Should I Start Playing on Hardcore Mode?

[DwayneGAnd]

I am now more confident in my abilities at creating characters. Recently, I have beaten the game again making a character specializing in heavy guns, wearing power armor and using the unique minigun as his endgame weapon of choice. I have other builds planned including cowboys, grunts, guns, energy weapons, melee warriors, pyromaniacs, and demolitionists. For cowboys, grunts, energy weapons, and guns, I have varieties planned such as those specializing in Light Armor using Light Tough, stealth builds, stealth builds using the professional perk, V.A.T.S builds, and high damage builds that do not depend on criticals.

However, I am wondering now if I am ready to tackle hardcore mode or if I should continue to play casual until I feel ready. I know of the gameplay changes that Hardcore brings.

What about the rest of you? How many of you actually play on hardcore mode? Should I do the same? Am I ready or not? Do you reccomend hardcore mode after your previous experiences playing it?

 

[Kohno]

How many of you actually play on hardcore mode?

I couldn't play without HC mode on. I tried once and it just didn't work. The added systems weren't really much in the big picture, they weren't punitive and in some cases uneffective altogether, but the effect was enough that without them the game was just a sad pretense that would've been left unplayed.

 

[Atomkilla]

In my opinion, install JESawyer mod and play with Hardcore mode. Vanilla hardcore is just...meh. Better than casual, but still weak.
This mod tweaks the game to make it more demanding. With it, Hardcore mechanics actually matter.

 

[President_Peaches]

Hardcore mode, JE Sawyer mod and, preferably, very hard difficulty. I think the game paces better when the courier isn't overpowered and has to periodically rest and tend to their needs.

 

[Cobra Commander]

I play only hardcore/very hard.

I can beat this fucking game with a .45 pistol and no armor.

 

[Risewild]

Just a note, install JSawyer Mod, not JSawyer Ultimate Edition. The Ultimate Edition was not made by JSawyer, and it added a lot of junk, it also removed many things that JSawyer Mod added.
In sum, JSawyer Ultimate Edition is only JSawyer in the name, not in the content.

 

[Daniel The NCR Veteran]

I can beat this fucking game with a .45 pistol and no armor.

My mafiaman can be proof. 90% of the time I kept using the 9mm pistol until I got to HH and kept using A Light In Shining Darkness once I got it. And all the time, I'd wear a suit. (well sometimes at the start I needed armor because I needed to get my Endurance perks on track). I mean I played on Normal but let me tell you that the lack of armor really makes a difference.

 

[Cobra Commander]

My mafiaman can be proof. 90% of the time I kept using the 9mm pistol until I got to HH and kept using A Light In Shining Darkness once I got it. And all the time, I'd wear a suit. (well sometimes at the start I needed armor because I needed to get my Endurance perks on track). I mean I played on Normal but let me tell you that the lack of armor really makes a difference.

I have no armor, but I have a good DT at the end of the road (I also start with 9mm/Maria until change for the Graham´s pistol).

If I remember well, I have 2 from Vera´s Outift, 4 from sub-dermal implant, 2 from the original spine, 1 from the brain perk and 2 from Ed-E.

Also, that char always pops a whiskey and a wasteland tequila before a hard fight, and he have Cass as companion, witch give plus 15 in dt.

2 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 15 = DT 26, with no armor (actually, Vera´s Outfit, but you get it)

 

[Daniel The NCR Veteran]

I have no armor, but I have a good DT at the end of the road (I also start with 9mm/Maria until change for the Graham´s pistol).

If I remember well, I have 2 from Vera´s Outift, 4 from sub-dermal implant, 2 from the original spine, 1 from the brain perk and 2 from Ed-E.

Also, that char always pops a whiskey and a wasteland tequila before a hard fight, and he have Cass as companion, witch give plus 15 in dt.

2 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 15 = DT 26, with no armor (actually, Vera´s Outfit, but you get it)

That's really cool. I killed off Cass for roleplay reasons so I didn't really benefit from her perk. Though for some weird reason my character, without armor or Vera's outfit, had like 16 DT? I really need to check my save when I can to see. Maybe I'll upload it to mega or google drive and send it to you. My boi's all about endurance.

 

[Lieutenant]

I play on hardcore very hard for my realistic playthroughs with the JSawyer mod and struggled the first time, but after that was a cake walk with any type of playthrough when your character is built right.