How realism makes life hard for PKs

This thread was how the game makes it hard to be a PK'er? Seriously I feel so sorry I will send a sympathy card.

 

While I think the discussion has already covered all of redfish's points (and good ones, imo) I just want to toss out one thought to those reading and discussing this. Remember that the PK's aren't aiming for fair play, or fun play, or good play. Quite the opposite.

The average ganking player has set the GOAL of finding some other person and reaming them. If they try something, anything, and it doesn't work right, they tinker with their strategy to "fix" that. So, being higher level/karma/skill/rank/wealth than my target, check. Attacking from ambush, check. Grouping with friends, check. The point is to be unfair. If I find that some mechanic has made it more fair, I then look for a way to circumvent that mechanic.

The typical encounter with a PK is someone manifestly stronger than you, who's profit from the encounter will be the knowledge that he "pwnzrd your a$$", enhanced by any indications that "u mad bro", and validated by people trying to restrain him or police his actions. There is no such thing as bad attention to the PK griefer.

The other side of this equation, with players (like myself) who are much more interested in cooperative play and PvE, is that one of these guys can ruin an entire zone. Because it only takes one. So that small group of players, spread out around the major PvE "noobfarming" hubs of the game, can ruin play for the vast majority. Unless some system prevents them from doing so.

The greatest restriction on players like that is one that allows the rest of us to ignore them. No attention, no suffering from other players, and it stops being fun for them to be bullies.

This restriction mechanic should ideally have no effect whatsoever on legit PvP players who want a challenging opponent, or non combat type players who want to craft, merchant, socialize, etc.

 

I personally think it is important to differentiate between the PKer and the PK Griefer.
I want to consent to non-consentual PvP. I want the system to support me being exposed to PKing, but not to grief.

 

Trying to figure out how that works.

One person's PKer is another person's griefer. I have yet to hear how it will be possible to grief someone in PvP in SotA, since we are assured that PvP will be purely by consent. The server will match player skill levels, so newbies won't be griefed, for example.

 

The whole slider thing between PvE online and Open PvP still hasn't been fully explained.
Does agreeing to play with PvP enabled mean consenting to all typical 'UO style Open PvP' rulesets, or will people be able to duel without consequences if they wish to fight that way...
And of course, how does PvE online mode work into play in areas that would normally be PvP only?
If 2 guilds are fighting it out on a hex and you switch to PvE only online mode, do all the PvP players just disappear to that player? Or will entering this hex 'imply' agreeing to PvP rulesets by default, making that player vulnerable to attack.

Its all in the small details when it comes down to PK vs unaware Carebare, how much prior warning the game will give before this scenario, and how rigid the structure of 'choosing your playstyle' is will be the biggest factors to how much grief and satisfaction comes as a result.

We've heard time after time that no one will be forcibly thrown to the wolves, and that anyone can choose to avoid PKs and PvP combat if they wish; we just haven't heard about the ways the devs will try to 'entice' players from all sorts to try areas with PvP enabled yet, except that there might be quests or resources in PvP only zones.

I'm looking forward to what the team will come up with.

 

Rampage202, all your questions are the same things we are all anxiously waiting for answers as well.

 

PKers served a function to me and many were very friendly. I never minded losing my goods. My profession was to take raw goods and create items, his profession was to take said goods. I made sure to be prepared and more crafty about where I mined. It made me spec my character in a particular fashion suitable for survival and made me more efficient. Secondly, I had strong ties with friends and upon my escape from a PK often led to their demise. My guild would quickly be on top of me and scouting popular hot spots to punish these evil doers.

If we weren't faction hunting or guild warring then we were PK hunting. The amount of blues greatly outweighs the murdering population and even if they're new players, masses can absolutely devistate a skilled player.

Another thought is to actually use taxes to pay players to police the world or provide commissions based on the amount of PK heads turned in. This way players are not getting paid by the hour to sit around and it opens a second profession for those who simply want to kick butt and believe in the more positive side of role-playing.

I agree PKs can be annoying, but the responsibility can lay on the community to adjust this situation in accordance to what society will tolerate.

The amount of PKs allowed on a server could also be regulated based on the amount or turn over rate of the "enforcers". If the turn over rate is low then the allotted amount of PKs will go up; Lord British could then put forth an option to pay higher taxes for increased patrols or venture at your own risks. This then creates a democratic system for the Non-combatant PVE players. You essentially get vote with your wallet since you have the most to gain from it. For those of us who feel adequate in our own ability to protect, well we may opt to not pay the tax. The required fee either goes up, or we rationalize that it is too costly and the risk is worth it versus the taxed alternative.

 

A realist PK or realism for PK. Some believe there is a better way, while others cling to bygone days of UO.
Do we want a cookie cutter of the UO system or treatment of PK, or what do we want?
I would make some votes for a more realism.
~Time Lord~

 

I hate the old fashioned murder count system as a deterrent for pk's, along with the skill and stat lowering. I like the idea of a murderer being able to walk around town with a hooded robe on. I want a player to have to use their best judgement as to wether or not they can trust a person in PvP mode. Thats way more immersive than the silly old red lettered name.
If you let your guard down, dont check the bounty boards or listen to the town crier or read the local news your likely to get kidnapped or killed by a murderer.
Just avoid getting near people in hooded robes. They are NOT jedi's.

 

Wow @Time Lord! July 9, 2013 -- June 9, 2014. Now that's what I call a Necro.

 

He should have waited a month more for a nice one year necro

 

Maybe he wanted to practice his 'Raise Dead Thread' skills...

 

Actually, player towns will ease Pk s game.

In UO, a pk would put his house next to a crowded road, scout the road from his roof. When the pray would arrive, he would buff up, jump off the roof onto the (lonely) pray, preferably a mage as it was an easier pray (needed distance to cast), loot, rush back to his house when he had exclusive rights to enter and sleep safe there with his mount.

In SotA, Pk guilds will most likely place their town near pvp areas with rare metal sources. They will scout easy prays and loot their gold and resources then rush back to their town where they have have exclusive rights to enter. Revenge wont be possible, not even placing a house in front of the offender s house to scout his movements. But he d better obey the orders of his GuildMaster, coz if he looses the protection of the town, he ll become an isolated pray.

In Uo, it was easy to avoid Pk s sanctions, by playing another character with positive reputation. So will it be in Sota by owning a second account.