Hardcore heroic lockout for epic level characters

[rabidfox]

Just a heads up for anyone new to HC, there's a hard lockout once you take level 20 preventing you from doing heroic level quests. The faq only mentions a base+4 lockout and zero mention of this hard lock; so if you're doing favor don't make the mistake of taking 20 before you're done with heroic quests.

There is a level lockout to prevent characters from running quests too far over level. (Base level +2 normally for Hardcore, +4 this season.)

The 9th Season brings a return of the third season of the Hardcore League called Saving Grace. This season features a +4 level lockout in addition to the ability to earn additional lives at levels 8 and 16!

 

[Onyxia2016]

Well, so much for running Venca at 20 on elite. Will need to hold level 20 and run them at 19.

SSG doing silly SSG things again.

 

[rabidfox]

I had a guildy just asking about Vecna and if they could take 20, which is why I tested this season and posted this. I'd already finished my goals and took 20 so the lockout didn't matter to me; but I'd be pissed if I'd trusted the faq and taken 20 expecting to be able to do level 16 quest as base + 4 is 20.

 

[Onyxia2016]

First mistake, trusting release notes.

I pretty much bailed on this HC season was much in it for me.but yeah I would have been ticked if I took 20 and was locked out of Venca.

 

[Mindos]

Is live like this? Is this a change only for Hardcore? Isn't this the way it USED to be? Is it a mistake that it remains like this on Hardcore?

 

[rabidfox]

Is live like this? Is this a change only for Hardcore? Isn't this the way it USED to be? Is it a mistake that it remains like this on Hardcore?

So a few different things. Any difficulty of heroics can't be done on HC once you're level 20. This has been a thing on every prior season of HC (along with this season).

On live there used to be a reaper lockout if you were epic leveled and wanted to do heroic reapers; this was removed with u59 to prep for Vecna's release (I assume to increase sales). So people could do Venca's base 18's on R+ at 20 (or 21/22 if they wanted reduced delving bonus XP).

The u59 change could've also meant HC's lockout could've changed too; it obviously didn't. I've got no issue with existence of the epic/heroic lockout on HC. I do think that failing to disclose the lockout in the FAQ and just listing "base +4 as the lockout" is a very bad thing that will likely burn at least a few players that don't check the forums and see this warning thread. Someone will take 20 thinking they'll be able to keep doing quests at base +4, see the lockout message, and be unable to do the quests they wanted to do.

 

[The Narc]

I think the level 20 quests (ie dreaming dark), these i believe can still be run in epics on hardcore.