Why do YOU like Hardcore?

Well, that's the subject, and the question. I'm in just my 2nd HC ascension, after a few standard ones. Obviously, for things like level 30 trophies and such, HC doesn't work so well, but so far, I definitely find it much more interesting. Having to think through efficiency/effectiveness questions throughout the ascension is very challenging, particular if you're trying to move faster and faster. Now, of course I'm not really a speed ascender on my 2nd ascension, but I can definitely see the appeal.

Of course, the rewards are much nicer, too.

PS - Some really great advice in posts here by FoxyBoxy, though I know they're listed as being ShadowWolf's posts.

I love HC. I prefer both the simplicity as well as the challenges.

I started out doing my first HC run simply because I wanted stainless steel slacks for meat farming. I got hooked by the whole thing. I can't remember what hooked me initially, only that I thoroughly enjoy HC right now.

Firstly, I love HP skills. When I get the itch to do a SC run, all my HC skills are there.

The problem space of a HC run is -dramatically- reduced, which I like. I'm busy IRL, I don't need more options and more choices. I know I can start a HC ascension and not have to think beyond what's happening right here, right now, inside the run. Yes, it sucks I can't use my IotMs, shinies, accumulated meat and other nice things. Doesn't bother me too much, and that's what aftercore is for.

I despise clutter. For SC, I worry too much about what I should keep and might need in later runs and what I can safely discard. I did a string of SC runs a while back, and it was excruciating sifting through all my crap in Hagnk's and between runs. For HC, I can smash and sell anything I don't want to save for posterity, fling my valuables into my DC, and be done with it.

But mostly, I love the challenge. After doing a bunch of SC runs a while back, they got SO TEDIOUS. It was really just a matter of what I could afford to stock Hagnk's with. Yes, managing pulls is a science and art, but one that bores me. I'd rather farm the mining gear -and- dig for ore than fret over which of them to pull.

There's probably a number of other reasons, and probably more flowery ways to say it, but that's the digest version. I've also done so many HC ascensions at this point that they're second nature to me, banging out a HCNP run in 7-8 days. I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing "wrong" because I really haven't been able to crack the 7-day / 1300 turn barrier despite all my skills, Olfaction, familiars, etc. So that's my current challenge, shaving at least one day off my runs, a six-day ascension. People are doing 4-day ascensions, how hard can it be? ;)

For a digest version, that covers a lot of ground. I have the same problems already with SC runs, they seem to bore me, and the amount of accumulation drives me nuts, too. I'm paranoid about accidentally pulverizing or even selling something I should have kept, and sifting through it...yuck. The reason I actually went ahead and started HC was the HP skills. I had SC perm'ed 4 skills, and realized if I wanted them for HC, I'd have to do that all over again. I thought, why double up? So, now I enjoy it, though I wonder too about the speed run question - not sure how they do 6 days, let alone 4...yet.

HC is great for me because I have limited rl time and the limited choices of hc make the game "easier" to play or that is to say more straightforward. I also dig the (HP) tag

For questions regarding speed runs, I think it is great to look at other peoples' logs. You can find some at the Hogs of Destiny forums, HCO, AfH, to name but a few. Of course, to go really fast you definitely want a lot of skills, olfaction, and the more important familiars: GGG, Pixie, Hound dog, Llama, Bander, hatrack, etc. You also need to have your stat days in there at days 3,4.

Lately, I've been playing super lazy as I work toward collecting 200 lucre