[Chance]

'Antagonist' is perhaps a misleading word for it, since what comes to mind with that term tends to be chaotic aligned races and magic, when anyone who wants to cause a significant, dramatic change on a character is going to struggle unless they've invested at least a month of time or more. It's not that bad, since you shouldn't be going for the top right away, but certainly means a much slower environment with long lulls compared to say, this format. Much more difficult to organize an effective group unless you're fortunate enough to create when a particular area is booming or you pre-plan something with friends, when you're surrounded by high RPLs who are on friendly terms.

I think what made the peaks of Eternia, Spires, and the start of E3 great were people who took charge and set their sights high, and inspired others with their calibre of writing and actions in the moment. Unexpected changes that kept you on the edge of your seat and invested in that story. Sometimes you wanted them to succeed even if you were their IC enemy and your character was going for their throat, and it's always entertaining to just be a follower of these types because you're being involved in a part of something that feels substantial. When I look around, right now, I see a lot of 'bandit' types but nobody really organizing and leading a group for the long-term, just a repeat of casual > dangerous-for-dev > casual > etc, partly because it's hard to get things going unless you have a decent  support structure and a group of enthusiastic players that you enjoy your scenes with. It's no one's fault but simply a product of the current environment, which will either fix itself over time or not return to those highs due to a lack of quality of excellence among the community.

I believe every death since the start of the game was 'deserved', and when I think back to them one by one, there isn't a single case I'd personally want to retcon. You can't give people indefinite chances when they're making repeat mistakes ICly. You have to let recklessness run its course or the game is simply rigged against risk. Many times I and others have purposely made a 'bad decision' because it suited the IC and been subject to the will of the dice, but if we died there despite knowing the consequences, that's fine. When people do survive and come out the other end, it only makes their actions and the finale more significant. 


With that said, 'Hex' has fantastic potential. I've been involved in scenes where it was used to great effect and we all felt the influence. One example would be the imprisonment of Mim's first witch, who had a hostage that was close to the involved characters and she used that as leeway to make her hexes more damaging. It ultimately led to her escape and gave her a second life, because it was done well & those involved respected it. Another would be when Nebula hexed Alexander while simultaneously using an approved 'sin curse' ability, which was a great scene from start to finish and had all of us in applause. You have to pick your moments with a hex and use them carefully, or it'll end up biting you. You can't plan for meta / poor play, but you can be effective enough to the point where the negative impact is minimized. 
Agreed with the QoL changes - the hex wearing off after hour isn't really intended. Most people don't take OOC time into consideration like that because post times can vary. It'll be changed to six hours regardless.