faux-permadeath ideas

[Saekee]

Right now there is a dichotomy between permadeath (you die, delete character) or what is currently on the live servers (you know, rez'em). I am wondering what other options might exist outside this that also may carry rewards for players that undertake the challenge:

1. Die Once: when you reincarnate, you check a box called 'Die Once' (crummy title but bear with me...). If your character dies, he or she is teleported back to the beach with a certain rogue questioning away. So you do not permadeath, you just start over at level 1. The advantage of assuming this challenge is that at level 20, one gets two PLs: racial and class, and there is some kind of minor xp boost along the way for quests and wildernesses. Also, once one reaches 20, this shuts off so one can continue normally in epics (die or whatever and get rezzed in epics)
2. Unrezzable: if you die in a quest, it is over. Can't rez or jibber or anything. Shrines are only for resting. Bonus: Permanent +x% xp bonus for all quests. Not sure what 'x' bonus would be. However, considering that vet toons rarely die outside reaper, this might be a fun option and the extra xp would mitigate the occasional incompletable quest due to deaths. It would also encourage grouping since you might croak but others finish for you to get quest credit xp.
3. The Punisher: there is an optional quest xp bonus for not dying. This option, when checked for an entire life, adds +5% xp (or something like that) for not dying in a quest and 0 xp for even one death. We could even have multiple deaths tax accumulated xp which would be quite funny. You get the idea, use your imagination if computers have not funneled your brain into limited yes/no binaries.
4. Newborn: you shut down all benefits of PLs accumulated. +10% xp. This option not available to new toons...This will help second life toons level quickly as it is of minimal cost to them and will enable the closing of the gap with veterans who wouldn't do this. This can be done together with one of the above.

Any other suggestions in the thread will be added here in OP. Would you do any of these if they were available?

[C-Dog]

There have also been static groups that have allowed a certain # of deaths before the character is out (of the group, at least) - so it's not "zero tolerance", and you have some leeway in being sloppy/unlucky.

But for me (and I played on the HCL only while it was on Lammania), it was the rush of "do or die" - literally. I ~almost~ died early on - dropped to -8 or so in the middle of a battle that included a Reaper, so everyone else was busy NOT dying (instead of healing me) - and it was GREAT! And that moment, that pivotal action that literally decided the future of that character, was one of the best I've had in my entire DDO experience. The fight up to my fall, and then rooting for everyone else (so they could toss me a bone) was total edge-of-my-seat. (And Thanks Devs!)

And, looking back at it, it was because it was not my decision whether I would delete the character or not, the decision was already made when I signed up for the HCL experience. It was hard-coded - die, and you're done, literally game over. I could not say "but I like this build... I'll just keep it around for other groups..." - nupe, saiyonara suckah.

But that may not be for everyone. So...

I would think it would not be hard to have a separate, optional page during CharGen where you could select what sort of "Permadeath" rules YOU want to play by for that specific character - if any - and only then does that become hard-coded for that character. Maybe a label on the "examine" window that clearly states what rules this character plays by (for static groups/etc.) That way, anyone can volunteer for some of the same thrill as on the HCL server (if none of the (same) rewards, or at least just for lesser ones).

[Saekee]

hey thx Cdog, I too think there should be some way to mix and match. Hardcore is one extreme of die-and-you-are-oit.

My suggestions offer lesser risks in the case of dying and different rewards. It would make it very possible too for players with different settings to group, and one type of setting may assist another.

I suspect that the quad boxers would love this option. Anyway it would make Altoplay faster since you might have gear etc for a toon but just want to level them quickly