







Dev Blog: Deadman Mode



Back in April Mod Mat K spoke about an idea of his named 'deadman mode' on the weekly Q&A livestream. The community LOVED it. Out of nowhere, hundreds of posts popped up on reddit, the forums and Twitter asking for further details and a release date.



This is the first developer blog for deadman mode. Let's get into the details!



What is deadman mode?



Deadman mode is a new game mode for Old School. Deadman mode accounts can log into deadman worlds where PvP is active everywhere. No exceptions. The aim of deadman mode is to create an intense PvP experience across the entire game world.



Death in deadman mode means more than respawning in Lumbridge without your items. You also face the following two consequences:



All of your stats are lowered by 7 levels.

A single-use key is dropped to whoever killed you that allows them access to your bank. If they so choose, they will be able to clear your bank out completely. This will be explained in more detail below.

In deadman mode the stakes are incredibly high. A single death can mean days of progress lost and a kill can turn you from a fortunate noob into an force to be reckoned with.



Why punish players so much for dying?



Death in deadman mode must be devastating. Both to balance the game and to create the intensity that will make deadman mode such an enjoyable experience.



Losing levels on death will help prevent an impossible to defeat, top tier of players reigning over deadman worlds for too long. An unchanging hierarchy of players that endlessly has the same players on top would become stale quickly. Being set back a significant amount on death will offer a real way for the underdogs to overthrow the dominant players if they possess the skill.



Similarly, death allowing another player access to your bank will help shift the balance into the hands of anyone who can take down a top player.

Bank keys



If you die in deadman mode you will drop a bank key. Whoever picks this key up will have one opportunity to open up your bank and take what they want. Any items they do not take will be returned to your bank.



When using a bank key you will not be limited to inventory space. You will be able to choose items and transfer them straight to your bank so that inventory space is not a limiting factor. The only limit on what you can take is that you can't touch untradeable items.

Cities & city guards



There is a catch when killing other people: city guards do not take kindly to skulled players.



All major towns and cities are protected by city guards. These guards are incredibly strong and outright impossible to stand up to. While they are harmless most of the time, the second they see a player with a PK skull they will attack. Dealing huge damage as well as teleblocking, freezing and smiting their target, they are not your everyday bronze med helm guards.



Thanks to these guards it is possible to find some peace in major cities. With that said, if a player is brave, or foolish, enough to take on the city guards you might just find yourself under attack. One thing you will learn quickly in deadman mode is that you are never completely safe.

Release & additional information



We are planning to release deadman mode at some point in October. This leaves us plenty of time to make deadman mode the best it can be before it comes to Old School.



We are very interested in hearing what the community have to say about deadman mode. As this is very new territory, your feedback will be vital. You should expect amended versions of this developer blog before deadman mode reaches a poll.



Your feedback will make a difference. Let us know what you think!