Newbie HC questions

[ELNINO]

I wanted to try HC for my 1st time. I think it will be fun and more exciting then SC. I was wondering, besides being only allowed to die once, what other things are different in HC compared to SC? I heard you can pick up items from some1 died body. Is that why everyone tries to kill each other? What char. do you think I should make and why? I was thinking a charger....Also do people hate people who just go around killing other people's hc char??? or is that expected as part of the game? Should I make a char. able to duel so I can kill other people?? Thx for the help!

[rachil0]

You can remove the equipment off of the corpse of a fallen player, BUT only if they toggle "allow loot" to you BEFORE they die. After death this option can not be toggled (so always do it ASAP when you game with friends... the loot button is on the "party up" screen so do it as you form your party).

Charms are always lost upon death, and stash/merc contents.

People typically hunt and kill each other for fun, not for their loot. It's unlikely if someone declares hostile on you that you would continue to let them access your corpse, unless that was part of your dueling arrangement. Never have I killed someone that set loot to me. If I did, their loot would go home.

I don't hate people that attempt to kill me. I do it sometimes. If your character is really tough you can fight off a pk, but initially you probably won't be able to. Especially low level pks, they are much stronger than pvm players (very high damage, very high life.. they can kill you in one hit, you could swing all day and not make but a scratch) . At high levels pvm players become more balanced to pk's and can fight somewhat with pk's of similar level. Even then, a one hit death is pretty likely if you get caught.

Run from pk's by saving and exiting for now. You're unlikely to be able to make a competitive dueler with no HC item base yet. For a first character, I'd not do a charger. A caster probably, like a necro, trapper or lightning javazon.

[ConnerMacleod]

Hi ElNino, welcome to Hardcore.

Differences between HC and SC:
1) One death allowed
2) If you set the loot option, then someone can collect your gear, but nothing from your inventory or stash. Give this option to trusted friends only or you will probably never see it again.

As for why people kill each other...

Unlike in Softcore, death is our major concern here in Hardcore. People build, play, and level completely different from Softcore. In Hardcore a helping hand is hard to get, unlike in Softcore. People tend to hate rushers and people who can do them absolutely no good. For example: You are a level 47 Barbarian and got rushed all the way to Hell Ancients. More than likely outside of BO, you are worthless to a party and are a liability. Further, people tend to have more knowledge of builds and the game than in Softcore.

Player Killing (PKing) is probably the most fun aspect of Hardcore. People tend to want to kill you only because we can, and it's great fun. It adds to the excitement of the game for us. I've never not killed (PKed) someone and chuckled to myself. I've also lost while PKing and laughed to myself. Why? Because it is a game, and in all games there are winners and losers. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, the important thing is to have fun. I joke around with one of our most ardent ANTI-PK forum go'ers here all the time, saying that it is my pleasure to ruin your game for you. That's not the end goal, it's to teach you to become a better player. The more you die, the more you will learn.

Always remember that Hardcore Duelers and PKs (LEGIT ONES MIND YOU) tend to also be some of the best players in the entire game.

When I went from SC to HC long ago, I died a bunch of times. I eventually learned:
1) Resistances in Hell are in fact important
2) Pumping Vita will, in the end, probably save you more times than not
3) When in doubt, go with the safety item/skill
4) There are hack users everywhere out to ruin your game, make some good friends, gain a respected reputation among them, and there is nothing you won't be able to do or have in the game.
5) Legit PKers are to be respected, Illegit PKers are to be run away from.
6) Giving up is the first ticket back to Softcore. Hardcore players tend to be never-say-die kinds of players who truly enjoy Diablo 2 and LOD.

As for first builds, the common suggestion here is always "Go with the build you think you know the best". There is no magic build. For me it was a Necromancer, and it was several Necromancers actually. Softcore gave you alot of practice, now it's time to go LIVE!

Good luck

[terrymanning]

I wanted to try HC for my 1st time. I think it will be fun and more exciting then SC.

You bet it is. Welcome to the real game.

I was wondering, besides being only allowed to die once, what other things are different in HC compared to SC?

The game is same as SC. Drops, monsters, etc., all the same. Game play however is a just little different. READ THE HC FAQ! I can't stress that enough. It has some great tips. Some of them include;

1) DO NOT hang around near town entrances.

2) DO NOT hang around near way points.

3) Take a strangers town portal at your own risk. There is ALWAYS a chance it will be dirty.

4) DO NOT be afraid to run away. Remember, discretion is the better part of valor.

I heard you can pick up items from some1 died body. Is that why everyone tries to kill each other?

Now that you are in HC there is a "loot" option on your party screen. This is what allows other players to get your items from your body after you die. This has an upside and a downside. The upside is you have a chance, however small, to get your gear back after you die. The downside is that your gear will most likely get sold at the other players first opportunity, unless they like it. And if that’s the case they will probably keep it for themselves. Just so you aren’t disappointed, don't plan on getting your gear back if you die. I never give loot in public games. I would rather the gear go to the great bit bucket in the sky rather than some knob.

As for people killing each other, they do it just because they can. Get used to it. It's a part of HC play that you can't escape unless you play in private games. BTW, if you do get PK-ed, I hate to say it, but you won't get much sympathy here. It's about a 90% pro PK crowd here. Stinger and I are some of the vocal anti-pks, but we get shouted down pretty quickly. :lol:

What char. do you think I should make and why? I was thinking a charger....

Whatever character class you play the best. I wouldn't pick a build I never played before for first HC character.

Also do people hate people who just go around killing other people's hc char??? or is that expected as part of the game? Should I make a char. able to duel so I can kill other people?? Thx for the help!

Most of B-Net responds negatively to PKs. After someone hostiles your party you will see the normal reaction. It ranges from common insults to death threats. Regardless of how people react, it is part of the game as Blizzard designed it. I don't recommend trying to build a character that can fight monsters as well as other players. Chances are you will end up with a character that will do neither well. The best thing you can do if someone hostiles is TP to town if you have a chance or if you don't, just save and exit.

Again, welcome to the real game and have fun!

TM

[ConnerMacleod]

Also watch out for Terry on West, he's Pwnzor sUpr L33t! Ever since he got into PKing I heard he was tearing it up.

[Rueter_Reborn]

Im currently rebuilding, what is your account/realm. I should be able to hook you up with items or atleast someone to hang with.

Rueter

[_OrpheusPrime_]

For a char thats a good starter in hc and can hold his own in a fight, i would suggest a charged strike zon or some kind of Asassin. Both can be vary good pvm without any specific gear and both can be deadly in pvp given a few good items.

[Matt]

Welcome to hardcore, it is inevitable that you will die sometime in the near future, simply because you are not used to hardcore playing... Whatch WHY you and others around you die, and work to prevent it from happening again. For example, if you die from running into a crowded room, you are probably:
A. moving too fast. Take it slow, be ready for where you are in the game.
B. not built to surivive well enough, if elemental damage kills you, focus on keeping resists up.
Things to keep in mind:
Defense over attack power
Max blocking in almost ANY scenario is good.
High resists are almost a MUST.
High vitality.
Caution over agression.
Dont fight pkers. Until you are very sure of yourself, and have characters SPECIFICALLY designed for it, with top notch gear, dont fight them... they have lots of time and wealth invested in them, and they WILL beat you if you are not one of them.
Again, good luck, and yeah, what realm are you on?
-Matt

[cougar]

I just started too, and i've had success with a wind druid. I have mediocre gear and im able to hold my own just as well as a lot of the people i play with in pubbies.

Btw, be very wary in pubbies, people can tend to be pretty dishonest. A good way to find out if someone isn't a prick is to just chat with em for a little bit in game. For me, of late, it's been a pretty good sign on what type of person they are.

[HCTwinJava]

Just as mentioned by Corner,

As for first builds, the common suggestion here is always "Go with the build you think you know the best".

But in my opinion, what's your actual first char, or first few chars, in HC is really up to you the player.

Before I moved to HC, Amazon was the only class I was very familiar with, for at that time I only liked ama and played a number of them. But guess what was my first HC char? I did some research, and picked up a no-vita, untwinked sorc to be the HC char that I would level up beyond Norm. It turned out to be a great success, despite the 2 challenges: no-vita & no-items. Since that, HC has not been challenging enough to me.

HC means taking extra challenges in the game. If you feel comfortable, why not try a most challenging build that you think you can handle, to be your first HC char.


Remember: however you play the game, you should mule all the good stuff you are not actively using.