[Kamaeru]

How about just ask if you want to save when the player dies?

Make the system of questing like this: there is always an area overarching a specific quest filled with events that occur and people to talk to which lead the player to the quest and prepare the player for what is ahead. There will always be one person, location/sanctuary, or house which will serve the purpose of Main Influence over the player, to lead them into what is next in the quest diagram without drawing them away from potential sidequests which could be useful. The system could work so that whenever a player reaches this main influential location, that whenever you die until the next one you reach, it does not automatically send you there (that would suck), but gives you the "Save and Quit" option, where it saves the game at this location of Main Influence. That is the way that works best for Classic, so that the questing could be pick-up-and-play compared to the social aspect of the server (events, guilds, etc.)

This is my opinion, and I must add that I haven't checked out your bed-save idea and am in no way trying to say that it is a bad idea.