blizzid on 28 October 2009
Harshly punishing a player challenges his patience, not his skill. Sadly, most gamers don't even realize there's a difference between the two.
Of course, that doesn't mean there should never be penalties. In most games, some penalty is often required. However, a proper penalty only returns a player to the beginning of the challenge he failed. This forces him to complete that challenge with skill, instead or forcing his way through with persistance and luck. If a player is instead forced to replay long stretches of easy content before he can try again, that crosses the line into punishment.
