Bad Company Hardcore

Are you a tough soldier?  Do you like realism?  Or do you simply just like being killed without knowing where it came from?  Hardcore mode in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 shows off how a realistic the game can get.  You don't get any crosshairs in hardcore mode thus firing from the hip relies that you make sure your target is at the center of your screen.  I probably spend most of my time finding a good position and aiming my gun against enemy targets.  Players who run and gun will find this strategy nullified in hardcore mode.  I can't stand people who go lone wolf in hardcore, they're just going to get themselves killed.

Another thing one would notice is the lack of a HUD.  You can't see how much ammo you have nor do you have a minimap to pinpoint enemy positions.  The "reload" message pops up when you're running low but you won't know how many total rounds you have left.  Without the minimap, spotting and the motion sensor are rendered useless.  Sure, you could pull up the large map that blocks you're view but that's of no use in a firefight.  If you relied on the little orange arrow to spot on enemies then you will have a problem now as the only names and symbols you can see are you're own team.  I prefer using pistols at short range in hardcore as you can  aim and move around at the same time.

Vehicles also do not display their hit points.  You have to rely on the vehicle alarm when you're about to be blown up.  I love the feeling of being in a tank and just spotting enemies.  I'd go "Enemy target - 10 o clock, in the house, 50 meters".  The tank driver would then aim and fire. We'd have a cup of tea in the vehicle as we watch the house crumble before our might.

Players need more medic kits and ammo boxes in hardcore as they can't heal themselves nor know how much ammo you have left.  Using the spot button, players will still call out for enemy infantry and tanks but without the arrow or minimap, spotting becomes useless.  A player with a mic can call out the same thing at greater accuracy.

I've enjoyed being a sniper in hardcore mode as snipers always do 1 hit kills.  Conversely, I can't stand enemy snipers hitting me and I can barely see where they came from.  With my sniper phobia, I sometimes take pot shots at shrubs thinking they're snipers.  I like the strategic feel of hardcore where at long range, I'd specifically set my load out to have a 4x zoom and an increased rifle accuracy.  At shorter ranges, I'd take out the zoom for more grenades and body armor instead of the accuracy bonus.  I probably switch to more classes depending on the situation in hardcore rather than sticking to one class and loadout in the normal mode.

Rush mode is far better than conquest in hardcore as each side has a definite side.  Defenders are on one end and attackers are at the opposite.  I feel I get surrounded in conquest mode often.