Plenty of MMORPGs have player-created challenges to give dedicated gamers something new and interesting to keep them engaged. Some of the trends are returning to the earliest examples of MMOs that followed the rules of old RPGs more closely and were much less forgiving when it came to life and loot. These rules included permanent death and losing money and gear after being defeated.
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Presently, the concept ofClassic Hardcorein Azeroth isentirely a community-led challenge, but the concept also exists on private servers, and there’s some talk of officialWorld of Warcraftservers with these same rules. For those that are thinking about taking on the Hardcore challenge, it’s not for the casual or the faint of heart. This is the game that made a name by giving space to casual players, so whether or not an official hardcore server is feasible in the long term remains to be seen.
7The Hardcore Addon
The independent communityhas crafted an addonto help players with some of the more nuanced details of the Hardcore challenge. It blocks the character from interacting with the auction house, prevents them from reading mail unless it’s from the Dev Team, and sends the player notifications if other players in their guild are also using Hardcore mode. It also sends a warning if other Hardcore players in their guild die or break any of the hardcore rules.
The app can be downloaded manually from the website and placed in the appropriate Addon folder or using a third-party program like Curseforge.
6Death Means Deletion
First and foremost, death is permanent. That means when a character dies, they don’t run back to their corpse and resurrect for another try. The character must be either deleted or kept in ghost form forever.
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It seems harsh, but this is actually how the earliest TTRPG and online games were as a rule.Dungeons & Dragons, which inspired virtually every role-playing video game, still uses the concept of permanent death in plenty of its modules and Dungeon Masters don’t have any qualms about killing characters permanently.
5No Resurrections Allowed
The exception is players that roleundead characters from day one, but it’s easy to rationalize that undeath is more of a failure to completely die as opposed to a true resurrection. That means no soul stones for Warlocks, and any class that had some kind of resurrection spell just lost some of their utility.
Bubble-hearth is also forbidden, Paladins, and the hardcore addon will snitch on the players if they use it. Thankfully, healing spells and buffs are still permitted and gratefully welcomed, but leveling a healer under these circumstances can be rough.
4No Trading Allowed
Using the auction house or trading with other players is forbidden, and if a player cheats the addon is there to keep them honest. This not only means that the gear or weapons a character has are only what they pick up or get as rewards from quests, but also that their own means of making gold is severely limited.
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This isn’t as crazy as it seems. It’s more like the way the economy worked for all low-level playersback in the days ofClassicwhen it was first released in 2004. The trial accounts, which are largely a thing of the past, had the same limitations regarding mailbox use and communicating with other players.
3No Grouping Allowed Unless Hardcore Dungeons
There are limits to party activity, but it is allowed with some strict guidelines. Players are expected to level alone unless they are in a duo or a trio that was organized from their very first level, and other than that, it’s only permissible to form a group on the way to a dungeon. There’s a separate set of rules for Hardcore Duos that build on the restrictions guiding solo play.
The rules for raiding are still in the works, but so far, groups have been following the same rules regarding death and groups, even when it comes to fighting mobs of dangerous enemiesand even the big bosses.
2Designated Hardcore Dungeons
The same rules apply to dungeons as in the open world regarding death and loot. If a character dies in a dungeon, which happens a lot, they cannot be resurrected, so it’s important to respect the party dynamics and be prepared should the character fall.
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On the other hand, it should be obvious that services like boosting, farming, or other kinds of dungeon runs on higher-level characters aren’t allowed in Hardcore mode. Players can only enter a dungeon appropriate to their level with group members at the same level, and there’s a detailed chart on the Hardcore homepage that lists eachClassicandTBCdungeon and their level.
1Verifying Progression
The honor system is a lovely idea, but let’s be honest, video or it didn’t happen. Players are encouraged to stream their progress on Twitch or use some kind of recording device to track their progress, or at least the pivotal moments or exciting close calls.
One of the many handy items that come with the Hardcore addon includes an Auto-Verifier. This uploads the character’s progressdirectly to the Hardcore websiteso they can be recognized for Achievements and to be listed on the Leaderboards.
