Newbie thoughts on experience penalty for death

[JoeBWan]

As a new player on this mud, I find the xp penalty for death intimidating and that it hinders me from doing things that would probably improve my overall knowledge and skills.

Let me start by saying I don't want level 50 given to me for free, and I don't want death to be without consequence. I just find that a large penalty for death that does not reset to some base level can be rather harsh. I can't imagine how frustrated I would be if I hit several successive deaths and was in the hole approximately 27% of my total xp.

In my short time here, I have gotten the feeling that ultimately this mud focuses on two thing: roleplaying and player killing. I don't see how this penalty adds any value to either of those two aspects of the game. What it does do, in my opinion, is punish newbies who aren’t familiar with the land for exploring new areas. These areas could contain potentially powerful and agro mobs. It also limits other types of risk taking activities, such as trying to take on a slightly more powerful mobile in order to have a look at its equipment. It is quite possible that this second limitation might be the purpose of the penalty.

This is just my admittedly uneducated opinion, and is not based on any major xp loss I have incurred. It is more based on my reluctance to explore for fear of taking several big experience hits.

[Magick]

As a new player on this mud' date=' I find the xp penalty for death intimidating and that it hinders me from doing things that would probably improve my overall knowledge and skills.[/quote']

Welcome to Forsaken Lands. Death is to be intimidating. Live each of your lives to their fullest and take every precaution against death you can.

Let me start by saying I don't want level 50 given to me for free' date=' and I don't want death to be without consequence. I just find that a large penalty for death that does not reset to some base level can be rather harsh. I can't imagine how frustrated I would be if I hit several successive deaths and was in the hole approximately 27% of my total xp.[/quote']To be frightfully honest, most of us have been there. 50-75K exp holes. Some of us get out of it, it may take alot of time, but it's possible. Others delete and try again. Some try then delete.

In my short time here' date=' I have gotten the feeling that ultimately this mud focuses on two thing: roleplaying and player killing. I don't see how this penalty adds any value to either of those two aspects of the game. What it does do, in my opinion, is punish newbies who aren’t familiar with the land for exploring new areas. These areas could contain potentially powerful and agro mobs. It also limits other types of risk taking activities, such as trying to take on a slightly more powerful mobile in order to have a look at its equipment. It is quite possible that this second limitation might be the purpose of the penalty.[/quote']Don't look at it as a 'punishment for newbies' but instead a 'punishment for vets who got stupid.' But wait, there's more. And a silver lining. If you take a death pre-50 and as a newbie, one can always look upon that as 'I'm not quite ready for advancement yet, what can I do to improve before gaining a level.' Believe me. The more time you spend at the lower ranks, the better off you'll be at 50 where the learning curve in PK is so much steeper. Know the lands, run around. Know what mobs can kill you at what levels, agressive, etc. Oh, don't get me wrong. Advance to 50 as fast as you can, you'll be better balanced skill/spell wise than you would at 30.

This is just my admittedly uneducated opinion' date=' and is not based on any major xp loss I have incurred. It is more based on my reluctance to explore for fear of taking several big experience hits.[/quote']Don't be reluctant. Take the death and trek on. Learn. Explore. If there's one thing to keep in your mind if the 'hesitation' kicks in is that this is ... only a game. You were waiting for that, weren't you? Sure, you may be attached to your character, but the longer you stay here, the more memorable characters you'll have and when you reflect like some of us do from time to time, you sit there and go ... wow. That was great.

Just think of the exp penalty as a way to think what not to do. Therefore, you won't do it again later on that char or another you roll.

I'm tired and now I'm rambling on again.

Again, welcome to FL.

[sixfeetunder]

To be frightfully honest, most of us have been there. 50-75K exp holes. Some of us get out of it, it may take alot of time, but it's possible. Others delete and try again. Some try then delete.

Agreed to this, I think the worst exp hole I ever worked out of was somewhere in the neighborhood of 230k. It happens, brush yourself off and go on. Once you learn where something big, bad, and nasty is, avoid that area and come back later, you'd be surprised the difference 3-5 levels can make. Sure, it might take some time, but it's something we've all done at one point or another.

Don't be reluctant. Take the death and trek on. Learn. Explore. If there's one thing to keep in your mind if the 'hesitation' kicks in is that this is ... only a game. You were waiting for that' date=' weren't you? Sure, you may be attached to your character, but the longer you stay here, the more memorable characters you'll have and when you reflect like some of us do from time to time, you sit there and go ... wow. That was great.[/quote']

Another agreement here. If you're really interested in exploring and finding things, don't worry about the exp holes. No matter what your background in MUDding, the likelihood is your first character will die alot here. But learn from the deaths, like I said before, come back later and try again. It's the only way you will really learn. Yes, FL is focused very heavily on the PK/RP aspects, but without knowledge of the world and what's in it, can you really expect your PK experience to be wholly satisfying? If you want to avoid the PK situation for a bit, create an adventurer, rank to 30, then use them for the sole purpose of exploring and dying. You'll find alot out there that'll be helpful.

Like Magick said, welcome to FL JoeBWan. Explore, don't get discouraged, and most importantly, have fun.

[ajwetton]

I'd look at it this way, I tried playing another mud, more specifically WOT mud. and firstly their exp scale was retarded, by the time I think i was lvl 14 there I had as much or more experience with a pinnacle character here, i mean to get to lvl 14 it was like 1mil exp. and when you died you took a bigger whole there and you could actually lose lvls. I hated that fact and its made me quit that mud and come back here.

PS ,

if you can't get a hunting party together Spell spamming, or training your combat skills is a good way to knock little chunks of that whole down.

[Anume]

If you use something like a cleric for exploring you have both protective shield, can use fly and have word of recall. If you are good or neutral, some of the exp loss will be given back if you can get a healer to resurrect you.

I did most of my exploring with a drow ninja (180.000 exp hole here I come... ) and a neutral (or possibly evil) warrior (long time). Doesn't really matter, just keep at it.

[Fiere]

I've always felt the same as you, JoeBwan. I mean, the sum total of answers to this seems to be something along the lines of "it happens, deal with it", which is a ridiculous reason to keep it. On the other hand, I see two real reasons to keep it: one, to discourage suicide/ghost abusing and two, to give healers something to do. I definitely think something could be done about this.

[Anume]

As you said, Fiere, without the penalty ghost status would be abused way too much. To get to eq, to avoid a legit pdeath, to get to an area you could usually not reach at low rank.

[Iusedtobesomebody]

ahhh, yes, the lowbie "suicide-and-run-around-to-areas-and-see-what's-on-the-ground" routine. the only thing is, at low levels, it's easy to rank out of a hole of, say, 10,000. now, if you're at 49 and die to the Curse, now you got a much bigger hole. back in 1.0, when druid gate was bugged, i had a hole of roughly 186,000. gated, died. thought "oh, my bad luck. gated a while, later, died. thought, crap not again. a third time, and i noted the fact i never landed in a forest. by then, i had a big hole. so i kept doing it to test it. had a HUGE hole. deleted at 46. good thing the character was going nowhere (Archalon was nowhere around, and the Forest Circle had only me).

the exp penalty for mobdeath is fine, IMO. as you get older (in ranks), you should get wiser. it's a dangerous place. keep on your toes.

[Deykari]

Thing is, imagine you're a rank 40 Elf Paladin and you work yourself into a 50k exp hole. Sure it can be demoralizing, but to delete get another Elf Paladin to rank 40 will take a whole lot more than 50k's worth of EXP.

Dey

[mya]

Wait untill you die on a Elven Paladin to a PK Shaman Desinthery and get a mob death XP penalty... (i think this got changed).

Good to see someone from Wotmud, hehe, the stating system there was INSANE .

With my first character i think i did not even got to rank 20. SO mutch dieing and lowsys Roll made him go. And i was a experienced mudder.

If you want an advice, get a human paladin or warrior and go good with the adventurer perk.

That way you will die less, and have a easyer time ranking up.

A human paladin with his cures can rank alone till high 30's.

[mya]

Also when you die, get a healer.

[Iusedtobesomebody]

with my human paladin that i targeted for crusader, i solo'd him to 42ish. easy to do with knowledge of areas and mobs, and patience. was gonna try and do it to 50, but i got antsy to app for 'sader.