All of this, including your definition of hardcoe, is quite subjective. I am not projecting my lack of will unto others- it is human nature to have finite willpower, though we all have different limits. Many of you are imagining an idealistic state, where we all have 100 willpower stats, which is certainly not the case.
To address your soldier anologue, yes, the Soldier who is forced into his mission will most likely view his actions as more "hardcoe" from his perspective (the perspective that matters, in this case), seeing as the soldier who willfully accepts his mission through choice views his mission as something which he can overcome. Don't see how you could miss that.
I disagree with your view on what is hardcoe then, It is futile to begin a quest you think you can't overcome, I don't see how this comes into your original suggestion because what you are suggesting isn't things getting tougher, but punishment for losing said challenge is greater. Now it can be argued that greater punishment, ups the challenge psychologically, but it surely isn't gonna up it so that you no longer think that you haven't got a chance of overcoming it.
May I propose a metagame challenge for you? You want to willfully have your choice taken away, while others like me unwillingly want our choice taken away, by your logic, this isn't very hardcoe of you, because you views are that you're gonna be okay with such a system, while people who are forced with this system against their will, are the only people who can truly be hardcoe. If you
really want to be hardcoe, we should get unlimited saves against
your will, because you being forced to play with the constant ability to save, is the only way you can truly be hardcoe.
The fact that you don't think you can resist constantly saving if you have the ability, that this is the scenario you think you can't
overcome, means this is the only way you can truly be hardcoe. You will be the forced soldier, instead of the willful one.