Re: Killing off players... er... characters

From: flemyng@cse.ucsc.edu (E.P. Flemyng)

Date: Fri, 04 Jul 1997 00:00:00 +0000

Karen Cravens brings up an excellent point (in addition to making a
laudable attempt to get this newsgroup off of tired threads!) in bringing
up the question of killing PCs. I've never run a money-making RPG pbm,
but when I ran a hobby RPG/pbm, I warned players that really stupid
decisions and actions could result in death to characters. I recall
doing my best to ameliorate the the whims of god so characters didn't
die "for the wrong reasons." Not sure how this would fit in with
computer moderated for-profit games, but my partner the computer-whiz
tells me she see no reason you couldn't build in any number of flags and
warnings and assists to keep PCs from making really stupid actions.
Aside from "wasting turns," it seems like an okay idea.

But as a player, I object to games that have no risk. While I don't
desire to play games that mirror every aspect of reality, I strongly
object to games that are so divorced from reality that armies don't need
food, wounds never slow you down, the skies are never cloudy, and death
is something to be doled out to NPCs only. Yes, I play in for-pay games
too, and yes, I've been wiped out in games. That happens. A game is
something you play for fun, but there should be risks and the risks
should have consequences.

Enough said. Someone else?

E. P. Flemyng
Santa Cruz, California

References

Killing off players... er... characters
silver@phoenyx.net (Karen J. Cravens)
Thu, 03 Jul 1997 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Killing off players... er... characters
silver@phoenyx.net (Karen J. Cravens)
Thu, 03 Jul 1997 00:00:00 +0000