Don't get me wrong, i do like rogue like. I played ROTMG for quite a while, after all. But, if there is no sense of (ingame) progression, i feel... lost? Also, Rogue-likes are all relativly short - not something enourmous like Minecraft!
Regarding survival, im always careful - since i hate dying -, no matter the prize - so i wouldn't play hardcore to strengthen my survival skills, since they are to the max all the time anyway.
IF i would play hardcore, i would use the same seed everytime... but that isn't really rouge-like now, isn't it?
On another note, i upgraded my AM2 altar with emerald and nether blocks... sunstone will have to wait until i have that anti-lava pendant from botania. Looks like i was one effect to short from what my crafting altar delivered - I thought that witchwood planks give +3, not +2...