[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] Perma-death

[Steve "Bloo" Daniels]

Dana V. Baldwin wrote:
> cruise wrote:
>> Thus spake Damion Schubert...
>>
>>> 'the Undying' after their name is a very rare event.
>> I'm curious - can anybody else comment on other player's reactions to
>> these titles? I'm interested in how much other people care about such
>> titles.
> 
> Other players could not care less. Its actually only rare because it
> isn't much of an achievement 

Says the man who hasn't reached it and keeps telling me "Oh just go
die and get it over with, then you can start enjoying the game." ;)

But, I don't see much of a game in any of the level treadmillers.
I see an "activity."  It is an inconsequential achievement.  But I
want it.  I wouldn't be surprised if I unsub upon reaching it.

> Tangible nbenefit or not, I almost drove over to a couple of my guildies
> house and beat them with a hoe (my fave) when I died at level 15. *sigh*
> 
> I almost rerolled.

Aha.  See!

> Speaking of which, one member of our guild is playing the game on
> voluntary perma death. Yup, he dies, he rerolls and mails all his loots.
> If you'd like to have unending conversations about how the real issue
> with perma death is content, give it a try yourself.

That would be me.  Although, I think Dana is actually referring to my
boredom/loathing of the level-based advancement system.  I heard fun
things about WoW "after you reach level 60" (when that was the max) - 
why not start there?  To answer my own question: because creating the
type and quality of content (consumable quests and such), that would
keep people as entertained, i.e., paying over time, would be a HUGE
challenge and cost.  (And that leads into a whole thing about the
real problem is the costs of production and the whole Fat Girl In Iowa
thing, etc.).

IMO, Traveller > D&D.

Though the latter has skads of content, and much of traveller's, uh,
lets just say it does not age well and "nostalgia's a helluva drug."

But back to permadeath in LOTRO.

I'm on character 7 or so.  Upon defeat, I create a new character with
a new class.  Guardian seems to reward my style of play best, I don't
skulk about trying to get XP without risk.  I like to fight whites and
yellows, the rest are just time sucks which I skip unless they are
quest related.  Minstrel was going very well until I started pulling
*all* the agro of elite mobs.

"Oh no," thinks the elite mob.  "There's this guy with a big sharp sword
in my face, and he's trying to stab me in the face, but some wussy elf
twenty yards is singing a song to him and it seems to be making him feel
better.  I better turn my back to the guy with the sword who is 
right-the-F-here, and run over there and kill that singer."

Lazy design (or lack of design) is why I tend not to play these level
treadmill games long.  I start because "me like shiny", but the chrome
is ruined all too quickly for me.  Oh, right.  Kill X Foo for Y Bar.
*Yawn*.  If I'm ever involved in the design of something like that,
it will be purely for bidne$$.

I think the title system is great.  It makes sense on many levels.
And in an MMO that is otherwise pretty lacking in innovation, it stands
out.  I hope they add a bazillion titles that are hidden until achieved,
and maybe even then don't tell you how to replicate them.  I also think
it would be great if their GMs had the ability to give a character a
title on the spot (of course, the player still chooses to display it or
not).  In the early days of Anarchy Online, in the Hydra 
clan/guild/corporation, which was founded by Dana, one member went to
the in-game disco and had a live365 or whatever channel playing music.
Lots of people would tune his station and have their avatar dance in
the disco.  The AO GMs changed his in-game name to "DJ <foo>".  That
was frakkin' cool of them.

Because it is possible to get Undying through farming green mobs until
the next presidential administration, I wish Turbine would add some 
titles that reflected how often you actually fight dangerous mobs.
"... the Brave" if <50% of your kills are white or above.
"... the Reckless" if <75% ...
The Cowardly, The Craven, The Foolhardy, The Wanton, The Berserk.

With an early minstrel I tried, I refused to voluntarily engage in 
combat and only fought things that I couldn't escape from.  Only managed
level 6 until defeat though.  I'd display "Rayvaughn the Cowardly" if
it were an option.

Sorry for the ramble.

-Bloo the Unending, Sayer of Nay, Smasher of UIs, Hard Worker, Loyal 
Bachelor, and All Around Fine Person.