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Tezcatlipoca · 05-08-2003, 12:01 PM

Interesting thing this permadeath. I've personally never played in a system that has permadeath, but that seems to be because I'm more of a stubborn player; I find one type and stick with it. However, in the process of (slowly) designing and building a MUD "engine" if you will, permadeath obviously is something that I've needed to consider. The engine original was designed to work with a very complex layed out RP required MUD design of your basic (but high content) fantasy environment. As a result, permadeath seemed to be fine, and infact was a good move because of all the positives already listed, and because it was "realistic." The reason being, is in such a world, death could be controled a bit better through multiple ways: Instead of killing someone at the end of a fight, you would have the option of them "yielding" to you. They then become your servent for a while (unless they are sneaky devils and avoid it, but that would risk their death). If you have a spell to do it, you could also do a magic jar type spell as a failsafe for yourself. If you make proper (smart) relations, you could get to know a mage or priest that could ressurect your body before it rots to an unressurectable state. If you have the money, you could possibly set up a service with a local priestly sect, to have them recover your body, drag it back, and ressurect you if they detect your death. Lastly, if your that desprate, you could "push" yourself back into your body, and bring yourself back to life. Low chance of it succeding, and high costs if it does stat wise, but it would work. So for this "environment" permadeath seemed to be a good idea. Downside is, it is the type of environment where people would want to keep their characters for a long time.
Another environment where I designed the engine could be applied, is in a harsh social one, where basically everyone is either nomadic, hostile, or distrustfull. The quick exchange of characters in this world makes it more deadly, and I would assume it would have the same success or failures, and for the same reasons, as Armageddon.
The third environment is simmilar to the second, as it is still mideval fantasy, but in a harsher environment with less magic. Namely, a world that is covered almost completely by water, and naval travel/battles are prominent. High exchange of characters would be the norm presumably, which makes it similar in the permadeath appropriateness of the second one.
The last environment is the mist difficult however. Its one in which permadeath would make the most sense, and people comming back to life makes the least, but where a non-permadeath system would probably be the best to have: A futuristic, space traveling environment. The high technological abilities of the PCs and NPCs provide a lot of options that can kill you. But unlike a swords and magic environment, where if you get killed, your body is more then likely to be sitting there to be resurrected, after a bit of healing to your chest, in this environement, there may not be anything left that could be resurrected. For instance, if your in a fighter in a large battle, and you get hit, then the chances of your spaceship's survival is pretty slim. If your ship gets blown, then your not going to make it out either. On a large battleship, you may have an easier time of it, as you could work your way to an escape pod before the whole thing blows, if it does, and get out. But then you have to worry about the pods being targetted. If your onworld somewhere, the weapons are also more devistating then a blade; a shot in the head with a projectile weapon will kill you immediately. A single slice accross the chest with a blaster/laser gun, could cut or blow you in half. On top of that, there wouldnt be any magical ressurection, so if there isnt enough left of the head, then there is no bringing them back. So in this environment, "Realistically" death would be quicker, and ressurrection either nonexistant, or very limited to special lucky cirumstances. Not having a permadeath system however would just make it (imo) silly and kill the RP factor.

Ideas?

05-08-2003, 12:01 PM	#6
Tezcatlipoca Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 46	Interesting thing this permadeath. I've personally never played in a system that has permadeath, but that seems to be because I'm more of a stubborn player; I find one type and stick with it. However, in the process of (slowly) designing and building a MUD "engine" if you will, permadeath obviously is something that I've needed to consider. The engine original was designed to work with a very complex layed out RP required MUD design of your basic (but high content) fantasy environment. As a result, permadeath seemed to be fine, and infact was a good move because of all the positives already listed, and because it was "realistic." The reason being, is in such a world, death could be controled a bit better through multiple ways: Instead of killing someone at the end of a fight, you would have the option of them "yielding" to you. They then become your servent for a while (unless they are sneaky devils and avoid it, but that would risk their death). If you have a spell to do it, you could also do a magic jar type spell as a failsafe for yourself. If you make proper (smart) relations, you could get to know a mage or priest that could ressurect your body before it rots to an unressurectable state. If you have the money, you could possibly set up a service with a local priestly sect, to have them recover your body, drag it back, and ressurect you if they detect your death. Lastly, if your that desprate, you could "push" yourself back into your body, and bring yourself back to life. Low chance of it succeding, and high costs if it does stat wise, but it would work. So for this "environment" permadeath seemed to be a good idea. Downside is, it is the type of environment where people would want to keep their characters for a long time. Another environment where I designed the engine could be applied, is in a harsh social one, where basically everyone is either nomadic, hostile, or distrustfull. The quick exchange of characters in this world makes it more deadly, and I would assume it would have the same success or failures, and for the same reasons, as Armageddon. The third environment is simmilar to the second, as it is still mideval fantasy, but in a harsher environment with less magic. Namely, a world that is covered almost completely by water, and naval travel/battles are prominent. High exchange of characters would be the norm presumably, which makes it similar in the permadeath appropriateness of the second one. The last environment is the mist difficult however. Its one in which permadeath would make the most sense, and people comming back to life makes the least, but where a non-permadeath system would probably be the best to have: A futuristic, space traveling environment. The high technological abilities of the PCs and NPCs provide a lot of options that can kill you. But unlike a swords and magic environment, where if you get killed, your body is more then likely to be sitting there to be resurrected, after a bit of healing to your chest, in this environement, there may not be anything left that could be resurrected. For instance, if your in a fighter in a large battle, and you get hit, then the chances of your spaceship's survival is pretty slim. If your ship gets blown, then your not going to make it out either. On a large battleship, you may have an easier time of it, as you could work your way to an escape pod before the whole thing blows, if it does, and get out. But then you have to worry about the pods being targetted. If your onworld somewhere, the weapons are also more devistating then a blade; a shot in the head with a projectile weapon will kill you immediately. A single slice accross the chest with a blaster/laser gun, could cut or blow you in half. On top of that, there wouldnt be any magical ressurection, so if there isnt enough left of the head, then there is no bringing them back. So in this environment, "Realistically" death would be quicker, and ressurrection either nonexistant, or very limited to special lucky cirumstances. Not having a permadeath system however would just make it (imo) silly and kill the RP factor. Ideas?