Fear of death is a tough emotion to create in an MMO. If you die while working on a “kill ten mobs” quest, is it so devastating that you completely rethink your approach to the quest? Hell, did you go into the quest even caring about the fact that you might die a few times? When raiding, do you ever REALLY care if you die, especially if the raid boss goes down? As a tank, do you ever just turn and run towards the instance portal to save yourself rather than continuing to hold agro? Even in WAR’s RvR, does anyone actual fear a single death at any point?
Fear of death exists in EVE, because losing your ship and pod is a bitch, both in ISK cost and time to reload. You don’t carelessly jump into 0.0 space and poke around in your battleship, and if you die you certainly don’t jump into your next battleship and head right back into 0.0 to continue wandering around. You might get into an empty clone and a frigate to explore, but you take those actions to limit the penalty of death, which is just an extension of that fear.
Fear of death also exists in DarkFall, as dying means losing all your gear and getting tossed back to your bindstone, which depending on the location could be 30 minutes or more from the spot of your death. Much like EVE, the better equipped you are, the higher your fear of death is. When people are looking just to cross from one spot to another, they usually run naked or close to it. If you just head out to mess around, usually you don’t wear your top stuff. That stuff you save for special occasions, mainly organized PvP, which is also usually the event that leads to your death.
Which brings me to my point; being able to control your fear of death is a make-or-break characteristic in a game like DarkFall. Everyone is always searching for that ‘balanced’ fight, as it’s not much fun beating someone ten vs one, or being that one person jumped by ten. We are always looking for that great 8v8 contest, where numbers are not a factor and each player’s actions are vital. The funny thing is, you stand a good chance to die in that 8v8, and since we are talking organized PvP, you are likely wearing some nice gear, so it’s only natural that some players are going to break early and try to escape, especially if their part of the 8v8 is not going well. This usually leads to a chain reaction, and more often than not the fight result is a few deaths with the rest running away.
One common characteristic among top PvP clans is their ability to judge combat situations quickly, and their resolve to stick with a fight rather than break and run. They have a lot of confidence in their clan mates, and they believe that even if they lose their individual battle, their team usually comes out the winner. Fighting to the bitter end keeps your opponent(s) occupied, allowing the rest of your team to hopefully win their battle and either assist you, or at least finish off your weakened foe. Often enough, simply having that resolve to continue the fight is enough to break weaker teams, and even if the numbers or in-game skills don’t favor them, they end up the winner by being the last to keep fighting.
There is a fine line between being brave and foolish however, and only a fool sticks around in a hopeless situation. It’s knowing that line, trusting your team, and having the resolve to go down fighting when necessary is what separates the elite few from the pack.
Hardcore Casual 
Good Post Syncaine.
Having finally begun my experiences in game with Darkfall, and coming directly from EVE and a short stint in WAR, I’d like to hear your (and others) viewpoints regarding team combat in DF vs other MMOs/FPSs.
I’m very familiar w/ the combat coordination in EVE. And, based on my experiences in other games, EVE often demonstrates one of the most team-centric approaches to combat.
You usually have a designated leader of your fleet whose job it is to verbally communicate goals, routes, targets, etc. And, somewhat like other MMOs, your players have roles (tackle, ranged or close dps, EWar, etc).
I’m just starting in Darkfall, but during the few combat encounters I’ve experienced with a team, there does not seem to be as much coordination.
It may be due to the chaotic sense of every battle. It may be due to the somewhat less defined individual roles.
I’d like to hear others ideas/experiences with combat coordination as a team and it’s place in Darkfall.
And not to be off topic, I think you are SPOT ON with regard to the emotional tension in DF and EVE being based almost exclusively on the RISK vs REWARD of the full loot and travel distance mechanics.
You just made me want to go play CS.
Repair bills, XP penalties and / or the frustration of having to run back from my bind point are really all I need to try my hardest to avoid death. Especially in a game where it will mean ten or 20 minutes of downtime to get back in the game.
Harsher death penalties than that make me unwilling to try and push my limits. That was one of the things I thought frankly bit about launch EQ. One of the reasons I believe that EVE does so well is that there is so much to do without needing to put yourself in any real risk. You can putter around in “safe space” and still have a very deep game at your fingertips. It doesn’t cater soley to the hardcore PvP crowd, which I am still convinced is a pretty small niche.
Nice post, I LOVE that fear, actually. I don’t like aggravation, so a game that can find that balance is nice to play. Hell, I had to end up forcing perma-death on one of my characters to see how that felt.
It sucked! :)
Beau Turkey
Great post, but I guess there is also a fine balance with the devs who have to create some sort of fear in the game but not so much that people are too scared to do anything in the game.
Bank often.
Don’t carry possessions you cannot afford to lose.
There isn’t such a thing as a fair fight, only a fight.
Those advices are from EVE noob forums and they are applicable to any game where death penalty is more serious than “geewhiz, now i have to do a daily to repair”.
:)
I do fear death in Eve… mostly due to the wasted time. Going to buy a new ship, then getting it fitted can take up a sizeable chunk of my playtime.
From what I’ve seen from Darkfall, it is less time to get back in the fight, but still. That’s what I like about WAR… its easier to get back in the action.
Sadly the same used to apply to PVE. I miss those days.
The thing DF does really well is the revival/gank system. This way if your team is winning the fight and you get killed you can still get back into action. But if you are losing then you guys will get wiped and be slaughtered.
One of the intriguing things about a real death penalty is the idea of holding the line vs retreat. In other MMO’s there really isn’t an option, you just fight to the bitter end cause you can just respawn and get back into battle right away. This adds another layer of depth and meaning to battles.
Also if you’re guild holds a city, it is in a sense a safe zone and you can do all of your harvesting/crafting within the walls assuming the city is developed enough.
Right, the idea is not HOW harsh to make the death penalty, it’s the fact that when it’s harsh ENOUGH, it will start to effect how you play. For me personally that’s a plus, as it’s another layer to separate good players from bad ones, and has next to nothing to do with how much time you can spend grinding.
Smaken, exactly right. Of all the things i really liked about original EQ that I just haven’t been able to find since is that very real fear of death in PvE. Hell, in many games these days people use death as a simple mechanic for quick travel or to get around other “aspects” of a game. It’s sad. Death has become a joke in most games, and that removes any fear or tension i get in playing those games which also reduces the good feelings you get when winning an encounter etc. – thus making those games a complete snoozefest.
I never used to PvP at all, outside of a short stint in Eve. I’ve come to Darkfall from another (failed) PvE game hoping to get some of that fear and also sense of reward back into my gaming experience. So far, it’s worked.
I’ll never forget the dramatic tension involved in making a run through Kithicor Forest at night. EVE has some moments like that, but nothing in PvE.
It’s easy to fight when everything’s right,
And you’re mad with the thrill and the glory;
It’s easy to cheer when victory’s near,
And wallow in fields that are gory.
It’s a different song when everything’s wrong,
When you’re feeling infernally mortal;
When it’s ten against one, and hope there is none,
Buck up, little soldier, and chortle:
Carry on! Carry on!
There isn’t much punch in your blow.
You’re glaring and staring and hitting out blind;
You’re muddy and bloody, but never you mind.
Carry on! Carry on!
You haven’t the ghost of a show.
It’s looking like death, but while you’ve a breath,
Carry on, my son! Carry on!
– Robert W. Service