Clutching to Pieces of the Journey...

It's Not About Debt or Loss.

By Aunraye

As we draw ever closer to the dream that is Vanguard, debate has circled around
the issue of death penalties. What will they decide to put into Vanguard? Most
people can tell the great stories of their first experience with death. In her
editorial this week, Shayalyn recounted her death falling from the paths of
her tree city home. New characters, in Everquest at least, manage to avoid that
horrible search for their body until after level 10. Yet there are still possible
deaths and the frustration that goes with it.

I began my journey on the "newbie log" with two friends who were
determined to show me the ropes of this gaming world I had dared to venture
into. It was until after several hours with them and lots of auto following
that I truly lost myself into the tutorial world. It was there that I began
to learn more about the deaths that might await me in the rest of this amazing,
inspiring world I was losing myself in. I wandered too far into a cave and discovered
that alone at level 3, I was no match for the spider queen. Beyond that if I
wasn't careful, those stupid rats, yes rats, could do me some serious harm.
I couldn't believe I was being threatened by a rat!

After beginning these lessons, I was soon told about others, the infamous "corpse
runs". Time spent running desperately back into the situation that had
just gotten you killed to recover needed belongings and money. Even when those
things were only the bare essentials, you had worked for those essentials and
you wanted them back. They were yours after all! Death was more than a loss
of experience, which had been hard earned, fighting those horrid diseased ridden
rats; it was also a loss of what made you what you were. True you could go on
without that crude cheap newbie armor, and yes there was better armor that you
could now afford. However, none of that was the point. It was your weapon, your
armor that's what made it worth going back for. You had earned it and that gave
you a sense of pride.

So despite all the arguments and debates that surround the penalties of dying
in an MMO, it's not really about that. We all work hard for our experience.
Loss or debt, the point is that it's about our character, the life we want them
to have. There is no point to working as hard as we do to get them things and
gain experience if we didn't have some pride in our accomplishment. Perhaps
over time that pride fades, but I believe that we all feel it to some extent.
It's why players spend the extra hour running for their corpse. If you didn't
care you could go on your way and just buy it all again. It wouldn't be a big
deal.

I believe that Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and its developers understand that
pride, that love for your character that creates a deep internal pride. That's
why I have faith that no matter what system they put into place for death. A
system that is necessary to prevent death from being a callous event that doesn't
affect you, it will be one that takes into account the pride you get from working
your way up. You may lose some experience; you might lose a level, or perhaps
just go into debt. No matter what happens, you will be able to work your way
up and to recover without losing what makes your character you.

After hours upon hours fighting rats, snakes, skeletons, orcs, and wolves,
it's nice to look at your pack and think, "I have what I need. I can make
my new armor now." Death doesn't take that away, but sometimes it does
challenge you to hold on to what you've worked so hard to earn. Yet, what fun
would it be if everything in the game was easy? There's no fun in going after
the same set of rats over and over, believe me I've done it in the tutorial.
I got so sick of those rats! I was ready to move past the rats and on to the
spiders and their queen! Yet when she killed me, I was still proud that I faced
her and lasted till she was at 50% health! Yes me I did that. It was everything.

After all this time, perhaps gamers are too caught up in what the punishment
will be for death. It is important, but still a bit enamored with the newness
of my gaming life, I prefer to think of the positives associated with it. I
hate dying with every ounce of my soul. Despite that though I feel pride in
how far I got, that I managed to save my body from the evil villains who wish
to rob me, and that I have finally made it to a level where dying is more than
a time lapse.