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A New Kind of Hardcore Fantasy

Now, for the part some of you have been waiting for. Yes indeed, Enn Corp is pleased to announce the release of a new kind of hardcore fantasy. Now boys and girls, you better hold on because this ain’t no typical bullshit and you will not find this kind of no-holds-barred HC anywhere else. And if you think there are too many skulls I say there aren’t enough! Hardcore in this game isn’t limited to the basic rule of one life. There are divergent kinds of hardcore adventures players can undertake and ladders and challenges for each.

You heard me right. There are hardcore ladders in this game. It isn’t only about having one life anymore. Each ranked season, players from around the world compete for exclusive rank-based rewards, vying to see who can survive a ruthless array of perilous and whacky trials. Every adventure we will reveal has its own division and seasonal rewards, and so each hardcore season is its own unique journey and story.

Before we continue, we want to make certain you know we’re working on an experimental form of disconnect protection we call a Severance Shield. This is not a final feature of the game yet. We hope Severance Shields to provide fair insurance against authentic disconnects, while being subject to fair-play rules. We speak further on these sorts of novel features on the Experimentalism page.

Hardcore is strictly optional, of course. Otherworld is not a solely hardcore realm, though there are regions even in the open world that are permadeath. It should also be noted when we use the term hardcore, we mean legitimately hardcore: If a character dies in HC, it loses everything, including its life, rank, gear, wealth, and collections. Just about the only thing a player gets to keep is seasonal titles they’ve earned. That’s it.

We mean business with this game. Turn back now if you think we’re going to define permadeath as anything other than literal permadeath. That’s the whole fun of hardcore though. If you die, you can go again!

Let’s take a look.

Caution: Above all, death is permanent on any hardcore adventure. When you die in hardcore, you lose your character, your possessions, your wealth, and your rank. It becomes a ghost, sent to the Graveyard to rest in peace for eternity.


Honor Duel

We begin with the simple Honor Duel. This is a hardcore 1v1 Arena division. It has its own season and unique rewards. One cannot flee an Honor Duel. It’s a fight to the death.


Wingman

Wingman is the hardcore 2v2 division. Here we see teams of two facing down in mortal combat, no limits. As with any hardcore ladder, dying once resets your CR to zero. Your MMR remains the same, so it is possible to grind back to your rank.


Wargame

Wargames are private hardcore matches between solo combatants or teams. Wargames do not have a ladder, being a private showdown. We may explore allowing players to stake essence or exotics on Wargames.


Gladiator Games

Every month, Arcadia hosts the Gladiator Games, a hardcore tournament of the world’s top warriors. Here, skilled competitors clash in the Ancient Colosseum arena before a live audience, covered by official broadcast. Spectators can place bets, as one can gamble on other fights and contests. Each Gladiator Games has hefty rewards, with the greatest reward going to any warrior who can win three without dying. This we anticipate to be a very hype event, sure to draw a large audience and generate widespread interest. All it takes to host this kind of tournament is a simple colosseum and a tournament roster of the best fighters in the land.


Rogue Rumble

The Rogue Rumble is the monthly rogue tournament, where the top applicants in each region go toe to toe in the underground Syndicate Fight Pit. Spectators can also place bets here. Similar rewards go to the most skilled rogues who step foot in the arena.


Magic Tournament

The Magic Tournament is the most prestigious event of wizards, demonics, and psychics that sees their finest gather in the enchanted Maldrax Amphitheater for the public’s amusement. This is a particularly tricky and treacherous tournament, as the arena is a quite complicated venue with many curves and contours, as well as fluctuating magics and structures. This tournament is where Arcadia decides the greatest magicians in the world.


Questing

Questing is an opportunity for adventurers to undertake hardcore quests in secluded realms, whether Solo, Duo, or Trio. As the game ages, new Quests and realms will be introduced. This kind of journey appeals to players who enjoy classic questing and progression, and don’t want to deal with open world PvP. It’s currently still in development, so we’ll have to see where this sort of HC takes us.


Nightwood

In the southern reaches of the overworld, there lies a dark wilderness where death becomes permanent past the red skull signs at the forest’s edge. Many monsters, treasures, and mysteries await those adventurers brave or foolish enough to venture forth into Nightwood’s deathly fog and risk it all.


Endville

A desert ghost town far isolated from the rest of the world, Endville is one of the direst hardcore regions in the game. Take note that a place like this is distinct from hardcore arena or dungeons. It is an open world realm, an echo of the Wild West, and is particularly difficult to traverse and escape.


Labyrinth

Labyrinths are Chaoscraft’s version of hardcore dungeons. These are five-player dungeons with randomized layouts and monsters that grow increasingly difficult as one descends. At the lowest levels, one can begin to encounter rare curiosities and other unknowns, spurring seekers to see how far they can survive.


Treasure Raid

Treasure Raids are one form of raid in Chaoscraft. They allow raiders to challenge one of the thirteen Rift Bosses with a raid of 40, or, for some, raids of 10 or 20. Players can challenge a given Rift Boss once per week, and cannot escape a Treasure Raid once entered. This is an extreme challenge and the closest an MMO has ever come to the true spirit of raiding as it exists in the original history of fantasy. Boss encounters are highly complex, fluid, and fraught with unknowns. Bosses have unknown spellbooks, and can evolve from week to week.

Death Dungeon

Death Dungeons are a future PvPvM challenge concept planned for the year after Version 1.0 launch. Our version sees two teams of five sent into a sprawling Labyrinth-like dungeon of fully randomized layout and randomized monsters, including common monsters of Chaoscraft and special monsters of Death Dungeons. What distinguishes this from similar loot extraction designs is this game’s emphasis on fast-paced fluid combat, smooth movement, vast race and class selection, intelligent monsters, massive randomization, and hardcore death. Rather than only risk gear and sort inventory, Death Dungeoneers risk their life and bank, seeking exotic treasure both from the pits of the Dungeon and enemy teams. This permadeath-based atmosphere forces fighters to battle with extreme caution and wisdom, as they would if they were personally there.


Gloomwood Curse

In a black forest, in an obscure corner of maroon abyss, travellers find a small village of pale elves haunted by a dreaded curse. When it returns, horrid waves of the undead and other monstrosities emerge from the woods around the town and assail the village walls. A raid of ten makes their best attempt to survive the necrotic horde, unable to escape until the very last evil has fallen in Gloomwood.


Monster Slayer

Monster Slayer, or Slayer for short, is a Solo, Duo, or Trio challenge taking Slayers to unpredictable rifts teeming with monsters, who grow in power as players progress. Untold treasures await Slayers who reach Top 100, Top 10, or Rank 1 in this classic-style challenge.


Bounty Hunter

What may be one of the funnest and most popular attractions in HC, Bounty Hunter is a realistic variant of the traditional theme. High-rated players can apply to become Sheriffs, while criminals who earn a 30 kill streak in the open world may choose to commit to the life of an Outlaw. If they do, they get a Wanted Poster, and can be tracked down anywhere in the world by Sheriffs. When a Sheriff kills an Outlaw or vice versa anywhere in the world, the death is hardcore. This is one kind of hardcore that brings HC into open world PvP in a way never seen.


Warlord

We’re not quite committed to this particular HC yet, but it is something we want to experiment with. Among the hardcore realms, there are marauders and psychos who become known for their ruthlessness and all the names they’ve taken. Each season, the one who kills the most enemies in these regions and survives until the season’s end will earn the title of Warlord.


The Dread Games

Every three months, each region holds its Dread Games. This event is a hardcore BR. 30 teams of two enter a vast pine forest, fighting to the death. Once you enter the venue, there is no escape. Broadcast live.


Horror Festival

After the final Dread Games, Enn Corp hosts the Horror Festival. In the spooky reaches of remote Deadwood, a dozen teams of five face relentless waves of horrors in separate sectors, surviving as many hordes as possible until one team remains.


Ironman

Ironman is Chaoscraft’s extremist version of the popular self-imposed challenge. An Ironman removes its in-game user interface, restricts all trade and auctions, and becomes completely mortal, dying a hardcore death anywhere in the entirety of Chaoscraft. This extends to all Ranked ladders, including Arena, TDM, and Battle Royale. Ironmen can only group with and against other Ironmen.


?

What’s this? Another question mark? You mean a secret?

Oh my… What could it be?

(Why if there aren’t already enough question marks and skulls!!!)


Battle Arena

The Battle Arena is a version of a very storied arena in a far-off jungle where many a fight has taken place. Once the pit cage locks and the Arena Chest is raised, who is going to blink first? Don’t let it be you!


Puzzle Rift

For those interested in the puzzle game and escape room genre, we’re working on a Puzzle Rift mode with tier-based difficulty. Puzzle Rifts we see as being playable with or without monsters, with each type hosting its own league and featuring its own loot. It is possible Puzzle Rifts will also feature Solo, Duo, and Trio options.


Challenge Rift

Challenge Rifts see willing challengers face one of several choices: select bosses, random bosses, or hordes of monsters. This is Chaoscraft’s form of “bossing” with repeatable encounters. While encounters can be repeated, bosses do not always follow the same behaviors or possess the same predictable powers.


Guild War

When a Guild has forty members Master or above, it may publicly post a challenge to a Guild War. Forty members must join a roster for a Guild to be able to post a challenge. Members may join as substitutes, in case others fail to appear on the date of the battle.

Any Guild can accept this challenge. The Guild who posts a challenge may accept or decline this challenge in turn. Guilds can either post an open challenge or challenge a rival Guild.

Mutually accepted battles are set for the assigned time. Battles must be planned at least one day in advance.

Any members who do not show will be dishonored and unable to fight in any Guild War for one month. Should less than 40 members show, the Guild War will be called off. A Guild War is a 40v40 hardcore war. This is an extremely serious battle.

Guild Wars allow Guilds to challenge each other to real hardcore war. Surviving a Guild War accords a War Chest with very valuable treasures.


Deadzone

Reportedly, there’s been some kind of zombie outbreak here… Oh no! More to come when outsiders discover the horrible truth about… DEADZONE…


Grand Prix 9000

Last, but certainly not least, we have the Grand Prix 9000. Every year, around the time of the Chaoscraft Grand Finals, the best racers in the world rev their engines to take a spin on the most dangerous, insane racetrack in the universe! Who will survive? Will everyone die? Stay tuned to see live how it all unfolds…


Gladiator Odyssey

A Gladiator Odyssey is a hardcore adventure of a competitor who believes they can attain Rank 1 on a minimum of one class PvP ladder this season. Should a competitor commit to such an Odyssey and fail to reach Rank 1 within the chosen season, they will perish. Gladiator Odysseys offer extremely rare and valuable rewards, to be expected for the heavy risk a competitor takes to bet their life on reaching Rank 1 in their chosen ladder at the season’s end.


The Griefer Problem

Some of you have surely already asked yourselves:

“What about griefers?”

I know gamers very well. This is a common question and a legitimate concern. It is to be expected today griefers will attempt to ruin games, especially hardcore games, whenever possible. This does not mean we should never experiment with hardcore and thereby admit defeat to the griefers. Just like cheaters, there are measures a competent developer can take against griefers. Let’s discuss this topic.

  1. Risk of griefing should not deter players and developers from making and playing a great game, including hardcore forms of a game.

First and foremost, a first principle: Risk of griefing should not deter players and developers from making and playing a great game, including hardcore forms of a game. Just as we play great games regardless of cheaters, we can enjoy the same games regardless of griefers. At the end of the day, while a developer can do everything in their power to deter and punish griefers, in a game based in realism, it is practically impossible to prevent all griefing without thereby breaking realism.

  1. Realism, in a purist form, ought to feature friendly fire, even in a fantasy game where there might conceivably be ways to render it impossible in the lore.

Developers tend to shy away from this, at least in MMOs, because they fear upsetting customers and basically want to sugarcoat what fantasy really is. Traditional fantasy, popularized foremost in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, is a hardcore realm. There is friendly fire in Middle-Earth. It is not somehow impossible for adventurers in Middle-Earth to damage and slay each other, even by accident. This is also true of our universe. It is for this reason an evolved fantasy game features friendly fire in some form, as exists in other popular titles like DayZ and Tarkov.

  1. That said, deliberate friendly fire is bannable if confirmed to be 100% deliberate.

Now, let’s take a step back for a moment. This is a pretty exceptional concept in gaming. I’m sure you’re reading this and wondering to yourself if this is too out of the ordinary. Well, I’m here to tell you that:

  1. If a developer is smart and attentive enough, it can preserve immersive realism while also solving the griefer problem on a core level.

This requires very careful attention to detail. You, as a developer, have to analyze the game on every level and identify and assess its weak points. It comes naturally if you simply apply yourself to it.

  1. Murder

Let us discuss the main law against hardcore griefing then. It is, of course, a law against murder. Murder, in Chaoscraft, is the act of deliberately killing an ally in a formal hardcore adventure after explicitly agreeing to respect and preserve the lives of allies. When you group for certain hardcore, particularly dedicated journeys like Quests, Slayer, and Labyrinths, you’re asked to agree to a formal in-game contract signifying you understand the risks and also acknowledge there is a law against intentionally killing your allies. Note this does not apply to open world hardcore regions, as there are no formal parties in these places. This law strictly applies to dedicated HC journeys.

This is our current design. We are also willing to explore anti-griefer protections for certain kinds of hardcore in the future, such as magics or devices that give you a small buffer shield against friendly attacks. In the current game, if a player deals a certain amount of damage to an ally in a hardcore adventure, the player will be flagged live as a possible murderer. If the player continues to deal damage, they will be full-flagged as a murderer, indicated by a special skull icon. If this occurs, their party will legally have the right to kill them in self defense. Their death, should it transpire, will be hardcore. Likewise, if a murderer kills someone, the victim’s death is also hardcore.

When a player kills a party member, the player is given an automatic temporary hold from joining group hardcore and their account is manually reviewed by a dedicated team. If they’re found to have committed murder, they’re banned for life. Simple as that.

A convicted murderer will be unable to make another account using their ID. They can appeal, in which case the ticket can and should be escalated to the lead dev, given this is such a serious matter. On appeal, we will again review the evidence, interviewing the suspect and witnesses again if necessary. Based on our final review, we’ll make a decision. Suspensions/holds may be given in place of bans in cases of gray areas.

Now, I understand, one may say, “This sounds awfully problematic and complicated.” To which I say, “Yes. It is.” That is very true. This is the price you pay for immersive hardcore realism in a cutting edge game. On this point, I want to provide some clarifications.

One objection we can expect is something along the lines of, “What if I don’t intend to kill an ally and it’s just an accident?” That’s a good question. Well, there are some caveats here. Just like real-life law, there is a trial of sorts and a judgment. We take this matter seriously as I said, so this will never be rushed in any way.

First, if you, say, accidentally kill a friend in hardcore, and your friend backs you up, telling us they believe it was an accident, generally speaking, you’ll be let off.

If you kill someone by accident and they suspect murder, we will of course investigate and interview all witnesses. We’ll review the gameplay. We’ll talk to you personally. We’ll see what’s up. If it appears to be an accident to us or if there is reasonable doubt as to whether it is, a player will likely be given a second chance. It’s when it occurs a second time, and especially a third time, that serious questions are raised as to the player’s legitimacy.

As cases take time to process, players accused of murder will often only be temporarily barred from hardcore parties, rather than being given temporary suspensions. It is obvious there will be accusations flying day and night, so don’t think we approach this with some kind of wishful attitude. We want realism. This means we’re committed to ensuring we keep it no matter what, even if it demands a long, painful process of finding out the truth.

Remember, we’re talking about a single account policy, where a developer is expected to invest resources in ensuring policy decisions about individual accounts recognize the lifetime consequences involved. If there is any question of someone’s account – and thus they themself – being banned for life, it will involve extensive investigation within reason.

This is where the hardcore contract comes in. In this contract, we would like it to be explained that if you’re flagged as a murderer on an adventure and you haven’t killed an ally yet, this is probably because you’re in the midst of chaotic combat, you’ve accidentally gravely damaged a friend, and you really should simply retreat. However, it will not be held against anyone for continuing to fight, even if it risks killing an ally, so long as it does not appear explicitly deliberate. As always, these cases may remain in limbo for some time and, in many, players suspected of murder may be allowed to roam free while the case is processed.

If this sounds like some ridiculous nonsense pipedream of a game that could never possibly exist, it is because modern games do not take realism to this level. In a game of this nature, where friendly fire is intrinsically possible and criminal acts can thus occur, how else is one to preserve realism other than by sending those suspected of crimes to some form of trial?

If this sounds like something no studio will pay specialists to do, you must not know us. We happen to find amusement in these sorts of things and would gladly take the time to review cases and speak honestly to those involved to see if murder actually transpired. If it did, and it appears as obvious as can be someone is in fact a murderer, they’re simply ID banned for life. There will also be a rule against falsely framing/setting people up for murder. Here’s what really matters though:

  1. Ultimately, players choose to play and group for hardcore. It is not the role of the developer to control and police every single player action. Nor do we want to intervene live in every case and incur a deus ex machina.

At the end of the day, Chaoscraft hardcore is exactly that: Hardcore. If you choose to group with others, friends or otherwise, and you consent to assume the risks involved in this, then, just like real life, that is your choice. Shit happens.

  1. By and large, murderers will eventually be banned for life, while those they grief will keep their accounts and begin their journeys anew.

A developer of this kind of game has two main choices.

Either:

  1. Immersive realism is preserved and griefing may therefore occur.

    or

  2. Griefing is made physically impossible and immersive realism is shattered.

In the end, players decide to play hardcore. It is not the role of the developer to involve itself in hardcore aside from banning actual confirmed griefers.

What becomes clear in all this, is that real HC is an inherent circus show. This is not some neatly packaged product with a handy dandy guidebook and convenient attachments. Life is messy. That’s an understatement. So if you like a little bit of the old HC, and you want to see a game that embraces the real deal, buy a pre-order and tell your friends. There’s only one way the game gets made. That’s by gamers choosing interest in a new experimental path, trimming all the flimsy frills away to reveal the deadly core at the heart of any game that mirrors the universe itself.