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So I was just browsing around some upcoming MMORPG articles, and one of the questions that came to me after looking at the stuff on Archeage, is one of open PvP. Do you guys think it can be done, and done right?

Ultima Online apparently has a karma system, where if you PKed people you'd lose karma and eventually become hated. The appeal is that it gives you the option to become hated, if you so choose (and players love sandboxy freedom). But does this alienate casual players too much?

Archeage is planning on allowing open pvp, even some other sandbox features like players being able to steal other players crops. To help the balance, they have implemented a jail/court system that the players control. I'm not sure of all the details, but what do you think of a jail system? I think it might be too easily abused.

EQ and EQ2 had level restrictions on PvP, which I think did pretty well at keeping griefing to a minimum.

So, what are your preferences, open PvP? Or a more tame system like that of WoW?

I personally think the benefits of open PvP aren't enough to merit it's inclusion. Is it fun? Sure, when you are the one doing the PKing. But as has been said before, it's never really all that fun to die, especially when you're just trying to chop down some trees or mine some ore. But that's just my opinion, what's yours?

I like open pvp

But I hate that karma system. I know it's not fun for the player that's killed, but likely he will want to revenge, so we will play more to get stronger and gain some respect, thats my opinion.

I'm the guy that wants to kill you while your chopping your tree or playing with your rocks

I just had an idea. What if you had open PvP, and when you kill someone, your name is recorded in their UI, and your name will always appear to them written in blood until they kill you. That's it. No penalties, no karma, no level restrictions. Just a computer-assisted grudge the player can carry around, for years even, pushing them on to get stronger and better so they can take their revenge. Most players probably forget the names of who killed them by later that night, but this system would keep the pain and motivation fresh lol.

Yeah, runes of magic does that. Told you if they were online or offline and I think even the zone they were in.

Kind of a pain if you never see them online again, though. Perhaps needs a timer on each to eventually wipe them. Otherwise it's that annoying "Well, I can't get him because he's obviously playing another game now" situation.

I think telling you what zones they are in is a bit much. Maybe just highlighting their name in some way when you see them. That way if you don't ever see them again you probably would not miss them.

I'm planning something like that for my game. I will have some basic relations feature/setting, and you can toggle it on/off and friendly ships will be highlighted in one color somehow, and enemy/unfriendly ships in another. This way a player can instantly tell friend from foe.

What exactly is Open PVP? Like Fel in UO where you can attack whoever you wanted to with consequences?

"Open PvP" basically means anyone can attack anyone else. The opposites would be the now-very-popular "Realm-based PvP" started mainly in DAoC and highly popularized in WoW, "Guild-based PvP" which was popularized in Guild Wars, and the rarely-used "Team-based PvP", where you only PvP other formed groups.

I don't think by definition Open PvP implies any penalties, but they are often included to keep it from devolving into a complete newbie-unfriendly gank-fest. However, oftentimes games are made Open PvP to have some elements of a game like that, where PvP is frantic, desperate, and favors strong players who are part of tight social structures. Few games go completely no penalty, as they often become exactly that: completely newbie-unfriendly, where only a small, established group of players can live long enough to get anything done.

I played a game before where you could kill anyone anywhere, as long as they were above a certain level, I think it was 5. When you killed someone your name went red and people were allowed to kill you without getting a red name. Also if you went into a town you got thrown into prison if you weren't able to kill the guards.