by Trakel » Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:55 am
As the PKer in this particular situation I will add my commentary. First of all, I want to clarify that this was indeed unintentional. I also want to clarify that I did not use the strike command at all, but I did use the kill command to engage. Though I believe what caused the death was him being rendered unconscious right before my combat swing. In my experience, even when using the kill command, combat stops when your opponent is rendered unconscious. At any rate - it was not my intention to kill anyone in that engagement.
That being said though, I don't want to understate the potential story and role-playing opportunities that can sprout from a character death. Overall, despite the death, there can come a lot of good from it. A nemesis for the humans, beyond "blackbloods" in general. An emotional ride, a character to remember. Something to mutually hate. Death can drive a lot of RP in the right circumstances, that's all I'm trying to say.
Despite this - I still do feel bad about it. I generally try to not kill people in PvP because I know what it's like to lose a character you've been playing for a significant period of time. Outside of SoI, in other MUDs and D&D in general. It's a crappy feeling, but it comes with playing the game and telling stories. Not everyone gets a happy ending, and that's just the brutal truth in life, and in fantasy.
Regarding specifically the situation last night, it could be that the victim didn't actually die and instead held onto life despite what the code said happened. Maybe he just.. suffered so much trauma his heart stopped for a little while, but the determination to live brought him back. The situation last night, didn't resolve for anything to be taken except for a prisoner, which again - not always a bad thing, so let me tangent on that.
Being a prisoner can be a shitty situation depending on who has taken that prisoner. I think regarding the specific circumstances of who was taken, and by whom, some very interesting opportunities come up. I won't discuss the particulars, but if I were in that certain characters situation I wouldn't be the least bit displeased. But that's me.
Anyways, to get back on point, I understand that death is hard to deal with as a player. It sucks when it happens to the character next to you that you love, because there is grief. And it's even worse for the player that lost a character. But this gives you a chance to play something different, or entirely new. Maybe not different, and very similar to your other character.
Overall, what I'm really boiling down to is - I don't like resurrections. I've had a character killed by staff in another MUD using an admin kill command along with another that I was close to after a torture scene that no one consented to. Was I frustrated, sure. I've also had a character get paralyzed by poison, and have been strangled as the player doing the job emoted his exertion in choking the life out of me while a staff member whittled away my HP, giving me a nice echo of reaching a state of nirvana right before the final moment.
In both of these situations I moved on, made another character, and started another story - closing the book on the previous. They had their runs, and their unfair odds stacked against them. The situations regarding them are completely different, one horrible and the other bad but great to experience.
So I'll resolve by saying I would only be okay with a resurrection in the sense that it gave a player a chance to close the book of that character. Maybe some final words to dear friends, a pang of regret, or fear of whats to come - but only if the situation calls for it, and last night was such a situation in my opinion. But not all of them will be that way.
I'm sorry for the long post, and I am especially sorry to the player who lost their character last night. You probably hate me, and I invite you to share in that hate with your community and vow to kill my character and pike his head outside Utterby for the sake of vengeance. Or do something different. The choice, is yours.
I also apologize if this post contains too much IC information. But I'll let the admins and moderators decide that. I just needed to say these things to get it off my chest.