Revisited after finishing a solo automaton hunter run with hardcore mode on as recommended. There's definitely some things turning off hardcore mode would make more difficult, funnily enough, like grinding weapon skills to Legend. Will update if I finish a co-op hardcore run, and lastly, a four player run with hardcore mode turned off

Hi, you could edit the gameplaymodifiers.json inside Barony/data/ where you can adjust the global XP award. You could also spawn helpful items like life saving amulets/healing for the party for a homebrew experience. Maybe open the editor and edit the spawn map (start.lmp), place the items so you don't have to input cheats every time.

To be fair the mod works on the Syndrome quote when it comes to balancing.You fight OP enemies as OP classes ,which makes it balanced.Some things are too OP if you turn off Hardcore mode such as Mechanist's Wrench or Wizard's Scepter having such big DPS that pretty much almost nothing can withstand their power.

As for punishing dificulty, hopefuly one day the mod makes it to 4.3.1 so you can use the assist shrine to get some assist items to help your friends.

Also just because the mod advertises one experience doesnt mean you gotta stick to it.You can modify things to your liking such as giving yourself more items or if you know where to look lowering the damage of certain enemies.Also as fskin said you can modify EXP gain,its there basicaly to avoid the vanilla issue of you becoming overleveled over the enemies and using the levels to cushion the blows

Some classes are more challanging/demanding than other classes to play,such as Accursed and Ninja due to them beeing glass cannons and focused on beeing in the frontline.

For mistakes yea playing Hc+ requires more patience and caution around every situation.Running reckleslly forward is a great way to get killed.For trolls I suggest asking your team's ranger/magician to take them out or use paralysis or other tools which dont involve getting close or ask whoever is best in kiting enemies to take them down.If no such resources are avilable then avoid the troll for the time beeing,you arent forced to take down every enemy you see.

But yea most of the changes Hc+ adds could do very well in the base game if they are tonned down in power.I mostly view the Class changes/things as the mod's way of buttering you up for playing it because if it was just dificulty then nobody would have played it.You need to have suffering to feel hapiness sometimes