How I play Hardcore

Necromancer
#1

Ironman used to be a thing back in D2. I dont really see that anymore but then Ive only ever played solo on D3. Just easier for me that way.

I only play Hardcore. For me there is no value in something given randomly that you can never lose. Value is created by rarity to replace, not rarity to achieve.

For those reasons: Hardcore gives my game; value.

Adding to it the Seasonality makes it even more valuable.

For the longest time I’d play close to ironman, starting from scratch at the hardest difficulty playable. This means for most characters T3 to T4 starting from lvl 1 no gear.

But to be honest thats been a been a bit of a grind.

With the right balance of armor and all-resistance (1:1 ratio) then T1 or even T2 starting from lvl 1 no gear is quite doable and “safe”.

Hardcore really teaches you to be skillful in a lot of ways.

Often times I find myself dodging arcane sentries or ice novas for many levels before finally being trapped by one and realizing it was quite survivable, but just because in Hardcore you never take damage you dont have to.

And a fight for your life such as hacking your way through a mob of elites that trapped you is infintely more rewarding.

The gear is just a tool. The challenge is the only reward.

I havent really noticed DC issues but perhaps its the solo play minimizing that.

2 Likes
#2

OK. How nice.

There is an entire section for Hardcore. This should be moved there.

#3

Promoting Hardcore to the general population should be posted.

1 Like
#4

100% agree.

The “worst” part about HC is that so many players are reluctant to try it - even I was until recently when I got bored on SC grinding paragons at 2600. The community is small, so it takes longer to find other players for teams.

I’ve not lost a toon to D/C (yet). Even if I do, who cares, I have more gear in the stash ready to go. As you said, the reward isn’t in gear, the challenge is the reward.

I actually managed to “convert” someone today into HC - we were chatting on the Demon Hunter in-game channel, and I somehow convinced him to roll an HC toon and I helped him gear up. More people just need to get good players involved.

1 Like
#5

I play HC and I haven’t had a death in 5 to 6 season. But to HC people I’m not playing it right because I’m not dying. So you have to die to be playing it right?

I feel it is a challenge and skill not to be killed. I have 3 accounts and I did the season journey on all 3. One of the conquest I did was solo 45 GR with no set pieces. I did that on both HC & SC.

I see a lot of people play like they are playing SC. I tell people you have to make safe zones so if your cheat death kicks in you have some place to go.

You have to play smart and not stupid. There is a lot people play way over their heads. Yes you want to push, but at what point do you start to play over head and Die.

I play the game with this one lady. She want to finish her season journey. I was helping her out. I got busy working on some computers. She started to play with some other people. They really don’t have Exp playing the game. She had died like 5 times. I did get her back on track and she did her conquest.

You know what is wrong with the whole game is most people that play don’t care about what their fellow player is doing. All they care about is now much paragon I can get and how high on the leader board I can go.

The other thing wrong here is more then 50% of people that play this game really have no clue what they are doing. Some of them you can help and some them don’t listen.

1 Like
#6

If you’re not dying, you’re not pushing. If you’re playing at a completely safe level that negates the whole reason a lot of people play hardcore for, i.e. the adrenaline that kicks in when your hero’s about to die, and barely get away with it instead. They play hardcore precisely because they want that adrenaline rush, not to play it safe.

1 Like
#7

So if I’m not pushing then why would I say this? My cheat death has kick many times. So I have play stupid and not smart to be a true HC Player WOW!!!

I play with a woman that has one of the biggest HC clan on Diablo. She doesn’t Die either!!! I was in a game with her and I said just be safe & careful. She said don’t worry I play smart not stupid. She said I only Die when I have problems with the DC’s. She had started a thread on a problem with the screen going white on her and other people in her clan. That is all she plays too HC.

Let see here we build up a nice character to watch it go down the drain. Because I’m not pushing way over my head to get that rush to be on the edge of dying. WOW

#8

Having multiple death saves (one from a hero passive, one from a follower ability, one possible from a HC-specific amulet, and some class-specific saves such as the Akhan set) and running away when they happen sounds anything but hardcore to me.

Hardcore is supposed to be one death = roll a new hero not if your 2-4 cheat deaths all proc and you can’t run away fast enough.

#9

Sure and that’d make sense except it was put in a dedicated section for p(l)ayers of the necromancer class, which, by many accounts, on these forums, is the least visible/played.

Making a thread where a promotion can actually get eyes makes it useful. Otherwise, for your edification, it is kneecapped by koalas.

#11

Removed original post because I realized it might be a bit aggressive as worded.

OP, I get you; I love smart HC play. Play how you want, don’t worry about the forum elitists.

1 Like
#12

That is so true with this forum. It has to fit into their realm of things. If it doesn’t then you most be doing things wrong.

#13

If you’re playing hardcore, and you’re never dying, then you are doing it wrong.

#14

WOW You play your way I’ll play mine. You spend weeks building up your character. To watch them go down the drain. Because you did something stupid. Go for it I’m not going to do that. So having the skill so you don’t die. Is wrong in HC because you have to die. So have the right skills so you don’t die is wrong. WOW

I play a lot with 2 guys that run Crusader’s. Let see with all the lighting on the ground cuts down about 90% on what you can see. So playing with them is like play almost blind. Because you can’t see anything going on around you. We do mostly 100 to 110 GR’s. But because I didn’t die in there with them I’m playing wrong.

#15

The whole point of hardcore is risking everything with the very real possibility of permanent death being the result. Running away whenever you think you might die and using multiple cheat deaths skills / abilities / gear isn’t skill, it’s being so risk averse that there’s no thrill.

1 Like
#16

You want to know what I think takes no skill? Of course you do, because the world revolves around me, and how I do things, because I have almost 14000 posts.

Pushing high level rifts, while dying multiple times in order to complete those rifts is what requires no skill. Honestly any death in a rift should mean the rift fails. There clearly can’t be any thrill in completing a GR150 if you die 4 times while completing it right? I mean how could there be?

Can you say obtuse…

1 Like
#17

You’re talking about pushing high level rifts whilst the highest ranked gem on your seasonal hardcore heroes is Rank 92. It’s unsurprising you’re not dying at that difficulty level.

#18

The thing is when you a forum God / Elite you know more about the game then any body else. I have been here from day 1. I have 3 accounts and everyday I help some body get they character on track. To the Elites you know nothing about the game and how to play it.

Here is an example I was helping a lady do her season journey. She had done 2 of her conquest. She was working on the solo GR 45 no pieces set in HC. She was doing really good. I got busy working on computers for some people.

When I got back to helping. I found out she was playing with some other people. She die like 5 times because she was doing some stupid stuff. Well I got her back on track. I made sure everything on her character was right. She tried her conquest and she did it in less than 3 mins.

Here is the same lady that could never do a set dungeon. How has done them in the last 3 seasons. But I’m the guy that knows nothing about the game and how play it.

But remember you really don’t need any Skill to play HC. You just need to die then you have the Skill to play HC

#19

Your hardcore Season 27 heroes are Paragon 820.
What level of GR have you done with them?

I ask because 10 seasons ago my hardcore hero was doing a GR96 at Paragon 808…

Mmhmm…

#20

Ok let see here what do you have I think 845 in HC in all the yrs you have been playing. But you are here to tell me how to play HC what a Joke.

I did 3 accounts this season. Mostly for the conquest solo 45 no set pieces. In total of all 3 accounts I almost 2500 paragon if you add them all together 825, 850, & 820.

So by you it is about how high a GR you can do that counts. All the game is today is a contest to see how high you can go on the leader board. But now you are saying. I have to do higher GR to be a True Blue Diablo HC player.

Because you have a high post count. You think you know more than any body else about the game. So being here 10yrs playing 3 accounts. By you I have to be the most stupidest person knowing how to play the game.

Plus do want a cookie for your Barb that did a 96 GR. On my other thread I told you I was doing 100 to 110 GR in public games. Plus with 2 Crusaders that were both use lighting damages. That you really can’t see what is going on and what is happening on the ground.

#21

I think Meteor was asking your GR level to guage how hard you are pushing compared to your paragon level and overall gear level. Doing GR 75’s for example with a decked out and augmented high paragon HC character will hardly represent a risk outside of disconnects. Since Meteor said they did GR 96 10 seasons ago at a similar paragon, they may just be curious, especially since there has been a fair amount of powercreep in the game with easier augments, set bonus changes, sanctified gear, et. al. Meteor’s GR96 from 10 seasons ago may have been the limit thay they could safely do at that paragon.