Although my opinion on the subject of this forum is set, I still think it is worth continuous high-quality discussion.
What I think is missing - even in paxx\' sticky mail - is a clean definition of terms. When people say \"PvP\", \"PKing\", \"Griefing\", etc., everyone is saying and especially meaning something different.
For this thread, I will try to start with *my* personal definitions. If you want to add to this thread, *please* do not comment on my definitions. Instead, add to the list, or present your own. Just that. Let\'s discuss the subject in other threads. Oh, and yes: These are terms to be used in a MMORPG, and as that, are meant to be excact terms in *this* environment. If you like, search the internet for external definitions, but avoid irony or polemics at all cost (I feel tempted, too, but look how hard I\'m trying nonetheless...
Use the accompanying thread instead. Ok, here we go:
Grief:
What is felt by a players, when something happening in a MMORPG disrupts their feelings so much, that they drop from the game to real life, and feel angry and/or sad, up to the extent of loosing interest in playing for some time or for ever.
Griefing:
The voluntary or unvoluntary actions of Players or Game-staff, that cause grief on other Players. Usually it is used in the stricter sense of \"voluntray actions by Players on other Players that cause grief\". To avoid mixing up of both, I suggest using \"voluntary Griefing\" and \"involuntary Griefing\", and let out game-staff, as yes, game-staff can do it, too, but this rather happens seldomly.
Griefer:
As per the definition of R. Bartle of Playertypes, someone who is voluntarily griefing.
Player Killing (PKing):
Voluntarily killing characters of other Players, without those characters standing a chance, and without the affected Players consenting to it. The noun is Player Killer (PKer).
Note: By definition of most professional gamedesigners, PKing is defined as *the* common variant of voluntary Griefing, but, primarily and objectively, the equation PKing = Griefing is biased, to say the least. Clarify *your* definition for yourself, by comparing it to the other terms presented here.
Duelling:
Inviting another Player to a fight between their characters, usually, but not restricted to, the death of one of the characters.
Player versus Player (PvP):
A mode of play, sometimes restricted to certain areas, conditions or servers, where all Players involved consent in advance to have their characters fight each other to some unpleasant end.
Death:
A character falls after its \"red bar\" has vanished (aka Zero hitpoints), then it is in an \"undefined\" state, and thereafter awakens, usually after some brief time, usually \"damaged\" in a gamemechanical sense, usually somewhere else. Death is the primary source of Players feeling grief, especially if characters get damaged, reason and intention of the causing person nonwithstanding.
Perma-death:
Just like real life: Dead characters do not respawn.
Stealing/thieving:
