[Jherlen]

Funnily enough, not even all the games that listed themselves on RPImud.com (a site that was formed especially for 'RPI' games), have identical or even nearly-identical features. Some of them have global channels, others have no permanent death. Perhaps the 'RPI' term originally stood for a few games (Armageddon/HL/SoI/etc) that had similar featuresets, but perhaps it too has evolved into the more broad definition as any game which puts intense roleplay and realism first and foremost.

If you'll allow me to derail just a moment:

I have to disagree here. It's true, permadeath gives you a "clean slate" in terms of a new character, but usually this isn't want players want. They're also losing everything they've invested in the old character -- all the skills, all the loot, all the IC relationships and advancements. In the context of a roleplaying game based around storytelling, the last thing a player wants is for their beloved character's story to end. It's a good mechanism for encouraging players to play their characters as realistic people who have an actual fear of death -- because the player has that fear, too. Going through that experience as a player, looking death in the face with a PC you've invested a good deal of time and emotion in, is very assuredly intense, whether or not your character lives through it. Granted, permadeath isn't the right mechanic for every game, but I'd have a hard time really getting into a serious roleplaying game that didn't have those ultimate consequences after being used to games that do.

/derail