World pvp (at least read the start)

OK, where to start.

First, philosophically... PVP just doesn't *go* in this game. Yes, there are some people who enjoy it - I'm one of them - but even at its peak, it had only a tiny portion of the population actively involved. Yes, there were some decent sized SGs (Lions Den comes to mind,) but even so, not long after the release of the zones, it was rare to see much activity. COH/COV just hasn't been a big PVPing stomping ground.

Related to that - if I want PVP action, I know I can go to one of five places to find it (the four zones and the arena.) Think of it this way - you're asked to find three people. In the first try, you're given a two story house to find them in. Think you can find them pretty quickly? OK. Next, you're told to do so in a skyscraper. How are your chances now? Our city zones (using the term for both games) are pretty big - even if someone's called out ("Hey, Villaindude is in IP, someone want to get him?") how long will it take you to find them?

Now, let's tie the first two points here together - and your OP doesn't mention flagging/unflagging. You have a population that mostly doesn't care for PVP. They un-flag it (which I would assume would be the default.) The would-be invader can't do much of anything (no attacking NPCs for the most part, etc, etc, etc.) Finding someone INTERESTED in PVP takes even longer (who then has to be in the proper level range) ... why would this system work out? Answer: It wouldn't. It would frustrate the few people interested because they cant' find a fight, it'd irritate the ones who get conned into flagging for PVP when they don't really want to.

Also, you're ignoring one thing - the major mechanics difference between powers in PVE and PVP. I'm reasonably sure the mechanics are switched per-zone, not "per what you're fighting." I know my Tanks can get mezzed while they're in the PVP zone if there's a mezzing NPC around, for instance - don't forget, all mez protection does in a PVP zone is cut duration. And many of these mechanics have proved so popular with PVPers that the devs added options to turn them off in the arena....

Between how the game works, the low PVP-willing population (PVP just wasn't a big draw before, and I don't see a population spike coming in with this added - though I do know of several who would just quit outright,) and all the restrictions you've added in what I'd assume is an attempt to make it "fair," well... I just don't see it working.

See my Guides and Tutorials

No thanks. There are already a grand total of two active zones across the entire US server list (11 servers @ 4 zones each = 44 zones, meaning only about 5% of available PvP zones will have activity at a given time), spreading out the small remaining PvP population won't help anything.

Develop and propose reasonable and possible solutions to issues such as groups of PvPers blocking doors to force players to fight them, lag issues resulting from large groups of PvPers congregating, PvPers deliberately interrupting RP events, "/duel spamming" and other examples of "upstanding, courteous" behavior, and fix the numerous balance issues with PvP itself (something that still hasn't been accomplished twelve issues after PvP was tacked on to the game), and it might be an idea worthy of consideration.

Until such time as those and other issues can be addressed responsibly and intelligently, I remain adamantly opposed to open PvP. Last thing I care to experience in this game is dealing with a turd-monkey following me around, bleating epithets at me in /b and /t, throwing out /duel popups and demands and trying to annoy me into fighting him/her until a GM can handle it (which could be the next day), then having to deal with his/her "friends'" childish retaliatory attempts to prevent me from playing.

I support this idea because it would be AWESOME if I'm on a Task Force, and one of my team mates is flagged for PvP, and then we have to wait for him to finish a fight before we can move on.

...No, wait, that would suck and it's why I oppose the idea. My mistake.

Anyone that's been around long enough to remember when we were forced to enter the PvP zones to clear introduction mission will understand why this will never work. Untill you cleared that mission, you couldn't get any others. When you entered the zone, you would get TP Foe and killed. Try to leave the zone? yeah right. TP Foe the moment you step out of the hospital. Don't bother asking them to stop killing you so you can leave. They will just tell you that if you didn't want to PvP, then you shouldn't have entered the zone. The Devs were cheered the day they moved the contacts outside the zones.

At it's peak, a little over 10% of the player base was into PvP. It's not that high now. From a business standpoint, why would NCSoft annoy 90% of their players just to make 10% happy? Cross server PvP zones would be the best way to get the PvP zones more active. At least then you could stay on your server and the non-PvPers wouldn't have to deal with something they don't want.

The story is interesting, but it doesn't really work. The only reason the Etoile Islands remain in the hands of Arachnos and Recluse hasn't been Sadamd yet is because they're under the protection of the UN as a sovereign state, and the US is still reeling from the Rikti War. The moment Recluse declares war on America, he basically declares war on the entire world, and he simply does not have the resources to do that. He's campy, but he's not stupid. Not THAT stupid, anyway.

That, the overall hatred for PvP, which I share mind you, and the mechanical difficulties related to instituting PvP zone rules in PvE zones without totally inducing mag 100 knockup on PvE means that I can't stand behind this idea. Moreover, I see neither a need for it, nor a point to having it.

Sorry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

World PVP in any shape or form is a non-starter as far as I am concerned, and would likely lead to a large number of canceled accounts from previous comments in many similar threads.

Hey look, another World PvP suggestion!

Firstly - you aren't justifying the suggestion here. You're putting out world PVP as an inherent good - and I don't think that is self evident. Secondly - for those that want this - why not just level up in the zones? Perhaps the better suggestion would be to add at least radio/paper missions in the PvP zones.

I like world PvP in games were the design makes sense. CoX is not one of those games.

Initially - there is the issue of how the powers operate PvE verses how they operate PvP. If you flag for PvP in a PvE zone - what rules do you use? Would you be subject to DR and TS there too? I think you'd have to be. You can't have different rules for PvP based on what zone you are in.

Next - world PvP works in games where you level up in the world. It adds excitement as you train to gain XP, trying to avoid getting ganked, or alternatively - laying in wait preparing to strike. Most of levelling in CoX is done in instances - so the whole "keeping on your toes" thing is not really a factor. Basically - world PvP would affect people who flag at WW/BM, those afk, those respec at the NPC, flagged RPers in zones and those flagged writing AE missions. Most of those situations would have the player being a sitting duck, and likely unflagged.

So then? What is the justification to make this change? How is the game improved where the benefit for the playerbase would outweight the cost of the resources to develop it? As most of the playerbase seemingly has no interest in PvP (in this game,) the resource cost would have to be next to nothing and even then, there is still the unanswered question of how this benefits the game before this suggestion can be taken seriously.