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Death, loss & recovery
Vision for what happens when a character fails (especially in combat): item stakes, durability and destruction, recovery flow, and anti-grief boundaries—without duplicating combat ability design (abilities.md) or security tier / PvP eligibility (risk-security-bands.md).
Combat resolution & death event: E5.M1 — CombatRulesEngine is server-authoritative for outcomes including death (client vs server authority); telemetry includes player_death per Epic 5.
Item wear and sinks: E3.M4 — SinkAndDurabilityLifecycle (DurabilityState, ItemSinkEvent, RepairCostRule)—repair and decay tie into economy.md sinks and items.md rarity expectations.
PvP-context loss & abuse: E6.M3 — LossPenaltyAndAntiGriefRules (PvPLossRule, SpawnProtectionState, GriefingStrike) with hooks to E9.M4 — IntegrityAndAbuseResponse (Epic 6). Order with combat: pvp integration — eligibility → resolution → loss rules.
Item schema: per-item state lives on ItemInstance (E3.M3). Cybernetics vs external armor on death/loss follow skills.md — Seams (chrome is semi-permanent; loadout gear is swap-friendly).
PvE vs PvP (design intent)
- PvE-first product stance (Epic 6 objective): default loss in opt-in or high-tier spaces can be harsher than in safe hubs; tier language in risk-security-bands.md; exact tables TBD.
- PvP death applies E6.M3 rules (drops, durability hits, flags)—not necessarily the same table as PvE wipe (open until PvP vision lands; gigs.md PvP notes).
- Skill and gig progression are not assumed to reset on death—loss is primarily items, currency (if any), buffs, and position unless a hardcore mode or content says otherwise (open).
Loss lenses (what can be taken or broken)
| Lens | Design notes |
|---|---|
| Durability | Wear on use / death / repair loops (E3.M4) |
| Drop on death / corpse | Lootable body, partial drop, or no drop by security tier—open; drives economy and grief surface (economy.md) |
| Consumables | Already sinks; death may not be the main churn—open |
| Cybernetics | Unlikely to fully strip on routine death—aligns with character-scoped fantasy (skills.md); damage, malfunction, or story loss—open |
| Materials / inventory | Full loot vs protected slots vs binding—overlaps items.md Open questions |
Recovery (getting back into play)
- Respawn points: hub, checkpoint, squad, clinic fiction—open; must be clear after death UX.
- Corpse run vs instant re-entry vs mission fail state—content-dependent (open).
- Gig and loadout after death: same main gig unless content forces swap; invalid gear stays governed by gigs.md hub swap rules when applicable.
Anti-grief and readability
- Spawn protection, repeated killing penalties, and escalation to integrity pipeline: E6.M3 / E9.M4.
- Readable stakes before engagement: ties to consent / risk UX (Epic 6, E6.M2, risk-security-bands.md).
- Exploits (dupe corpse, disconnect abuse): server truth + E9.M4.
Module map (death / loss–focused)
| Module | Role | Ties to this doc |
|---|---|---|
| E5.M1 | Combat outcomes, death | Trigger |
| E3.M4 | Durability, repair, item sink | Item consequences |
| E3.M3 | ItemInstance, binds |
What can be lost |
| E6.M3 | PvP loss, spawn protection | PvP |
| E6.M2 | Risk prompts | Informed consent |
| E9.M4 | Abuse response | Ops |
| E8.M3 | Trade | Recovery via market—optional fiction |
Decisions log
| Topic | Direction | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Server authority on death | Server resolves death and inventory mutations—never client-trusted | Agreed (E5.M1, authority) |
| Chrome vs external gear on loss | Different buckets; chrome not treated as swap plates | Agreed (skills.md Seams) |
| PvE-first | Optional harsh loss where product allows; not “PvP required to progress” | Agreed (Epic 6 framing) |
Open questions
- Exact PvE death tax (durability %, item drop table, currency cut) by zone / instance.
- Hardcore or seasonal rules vs main shard policy.
- Failure XP (non-lethal) remains open in skills.md—separate from death penalties.
- Insurance, clone, backup fiction vs implementation cost (items.md binding/insurance notes).
Where to read next
| Topic | Document / module |
|---|---|
| Item buckets, binding, open loss questions | items.md |
| Sinks, repair, economy | economy.md, E3.M4 |
| Combat actions & kits | abilities.md, gigs.md |
| Hybrid XP (death does not imply skill XP change) | progression.md |
| PvP product stance | Epic 6 |
| Risk & security tiers, PvP eligibility | risk-security-bands.md |
| Place context (hub vs frontier) | zones.md |