Moving Battlezones / PvP Issue Solution ?

[jared96]

Thought this deserved its own thread as it was getting lost in the rehash of other ideas:

Here is the premise:

1. IRL, battle zones are not stagnant. Opposing sides don't draw lines on a map and say we will only kill each other between these two lines.

2. In game, a limited PvP area can "get old". Best terrain positions are well known, mob patrol routes get well known and soon it becomes "same old thing".

3. The big argument against PvP is that it doesn't allow peeps not intrested in PvP into these areas.

The solution:

Let Battle-zones move

1. Like RL, battle zones move, presenting new challenges to the people involved. New terrain, new mob behavior, new tribes and other npc's too interact with......more varied and intresting gameplay. Different tactics would need to be used for jungle fighting, desert fighting, fighting near water in Tryker. More of the "challenge" that PvP peeps say they want.

Right now too much of PvP is:

a) Find a spot where you know peeps want to go
b) Hide behind something or just out of range (or on mount) and wait for them to show up.
c) Blast them when they unaware, unprepared and in no position to defend themselves.

2. Moving battle zones can bring PvP to more players. To move around in PR, you generally want a good number of levels under your belt to participate. If battles were to break out in northern matis, south of thesos, more people could get in on the fun.

3. While the PvP'ers are off engaging in the latest breakout of hostilities, diggers have access to those areas they dream about.

4. Limit the areas to one of the white lined areas in each land, obviously, the ones near faction borders plus the existing PR zones. I like the idea of 7 zones, 3 PR and 1 in each land....kinda fits nicely into a weekly rotation

5. The element of a diplomatic mission comprised of a nuetral guild sneaking thru the battle zone to have discussiosn with the other side enters the game.

6. Guilds could choose an outpost to defend in one of the white lined areas without having the need to defend it every day or non combatants could choose one in the other areas.

7. Code wise it should be very similar to weather....taking one feature and applying it over a wide area.

8. Interface wise, some ideas are:

a) Map could show areas of hostility with a red shaded "overlay" on map. Overlay would be present solid during times of hostilities, and fade in and out or blink when hostilities are about to start
b) Town criers and TP npc's could announce "Hostilities are expcted to break out today in [insert location] today as the cease fire ends at 15h"
c) Welcome message in sysinfo would make announcement.

9. More variables could be introduced where peeps would have to work into their spells that (in PvP ONLY) native spells have less effect in different lands.

10. The timing of the battle zone swith must be done to allow seasonal access, and by that I mean digging season and weather wise to all areas.

I can't see how the above proposal:

a) infringes on any ones "right" to kill other peeps even if they don't want to be killed.
b) reduces the enjoyment of non PvP'ers as they will now be able to explore and harvest all areas of the game without being forced into a style of gameplay with whcih they do not want to participate.

[sumoman]

Right now too much of PvP is:

a) Find a spot where you know peeps want to go
b) Hide behind something or just out of range (or on mount) and wait for them to show up.
c) Blast them when they unaware, unprepared and in no position to defend themselves.

2. Moving battle zones can bring PvP to more players. To move around in PR, you generally want a good number of levels under your belt to participate. If battles were to break out in northern matis, south of thesos, more people could get in on the fun.

I can see what u r tryin to say but, in RL wars are fought usin the above techniques becos it reduces the number of casualtys sufferd. And moving the current PvP zones might lead to new players, who havent grasped where is safe, to death and they could get annoyed and quit the game. I know that last part is not likely to happen but nervax has to look after the new players

[jared96]

I can see what u r tryin to say but, in RL wars are fought usin the above techniques becos it reduces the number of casualtys sufferd. And moving the current PvP zones might lead to new players, who havent grasped where is safe, to death and they could get annoyed and quit the game. I know that last part is not likely to happen but nervax has to look after the new players

1. New players are going to be in the "home regions" which will never be PvP areas. A new player arrives in Yrakis, Pyr or wherever and generally has to reach level 50 before he / she wants to go beyond those 1st dotted white line borders. PvP areas would be a very long way from Pyr requiring mastery of red mobs before they can get there. I certainly didn't have any chance to get to thesos on my own before I was level 150 unless I had a very successful sneak run which is very rare. If I had to fight, I was dead, so no change there. As proposed, you woukld have to be able to get past thesos, meaning 1) you are a very experienced player aware of the world around you and therefore 'know the ropes" or 2) you belong to a guild or group who escorted you there who certainly "knows the ropes". So you new to game, you are not going to wonder there bya ccident but you could participate in PvP if guild or other group gets you there.

2. During Beta and FBT, one of the suggestions I filed [repeatedly ] was to put the little white lines on the map as we have now so that players would know they are crossing into what may be "untested" mob areas. I'm sure others made the same suggestion. How do new players "grasp" that it may not be safe to cross these little dashed white lines into these zones ? The same situation applies. You see an indicator on your map, you don't know what it means, you ask someone.

3. How is this different from what we have now ? I enter the area west of Frahar Hunter camp and I get a big warning on screen telling me that I have 30 secs top get my arse outta there or I can be attacked. Is this chasing away new players ? I can bring any level 1 player to this zone consistently, every day, every time, without him or me ever taking a hit from any mob. here the situation which you describe can already occur in game. No noob is gonna make it south of thesos to get killed in PvP as the mobs will toast him / her long before they get there. The "new" player can never get to these areas unless he is adept at tackling level 150+ mobs.

4. Players have far more indication then they do now under this scenario:

a) Map Indicator overlaying the zone in red indicating something going on there.....
b) Map Title Bar Message where Atys weatherman forecasts weather saying "faction hostilities in [insert region here]"....
c) Welcome message making statement when you log in saying "Hostilities expected to break out at in [insert location] as troops from [insert faction] have been observed scouting the area. [Opposing faction] sending militia in at 12h today".
d) System Info Box gets spammed in yellow every 10 or 15 minutes for the hour before opening hostilities begins with messages such as "Small skirmishes between karavan / kami forces have been reported in [location]. Full scale invasion expected by 3h"
e) Screen Indication as we currently do saying "You have netered...yad yada yada..."
f) Teleport Locations have attendants announcing what going on in area when a player pops. "Welcome Homi, please be careful as battles between warring factions have been reported in this area."

With any 2 of the above, I don't think players being "unawares" is even a remote possibility. Really don't see an issue here. Plus you want game immersion, want RP, this certainly sets that tone.

It won't make everyone happy because let's face it some peeps derive pleasure from making others unhappy....just ask anyone with an ex-wife or ex-husband and they'll swear it's true (j/k)

[sumoman]

ok i understand what u said there and i withdraw the questionin of ur post but u ignore the beginin of my post. Please read it and tell me what u think

[rushin]

think it's a good idea would like to see it tied into the story rather than random area's.

My first thought was the balance issue.. when umbra was made PvP all the PvE danger was removed thus in someones head balancing out the new threat of homins.

My second thought is it's already been done. afaik all the red and purple zones (excluding pr) now have spiced herbs which has made them all a lot easier, opening the way for PvP without any more alterations

There will of course be a lot of people that freak out when u make their favorite hunting/digging area PvP for a bit, but u'll never keep everyone happy =)

[thebax]

An interesting and good idea

But it imposes no sanctions on gankers, unless I missed that bit, and while it would be nice for non-PvP players to get a shot at supreme Zun every once in awhile, it is still segregation, albiet a slightly more fair version.

[michielb]

IRL war tends to have a frontline usually between the warring nations....

[svayvti]

This is a great idea.

Though the other solution would be to pull PvP zones entirely as flagging yourself as available for PvP becomes an option.

Also, zones of conflict should have some logic and reason to them.

Political boundaries for civil conflicts, where as religious conflicts tend to spill all over.

[iwojimmy]

the biggest reason I like this idea -as a non PvPer- is that it simulates a dynamic political environment. "The kami insurgents have burnt down an orphanage in Resting Waters and need to be hunted down, or Fyrosian death squads are persecuting travellers around Dyron, who need defending"
having a couple of static areas flagged for PvP makes them nothing more than soccer fields, a place to go to have a bit of a match, and no contribution to the world story.

[jared96]

There will of course be a lot of people that freak out when u make their favorite hunting/digging area PvP for a bit, but u'll never keep everyone happy =)

Well if ya can't dig on Thursday...Friday's not all that far away.

And yes, the story line tie in would be great