To be honest, I dont think I really get so called 'hardcores' I mean, no offense but the way they talk about games gives me the impression they are the modern day equivalent of DnD nerds that make their lives revolve around a game so much they take it so seriously and get so passionately angry at what they perceive as idiot casuals (and the game companies that love them) encroaching on their domain.
I mean I realize thats probably not all that accurate, but as I said I dont really understand how people can take games which are made for fun and entertainment and turn it into something so serious that it ceases being a game to them and more like a competitive sport or a RL job. There is also how I dont understand how people can find dying ad nausea from high difficulty until they finally win fun, to me it sounds like banging your head against a brick wall.
I mean I dont begrudge "Hardcores" what they find fun, but I really dont understand it, and I suspect most "casuals" and the Suits at the game publishers dont understand it.
Well some people, like me, enjoy challenge in the games, since to me challenge = fun. Because of that I have more fun playing Gothic 2 then Oblivion, I love games like Jagged Alliance 2 that forces me to think before I move, in Company of Heroes I dont like playing against low level opponents but those who are same level of me or higher. I dont like games like Arcania where even on max difficulty I simply cant die, where everything is made to keep me from failing, and add to it a bad story and dialogs whats the point of playing the game.
Now in my opinion there are three types of RPG that have focus of different things:
1. Exploration, games like this focus on exploring the world, if done right other elements like combat or story can be put in second place (Morrowind, old Gothics).
2. Combat, RPG that makes combat their primary focus need to have fun and exciting combat with addition of interesting enemies and good loot. (Mount and Blade, Diablo, Nox)
3. Story, good story and dialogs can make any game fun even if all other elements are sub par. (Mask of the Betrayer, Planescape Torment)
There are games that are good in every department but Arcania failed in every single of them, so why play it if the combat, exploration and story sucks. Now official opinion here is "well it does not suck its just casual" is pretty stupid in my opinion, game is simply bad and saying that its good because there are people with half of a brain that will enjoy it is fundamentally wrong.