Hardcore mode

[ArmedGhost-]

Alright.

Started up a hardcore agent with a buddy, We both enjoy the permadeath element, but this mode got us thinking and we both think hardcore mode still has potential to develop and actually leave beta. These are some minor change that I think could easily overhaul the mode not only to be more appealing to those who want a less casual experience, but actually retain players who start this mode;

When an agent dies, players can re spawn, but lose all of their gear, weapons equiped and any gear they have in their bag. If players dies in the endgame with the SHD watch, the watch level is reset back to level 1. For gear expertise, whichever gear and weapons the player has equipped upon death get's the proficiency rank reset. For example, if a player is expertise level 12 and has gear/weapons equipped that are upgraded to level 12 and they get killed, those particular weapons and gear set pieces will be reset to 0 and players will have to become proficient again with those pieces of gear/weapons in order to level them back up in the expertise system. In turn of losing proficiency in gear upon death, this could potentially decrease a player's expertise level as well. For example, if a player is level 12 expertise and is 23/150 to level 13 and they get killed, the gear getting reset back to 0 would drop them down from level 12 to level 11 expertise.

When an agent dies, they'll spawn back in with basic, generic gear and weapons that are scaled to fit the players open world progression. i.e if a player dies in the endgame lvl 40, players would respawn with generic level 40 gear. Also implement a stash that is no more than 20 slots. Players also have a max of 30 inventory slots in which they cannot carry no more than 30 items at at time, including what they have equipped. Any items that a player is carrying and not placed in the stash are lost on death. This way players can still have backup gear in their stash that they get to keep if they get killed, but also strictly limits players from hoarding gear. In DZs, agents cannot inspect other agents outside their group. All agent gear is hidden or "redacted" to prevent higher level or better geared players griefing lower geared players. This will allow ambiguity in engagements and make agents really think about going rogue on others.

This change still offers heavy consequences, but are not so extreme where players will stop playing after they get killed in hardcore mode. If we get killed in hardcore mode, I do not see us starting a new agent and starting all of way over from the beginning of the game.

Overall, I like hardcore mode and would like to see this mode improved and expanded on to actually promote some re-playbility, player retention and act as main mode for more players who want a less casual experience. I think in the mode's current state, the consequences are far too extreme for player retention.

I played games like Tarkov, The Cycle, Scum and other open world games and think hardcore mode has a foundation to appeal to more players coming from these types of games with these changes mentioned.

Curious to what y'all think.

[ArmedGhost-]

bump because i'm curious as hell what yall think.