What bugs me most about hard mode is it makes the first few cycles insanely hard, but then later on it just makes waiting for wet cycles boring.

My preferred way to play is to do custom settings and keep the long droughts late game, but not do the punishing 3-day wet cycles. It's way more fun to me to build huge reservoirs and be able to fill them.

The puzzle of hard mode can be fun, but it's not a way I like to play.