Was tired when I replied to this thread and got way off topic (thought it was about insta-random-death-from-above, not a fan one bit). I am okay with traps / dangers about which you can learn to avoid, but please don't kill me with some bad roll on the RNG with no warning (EppE's answer is more succinct). Wrote a long reply stating why tree limbs are not dangerous (agree strongly with Celandor there - unless high winds and even then, the odds are many, MANY orders of magnitude smaller than 0.001% of crushing you). Upon review I realized the post was about a new type of danger gathering some special wood for crafting so I deleted the text of my post. But others below had the same confusion - so add me to the "no-tree-limb-insta-death-without-warning" club. If harvesting some craft bits out in the world is dangerous - I am fine with that. Just give ME, not a line a code, some say in the matter. Games that kill me for spite - with no knowledge gained or chance to avoid - are not fun. Thanks!
At first glance, I thought this post was referring to rare crafting materials and how they spawned within the world. Then I read the part about tree limbs falling and killing people and had to do a 180 and re-read.
I'm going to break my response down into two parts.
1. I think that things like traps are a cool feature be they in the open world or just in ancient ruins. However, there needs to be a way to identify, disarm, or avoid the trap. The scenario that you described seems like a random occurrence with no way to actually identify this potential threat. I am all for a dynamic world with threats of all types (including traps), however, with an exp debt tied to death a player should be able to perceive the potential threats within the world, vs have them just happen as a random occurrence.
2. I think the idea of rare crafting materials spawning is a good idea. Be that meaning that while mining a node has a chance to grant a rare material, enemies having the chance to drop rare materials, or rare nodes designed specifically for that material spawning at random. I am all for Pantheon having an advanced and complex crafting system. I think the more materials that are placed within the game the more room professions have to grow, overlap, diversify, and complexify themselves. It would be nice to see an intense crafting system that isn't like a lot of the watered down/simplified versions experienced in a good majority of MMOs today. (Edit) I could also see traps dropping crafting items when they are disarmed.
The likelihood of getting injured by falling objects when walking through a forest has got to be near zero.
For many reasons, I'd say no to this. I think Terminus is going to have enough environmental perils and the terrain in the zones I've seen previewed looks quite challenging already.
NY Times article today about a Minnesota hiker that was killed by a falling redwood tree (4ft diameter, 200ft tall). Sad, but true. Still don't want it implemented in a game.
Over a million visitors to the national park every year - this is incredibly rare, spokesperson believes recent storms contributed to tragedy.
i hear a single arrow to the knee can end one's adventuring career. many have even said it is a fate worse than having a tree fall and instantly killing you.
oh wait if you're serious about that, yea that sucks.