https://www.oglaf.com/pay-win/

Killing someone for stealing has always struck me as profoundly pathetic.

For me it's one of those situations where I don't agree, but I understand. Not for basic goods obviously, but I won't shed many tears if someone gets killed while trying to steal someones phone/car/bike/etc. Like, look at Brasil. Are you saying it's pathetic for someone to shoot a thief who just jumped off a motorcycle and tried to snatch their purse?

I just feel the more pathetic of the parties is the one trying to steal.

You can actually steal from the shopkeep in Links Awakening. He will kill you if you don't leave fast enough.

I don't think you are wrong in my own context, but in areas with essentially no hope of recovering from a life-altering theft, I can see it. In medieval times, right up to the modern era, where state police that (ostensibly) serve everyone were actually instituted, policing was essentially a private service. It was on the individual and whatever posse they could muster to get their stuff back.

That sounds familiar, almost as if that hasn't changed in the modern day...

It's about making future threats credible.

And everyone will call you THIEF instead of whatever name you entered for the rest of the game.

He'll kill you if you successfully steal and come back after. He'll stop you if you are too slow on your attempt.

and he will continue to call you thief after.

it's not about the act of killing for revenge or anything.

Correct, in fact your save file gets renamed "THIEF". To be fair though, the bow costs like 980 rupees. Maybe they intended to extend the game length some, but wanted to let the player feel like they figured out a secret.

Great feature either way.

Rare sfw oglaf

If the shopkeep is strong enough to just instantly body the hero, why isn't the 'hero' selling swords while the shopkeep goes to manhandle the Demon Lord a little??

Seems like the shopkeep may be handy with an arrow, not a sword. Maybe the Demon Lord is arrow proof, which had to be a big bummer for "Dave, the legendary arrow hero," so he setup an honest shop to help out.

Unfortunately, times have been tough for Dave, what with the Demon lord running around, so even though he wants to help, he needs that 500 gold to keep his family and likely most of the town fed. He can't just let that 500g go. It means to much to too many, and Dave isn't about to trade that many peoples lives away for a "maybe," chosen one or not.

Because that wouldn't make for a fun game, now would it?