The Concept Of Perma Death In Games

The Concept Of Perma Death In Games

We see permadeath in many games. Whether it is a core concept in something such as D&D or many other tabletops as well as in games such as Path Of Exile when being used not as a realism rule but as a way of accruing a standing and challenge amongst others who play the game in the same way. But what makes this challenge unparticular able to grapple in the hearts of so many.

After doing some research, I believe I have narrowed the logic behind the desire of permadeath in games to three key aspects. The first of these three aspects being Permadeath is the ultimate king of the hill. In any form of king of the hill other than a Permadeath challenge scenario, it tends to end in a way that feels cut short that or you push someone out of the hill taking it for yourself, but the satisfaction does not last because they almost immediately return making you gain not much other than fatigue. But in a situation of a game with permadeath the holding of such mantels feels more rewarding as when you pass another’s achievements or remove them from the hill there is so much more of a climb to return to the top and challenge against you once more. I feel that exemplifies best how completeness guides the drive of permadeath in games but what about that of the other two key concepts. For the next thought let’s take a look at the rarity of Gear & items in games. Now in a game or situation where when you die you lose nothing you generally don’t lose what you have earned making gear or currency gain a permanent thing but what if you wanted more worth in your gear or perhaps the ability to take from someone else. One good example of this is the north in RuneScape ( a video example here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWHzdRT9lNQ ) As you see in the video the gear is a big part of the players drive and in this instance even more so than the competitive aspect of it, for many people this is a drive to play Permadeath or permadeath style games. Now let’s take a look at what is to me personally the most pertinent factor of permadeath an aspect that I feel can be seen most when playing things such as D&D that being how it affects your emotion and thought process. To elaborate say you have had a character in D&D for 5 months your in the midst of a battle with a dragon and one of your fellow adventures is stuck under a rock, you are the strongest character in the group, and you are confident you could free that other adventurer. In a nonpermadeath scenario this is no big deal you walk over to the individual free them, and maybe your character gets targeted and dies for the instance but what if killing means your style is making a sacrifice. This leads to not only more compelling, and heart touching story but a completely different on the edge of your seat thought process that would otherwise not be helpful to the situation at hand.

I find that with these three core pillars you can see the drive of what brings games to enter into these tales of survival and how it that they can find so much joy from what in the end is all a matter of emotion story and drive to attain a pure epic.

   – Lucantra Rush