The addon is not Ironman.
Comparing these three versions of hardcore, I’d categorize them as,
Easy, Official
Medium, Addon
Hard, Ironman
And stop with the belittling (Andy’s etc.) It doesn’t lend to the discussion, nor validates your opinion. Thanks.
The add-on doesn’t make it more difficult, there is nothing hard about leveling without trading or using the AH or going into a dungeon a single time, SSF simply makes it more tedious (fishing for leather), and more toxic certainly, but more challenging not at all.
In reality, being solo is often easier than grouping, as grouping both for elite quests and dungeons can be dangerous because then you actually have to trust and work with other people, usually in areas where there is much higher risk, where if your solo, you can easily do the green quests, avoid any challenges at all and get your SSF crown.
Hardcore is simply one life, one death, and you’re done, there is never an excuse whether it’s your fault or not. You die you’re dead, that’s it, and the term Hardcore comes from D2 (pre expansions) where the mode was playable well before WOW launched.
All this other stuff like the achievements, they can be fun, and some certainly would be difficult, like trying to level a hunter, without a pet, and without any professions or Ironman. But no SSF is not a challenge, it’s simply a play style that tends towards antisocial behavior and is one of the reason HC player caused so many people to want to grief them.
It does, and playing Ironman mode is harder than the addon. You didn’t need four paragraphs to say you prefer the Official version though.
I see you telling none of the Addon Andy’s to stop the belittling… Hm interesting I wonder why that is?
Be gone Piptak. You plan on playing elsewhere or transferring off official at 60 anyways so your opinion means little to me.
And there doesn’t need to be several threads discussing the same set of self imposed rules continuing to be self imposed or not, but here we are.
Yeah well, I didn’t start it so … but yeah, I agree
Then quit pinging all my posts man…! 
Didn’t say you did, we’re just pointing out silly things no?
Yeah, so many and so little time. What’s a Gnome to do!?!
Make me, silly gnome.
I have done SSF, and I have also leveled to 60 without it (not dying) and guess what, the SSF wasn’t any harder and in many ways easier, SSF is often simply more tedious, but tedious is not hard. To say something is more challenging require some sort of risk, but SSF doesn’t add risk, it has rules yes, but none of the rules force real challenges, and yes there are some people who do making it challenging, but that has more to do with that person than the SSF rules.
If you wanted to add risk to SSF, for example you would need to add requirements like only Yellow or above quests can be completed (no green) and where at least 80% of the mobs killed must be yellow or above, dungeons wouldn’t need to be necessarily limited by the times you can go in, but the levels at which you can attempt them, for example instead of going into DM at 20-21 which is super easy, it would be prohibited, and you could only do the instance at level 17 or lower.
That’s the only way I play it. You can’t make a good comparison of the modes if you play the modes differently (making it easier for yourself).
Concerning the dungeons, I’d love to go in earlier but a lot of these guys are afraid and won’t invite you or even join a group unless you’re on the high end. Maybe these types are giving you the impression that all SSF play like that but I see plenty of others playing in on par zones killing on par mobs.
Anyhow, have fun when official drops and be prepared. It’ll be a madhouse there.
I’m sure it will be. A bunch of people foaming at the mouth that other people are playing the video game… differently.
Last thing you’re going to worry about is how other people play, you’ll be more concerned about how the hell you’re gonna level with no mobs to hit. 
Wont be my first rodeo in a mmorpg. I’ll do just fine.
Definitely agree on the madhouse part.
I am also really interested to see how the server and economy unfold, when the HC community can no longer use non HC characters as a crutch for world buffs and other things, though the biggest impact from this will likely be at 60 so it will take a while to really mature.
I’d assume that as well. I don’t have a horse in the race. Whether it’s SSF or semi HC Blizzard style I’m just in it to have fun and play with/make new friends like always
“The tedium I choose to put myself through is the only valid tedium, everything else is invalid in comparison.”
SSF vs HC
HC vs SSF
It’s just self held rules and ya’ll cant help but measure your E-phallus over it. Play your way, everything is subjective and none of these HC or HC alternatives are in reality hard.
Tedium is not difficulty. It is a test of patience.
This view point in entirely abhorrent, how dare you sir/mam/cow person, how dare you.
I genuinely don’t understand what is stopping you from playing SSF on official HC realms lmao ???
Other people not being forced to play SSF… duh.
And, does it stop on Vanilla, permanently? (seems redundant since we already have perma Vanilla)
Proceeds from Vanilla to BC and stops at BC, permanently? (we still don’t have a perma BC, so I wouldn’t be against this, but I have a feeling that’s not what you’re going for)
Proceeds from Vanilla to BC to Wrath and stops at Wrath, permamently? (seems redundant, since we already have a “perma”, kind of, Wrath server. While the current Wrath may proceed to Cata, we’re not there, yet, and I don’t see the point in having TWO perma servers on the EXACT same perma state expac)
Yes, I remember, doesn’t answer my question.
I used to say it this way, too, but even that gets confusing.
Seasonal means temporary.
And can (also) be applied to a TEMPORARY “fresh” PROGRESSION (which may be what you’re asking for, temporary or permanently, doesn’t matter, just some form of progression) server.
Which starts in Vanilla and goes through expacs. Whatever current expac the current progression servers have stopped at, is where this TEMPORARY “progression” server will “stop at”, as well, before “retiring”.
And, the choice to move the TEMPORARY “progression” characters over onto the perma state of the “stopping point”, will be a CHOICE, OFC.
Thus still making it “Seasonal” via temporary.
Perma HC =/= Temporary (or Seasonal) HC
Again, I HATE the word "fresh’.