Hardcore mode - are you happy with how is it done?

[Hochmeister]

I haven't played, the likelyhood of doing it is very low, because, I simply don't have 500 hours (---------------no fast travel option.

So I am asking you. What is your opinion on hardcore mode in KCD2?

I am honestly disapointed, that they didn't make anything hardcore about armor and weapons. I honestly would like to see bigger consequences if you have too damaged armor or clothes - maybe not being able to repair to 100% condition if it's too damaged, maybe that if you have too damaged, it can repaired only by plate armor seller.

Another thing, I would really like, is bigger restrictions on ability to change sets, so you have to be more carefully and more tactically in your approach...

[Grimtasy]

They definitely changed their approach to the Hardcore mode. It's mentioned in game several times that Hardcore mode is primarily a more difficult way to navigate the game, and then you can customize the difficulty further in different areas through negative perks.

On top of that they made prices/bartering slightly harder, and enemies tend to attack all at once and more often.

Most of all of the other features that were part of the appeal of Hardcore mode in the first game are now gone, or integrated into the normal mode already, i.e. food pots are now better balanced and thus are not changed in Hardcore.

Overall I appreciate the new Hardcore mode but I still think it's kinda lackluster and is definitely less appealing conceptually than the one from the first game to me.

Also, I'm still not a big fan of most of the negative perks, they're fun at first but most of them are just not immersive or challenging, but rather annoying after a few dozen hours.

[Mussidenn]

if it's too damaged, your item will loose quality gold --> silver --> bronze
This should be active in normal mode, too

[Hochmeister]

Originally posted by Mussidenn:

if it's too damaged, your item will loose quality gold --> silver --> bronze
This should be active in normal mode, too

How low the condition must be to happen this?

And the thing is, this can be unfortunately easily bypassed by looting some stronger bandits in Kuttenberg map, because for some reason the armor stays in gold quality eventhough it is in circa 24 % condition....

[theo]

Hardcore feels too "normal". Perks are interesting but I barely notice their negative effects, and navigation alone is not that much of an obstacle. It doesn't change prices like Hardcore mode did in KCD1, that's a major drawback.

[CzechKronner]

It's not really hardcore but it's definitely more fun than the normal mode.

[Azor]

Originally posted by Mussidenn:

if it's too damaged, your item will loose quality gold --> silver --> bronze
This should be active in normal mode, too

this happens in normal mode too. It's just slower.

[Surfaced]

I wouldnt call it hardcore mode, more like "no map navigation and wake up in weird places mode".
Most of the negative perks go unnoticed, or boil down to having to do things you already do in regular mode a little more often (bathing, repairing etc).
Let's break down the negative perks:
Bad Back - picking herbs takes a bit longer
Heavy Footed - you need an extra cobbler kit or 2
Numbskull - leveling skills takes barely noticeably longer
Sombulant - wake up in weird places or chug cockerel and nighthawks
Hangry Henry - Eat a bit more food
Sweaty - bathe more often
Picky Eater - honey exists
Bashful - i forget this was there
Punchable face - enemies wont surrender
Menace - Uh, don't get caught?

[RedWhite]

Originally posted by Surfaced:

I wouldnt call it hardcore mode, more like "no map navigation and wake up in weird places mode".
Most of the negative perks go unnoticed, or boil down to having to do things you already do in regular mode a little more often (bathing, repairing etc).
Let's break down the negative perks:
Bad Back - picking herbs takes a bit longer
Heavy Footed - you need an extra cobbler kit or 2
Numbskull - leveling skills takes barely noticeably longer
Sombulant - wake up in weird places or chug cockerel and nighthawks
Hangry Henry - Eat a bit more food
Sweaty - bathe more often
Picky Eater - honey exists
Bashful - i forget this was there
Punchable face - enemies wont surrender
Menace - Uh, don't get caught?

Sure? Is that it? Don’t enemy damages change? Isn’t it harder to sneak around? Do potions still give the same buffs as in the base game? Can you still raise charisma with your outfit? Doesn’t this just make the game longer, not harder? And what about the balance on the second map? Is it still easy?

[votadc]

Originally posted by Hochmeister:

Originally posted by Mussidenn:

if it's too damaged, your item will loose quality gold --> silver --> bronze
This should be active in normal mode, too

How low the condition must be to happen this?

And the thing is, this can be unfortunately easily bypassed by looting some stronger bandits in Kuttenberg map, because for some reason the armor stays in gold quality eventhough it is in circa 24 % condition....

You should get more damage after It Is zero. Tried by doing too many archery contests in row without repair.

[Haethei]

I love the hardcore mode. I enable all debuffs and it's still completely reasonable and not insanely hard or annoying to play the game. Usually a lot of games just make it plain torture to play the game with the hardest settings and I hate that approach. I guess some people will prefer that, but this game has mod support and many people have already made mods to make the game way harder (and also mods to make the hardcore debufs weaker exist too)

[wjpower2003]

It was mentioned in the most recent dev stream the other day that patch 1.3 will alter difficulty balance with regards to weapons and plate armour (at least in the later part of the game). I assume it applies to HC mode as well but not sure.

[Feral Fritz]

For me HC was what made the game shine.
-Land navigation means learning the lay of the land, and
-Combat became *much* more intuitive since I had to really pay attention to my own position as well as the enemy.

[Gilmer]

I am. It's tougher. I also took the perk "punchable" that makes people fight you harder or so it says. Still once you start making money, it becomes fairly easy after that.