The -15% exp penalty is obnoxiously bad outdated design.

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I disagree that it is bad design. It gives the player an incentive to play smarter, and not just keep rushing an area until they finally succeed.

If death is really that much of an issue for you rethink your build/playstyle. The challenge needs to stay.

XP penalty works great and it works for this game and it's difficulty level. If we were to switch things around it would be a bad mix.

I find it a bizarre mentality that dying should not bring considerable damage to the character in question.

That's because most game companies nowadays cater to the new era of "gamers" (whiners) that need their hand held.

No death penalty would give the default ladder even less meaning than it has now.


No, resurrect timers, durability and repair costs are obnoxiously bad outdated designs. The -EXP design works fine.

You don't see this mechanics nowadays for one reason - games have been simplified, too many whines.

This is actually a pretty good mechanic (although annoying) that keeps death = bad on your mind the entire game.

And - what about 'hardcore'? Isnt this even more "bad outdated design"? - You dont just loose some XP on dying: You loose all of your progress

Not all modern game design philosophies are simply better.
On personal level, I loath the "positive reinforcement" and "give carrot instead of stick" mentalities when it comes to gaming.

I remember playing Ultima Online in the end of the 90s (and continued into early 00s) and there not only could someone gank me and loot my items they could also loot them if I died to a mob. Losing a bit XP is nothing, I'd rather see more penalties added when you die like corpse-runs.

Exp penalty is very good, should be even higher the higher you get.

Joining the hate bandwagon because without exp penalty softcore would be completely pointless

At least with -15% exp, you still have to be good to reach the cap, whereas without any kind of penalty, anyone would make it there eventually

ITT: OP complains that this game has no challenge, and that it punishes you too much for dying

Keep XP penalty.
It is a good lesson to me that I am doing something wrong when I die. I should be punished. And, when I do not die, I am rewarding with the sense of knowing I have done it right this time.
This way I do not literally fall asleep at my keyboard, like I do when playing other, less-punishing games.
Keep XP penalty.

In other games - you get a cookie whether you win or lose. PoE not only takes your cookie and eats it in front of you, it slaps you upside the head a few times for bringing a cookie in the first place.