When you create a character in Path of Exile, you choose a league for that character to exist in. We expect and encourage most players to play in the default league, but other leagues exist for specific play styles or events.
Characters can only see and interact with other characters in the same league. In this way, each one is its own isolated economy. The default league is extremely large and hence acts as a general economy for all characters that were not created in a specialist league. All characters in a league have access to the same shared stash pages.
Competition
Each league has its own set of ladder rankings. We’ll be frequently creating short term leagues that last varying durations (a day, a weekend, a week, etc) with item rewards for the highest placed characters on the ladder at the end of the league. There are leagues that end once a specific goal has been met (a race to level 90, for example).
League competitions are another way for players to get rewarded for their play skill and to be competitive with other players as an alternative to PvP.
Completion
There are a few permanent long term leagues including the default “standard” and “hardcore” leagues. All other leagues have a duration value and a parent league. When the duration is over, all characters in that league become part of the parent league.
Whenever any league ends, its characters are all converted back to its parent league. This way, no one loses the character they were leveling (it just ends up in a less restricted economy/ladder than the one it was initially being played in).
Game Modes
Leagues are able to apply a different set of game rules to their players. For example, increased monster difficulty, world PvP, permadeath or various "Ironman" rules.
We have many plans for interesting game modifiers that leagues can apply, but one rule is clear – they must only make the game harder. Because characters transfer back to the parent league when a league ends, it is important that the character’s journey to its current status was equivalent or more difficult than gameplay in the parent league.
Paid Leagues
In addition, we plan to allow guilds or groups of players to pay for the creation of their own league with a choice of game rule modifiers. Only players invited by the people who paid for the league can create characters in these private leagues. This option helps cater towards any groups of players who want to play online together but don’t want their playgroup to have access to items traded from external players.
The following are examples of leagues that we are working on designing. Feedback and ideas are greatly appreciated - we're very keen to hear what you think on the forums.
Hardcore
Typically, “hardcore mode” in action RPGs involves permadeath. A character killed in this mode cannot be accessed any more. In Path of Exile, slain hardcore characters revert to the parent non-hardcore league. This system encourages non-hardcore players to try the hardcore game mode, while still permanently removing hardcore characters from the economy when they die.
Ironman
In Ironman, players are unable to trade with vendors or refill their flasks in town. Mana regeneration is disabled by default. Players are encouraged to band together and manage their resources in order to survive.
Cut-throat
The cut-throat leagues appeal to the niche of players who demand the most hardcore gaming experience possible. In this mode, all world areas are public, with full PvP enabled by default. Slain characters drop all their items upon death. This game mode can also be combined with Hardcore to create an even more unforgiving world.
Attrition
An attrition league is a short duration league that starts with a fixed number of players and eliminates the player with the lowest amount of experience at periodic intervals. For example, a 24 hour attrition league might start with 100 players and eliminate one player per 12 minutes after a four hour initial leveling period. Players would be able to see how close to elimination they are on an on-screen ladder display.
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Everyone has their views should look like the game in HC mode.
For me would look like this : - more mobs - more difficult to survive - less exp - see above - less drop - you are on an island of outcasts, what are you expecting? - dead -> go to Default but all items are becoming white - It was only a dream You must survive, no one said it would be easy. What do you think about that? |
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I died in Hardcore mode in PoE while I was AFK and put my character in a "safe" corner, where I thought were no monsters for about 2 min! That character is Templar, pretty good gear for a newbie at level 16 (All yellow equipment with good stats for survival and dps), true tank/paladin Templar and got killed by ONE lousy zombie at The Ship Graveyard!
It sucked, felt really bad about that, because I played really, really careful and it is true of what people say, I don't want to play that character in Default mode anymore and made a new Marauder and it already at level 6 and has the benefit of having some starting resources and gear from my Templar. It's a challenge of not to die and that's the whole point of that league and you can't play with those, that you have got in friends with on HC league and being tossed in Default league for me meant about the same as tossing a god down to Earth and make him Mortal just by being not careful - that's more of a punishment, but gives the second chance. People talk about giving them second chances quite a lot in movies and real life and the fact, that some people will continue playing in Default mode after dying, those people will always remember how they died the first time and it will be a curse for most of HC players for the rest of that Characters lifetime. |
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More phat lootz and but one life to live. Nothing keeps you interested the whole time you're playing like knowing if you make the wrong move you're dead.
Yes, you just move to defaul with that char and all the stuff he/she has on. BUT, you don't get that HUGE chest of phat lootz in town anymore. My HC chest grows faster in 1 hour than my default does in 5. MORE and BETTER gear makes it worth the risk and helps compensate for it. If you're not playing HC - you're not playing. Death by lag in HC = the most widely told tale to hide the shame of a miscalculated/overzealous death by game :)
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Absoluetly true about that chars death. It becomes their legacy. When you try playing them in default, their highly specialized stats and much better gear dominates, especially given the lack of fear of death at that point. Their power becomes their stain. They are best left buried and remembered for their epic campaign of slaughter and glorious death by lag ;) (it's the most widely told tale to hide the shame of a miscalculated/overzealous death by game) Wow, I went full geek... :P Death by lag in HC = the most widely told tale to hide the shame of a miscalculated/overzealous death by game :)
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Ok so basically i have read PoE (softcore) vs Diablo( hardcore). I havent been able to try the softcore version yet, but I will tell you this, Diablo hardcore was very very fun.The enhanced loot table made you feel like you were special. Then you die and cry. I will reserve my opinion of softcore untill I actually get to play it. Oh and PoE is not Diablo.
Just my 2cp. |
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I am not particularly fond of the old "One life and then character's removed from entire game" idea of hardcore mode, but I do agree that there needs to be some motivation for staying alive aside from bragging rights. So how about giving the player's equipment a big slap on the wrist, one that'll be felt for dozens of gameplay hours? Something like this:
*You are teleported to the nearest town in Normal league *Your inventory is wiped out completely, except for the stuff you had equipped but even these will be altered severely *All equipped items will be turned into non-upgradeable, socketless normal versions *All equipped gems will be downgraded to level 1 and put back into the otherwise empty inventory. So now you have a character that went from riches to rags, is a lot weaker but still redeemable for the most patient of grinders. You can keep your character and its unique playstyle, but it will be much weaker for a long time Last edited by Norrdicus on March 18, 2012 11:39 PM
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I don't care if my character gets deleted on death or pushed down to default league. It shouldn't make a difference for any true hc player imo. If you are a hc player you don't play in the default league period.
Being put down to sc to me is like having the ghost of your dead char in D2. You can delete is but why would you. You keep the ghost for the legacy of you character and make a new one with the _II after it's name. At least that's how it should be. If you keep playing with your toon in sc after it died in hc, than newsflash: YOU ARE A SOFTCORE PLAYER! |
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thats retarded |
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From what I can tell this thread is a dispute of whether hardcore mode is really hardcore mode and if it is not, should it be changed?
Well, hardcore mode is practically the same thing as default except it brings bragging rights if you manage to get a VERY high level character and for people who do not care about boasting about their hardcore character that fights the same monsters and gets the same loot then hardcore isn't really worth it. The hardcore "hardcore players" play is not really hardcore, you die then you get sent to default that is it. Why not put more penalties, more rewards, or maybe a choice between having a tombstone picture of your character's stats and permanently deleting the character or being sent to the default league. Hardcore could give and take more or less... by that I mean these possible combinations: -Tougher monsters, Better loot -More monsters, Better loot only in chests from bosses and mini bosses -Big and small hordes of monsters that are centered at varies "camp" locations, Loot is good from certain containers I'm just throwing ideas and because we get choices why not keep the old hardcore and get a new hardcore, with both hardcore modes present. "Call no man happy, till he is dead" - Aeschylus
It would be awesome if PoE was compatible with MAC without programs like WINE Last edited by ZETHCRON on March 26, 2012 3:41 AM
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I've read several pages of this discussion, and I haven't seen many posts about the economy of hardcore vs. default league.
If you play in the default league, that's your choice. To get sweet loot, you can fight bosses repeatedly, knowing that you will eventually win. Because of this, most players will probably have better equipment, since they don't have to fear death (just a quick respawn). They can just keep throwing themselves at enemies until they win (and get loot). In the hardcore league, getting great drops is far trickier. If you fight tough uniques and bosses, hoping to get awesome drops, you have to be careful. Also, unique and yellow items will be worth more, even at lower levels. Why? Because the market isn't flooded with them. Hardcore adds value to all the items you find while there. If you die in hardcore, the items you have instantly lose value, since it's easier to get similar items (due to there being an abundance of items in default). Ultimately, hardcore league is more difficult because getting good items is tougher (because of supply and demand, rather than drop rates). Only the best and most focused players will last very long in hardcore, and that's what it should be all about. If you only want to play in hardcore, then start a new character when your old one dies. If not, then just keep playing in the default league. |
