KoL question...

[tanithryudo]

Hm.. most of the advice on hardcore, I've noticed, is geared towards making subsequent runs shorter and shorter (days-wise) but assumes that pretty much all subsequent runs will be in hardcore/no-path.

But if your goal is to just get all of the hardcore and oxygenarian rewards (sans the oxy one for seal clubbers, which is PvP oriented) and then go back permanently into softcore, wouldn't it make more sense to do the HCO runs first since you're not going to get any bonuses out of the food/drink skills?

For example...
Normal > HCO-DB > HCO-AT > HCO-SA > HCO-PM > HC-DB > HC-SC > HCO-TT > HC-TT > HC-AT > HC-PM > HC-SA > Softcore

Comments

[cashew.insanejournal.com]

Well, if your goal isn't to go fast, a normal hardcore run takes something like 2 months to finish, especially if you don't prep the lead-ins. That's about 2 years of straight game play without getting distracted. If that's your goal, then sure?

[cashew.insanejournal.com]

ETA:

Also, just to note, HCO takes a lot of time. And a lot of grind. That's why people perm the HC skills to prep for HCO rather than the other way around.

[tanithryudo.insanejournal.com]

Blah...are the HCO rewards even worth the time investment (of X rounds of HC to lead up to 5 rounds of HCO)?

How about I do 1 round of each class in HC to get the goods and they go back into softcore?

[cashew.insanejournal.com]

Well, it depends on how much you want good gear and what you want it for. Technically, all the stats/drop rates can be matched one-on-one in after-core areas. On the other hand, the combined effects will be hard to top. So it depends on what you want to do. If you want to do a bit of everything, HCO is worth it. If you want to focus on farming and playing the market or getting skills as fast as you can, not so much.

I just don't bother with SC, because pulling requires micro management, and I don't have the time. :p