The curse is just there to keep the DR from being a highway like in the past, so there has to be something penalizing... We know for a fact that it gets even less respect without a penalty. But it really doesn't matter how you slice it mechanically, either the DR will be an even easier revolving door thus further diminishing respect for it, or someone is going to complain that some new person is too burdened by the death mechanics be it curse, DR expansion, or some other method. The real question is actually which is more important, trying to make it completely easy on the new people that will give up after dying or maintaining some settings/gameplay harmony.
I don't mean to be rude or anything but that is the actual underlying problem. It's not so much that I have anything against making it easier for new players but I guarantee you that no matter how much you tweak the mechanics, someone will still feel exactly the same about the change. For those that may not remember, the curse was already tweaked at least once because it was too hard on new players.
I think Ralua just needs someone to help out. I've played on many characters and most of them untrained but it was typically not a problem on those rare occasions when I died. Crashing in the DR was usually my concern. I think it is a matter of getting better information to new players so they can cope with it. For instance, maybe new people should get blatant Avoid this monster! warnings for mobs they for sure can't handle, a proximity warning for when a mob that out classes you is approaching, a warning for eating after indigestion, a warning for getting too close to a tall ledge, and so on. That way, they are more aware of what can kill their character. Once you know what can kill you, it is much easier to avoid the more aggravating deaths.
