>>5726
>>Whatever happens, the game would encourage the players to always continue forward, never reloading a previous save, because undoing negative results would destroy the challenge and thrill of exploration.

Games do not work that way as they are not about experience but about achieving the goal in most effective way

I think it could be solved in this way:
if you lose some limbs or get severely injured and manage to survive when you get mechanic replacements you become permanently stronger than before. however, for that extra strength, you have to pay with temporary weakness.

so if you don't get injured you don't get stronger (somewhat similar idea to dragonballs anime)

this could be the best done in the online RPG where you may actually need someone to help you to survive when you are injured.

But random dying is not really good idea. unless it is executed as the something where if you get into an inescapable situation death liberates you and moves to another location. keeping all your experience and stats.

Also, death could be a good mechanism to play different characters, as you may encounter situation whereas warrior you cannot win and you need to die and get a mage character or you encounter monster which deos not touch women but will kill any man.