25. PK'ing
Are there any PK (player-killer) free zones?
Nope. There may be certain powerful magic (which would need a very large group - i.e. over 50 people - to do which may make certain areas so that combat cannot be done within them for a time. The reagents for these spells are very expensive as well. But, if a large pure roleplay 'we hate combat' guild (for example) put up this spell over their town, the only way to 'get around it' would be to have a neighboring kingdom and claim their land. A war will get around it.
How are you going to handle player killing?
LOOT: I would limit the 'looting' to the wergild value of the target. To use an EQ example: If you have a level 30 character, your wergild is say 300pp. Level 60 could be 600pp. - Note: I wouldn't have money weigh anything as I didn't find it to add to the game and real life coins of gold etc were TINY. - If you knew your wergild was say 300pp, you'd take care to always keep that on you. Period. In fact, I might even make it so you can prepay the next 10 wergilds and simply not have that money available to the characters. Their choice if they want to use it. Failure to have the wergild on you (or prepaid) means that the person gets to loot one item. Any item. If I found that what I deemed to be too many PK'ings took place, I'd lower the were guild. Too few, I could up it. Have that it can go up and down at the discretion of the Imaginary Council in the FAQ or people scream nerf.
REPUTATION: If the person is a combatant of some sort (i.e. not specialized in trading stuff) you get ranking based on how much tougher they were. If the person was even with you, you get ranking. A bit higher than you, even better ranking. Much tougher than you, even better. A PvP'er? Better still. The best ranking one can get is other PvP players who are equal to - or better than your ranking. Killing someone who is lower than your own skills causes you to lose ranking. Much lower than you, you lose even more. The two can balance out. Hence, if you kill a PvP'er who was a bit less skilled than you were, that is equal to killing a non-PvP'er who is even with you. Killing someone specialized in the trades (unless they attack you first) always loses a good bit of reputation. If you are a member of a country and kill a lot of people from another country while your countries are at war, then you'd get a lot of good reputation. If you kill people who aren't at war with you, reputation will be lost. The top 100 people in reputation would be regarded as heroes while bounties could be (automatically?) offered for the bottom 100 or more - the worst offenders. Make your kills count and make sure you are killing the right people.
Will player killing (PK) be allowed?
Yes. PvP is necessary to allow great kingdoms to fight, take over each other, etc. WW2OL taught me that battles must matter or they quickly lose their luster (and, as CRS found out, most of their players). To put this into AO terms: Lets say there is a building that must be taken over in the PvP lands. First, there must be a reason to take it over. "Because it is there." won't get you very far. Saying 'its an ammo depot' doesn't really mean jack if you can buy ammo at any store around. Saying 'its an ammo depot and if we don't hold it our ammo will cost three times what it use to' won't mean a lot unless you lose the ammo depot AND the prices are jacked up three times AND there is that info *in game*. [I despise games that say "Sure, we've got story! Go to this website to get it!" What that means to me is that the story itself is not *in* the game. It also means that the story really doesn't matter - it is a tack on.] After the players say "My god! We lost the ammo place" and it had an effect *then* they will be more happy to try to take it back over. In force. I think that the minor battles should contribute in some way to the plot. I think the outcomes of the major battles need to have a direct effect on the players. Unless it is a direct effect on all players, they won't care. [Granted, in the above scenario many players would just whine and cry that ammo costs were nerfed but tough cookies for them if the info is *readily available* in game.] For example, if a factory that made a scope that crafters used to make one type of gun (not an uber gun) was lost, nobody would really care much except the crafters. If the factory that made first aid kits (which everyone uses) was lost then suddenly everyone cares. [I would also remind my readers about the high need for good AI defenders. I am perfectly happy to let players who have taken the base to throw large sums of money into buying computer defenders who can keep it safe while all of the players sleep. It is a huge money sink and makes it actually matter that you took over the base. True, the bad guys could get even more people than necessary and sweep down into the base, destroy all of your bought and paid for mercenaries and buy their own but then it costs them money as well. If nothing else, you could 'win' by financial attrition.
Will there be controlled form of PvP fights?
Gladiatorial bouts with prizes equal to the number of contestants who entered (and paid entrance fee x some number) will be offered. You can work your way up the ladder. During certain special days certain prizes will be available. Players will also put up prizes for the various rungs. We will have programming in place to allow players to do this easily and even be able to award prizes whilst absent. Have plenty of free inventory space available. Players will want to do this as it will give them faction, fame and advertising of their crafting skills. ("Kevin has awarded a plus 5 sword of carnage! Remember to shop at Kevin's for all of your sword needs!"). Two things I want to remember with all gladiatorial rings. First, it is *boring* to have a plain circle for people to fight in. I want slippery slopes, narrow steps, jets of flame that come out at random, etc. Second, the way most arenas are designed is stupid. A two dimensional circle with a big area around them for people to stand in and attempt to see. Bugger that. I want multiple tiers, balconies that extend over the circle, a big cage everyone can climb up on and look down through, etc. The arenas should all be very interesting places.
Don't you fear that out of control player killers will ruin the game?
I expect them to try. That's why if you see anything that is glowing bright pink, making demon noises, looking demonic, with a large 'L' on its forehead slowly shuffling toward you, it is best to run away from it. Also, There has to be risk for the high levels attacking the low levels. [Long example: Years ago, I GM'ed a painful system (since bankrupt) called 'Rolemaster'. We called it 'Chartmaster' as there were so many bloody charts for everything. A well equipped fighter would have one chart per weapon that they used. For a table top game it was a poor system. For a computer game it would be nice. Computers like doing calculations. Computers have no problem generating twenty random numbers and cross referencing them with as many charts. In that system, they had something called the 'open ended roll'. Combat rolls were all percentage rolls. If, when attacking someone, you rolled a 96 to 100, you got to roll an additional percentage and add it to that roll. If you rolled another 96 to 100, you got to add that too. So you could have a roll like 96+97+100+96+44 = 433. Yes, I have seen rolls like that. Sometimes on non-loaded dice as well. Then, after calculating your score, you would cross reference a chart that told you what kind of damage you did and what sort of critical was done. Criticals were rolled separately. Lots of work for combat let me tell you. The end result was very nice indeed though. To give an example: There were two (PC) thieves who wanted to rob an old man and woman who owned a carpet store. The old couple lived on the top floor with the carpet store on the bottom floor. The players had figured out that the guard house was quite some way away and this would be a good target for them. Heartless people, players. So they broke in. Made some noise. The old guy decides to attempt to crank an antique heavy crossbow slowly up. The players, without a blink of an eye, killed him and decided 'screw it, lets just gack the old lady too so we don't have to worry about sneaking'. They crept upstairs. The little old lady was doing dishes. She didn't take kindly to two people with masks surprising her in her kitchen so (out of fear and desperation) snatched a knife out of the knife rack and took a stab at one. [At this point, the 'gods of thou shalt not mess with the elderly' kicked in. She rolled about a 300 to hit. Lots of open ended rolls. Then she got a nice critical as well.] With a large gash through his heart and a very surprised look on his masked face one of the thieves immediately fell backward. With a triumphant 'HA!' the old lady whirled (gently as one of her hips had gone out on her) on the other attacker. He threw down his weapons, screamed like a little girl, and threw himself out the window hoping to hit the river below. These players were 10th level. They had plenty of skill in weapons. The little old lady had NO skill with the knife and had minuses to attack rolls. She still kicked one of the players rear. That would be like watching an EQ level 1 gack a well equipped level 60. I think there should be a chance, very small - less than 1%, that this sort of thing should be able to happen. If a level 1 newbie wanders in with a rusty sword and stabs the dragon through the eye and brain and kills it in one fell swoop, good for him. Chances of him winning a large lottery are slightly better. In PvP, that means that a level 50 cannot attack with impunity level 25's. Their chance of getting a critical are much better than a level 1's. There is always some risk. Plus, think of what it would do to the level 50's *reputation* to be killed by one or two level 25's. In the current crop of games out, there is no risk. That is why they have to put artificial caps on the characters. This leads to other abuses like the 'invulnerable healer' etc.] In addition to that, without structure and cities with stores in them, finished good cannot be made. Since no good loot exists out in the wilderness (i.e. you cannot get a +4 sword by killing this named NPC) the only way you can get such things is to have stores. Only cities with a certain minimum population will be able to get certain buildings. The players will have to rely on each other to do this. It would be foolish of me to believe that there are players out there who wouldn't be content running around with their newbie axe and bashing in the brains of other players, attempting to ruin their fun. Consider that the 'barbarian invasion'. Strong walls (and NPC guards which can only be hired if the mercenaries shop is built and that requires several other buildings to be built) should help to keep them out. We shall see. Combined with 'stupid points', 'demonization' and a strong need for independence within ones own community we shall see if this is enough to get rid of the worst of it.
So what if a good guild is at war with another good guild?
Good and evil are just human inventions that really don't exist. If kingdoms (or cities) are at war, they also can't communicate with each other (aside from the Ambassadors - yet another special position). WW2OL made it impossible (without using battlecom, etc) to talk to people on the opposing side. I think that is a very good thing. DOAC says it will do this as well. Good. I don't mind going on my 'big mission' into a PvP area (after saving) and getting killed. No problem. But then to have to listen to some guy talking for half an hour about how he 'owns' me? Don't need it. There is no good reason I can think of to communicate with the enemy. Ever. It's not like you can take prisoners. Not like you can call a 'cease fire' and end the war between clan and Omni- so just kill em. All good. In real life, violence doesn't solve everything. In games it usually does. [Yes, I know the actual quote is 'violence doesn't solve *anything*' but I have found this to be completely untrue. Violence solves quite a bit. Chopping off the head of an axe wielding maniac who is coming after you usually does the trick. Stuff like that.]
I don't like PvP, can I play anyway?
Yes. Either stay in the city or hire NPC guards if on the move. We recommend 'trader' professions.
How do you handle griefers?
We are making it so that players who like to kill people get punished by the game itself. And there is little to gain (just their wergild). And their movement rate is such that they eventually get slowed down to a slow walk (demons have a rough time walking). So you can run away from griefers. In addition, we are making them automatically KOS to all city guards (guards don't like demons). In addition, bounties are able to be placed on their head by other PC's (to be hunted by either PC's or NPC's - the bounty would be placed at a 'bounty hunter building' - the bounties would be found only at the 'bounty hunter building'. In addition, PC's can assign them 'stupid points' (the more you have, the more pink you become - after you get too many, you glow. Get enough and you get an 'L' on your characters forehead). In addition, all PC city leaders want to increase their populations in order to be able to get new types of buildings, hold more territory, hire more NPC guards, etc. It is in their best interests to defend you. In addition to that- The more people you kill, the larger your were-guild becomes. Eventually, it would cost the griefer thousands of coins (or people start taking his items should he fail to have the money on him) if he gets PK'ed. This will encourage other PC's to hunt down famous PK'ers as they would be able to get his loot or a whole lot of coin from killing him.
[Option: All stupid points go toward the players *account*. If they start a new character on that account, that character starts with the same amount of stupid points as all of their other characters. When they spend stupid points as a character their total amount for the account is depleted. This is to keep someone from 'ninja looting' (etc) from a group then creating a new character to use the 'phat loot' on and destroying the old character to escape the repercussions. A lot of the problems experienced now come from too much anyominity. This would cure that but perhaps cause others. Someone wanting to completely hide their tracks would have to purchase another account.]
[Option: Another idea from another game: You can name people whatever you want. That name only shows up to YOU. I would name people things like 'buffbeggar', 'trainer', 'dim', 'braindead', etc that displeased me. People that I got on with alright would have whatever they told me their name was.]
How do you handle corpse camping?
Well, #1, we think it is stupid to go have to loot your corpse. When you die, you will return to a 'bind stone'. We suggest binding at one that is located in a safe area. Since not all of them are (they can be moved) everyone who respawns has a random time between thirty seconds and two minutes (it is random) after they respawn that they cannot attack but nor can they die. Bind stones may not be allowed near certain areas, simply won't work in others (like magic 'dead' zones) and cannot be taken into dungeons. Should you be so foolish to have bound in a hostile city on in an area which is contested you have thirty seconds to two minutes to attempt an escape. Should you not be able to get out and are for some reason totally hosed type /iamdoomed . This horrible command being typed will cause a huge box to say 'pushing YES will cause you to respawn naked with nothing on you at the city you originally started at - all of your possessions will be forever destroyed!' There will be a big huge NO button and a much smaller YES button. Pushing the yes button will cause your wergild to fall to the ground. Anyone fighting you at the time will get their normal boost (or negative) to reputation. You will then appear naked in the city you first started in. If you started in the GM city and it went away, you will appear near there and get to try to survive to the next city. Good luck. Don't bind stupidly.}
With all of the things set in place to deter PvP, why would anyone wish to participate in PvP?
Aside from the obvious answer of 'some people just like it', there are a number of reasons people may choose to kill off others: a) the loot their target is carrying, though it is normally sparse b) the challenge of hunting down and killing things more complex than the AI of the monsters c) if the PK'er wants the land the target is on and brings the equipment and money necessary to destroy their dwelling d) warfare for their state/government system e) the top PvP'ers in the world (top hundred) are listed in the 'Whose Who' of the world. This is a ladder they can climb if they wish. The ladder will be ranked by standing only (killing other PvP'ers is good, killing people more powerful is good, killing civilians i.e. tradesmen is bad).
How would you handle 'zone line fighting'?
Within a certain area close to the zone (if we were stuck with zones) there would be no way to affect (for better or worse) any other characters. Once the character left that area, a hidden random timer would tick down. Maybe between 5 seconds and two minutes. Until that timer ran out, they would not be able to affect others (for better or worse) or be affected by others. Reentry of the 'safe area' would restart the timer. There would also be a timer that you could still be affected by PvP actions were you to reenter the 'safe zone'. This would be to make it useless to run across the invisible boundary into the 'safe' area. The objective is to give people a brief amount of time to get away from the zones (if they are serious about PVP) and to prevent them from using the zones as a viable hunting ground. It is also a bad thing to have zones be a narrow point of entry or exit, like a tunnel. Much harder to camp the zone line if you have a really big zone line. Again, these things would only come into play if we were stuck with 'hard zones'.
ALTERNATIVE TO PVP'ING IDEA
If someone does NOT wish to start PvP, they cannot start a character in any of the player run cities. Doing so automatically makes them PvP. If the player starts at a non-city starting point, they are not PvP. The player then falls under 'freebooter'. They cannot cast any spells on anyone who belongs to any kingdom (though they may on other freebooters) nor attack anyone from any other kingdom, nor likewise for other kingdoms.
Freebooters disadvantage: Freebooters cannot own anything they cannot carry in their inventories. They may not own land, buildings, walls, vehicles of any kind, etc.
Freebooters may enter any cities, towns, lands, etc that they wish. If the borders are 'open' they may pass without fear of the townsfolk (if MOB's are still within the borders freebooters may have a risk of death). If the borders are closed, the freebooters will have a countdown appear on their screen for one half an hour of real time. The countdown is for all freebooters, so logging off will not interrupt it. After the half hour has past, all freebooters not carrying a writ of passage may be hunted down and killed by the locals. Borders may be closed by the kingdom every 2 hours. When closed, the half hour countdown begins.
The city (if it has the resources and buildings) may sell writs of passage from the town or outposts. Having a writ in ones inventory makes the freebooter exempt from PK'ing.
If the freebooter has purchased passage on a caravan and that caravan is attacked by enemy PC's, the freebooters 'pop' off of the wagon and stand there until the player takes control of them or they are killed by a passing MOB. Also, there is NO 'duel' function in the game. Hence, no invulnerable healers. Freebooters may not attack each other but they may heal each other. Also, a kingdom may declare itself 'off limits to freebooters' if they believe freebooters are spying on them, carrying supplies for the enemy, etc. To activate the 'closed kingdom' see the army building, etc.
Death: Whereas most people respawn at their local temple, the freebooter will respawn at a random location outside of any kingdoms borders. This location may not be safe. There are advantages in allegiance.