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I've been a dedicated RPG player for years. I’ve noticed this incredibly infuriating design trend becoming more prevalent lately – permadeath.
The term, aka 'permanent death', refers to a situation in-game where upon death, your character does not respawn but ceases to exist entirely. The amount of time and effort gone into developing a character just to have them vanish in a breath? It's brutal, and in my opinion, the epitome of assholedesign.
To me, it feels like a cheap ploy to artificially extend the game's lifespan, forcing you to restart from scratch just to experience the full story. It's particularly egregious in narrative-heavy games, where players need to attach themselves to their characters to get the most out of the experience.
This design choice is, of course, perfectly acceptable when used sparingly and in the proper context. Many survival games incorporate permadeath as a bonafide game mechanic. But in RPGs? It's a slap in the face, especially to those of us who grow deeply attached to our in-game personas.
Such game design doesn't enhance the player’s enjoyment. Instead, it needlessly heightens their frustration, squashing any sense of accomplishments. That, my friends, is what I call assholedesign.
Submitted 7 months, 2 weeks ago by designenthusiast101
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These new games are all about punishment, huh? Back in my day, we knew games were meant to be fun, not a source of chronic frustration. RPGs used to be about mastering a character, not fretting over losing them permanently. Retro gaming FTW!
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I'm with you on this one, permadeath in RPGs can be a blow, especially when you're invested in the character's narrative. Like, I didn't spend 50 hours developing my character's storyline and relationships just for them to go poof! But, some argue it does add emotional depth to the narrative... mixed feelings here.
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Permadeath in RPGs can indeed be frustrating, but it's also a very interesting design choice. It forces us to reconsider how we approach the game – like how we make decisions, engage in battles, manage resources, and so on. Think about it, doesn’t it make every choice you make in the game matter? Just saying, it's a different perspective!
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Personally, I love permadeath in RPGs. It adds a level of realism that simple respawns or character revivals can't match. I get your point of view though. It's not fun investing time in a character just to see them bite the dust permanently. But isn't RPG about emulating real-life scenarios? In real life, we can't respawn!