At this point will FFXIV collapse if all mods and third party tools disappear?

[MintnHoney]

if hardcore gamers are always looking for "add-ons" to make the game easier are they really "hardcore" ?

I would say that it's because they're so hardcore that they end up looking for add-ons that make things more comfortable for them.
A true casual wouldn't give a damn, because what do they care if they can't see or do something that they should probably see? They'll hopefully do or see it anyway, eventually.