[quote=@Zeroth]
Potentially interested. It sounds like it's basically SAO and other "trapped in MMO" anime, but without real death--however, the idea of death causing such intense feedback that it can mentally break people, producing these "Wretches," kind of reminds me of Dark Souls and the Hollowing process--players try to clear the game, only to die over and over and over, re-living the shock of death again and again, until finally they break and go mad. Have you thought of using that aspect of it to turn the setting a bit darker and replace the permanent death aspect that most MMO-Trap stories use? It'd be a good way to excuse the complaint that "main characters obviously can't die" but at the same time there is still tension and stakes that make players want to avoid death at all costs.

Another question I have is about the origin of the game. In SAO (you'll probably be sick to death of hearing that used as a reference, but it's what more folks will probably be familiar with, or else .hack//) there's a bit of buildup beforehand as to how all these people actually became trapped in the game, how it was legitimately marketed but then the sudden reveal of the trap caused widespread panic both in and outside the game world. You mention that the game is being Beta Tested--did whatever huge shady corporation developed it send out thousands of invites, or are there only a few Players in the world compared to all the NPCs? How has information about this been kept from the outside world--why haven't the police, or the parents, or doctors or anyone else ripped out the wires or whatever is connecting the players to the game? How are their real bodies being kept alive?

I could go for either 1x1 or a small-group setting, whichever you end up deciding on.
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If this is similar to SAO or .hack// then it is a coincidence, and not based on them in any way. It is a lot like The Matrix only the players aren't being used as human batteries!

For the effects of Death and the Wretches, a lot of thought went into making sure that dying on purpose wasn't really an option for getting out of things like dealing with being hurt, or trying to get somewhere fast. As well as the first few experiences of death, too much death can also rattle someone's mind pretty hard like you mentioned, driving them insane.
A big part of someone not wanting to die, especially if they're with a group, is that they'll respawn somewhere random. There's no instant messaging or anything else of that nature, so finding each-other again is extremely difficult. And also there's the guilt of not having been more helpful to their group in a dangerous situation.

The game is in beta testing for a week and they sent invitations out to at least several hundred people. I'm not sure, but enough that 30% of all people in-game are Players. They were told they'd be provided room and board at the facility.

About the Real World while the game is going on, this is very Meta information. The players entering the game will not know any of this!

[hider=Super-duper Meta Info]
This is probably super unrealistic, but time is going a whole lot faster in-game than it is in Real Life. I'm not sure on the exact ratio, but an entire lifetime can be lived in the game in a week. The makers of the game figure out some way of speeding up brain function to do this or something. Don't expect an explaination, I'll just say "Science" and smoke-bomb outta there.
So the players get very worried when months and years pass by, but they can't tell time speed has changed at all.
The GMs timed all player's entry into the game in a staggered way so everyone's not shoved in at once. Waves of players entering the game months or years apart actually only waited a little while in RL.

More Meta information, there's no way of exiting the game early aside from glitching yourself out way too badly, or GM intervention if you're screwing up the game too much. Once a player exits the game, there is absolutely no getting back in until the whole 'session' is done for everyone.
[/hider]
I will add this information to the original post!

As for how the player's bodies are being kept alive, it is with care. The organisation running this game is not horrible, they're truly focused on developing a groundbreaking good game!
I suppose technically feeding tubes and such.

The game works more mentally than physically. I should probably change the original info to better clarify that.

[quote=@onenote]
this really is interesting, but sounds more like a group rp then just a 1x1. If you do decide to make it a group rp, i'd definitely be interested.
[/quote]

I have been thinking ever since I posted this that it is really much more of a group idea. Is there any way to move this...? Eheh...