I know this disclamer won't help and I'll get flamed anyways  , but This isn't to argue the pros and cons of permadeath.  This thread is just go get info out to people that there is a fairly large permadeath (or hardcore if you prefer) community in Dungeon's & Dragons Online.

On March 7th, The Sublime Permadeath Guild of the Thelanis Server will be celebrating 2 years of deleting characters when they die. Like any MMO guild, players have come and gone but we're still going strong, even inspired others to form their own permadeath guilds on other servers like Mortal Voyage on Argonnesson and Extreme Explorers on Sarlona

Permadeath in DDO is based on the honor system as there is no in-game support for it. Each guild has their own rules that are for the most part: Delete when you die, no twinking, no grouping with non-pd twinked characters.  The variations in each guild give them each their own flavor (I tend to see them as Mortal Voyage being a bit more hardcore, Extreme Explorers more casual, and Sublime sort of in the middle). Many normal guilds also have their own permadeath groups(Legion Permadeath on Thelanis managed to make it to the level cap) and I'll occasionally run into some permadeath static-groups in the taverns.

For those of you that always wanted to try but just weren't sure how here is your chance. If you've tried DDO and it wasn't for you, just do what Calakmul did when he started the Sublime... Post a thread on the game's forums looking for like-minded players to set aside an alt for your once a week permadeath group. Before you know it, it could be 2 years later and there are 20+ people logged in on a Friday night .

Now thats just straight up weird .... DDO IS NOT A PERMADEATH GAME, dont play it as one.

First congrats for going 2yrs strong.

Second, do you delete your character if you happen to die due to lag? Or your ISP suddenly goes out and you were in the middle of a lot of mobs with your group. So not only do you die because of the lag but so do some of your group members. What do you do?

I'm just curious is all. Sounds like a lot of fun actually.

Originally posted by Malduster

Now thats just straight up weird .... DDO IS NOT A PERMADEATH GAME, dont play it as one.

I agree. Other people should only play games how I tell them to play; creativity is scary and I don't like being scared.

 [edit] le sigh

I salute this.  It is roleplaying at its finest.  No one is making them use mains for this...its a once-in-a-while thing that they log on and enjoy that aspect.

Each of those guilds should be offered something from the company to reward them for adding something colorful to the game.  I hate permadeath, and actually didn't care much for DDO...but I actually considered playing it when I saw this JUST for those "friday night" PD groups.  I was a DM for years (still am) so the whole nature of it just brings me back to a warm fuzzy place.

Originally posted by Sevenwind

First congrats for going 2yrs strong.

Second, do you delete your character if you happen to die due to lag? Or your ISP suddenly goes out and you were in the middle of a lot of mobs with your group. So not only do you die because of the lag but so do some of your group members. What do you do?

I'm just curious is all. Sounds like a lot of fun actually.

 

 

Yes, we make it very clear that lag death is death. I've been lucky so far and only lost two that way, one to lag and one to a Blue Screen of Death at a boss fight.  We do make exceptions for known bugs (there use to be a nasty one that would deal a ton of falling damage while you were standing on the ground )

You have to be in the right state of mind (or is it the wrong state of mind) to do permadeath. It's about the journey, memorable fights, close calls and losses. Some play nothing but permadeath and some just have an alt or two that they play with permadeath rules.

If I'm not mistaken I think a few of the DDO devs play in a perma-death guild. I can't remember where I heard that.

Well, while I think perma-death is too stressful and should have no place in a fun game, it is obviously the player's prerogative to play as they see fit.

I salute those who would throw hours and hours worth of char development down the drain because of an ideal.

Originally posted by Malduster

Ooooh im sorry, its "Role play"....

Err whats your problem exactly they are not forcing this on anyone and it seems they enjoy it?

He's just pissed because he can't get it past the zipper, and it's everyone else's fault.

It actually sounds like a fun way to play this particular mmorpg. Grats on your 2 year anniversary.

<Mod edit>

OP: nice iniciative, I had no idea this existed. Wonder is there is a guild doing that in WOW. BTW it's been years since the last time I died of lag in WOW, and it just happened twice I think.

Originally posted by GDMenace

 

Originally posted by Malduster

Now thats just straight up weird .... DDO IS NOT A PERMADEATH GAME, dont play it as one.

 

I agree. Other people should only play games how I tell them to play; creativity is scary and I don't like being scared.

 [edit] le sigh

I don't see the idea of perma-death being creative. It is certainly not new and not an unknown. It is certainly not popular for obvious reasons and that does not make it creative.

I would say it is a niche preference. Nothing more, nothing less.

your guild forum probably has some of the best stories. Even if they're earned through a slightly psychotic method, they're still earned.

Originally posted by nariusseldon

 

Originally posted by GDMenace

 

Originally posted by Malduster

Now thats just straight up weird .... DDO IS NOT A PERMADEATH GAME, dont play it as one.

 

I agree. Other people should only play games how I tell them to play; creativity is scary and I don't like being scared.

 [edit] le sigh

 

I don't see the idea of perma-death being creative. It is certainly not new and not an unknown. It is certainly not popular for obvious reasons and that does not make it creative.

I would say it is a niche preference. Nothing more, nothing less.

I've some rather terrible news for you.  Being completely new is not a requirement for creativity.  True story.  Most art uses old styles, ALL music is a twist on progressions that have been used since the dawn of sound.  Creativity is not the "imagining of un-imagined things".  It includes those, but is not limited to them.

Creativity :    the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination

So simply being able to do something beyond the traditional rules and patterns DOES equal being creative.  I'd say that playing Permadeath in a game which actually has NONE is fairly creative BY DEFINITION.

It helps to actually look up the words you are trying to define.

Originally posted by paulscott

your guild forum probably has some of the best stories. Even if they're earned through a slightly psychotic method, they're still earned.

Its only psychotic if their goal is to progress.  If they like running up numerous alts it makes perfect sense.

Originally posted by nariusseldon

Well, while I think perma-death is too stressful and should have no place in a fun game, it is obviously the player's prerogative to play as they see fit.

I salute those who would throw hours and hours worth of char development down the drain because of an ideal.

 

For me the character development dosn't matter on my Permadeath guys. Sure it's great when I make it to the higher levels and get some cool new ability, but I had a lot more fun getting there than I did on my non-permadeath characters.

I can vividly remember a high level near-wipe when 4 of our 6-man team died. A paladin in the group led the attackers away from the downed party and the ranger snuck back in to save somebody that had gone incap (0 to -10 hp, not dead yet but can't do anything). The paladin died but the Ranger and Fighter survived because of it.

The rogue was over his head, caught in a nasty trap and moments from death when out of nowhere he is hit by the Paladin's Lay on Hands and back up to full health. Without any thought for his own saftey the Paladin had run in after the rogue when it became clear he wouldn't make it out. They made a break for it and the rogue made it out but the Paladin was burned to a crisp. The rogue later wrote up a great post about it on the forums

(odd that those seem to happen more often with paladins isn't it? )

A party member fell off a ledge into a big mess of angry monsters below and the whole group jumped down to help her... everybody died but it was a close fight and we had a good laugh over it.

It's definately not for everybody but I love the sense of adventure it puts back into the game. That very real threat of death around the corner.

This is a cool idea to make it more of a D&D feeling, although me personaly being the cause of several deaths to thouse around me i will have to pass.  after all who would want a rogue in their PD party named Tripper of Traps?  atleast thats what my name was in beta heh.

Cool, good idea.

I play D&D the actual pen and paper game with permadeth so make sense to do it in game.

To the people who think its a waste of time. Think of the sense of accomplishment you will get when you get max level or get out of a tricky situation.  It requires more than just running in a mob and taking out a bunch of guys before you die . you have to plan ahead of time.

this almost makes me wanna play ddo and try it out w u guys... ive never played ddo tho.. can you play w/ higher lvls in the game? or is it not an issue because people die alot?

Originally posted by Bill_Pardy

(odd that those seem to happen more often with paladins isn't it? )

  Not at all.  In my D&D crews there were always two guys who would play nothing but pallies.  I was never a stickler for following all the rules...but I did enforce playing up to your alignment.  (particularly because several skills and spells...not to mention divine powers...were tied to it)

  Part of being lawful good meant doing crap like that.  I figure that people who actually want to play a "bringer of light and aweseomness" already have that role in mind when they make one.  Its no shock that they play it up.