Just sharing my thoughts here, but I believe that even if a permanent permadeath server were introduced, it wouldn't quite capture the essence of what makes the Hardcore League so unique. The essence of the League is its time-bound nature—the rush and strategic planning to achieve goals within a limited timeframe. This creates a unique balance of risk and reward, defining the Hardcore experience. Without the ticking clock, we lose that sense of urgency and the leaderboard-driven competition that fuels our communal spirit.
Concerning the issue of cheating, particularly dual-boxing, where one might use a non-permadeath character to secure quest rewards while minimizing risk, it highlights a key point. External rewards, such as a Leaderboard, would encourage less-than-honest gameplay. However, if rewards are internal and the challenge is personal, then the act of cheating detracts only from the player's experience. If one plays for the thrill of the permadeath challenge, circumventing that thrill seems counterproductive. It would also not impact anyone else's gameplay - other than perhaps someone being annoying, which is fundamentally unrelated.
As for implementation, it seems feasible. A simple mechanic like the Hardcore buff, coupled with a clear end-point for characters, could keep the integrity of the challenge intact without overly complicating things. If the character is archived (Land of Lost Souls, for example), then that might be challenging to implement: Transferring a deceased toon to another server, for example, would likely need to be addressed and coded. Do you let a deceased toon bank, run a guild, or engage in other out-of-quest activities? Perhaps turn them into HC Afterparty ghosts if they die?
I'm keen to hear others' views on this. Part of the allure of DDO is exploring our limits, whether through the adrenaline-pumping Hardcore League or the self-imposed rigor of a permadeath challenge.
