I agree with ya Crim.. the Hardcore is designed to be tough.. I have been stating this all along.. It is not designed as a main stream server.. it is for those that want to get into an in depth battle that will last for a while whether it is PVP or AI with the opportunity to be killed by either..
It is not a casual server in the sense of The Forge where you can wash the AI out in 1 to 2 min.. some people like it, some don't..
Currently I have 14 people registered on Hardcore with 22 accounts, not counting mine.. of the 14 registered on the server, you are the first to state you don't like the difficulty settings.. which I think is great.. You have your flavor of server type that you like...
I'm not sure why you haven't seen anyone else on the server.. so far the player list is
Lear missions: 35
KBF-Standarte missions: 2
Wendigo missions: 4
M1AF-deadman missions: 7
Walleye missions: 5
Scytale missions: 21
Marstone missions: 5
Corbomite missions: 46
Ternado missions: 1
KBF-MalaK missions: 0
Leto missions: 0 (Alted out ?)
KBF-Crim missions: 4
F9thCenturus missions: 5
And this is since I reset the server with the changed map on Saturday... so for 3 days that the server has been running, there has been some activity on the server...
Now I'm not advocating at all that the XC scripts get incorporated to any other server.. they are for a special purpose of a campaign idea that was brain stormed between Frey, SFHQ and myself that will run 1 time only..
Anyone can put up a casual server.. The Forge will return once Thor recieves some repairs..
People forget that there can be 100+ servers running.. Hardcore is running in a Beta capacity at the time being.. if someone else wants to throw up a server, by all means put a casual server up.
Hardcore will run as a casual server up to the point of the XC campaign being ready, and then it will run the campaign, and then go back to a casual server.. much like Strayy's Tavern is and how The Forge was.
Now Hardcore is running both the new XC hardcore scripts along with their Evil Dave general server counterparts for the purpose of testing.. the Hardcore Scripts are ideas that I came up with for variations of missions instead of the constant fly up and kill the enemy..
I have more Hardcore scripts being worked on like Shipyard Assaults on planets.. planets with real defenses, not just 2 defending ships.. but Starbase in orbit plus the planet model being changed out to I' Mudd's model that puts the weapons on the equator, thus making weapons damage much greater.. Defending ships coming in periodically once the initial defending ships are destroyed..
The Starbases will have recurring defending ships coming in..
Shipyard Assaults will have many ships in various states of repair coming on line to attack you as well as ships in the area defending it normally... maybe a Battle station a bit away from it to give some more cover for the ship yard...
Things like this to add variety and spice.. and of course there will the the ED versions for regular servers and then my murderous level that is designed to fly 3 player fleets and possibly some AI help.
I do not know why anyone is getting worked up over this at all..
I know what Dizzy and DH want out of a server, which is why I asked Dave to make some ED versions of them just so that the XC scripts can be left out, but people still have the ability to use the ideas on other servers...
I hope you can see what I am saying..
as for everyone else.. stop the fighting.. I know DH and Dizzy don't like the Hardcore server idea.. however there are many other people out there besides Dizzy and DH and people have been asking for tougher AI.. so that is what I am giving them..
As I stated before, when a Major Campaign takes off.. Hardcore comes down as to not throw the player base off..
see, currently SGO could be running.. AOTK 5 could be going.. I think that a few others want to run campaigns as well.. Hardcore server is far from being ready for a major campaign with lots of testing to be done..