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When I switched back to a hardtail one of the most embarrassing rides I did where I wish I'd had a FS was on ride basically on fields! It was just mile after mile of sun baked ruts where the farmer had ploughed the field and put the bridleway back in later. It might have only been mud but in the state it was in it was like rutted rock. The hard tail could obviously cope but standing up for 20miles is not particularly efficient or fast and sitting down meant getting beaten up. On the XC FS the same route in the same conditions is not a breeze but is very significantly faster and less fatiguing.
I went from a Flux and a 5 Spot in the shed to a Scott Scale. Absolutely no regrets, the Scale is much lighter, climbs better and looks awesome. I've ridden silly distances on it and not been too beaten up plus ridden many of the same trails and not had any problems (though a few buttock clenching moments!!) But then I am more of a roadie on knobblies so I appreciate the ar$e up head down position of the Scale a lot more than the slacker angles of the full sus bikes.
Really tempted by a Spark mind you...
Ridden hard tails for the past few years. Tried a santacruz superlight which was ok went back to hardtails...currently ride a Chumba hx1. Most of my riding buddies have full Suss and spend most of the time creaking along, fettling, I just find you get more bike for your cash with a h/tail
I have a SC superlight and built up a Soul. With the HT I find that I need to concentrate far more on the climbs, not least to keep traction, in a way that I don't need to on the SL. And the SL is faster downhill, although that might just be my bad technique. Having originally really enjoyed the HT, I now find that I seem to using the SL far more than the Soul, to the extent that I'm considering moving the Soul on, enjoyable though it is.