Hope isn’t that tight in play.  Until you become weary you can succeed at most things you’re good at without needing it, and many things you’re only ok at.  Its really only when you start losing the points due to weariness that it seems like every other roll requires Hope.  

Of course, every Fellowship needs at least 1 Hobbit.  So with 4 characters you’ve got 5 Hope to burn before anyone even dips into their own.

But yeah, it is supposed to slowly grind you down…just like Sam and Frodo.