I'm probably a little late, but if you want some inspiration, wario land 3 did that quite well.

Perhaps this:

Upon contact with the enemy AI you are then "consumed" within the AI. During your time in the AI you have to try and make you escape from the bowels of the beast, all the meantime your energy that has been collected slowly drains as the AI "digests" you. But once your energy reaches zero it's now a matter of saving time and getting out of there to collect your energy again. All the while the AI creature is roaming around the island leaving your exit point somewhere random thus adding to challenge and punishment of failing to avoid the AI.


This also adds to Stoppy's idea of inflicting a small punishment at the start while causing the player to frantically get out of there as fast as possible. It also adds a new dimension to the game allowing you to create "harder" AI with more complex levels to escape.

Well why not make a weapon or component malfunction after death? Forcing the player to get it fixed or wait until he finishes the level to get repaired.

Well why not make a weapon or component malfunction after death? Forcing the player to get it fixed or wait until he finishes the level to get repaired.

Crippling the player tends to force them into very risk-averse styles of play, which is tedious and unfun. If a risk-averse strategy isn't available, the crippled player is in a negative feedback loop where they are more likely to fail again because they now have weaker equipment.

[quote name='Alpha_ProgDes' timestamp='1323800468' post='4893580']
Well why not make a weapon or component malfunction after death? Forcing the player to get it fixed or wait until he finishes the level to get repaired.

Crippling the player tends to force them into very risk-averse styles of play, which is tedious and unfun. If a risk-averse strategy isn't available, the crippled player is in a negative feedback loop where they are more likely to fail again because they now have weaker equipment.
[/quote]
That applies only if you wait to fix the equipment at the end of the level. Also, if the character has a very limited move list. However, if the player can go a little of his way to get repairs or have other moves, weapons that can sub whatever is broken, then what you have is a way to force the player to update his style of gameplay and explore more of the game mechanics.

It seems you have a solution but I'm throwing my two cents in anyway.

Perhaps upon being caught, a chase sequence could initiate forcing you to run back to your previous checkpoint in which if you get caught (and the catch animation could be any funny thing you want it to be), you lose energy and the AI returns to its original spot or you reach your checkpoint and the AI returns to its original spot and you have the chance to redo the portion without energy loss.

It sort of adds a chance for redemption without blantantly stripping things away but still punished for getting caught as you have to return to your last checkpoint.