[18 July 2004] Perma-Death: The Horse that just won't die

This question has haunted the nightmares of many game designers and fans since the early days of the MMOG genre. Words ranging from "immersion" and "challenge" to "hassle" and "joy-killing" are slung in debates on this topic worse than lunch-line mashed potatoes. So why is Perma-Death such a hot topic? Why do players and developer's alike break into two distinct factions of "Love" and "Hate" anytime an unlucky soul mentions this topic? In the view of this author, it's because everyone likes a good argument and that's about it.

We've all seen players ask for Perma-Death mechanics on game forums before. Most of the time the topic will be brought up pre-beta, debated and beaten to death, then forgotten until the next new game. Suggestions of Perma-Death servers or optional mechanics for Perma-Death are constantly suggested and requested, but to no avail. The status-quo of game design says Perma-Death is a "Bad Thing". I've never been a fan of status-quo.

Let's look at the issue a bit closer. Starting with the Pro Perma-Death camp we hear the arguments of "immersion", "challenge", and "realism". Those players who want to see Perma-Death systems feel that it adds a great deal to the challenge of a game. The Risk vs. Reward equation goes up and as such the feeling of accomplishment. They also feel that it adds a level of realism to the game that helps to make the entire game more immersive and believable. Valid points all around, but are they enough to warrant the risk of permanently losing a hard-earned character? The Anti Perma-Death campers say "Hell No!"

Just as firmly set in their views, the Anti Perma-Death flag bearers tout the arguments of "joy-killing", "dummying down" and "over-realism". Claims that the risk of Perma-Death forces players to seek unchallenging encounters and thus hurt their enjoyment lead the charge. Following close behind is the claim that any Perma-Death mechanics in a MMOG would kill the enjoyment of players due to not achieving any "significant" advancement because of character loss. Let us not forget, amid these other arguments, the claim that the "over-realism" of Perma-Death ruins the immersive feel of a game for players. Amazing how this argument is contorted on both sides of the coin, isn't it?

Well at the risk of drawing both camps down on myself, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that BOTH camps are right, and wrong. That's right; I'm walking the thin grey line between sides. The honest fact is that both sides of this argument have valid points. There are pros and cons to Perma-Death in a MMOG and they both have to be considered objectively in order to come to a true conclusion. So lets list out some of those pros and cons.

• Increased sense of accomplishment- when you achieve level 60 and did so under the threat of Perma-Death it will give you one heck of a sense of accomplishment.
• Increased sense of adventure- if you thought facing that Ogre Chieftain was exciting before, imagine how adrenaline pumping a fight will be if there's a real risk involved.
• Increased Immersion- sitting around the tavern and holding a wake for the recently fallen friend, or attending a funeral adds a feel of realism to the game.

• "Safe Play" takes over- if players have to worry about losing their character anytime they take on dangerous activities, they will instead stick to mundane and safe ones.
• No sense of achievement- players who constantly have to start over will never feel a sense of achievement and will soon tire of the game.
• Overly Real Game Environment- people play MMOG's to get away from reality and having to deal with a character's friend's death in game is too real.

So we see that in many cases the points used as pros can be flipped and used as cons also. Where does that leave us then? As I said before, it leaves us looking to the middle ground. It is in search of that middle ground that I take us back a little over ten years in time to the release of a MUD known as DragonRealms. Now anyone that knows me or my posts in various gaming forums knows that I'm a huge fan of this MUD that has outlasted many other games. One of the reasons why, is in fact, the death system.

DragonRealms pioneered a death system that blended the risk of Perma-Death with the playability of recycle death. The method was simplicity itself, but added an all new depth to the game - one that could go a long way to making other MMOGs better in the long run. The system is simple: as long as the character has "favors" from their god or gods, they do not face Perma-Death when they die. The flip side is, if a character dies without these "favors" then there is a high probability that they will face Perma-Death. The method to obtain favors is simple - sacrifice a little XP. The more favors you want to carry, the more XP you have to sacrifice, but at least you never have to worry about Perma-Death.

This system perfectly melds the Pros of both camps into a seamless whole and tosses out the cons like dirty bath water. The player is given full control over their fate. If they either don't wish to give up XP to obtain favors, or they want the "Iron Man" feel to their play then they simply do not obtain favors. However, should the player want the safety net of recycling death, it is as easy to ensure as getting a "favor". Speaking as someone who has played it both ways, it really does work. I've lost characters to Perma-Death and can say with certainty it aggravated me to no end. While it aggravated me though, I knew it was my fault because I had chosen not to obtain extra favors before venturing out on a dangerous quest.

The solution to this age-old debate is as simple as looking to the middle ground, but as I said before.too many players and developers alike enjoy a good argument. It's a lot easier to sit back and offer rejections to people's suggestions than it is to try and make them work. Until players can get over their love of blabbering at one another, we'll be flogging this poor dead horse over and over and over. I bet this is one horse that wishes for a Perma-death game.