Playing big sandbox games can be challenging to form connections and friendships with the other players. Adding an experience penalty system was one of the reasons why Final Fantasy 11 was designed to be more difficult than other MMORPGs available at the time. You will lose experience points if you pass away, and if you pass away too frequently, you risk having entire levels wiped out.
Even dying multiple times in Elden Ring won’t cause you to drop a level. Still, according to the game’s director Koichi Ishii, the decision to implement that gameplay aspect was highly intentional.
When playing Final Fantasy XI, I wanted players to have the mentality of “I never, ever want to die!” alternatively, If I were to perish, it wouldn’t matter because I could always start afresh. In a recent interview, Ishii stated that if the repercussions of getting knocked out (KO’d) are not severe, then players will not feel much responsibility for their conduct.
When you are in an atmosphere that makes you feel secure, it is simple to have the impression that other people don’t matter, and you may not think twice about making someone else’s life difficult.
Others who have already experienced the EXP penalty can empathize with those experiencing it for the first time. These emotions drive them to protect their allies and rush to the rescue of anyone in need. Finally, some people who have lived through adversity find the motivation to aid others in their time of need.
Final Fantasy 11, much like other role-playing games that came before it, enabled players to join together in parties to take on more difficult quests. Ishii explained that because the stakes were so high for everyone, the EXP penalty made it so that individuals supported one another without expecting anything in exchange for their assistance.
