run into a roadblock with a unavoidable one shot? Tho im interested when it will happen. xD
 
Jessica said:
Won't you eventually run into a roadblock with a unavoidable one shot? Tho im interested when it will happen. xD
Click to expand...

It's entirely possible, and perhaps even expected in this sort of game mode. The limitations of UDNB are intended to make the game more challenging and dangerous at all times. The point of UDNB is not to live on forever, resting on a throne of red boxes and monster parts. The point of it is to see how far into the game you can progress until your character's inevitable--and glorious--demise. Some players really enjoy this type of hardcore play, myself included.

Updated progression and graveyard.
 
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