jorb wrote: Contagious diseases that actually spread from player-to-player contact would, for example, be a whole bundle of fun. That being said It obviously cannot be *instead* of dying. It should if anything be precisely a way *to* die.
It might be a bit too life-like, though, and take the game from the already difficult and complex straight to unenjoyable.
Of course, if, in the opinion of our esteemed devs, players aren't dying often enough (and in my opinion, we aren't), this would be a good way to solve that. Live in a village? At higher risk for getting the plague!!