A general tip for assessing how "hardcore" a player/character is is to take a quick look at his/her/its character sheet and inventory. You can usually judge how intense a player is based upon what you see in these; you typically won't need more than this to formulate an impression of the player's capabilities. This can be difficult if you're managing a bunch of players at once, but you can usually find the time for it regardless.
I also don't really see the stigma about OOC warnings; while they will certainly dampen any immersion and sense of surprise/excitement if used excessively, a simple warning before a quest about the potential of PvP and/or excessive risk is a courteous way to remind players to be on their toes and ensure they don't feel that you sprung an uber-difficult surprise on them just to blast them away or screw with them. I'd just caution against using any warnings of this type too frequently to avoid frightening players -- don't drop them before every one of your quests, or you'll likely freak people out. I understand why some DMs will be averse to the idea of any warnings, but a single notice before the start of an event doesn't spoil all that much and helps facilitate your connection with the players involved, so I think it can only be helpful, if used sparingly and appropriately.
Tags: lol.
-SI
I also don't really see the stigma about OOC warnings; while they will certainly dampen any immersion and sense of surprise/excitement if used excessively, a simple warning before a quest about the potential of PvP and/or excessive risk is a courteous way to remind players to be on their toes and ensure they don't feel that you sprung an uber-difficult surprise on them just to blast them away or screw with them. I'd just caution against using any warnings of this type too frequently to avoid frightening players -- don't drop them before every one of your quests, or you'll likely freak people out. I understand why some DMs will be averse to the idea of any warnings, but a single notice before the start of an event doesn't spoil all that much and helps facilitate your connection with the players involved, so I think it can only be helpful, if used sparingly and appropriately.
Tags: lol.
-SI