Maybe? I haven't really decided what I'm playing yet but I do know I am always a fan of forging my own weapons.

Keith/Brinret/Eronderl

Keith is correct

-Wyrom, APM

Keith is correct.

-GameMaster Estild

I have decided to allow all Artisan Skills in the HARDCORE competition, but included a level gate in order to even out the process.

* The Artisan Skill Fletching is permitted beginning at level 0. Crafting and Forging of no more than two weapon types is permitted once the HARDCORE character has reached level 20. Training in Cobbling and the remaining weapon types is permitted once the character reaches level 40.

The other recent change involves F2P characters and Rewards:

* F2P HARDCORE characters will be awarded the same silver prize as the first character to reach each level milestone regardless of their time to reach said level range (20, 40, 70, 100). Use of F2P only Simucoin items such as spell or society passes is allowed, though doing so disqualifies the HARDCORE character from receiving the F2P reward bonus.

If there are any further questions/comments regarding the rules of the competition, please voice them now. Note that the competition starts tonight at 12:00 EST. I will open the official HARDCORE thread post at or shortly before that time.

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!>tell child to be quiet
The child cries, "I don't wanna!"

That'd be great. Just know that if the perks become in any way desirable to the common player, the temptation to cheat will increase accordingly.

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!>tell child to be quiet
The child cries, "I don't wanna!"

To be clear (and specifically with a view to the self-cast scroll and item issue): with the new changes to under-20 capabilities, it IS permitted to take advantage of the "freely move training points"?
Or do we have to play as though we were over-20, and training was 'stuck'?

That's a good question, Krakii. I'm fine with migrating points/stats around as desired. It can be used to massive advantage, but that is entirely by design.

If someone wants to come up with a good argument against it I'll listen, but for now I'll allow it. I'll give it 24 hours or so for people to weigh in before adding it to the rules.

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!>tell child to be quiet
The child cries, "I don't wanna!"

Oh, and because of the name, I am also foreswearing use of the UAC 'kick'.

(Look it up, if you're not into classical Russian music.)

>>and because of the name, I am also foreswearing use of the UAC 'kick'.

That would be pretty hard core - Having some small modicum of experience with half-krolvin monks (now), I'd say foreswearing kick is. . . unlikely to be tenable?

I'm curious though - did you get the last name 'Handful' (in Russian, of course)?

Doug, who ponimayet's ye ole ruskij yazik just otlichno, doncha know.

P.S. As a brief aside, the first time that half-krolvin monk looks at my character and says 'ty nekulturny', we're going to be testing out that 'killed by another PC' thing. Just sayin'.

Is resting while grouped permitted? (+1/pulse)
If so, do they need to be other PoHoC, like hunting?

Resting while grouped is permitted only if the other characters are HARDCORE.

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!>tell child to be quiet
The child cries, "I don't wanna!"

>- It sure does take a LONG time to build up enough rat pelts to afford to buy some herbs to heal a bleeder. <mutter, curse, grumble, swear, kick puppy>

You know you are HARDCORE when you buy wolifrew lichen. (I don't think I've ever done that before)

Doug, all I did was delete my Alt+K ("kick\r") macro, and change the 'followup kick attack' highlight to black-on-black. Problem solved, no temptation!

Note that I would lend NO credence to any rumors that may be going around that he has been seen using a kick in an MStrike.
(I haven't found a way to disable an auto-tier-up activation. I can give the preference for what I want, but I haven't seen a way to NOT take advantage of the automatic.)

.

.

Oh. Half-Krolvin. Sucky shop prices.

Sadface.

>>Problem solved, no temptation!

It's not a question of temptation, Robert. If anyone can do it, I suspect it's you.

I'm simply saying that taking a profession whose powerhouse move is 'kick' into HoC without ever purposefully using 'kick' is going to be Very Hard Core (VHC).

Doug

"Second, HoC suggests a PoHoC not accept healing from any source (which includes HoC empaths presently, based on my read)." -- Doug

Whoa!

"No outside services from OTHER CHARACTERS are allowed. This includes: Healing" -- https://gswiki.play.net/Prime_HARDCORE#Contest_Rules, bullet 12, point 5

.

My takeaway was that I couldn't get a PC healer.
Healing from scrolls should be fine.
Healing from herbs should be fine, as long as you buy (or find as treasure--I'm still waiting for some of that frickin' sovyn clove to drop--or forage) it yourself.
I don't see any reason why paying Surtey wouldn't be allowed--since it's available to all as an NPC shop--but I couldn't even recall where his tent was, so I just limped through all of 2nd level with a bleeder. <shrug>

.

And 'demeanor cold empath' took care of that for me, I think.

I also put a note about 'Prime Hardcore' in my profile quote. Just in case.

Some examples:
1) Spell Research (+ Lore, like for more defensive Iron Skin/1202) and Harness Power to spell up in town, then drop them all for melee skills while hunting.
2) Max out CMan for higher Surge in the field (carrying back armor to pawn), drop them to double in Trading back in town.
3) Doubled in FAid & Survival to skin in the field, drop them all to get the Trading back as above.
4) Get rid of all of that to max out Arcane Symbols to read the scrolls at the pawnshop, then get back the Trading to actually buy them.

.

This was pretty much why I was asking about it in the first place.

Since it was changed back in January, though, I don't think the GMs squawked about it at all (because I know exactly those same scenarios were mentioned, then).
And, of course, it's in effect for everyone, so a level playing field.

>>This was pretty much why I was asking about it in the first place.

Man, I just gotta say if someone wants to go to all that effort for an extra 200 silver a hunt under 20th level, I say let 'em. Based on my past and recent experiences, I don't believe it will be material at all.

If I were a bettin' elf, I'd say the race to 20 is on, and then the slog begins. Thereafter, unless there's a tight-nit cadre of adventurers of like purpose (Cadre of Hard Core Adventurers - CH-CA) working together, I think we'll see a significant tapering of accomplishments being announced. Even with the Plat head start of 3 (?) months, we have one announced Lord, at least one additional Lord that I know of, and one master of Voln. And. . . several tombstones. Now, true - EG put a crimp in one of those months in Plat.

Doug

Bah. Just go get the locksmith to open them.

You'll find out at the lower levels that you come out handily ahead below 10th level. After that - then seek alternate routes if you must.

And remember, this is not a dwarf. Say it with me. This is not a dwarf.

Doug

>1) Spell Research (+ Lore, like for more defensive Iron Skin/1202) and Harness Power to spell up in town, then drop them all for melee skills while hunting.

I'd expect that to be definite GMA, and wouldn't do it for Policy rather than hardcore reasons, though its what a GM says that counts.

> 2) Max out CMan for higher Surge in the field (carrying back armor to pawn), drop them to double in Trading back in town.
>3) Doubled in FAid & Survival to skin in the field, drop them all to get the Trading back as above.
>4) Get rid of all of that to max out Arcane Symbols to read the scrolls at the pawnshop, then get back the Trading to actually buy them.

Might not be the hardest of core, but I wouldn't be bothered by someone doing it. I could see a GM calling some of those mechanics abuse too, but I don't think its in the same class as wearing self cast spells you aren't trained for in the field.

I'd have to have a GM weigh in on what constitutes abuse with the migration period before I change the rules. Obviously, HARDCORE characters are expected to follow all game wide policies and what not.

As to healing, you definitely cannot heal HARDCORE characters. There was some talk about banning any healing in the past, but i'd defer on how it was handled in Platinum. I'll shoot Kithus and Doug a message.

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!>tell child to be quiet
The child cries, "I don't wanna!"

It's difficult for me to keep levels up to date due to PROFILE not working when someone isn't logged on. Feel free to update your level and strongest foe whenever you wish via the wiki. If you want to track best trap/lock, feel free to create that leaderboard as well. If you're not up to it, I may do that later. It's a good idea.

I've some updates I want to get out about collecting/disseminating information, but I'm not sure when i'll try to get those out. Likely sometime over the weekend.

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!>tell child to be quiet
The child cries, "I don't wanna!"

It's still a matter of showing the most skill in doing a task in comparison to your peers that is easily verified via the PROFILE verb.

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!>tell child to be quiet
The child cries, "I don't wanna!"

I forgot to mention that I chose to start in Ta'Vaalor.

-- Robert