This suggestion has more to do with PVP than anything. Putting past rpg\'s aside and thinking more in realistic terms, the idea of PVP is ussually one sided. With a character getting the best of another because a few variables are true.
1. No law is present
*there is no one around to enforce peace and civility and punish those who attack another innocent.*
(This would reference to a npc guard engaging a player \'doing wrong\' by attacking a innocent player or npc, etc.)
2. Player\'s outnumbers victim
*More strategic and malicious, but would count on variable 1 not being true.*
3. Attacker is much stronger than victim
With these variables outstanding... it makes it easier to see (for me) a way to work PVP in a world that is also PVE.
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First some forethought, with some ideas mixed in.
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Law is enforced by both npc\'s and pc\'s but more so by npc\'s. The idea of someone killing you for your purse (and ya \'purse\' thats what they called it back in medieval times), was a very real problem and people both profitted and were ruined by this fact. This is an achieveable goal that could increase the overall playability of the game.
Second issue being harrasement. Having a strong player harrass and destroy the enjoyment of a new player is out of the question. So we create some new rules that allow this to happen but have severe consequences. And on the other side of the coin, a stronger player helping a new player could have great rewards. Mentoring is a rewarding experience indeed. But thats another subject entirely.
Moving on before this becomes too lenghty
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Ideas for you to chew on
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The game sits in a PVP environment with rules set to balance chaos and civility. Mirroring real life where any person can be killed at any time by another person. The only thing that stops this action in RL are the rules set by society which end in punishment, and people know this is wrong and immoral and do their part to \'keep the peace.\'
Starting with the obvious, a law enforcer or \'gaurd\' will be able to control chaos in towns and in largely populated areas. This protection only goes so far.
There could be areas of the world that are largely chaotic and anything goes. For instance on the outskirts of the lands lies a town in which many rare and valuable items are horded, but the town is barbaric and has no law. Thus venturing to this land is perilous to someone who seeks these valuable items. If someone was to kill you because you looked rich, there would be no one to stop them.
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Punishment
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As with most rpg\'s killing or attacking an innocent set them swingin. This would be the most obvious punishment. Instead... the guard would attack but take the assailant to jail if you got within 20% of total health and thus apprehending the attacker.
Factions were a great and idea would be good addition.
The complex system of punishing a player that attacks a weaker player and enforcing the law could work as such. The weaker player reports the harrassment of the stronger player to a \'faction\' that all towns accept. If too many instances exist this char is a criminal and can become a hunted man by the law and players. This rules needed to exists for this to work could act ... Victim = weak (defined by you since you will not have levels) is killed then robbed or perhaps attacked by Attacker = strong ( strong defined again by you since you have no levels). If this variable is true and is reported by victim then it would = strike 1... with a total of 5 strikes ? That just something for you to chew on.
That could create a bandit type community that would exist in lawless towns. Another Player could hunt and be rewarded for the capturing these bandits and payed by the main magistrate or statesmens office. I am babbling at this point and my head hurts.
Boiling down to the point of this windy post. The vision thats running in my head right now is a world that is as realistic as the one that we live in. The community and world almost builds itself on the actions of the players that live in it.
If you read this whole thing I thank you for not making me the only insane person in the world. I have too much crap in this head of mine so expect more posts from me in the future...
Exoro
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Your best last hope
