whats wrong with having the option some people like this "tedious makework" you speak of and wile I would not compare this to the sims the fact that Millions of people do like the sims seems like a good reason to have it.
For the same reason people don't think a hide helmet option should be included into the game or any other issue really.
Some people can't understand or even comprehend that certain features that they despise are actually fun to other, or things they love loathed by everyone else.
they also tend to be the vocal part of most communities.
I'm sure that if a hardcoe mode existed in the game there would be groups belittling or dismissing people just because they don't play hardcoe and vice versa.
A HC mode shouldn't have been included into the game by default, but it would have been a nice addition since many people seem to enjoy these kind of things.
In the end tough I think some guy will make a mod for it, it's just a question of time.
I agree with earlier posters tough most of these HC rules can be enforced by one self, you don't need a mod to make yourself sleep every night neither do you need mods to stop you from fast traveling if you think it's a cheap thing.
The only thing HC mode and mods do is enforce the rules globally, you can already make them yourself.