So I didn't read through everyone’s posts - I'm just focusing on topic:
This is an Idea I have had to support an open world PvP system which is friendly to everyone. No one has to participate – they just can if they want to.
The open world PvP would be faction based and primed on the lore of the game - not knowing all of the lore of this game I cannot give actual examples but here is a basic example.
Faction A: Imperials
Faction B: Bandits
Faction C: Rebels
Faction D: Invading Nation
Faction E: Mercenary Guild
Each of these factions are in a constant feud and can have in story events that will sway the alliances between one another. Examples: Invading nation’s occupying forces are weak and want to over throw the Imperials so they forge an alliance with the rebels. The Imperials may forge a relationship with the bandits to protect their land.
Mercenaries are able to work for any faction as they see fit – the drawback with this is that they will not be able to gain access to faction benefits. (see below)
Flagging for PvP: This is a unique system I’ve come up with. Flagging for PvP will be literally changing your armor and weapons and wearing the equipment of your allegiance, even the Mercenary Guild has a standard outfit. When you completely change into your gear (might have to do this at a headquarters or some standardized area) you are flagged for pvp and can fight anyone else who is flagged, anywhere, at any time.
This equipment will dictate the damage you can do and the damage you take effectively making this form of PvP a balanced platform where everyone is on the same base level not because they are "twinked."
The longer you wear the equipment in close proximity to other people the more reputation you develop with your faction and over time will act like a multiplier to leveling up your pvp rank. (more on that later)
The skills that have been unlocked by the player remain unlocked – it is just that they are balanced for pvp.
PvP rank:
Rough outline of how the rank system would work:
Soldier Rank 1: (i.e. Squire) Minimal consequence for leaving faction. No benefits. Easy to level up from.
Soldier Rank 2: (i.e. Soldier) Some consequence for leaving. Small chance of a price on your head or make you a target of interest. Access to pvp consumables.
Soldier Rank 3: (i.e. Knight) Moderate consequence for leaving. Gets access to better PvP gear. (not a very difficult rank to achieve roughly 20 hours of pvp’ing. This is the baseline for openworld pvp.
Officer Rank 1: (i.e. Lieutenant) bounty will be placed on this players head even when pve’ing a random npc bounty hunter party can come to attack this player. Can summon NPC ades.
Officer Rank 2: (i.e. Captain) above penalty plus is a marked person of interest during open world pvp when they pvp.
Officer Rank 3: (i.e. Colonel) Most severe consequence. Difficult to leave – will have to do a very involved quest to leave. Once the player has deserted they will have a bounty on their head until it is removed by consensus of player ranked generals by voting system. (With above penalties)
Top Rank: General / Once accepted this character is bound to the faction. Access to awesome gear - they will be able to take on multiple Colonels at once. These would be as rare if not rarer than level 20's
This is gained by fighting in open world pvp or completing feats. For instance: killing 50 soldiers or 10 knights as a soldier will allow him to level him up to a knight.
A player is always given the option to rank up and it is never forced on them. If they are not sure that they want to stay with the faction they may stay a knight instead of going to an officer rank which has more consequence for leaving the faction.
So if the soldier kills a bunch of squires there is no benefit besides self-defense and griefing. But if that griefer gets killed by a squire it becomes a huge benefit the squire (or squires if there were more than one that killed him) letting him rank up quicker.
Logging out
Leaving a character that is in pvp gear will leave the avatar there for 5 minutes – preventing people from “ninja logging”
ok my lunch break is over - gotta run - you guys get the idea. This makes open world pvp completely optional yet could be very fun and rewarding but only in the world of pvp.
Quick bit on Greifing:
A player can kill players at a lower pvp rank then themselves but after killing a few players significantly lower rank (number unknown to the public) Like an officer hunting squires - a bounty is placed on the officers head and this bounty sets out npcs and alerts nearby mercenaries. This bounty is not canceled by death but instead is a multiplier of the # of lower rank players killed x 5 minutes.
Kill 4 squires the bounty is on your head for everyone except your own faction. (even an allied faction can kill you for the bounty) for 20 minutes
