Classes Zones Experience Structures Time passage Beta Release Permanent death is a very touchy subject. The idea behind it is more than just to penalize a player for foolish actions that may lead to his death. We realize the anguish one may experience when losing an incredible character, but the idea behind an incredible character is that he is hard to kill. There will be safeguards in the game that protect against accidental killing as far as PVP goes, but the risk of adventure must remain high, if not ultimate. Players will adapt to more careful exploration and organized group combat to keep death a rare occurrence.
Permanent death is final for the beta.
Friedman, Lead Game Design 2000 Glitchless.