LB Explains PvP Decisions

Lord British gives some info on the PvP part of the game, check it out at 49:00
https://soundcloud.com/am640/vgs-april-18-witcher-3-romance/

 

@Caledor - Thanks for sharing

Interesting and fun.

 

Thanks for pointing that out Caledor!

 

Thanks

 

Tx.

I lookinf for kill a Paladin.

 

RG used the carebea... word, Firelotus, BAN HIM!

 

I posted this in another thread, but I'll do so here as well since it's directly related to it.

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Richard?s response in the audio interview:

?First of all, for new players, there?s just no excuse to prey on them, too bad, even if you?re a PKer. We can?t grow the business if what you do is every time a new player starts you rob them every 10 seconds until they give up and then they?re gone and we all lose together. So too bad, you can?t prey on new players.

But then what we do is we build the game such that the game has features, that mean that if you want to advance and become wealthy and powerful in the game, you really have to start exposing yourself to danger. But it?s still a choice. And so therefore if what you really want to do is just hang out in the pub and buy and sell things and grow flowers in the back, don?t worry your life will be safe.

But if you want to advance and if you want to become skillful and powerful in a wide variety of ways, a lot of those activities mean you?re going to leave the safety of your home and go out in to the dangerous wilds. But it has to be a time that it is story-motivated, that you know that it?s occurring, that it?s sort of opt-in so to speak but it?s voluntary but highly encouraged but still is something the player has control over as it proceeds.?
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Also, he said this in the most recent Dev Chat regarding high-level PvE and high-level PvP content:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Vbf5DDz2w&t=39m28s
?We?re not going to make it where suddenly there?s a whole swath of the game that is inaccessible to you or whole type of game play or whole type of value that now you?re blocked from reaching those high levels or those high level experiences that you?re not willing to cross that line.?
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Hope this helps

 

I just listened to this interview and really enjoyed it for the most part. I really don't mind RG throwing around the ******** word, because(to me) it is a matter of context and usage. I'm not a big fan of the term, though, because I think it is an inaccurate description.

The only real problem I have with this interview is the idea that the role of "predator" is a really legitimate one that needs to be satisfied. Being a "predator" has a vastly different context than being in conflict with someone else. Perhaps the term is just being loosely thrown around and it's no big deal, but it disturbs me a little when he says that, if people are complaining that there is no prey, he'll make adjustments.

Maybe we just need some new terminology.

 

I think more than anything LB makes games that are fun, open, and make sense. If you want to make a large thriving and alive world you would expect people have the freedom to follow any path they like be it a crafter, bard, thief, adventurer, and yes even a murderer. It is only up to the devs to create a system that governs negative behavior with in game punishments or deterrents that are logical but not yo completely banish a play style because it may conflict with another. In fact the world is full of conflict and disagreements but that only adds to the immersion.

 

Don't misunderstand me, I have no problem with "conflict" between players. There is a vast difference between two groups warring over control of a city, or two people fighting over resources, etc. and one person roaming the countryside looking for "prey."

I'm not talking about removing conflict from the game, I am talking about examining the desire to play a "predator."

 

The predator playstyle does have a certain romanticism to it. Being a bad guy or a criminal is the necessary evil that balances the necessary good.

This reminds me of a quick UO story on the subject:

Within my 1st week of playing UO, I am hanging out in Britain and see a player in all gold armor. I say, hey nice armor! He responds that he got it off another player and asked if I'd be interested in a bit of highway robbery with him. I said sure, I'll go with you. I was pretty weak, was more or less broke and had no idea what I was getting into, but at the time it felt like you could do anything you wanted in that game. We run out of town together and find a nice tree on the side of the road and he told me to hide behind it. He drops 189 gold or some odd amount on the road then joins me behind the tree.

We wait and watch as a few smarter players sprint by on their horses, ignoring the gold completely. They've obviously seen this one before. Before not too long, here comes an adventurer on foot. He pauses out of range and is cautious about this convenient pile of coin out in the street. Eventually he decides that the risk is worth it and he approaches and picks it up. We both jump out and attack! we chase him down the road a little ways until he eventually drops and we loot his noob equipment, which was worth less than the gold lure we used to hook him with.

I can't tell you why, but this was one of the most fun and memorable experiences I had in UO. The loot was worthless, but it wasn't about that. I was just amazed that this game let you pull off being a literal highwayman. Eventually I decided I did not want to be red/grey and play a murderer, but it was fantastic to see the other side of the coin. Being a predator was more about the Freedom to be able to do it, and be as creative as you wanted about how you went about getting the upper hand and being a dastardly bastard. Scamming is something I could do without, but in the modern times, a good trading window etc can prevent most of the basic trading scams. I lost a few grand on a boat key that way, it didn't work on the boat he sold me!

 

I think there will be a lot of people willing to play in PvP mode with good characters. The "prey" will be there, they'll probably just be tougher than the kind of people UO PKs were used to.