Dear RoH players,

Death sucks. As much as 20% xp loss, and a corresponding loss in spell realms, weapon proficiencies, saving throws, prestige, and most of all, time. A lot of people quit either that character or the entire game when they die. We don't want that to happen. We've been discussing many possible alternative death penalties, and the following idea seems most reasonable. Please feel free to make comments and suggestions. If enough people support this idea, it may be implemented very soon.

Currently:

At higher levels, XP loss is 14% for death to a mob, and 10% for death to poison, traps, etc. At lower levels, XP loss is something like 6-7%. Of course, this lower end doesn't bother most people - it's the 14% at higher levels that causes tears in the eyes of grown men (including Arc and his mom).

We propose that XP loss be reduced, perhaps to 10% or even 5%. However, the added penalty is what we will call a "death penalty." This means that for the next fixed amount of XP you set out to gain, you will gain it at a slower rate. The more deaths you have in a set amount of time, the greater your death penalty.

Example: You just turned level 16 (total experience = 1 million). You head out to slay Br the Blacksmith, and you get pounded in two rounds. Instead of losing 140,000 XP, you only lose 50,000 XP. However, for the next 100,000 XP, you gain XP at a 67% rate. You die again. For the next 100,000 XP, you gain XP at a 50% rate.

These numbers are not what's going to be used - this will be decided later on. Rather, I have just used them as an example. Please provide constructive feedback on the general idea. I don't see why there is any reason to be against it, but who knows?

I do really like that instead of the current death penalty..If i could think of something or add something it would be uhh...

actually i really like that one...but i think the higher the char, the lower percent exp loss, mostly because thats what drives people to quit..a high level losing a lot of exp.

I think it's a bad idea. Why should everyone maintain high level once it is achieved? I understand that we want to keep players playing, but at what cost? Once we lose the skill-factor involved in dodging sketchy situations and exploring unknown territories with a high death-risk, we lose much depth to the game.

When I and a select few others explored much of Derlith many years ago, there was a much larger death toll on experience at all levels (20% if I recall), and there was no such thing as ressurection. Yes, it made for exploring with a paladin a nerve-racking idea. But, because I was one of the few people balsy enough to do it, I achieved many more rare items, made large sums of gold off taking people to particular places, and found better killing spots.

My sincerest heartfelt condolences go out to the recently deceased, but seriously, removing the "loss" from the death really just kills much of the game.

Besides, who's to say that someone won't just make a lvl 16 Ranger, Vamp or Thief, then just use it to explore/steal and not gain any more exp - where's the loss then?

My 2 cents

-Bodhi

This is one of the next items up on my agenda.

I want a way to discourage death, but not give people dieing a reason to suicide/quit after a death. My idea is to reduce exp loss but put in death affects. These affects would possibly reduce exp gained for x:xx time, increase tick time, _______. Any other ideas on how to discourage death but not encourage people quitting the mud after dieing would be greatly appreciated.

And to Bodhi: Exp loss will remain in, just at a reduced amount. How could we prevent the situation you described?


I'll be adding in skills soon, another thing we can do is reduce the effectiveness of skills if under death affects.

-Bane

What if you just made resurrects much more available to everyone? if it would be conceivable that the layman could get a resurrect for say 50% XP since he's not using a real cleric, and cost say.. The amount of XP regained4.. so a million XP, 150,000K lost, 75,000K back, 18,750 expense..

This will 1) Encourage people to continue playing, as they're only lose 7.5%.. Or even 5%, I like the sound of that number.

2) Not make ceris pointless, since they will circumvent the input money and allow higher XP back percentage. Maybe if teh game is more rezz friendly though, reduce the stiff pentalties of player resurrections.


Games can be entirely successful with making death a normal part of playing, not a horrible, lose 100 hours of playtime experience. Some games you die every day, no big deal. It encourages exploring, it encourages going on dangerous missions and so on. We shouldn't be afraid of losing so much on just going into a random unexplored chute of the game.

Slide wrote:

We shouldn't be afraid of losing so much on just going into a random unexplored chute of the game.

Agreed. I think everyone focuses on leveling so much because exploring (and surviving) unknown areas generally isn't feasible until level 20+.

Oh, and by the way, I can't connect. It says connected, but then it stops.

i agree with bodhi. haha losing exp is nothing. everyone gets the exp back fast anyways at high lvls. the problem is gold and loss in spell realms. At least for me that is. Also, you have ressurection already that counters death.

oh ya exploring new places you just have to play smart. Hazies are easily available now. You just have to sneak around, know when to flee or hazy. You shouldn't be exploring somewhere you can't handle anyways. If the aggro or guards in the area own you, you can't kill there just hazy and try exploring there later.

quit whining and stop dying. death loss is fine.

This is only somewhat related, but how about a new command called "recall," which will automatically search through your inventory and quaff a hazy/smokey/etc?

I think that if death penalties are too hard to change, why not make it easier to survive?