HC Trade? Private HCGroupSF?

I'm actually having a hard time thinking what would be the best experience for me and my bro
GroupSF is amazing because a lot of items dropped actually have value or future value for new chars
HC Trade is fun because of party play, especially when its A1-A5, but usually in the past years almost nobody plays in random groups, for some reason

HCSSF will be a later option after

I guess we can make a rule and play HCtrade, like "no trading for items", but since there's technically an option - it makes it vague and potentially boring cuz u still can just go easy mode and buy stuff from others

Playing in a group drastically increases your chance of being killed unless said group addition is a bitchboi or cursebot is why you see less and less of it.

As to which to play I'd just play on HC trade you can't really just make it easy mode because item availability is poor on HC as intended, if an items lush its usually priced as such as well as being rare to even have some to buy.

I'd only do group SF on HC if you both really know what your doing - if the answer to that is yes all that changes is where you want to dead end. Not throwing shade here but you don't do that much endgame so its entirely personal choice where you are happiest playing the game.

GroupSF if you enjoy/want to be limited
Trade if you want to have a little more power to strive for more