While an integral part of each game, they are ideas that most of us take for granted when we enter online worlds. How they are worked into these games depends upon the vision of the design team. And often this is in turn reflected in the overall feel of the title, as well as its virtues and its flaws. Death is something we all face. And though no game to date has incorporated the idea of permanent character death into its final design, the very thought remains a touchy subject in the player community.
Games differ in how they approach death.
Others opt for a harsher tactic, by withholding the player's possessions. Some even go so far as to punish the character's hard-won statistics. Time is a topic many of us do not consider. Ever MMOG takes time. Letter from the Editor by Arkangel Lead Editor Arkangel discusses the debut issue of the Massively Multiplayer Journal.