Information about Player Versus Player

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Player versus player, or PvP, is competitive interaction within a game between two live participants. This is in contrast to games where players compete against computer controlled opponent, which is similarly referred to as player versus environment (PvE) or player versus monster (PvM). PvP is a type of combat in MMORPGs, MUDs and other computer role-playing games (CRPGs), pitting one player's 'skill' against another's.

PvP can be broadly used to describe any game, or aspect of a game, where players compete against each other. This can include entire gaming genres, such as first-person shooters or real-time strategy games, or can be limited to an optional part of an otherwise PvE game. In computer role-playing games, PvP is often called player killing or PKing, especially in cases where the combat was not consensual. The term PvP, and to a lesser extent PKing, has also been adopted in discussions about traditional role-playing games and live-action gaming, with approximately the same meaning.

History and background

PvP combat in CRPGs has its roots in various MUDs like Gemstone III. However, while the ability to kill another player existed in many MUDs, it was usually frowned upon because of general strict adherences and heavy influences from role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. The term PvP originated in Neverwinter Nights, a multi-player roleplaying game hosted by America Online in 1991 . Originally intended to be PvM, a work-around was found that allowed players to cast spells to damage other players. After much discussion, PvP was sanctioned and certain areas were labeled "Player versus Player" and the term PvP was born .

Diablo (video game), a dark fantasy-themed hack and slash action-adventure game developed by Blizzard North and released by Blizzard Entertainment in December, 1996, also allowed PvP combat. "Player Killing" was an added facet of Diablo online play, which resulted in many conflicts, both in-game and on the Diablo Ogden's Tavern forum, between "PK" ("player killer") and "anti-PK" ("anti-player killer") clans and players. With the introduction of Diablo cheat programs and methods, players were able to initiate PvP combat in areas not intended by its designers or far outside the power of a normal player character. "Town Killing" was a notorious method of player killing outside the original design of the game as well as "insta-killing." Many players, though, enjoyed PvP dueling, which was consensual PvP between the players.

Other early MMORPGs, including Meridian 59 (1996), Ultima Online (1997), and Tibia (1998) also had PvP combat as a feature. In Ultima Online, the goal was to allow players to police themselves in a "frontier justice" way. This system was also implemented in Tibia, where death included significant penalty, and killing someone inflicted considerable harm to their character. In Meridian 59, the game tried to focus PvP by having different political factions for players to join. However, these games tended to be unfriendly to more casual players. With the popularity of EverQuest in 1999, primarily consisting of PvM elements (with the exception of limited PvP on one specific server), PvP became a negative for MMORPG players and developers.

PvP has been included in other games such as Asheron's Call in late 1999, Diablo II in 2000, Dark Age of Camelot in 2001, Asheron's Call 2 in 2002 and Shadowbane in 2003. While these games included PvP, they still contained large portions of prerequisite PvM, mostly to build characters. Critics argued the comprehensiveness of this type of PvP lacked in comparison to Ultima Online's implementation before the release of the expansion. The main concerns voiced by critics were lack of an individual's skill involved (primarily reaction time and hand-eye coordination), heavy dependence on items, and too much prerequisite PvM to build a character. Some MMORPGs currently in development are starting to use competitive PvP, such as dueling, as a main feature.

Though many MUDs have gone the route of roleplay intensive gameplay (RPI), or followed the hack 'n slash trends in popular graphical MMORPGs, some MUDs have focused strongly on the PvP gameplay. Many MUD designers claim that PvP in graphical MMORPGs is not player-skill oriented, and that the more versatile gameplay of text-based MUDs can allow for better PvP combat implementation.

In most MUDs, players engaged in PvP are usually separated from the rest of the community, and are organized in clans, or other player-run groups as well. A few of the most popular MUDs who lay claim to advanced PvP combat systems are God Wars II, Achaea, MUME, Clandestine MUD, Realms of Despair, DragonRealms: The Fallen, Everwar, and .

On August 4, 2005, the Chinese government announced a ban on all "violent" MMORPG play for minors (under 18). Chinese officials defined "violent" as any game that involves player vs. player combat. This new policy is part of a crackdown on pornographic, violent, gambling and superstitious content on the internet and mobile phone networks in an effort to create a so-called "healthy online environment".^[1]

Classifications

Player killing

Player killing, or PKing, is non-consensual PvP resulting in a character's death. Some games offer "open PvP" (also sometimes called "world PvP"), where one player can attack another without warning anywhere in the game world. An aggressor attacks an opponent without agreement to any set of rules of engagement or combat.

PvP can also create additional facets in the community. In Ultima Online, a rift formed between those who enjoyed PKing, those who enjoyed hunting the PKs and those who simply did not want to fight at all. The expansion later added a Trammel facet where PvP was not allowed, giving some out to the UO crowd that did not wish to engage in PvP at all.

Some players find PK deaths to be unfair, since the most effective tactics require surprise or attacking an opponent in a weakened state and sometimes, the abuse of bugs and/or hacks. In PvE, the goal is to learn the pattern of the monsters and often to exploit those patterns for fastest gains. Fighting challenging monsters in online games usually requires a period of recuperation before fighting another monster, and this downtime is the perfect chance for a PKer to strike. PvP, and more specifically PKing, goes against the predictability of the game. While some people enjoy this aspect of gameplay, others do not and criticize such gameplay design. PKs who consistently harass players by "corpse camping", "resurrection killing", and other involvement which the PK has nothing material to gain by it, these PKs are considered Griefers

Character death in an online game usually comes with a penalty (though some games remove it from PvP combat), so habitual PKers can find themselves ostracized by the local community. In some games a character will die many times and the player must often sacrifice some experience points (XP) or gold to restore that character to life. Permanent death (such that the player must create a new character) is relatively uncommon in online games in general, and more specifically when PK is involved.

Dueling

Dueling is both consensual and competitive. Both parties agree to a certain set of rules before combat, which can include a specified area and restrictions on items and combat type. Dueling ladders and leagues setup by fans are common for most MMORPGs that have PvP. Runescape was the first graphical MMORPG to debut a formal dueling system ingame (Ballista); other MMORPGs such as City of Heroes, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Lineage 2 and RuneScape feature PvP as competitive, consensual dueling in a group setting. This removes the unpredictable element from PvP, allowing players to challenge each other on "even" ground. Dueling is often considered an inferior and less challenging form of PvP by the more hardcore PvP communities.

Flagging

EverQuest, World of Warcraft and Star Wars Galaxies have a system that involves a PK flag, where a character has their PK flag set to "off" by default. Through various means, this flag can be turned on, allowing PvP combat with other people who have also turned on their flag. In Everquest, there is no way to turn the flag off once it has been turned on. In Star Wars Galaxies, the flag may be turned off by interacting with faction specific NPCs located throughout the game. Other games have a similar bounty system where players that kill or heal other players open themselves up to being killed in return. This is sometimes called the "revenge flag". Use of this 'bounty' system is not standardized among MMORPGs, and there are debates raging about how to 'police' the system to avoid abuse. The web-browser centric MMORPG, Urban Dead has no NPC characters, so policing of players who break player-created regulations against certain forms of PK face player 'Bounty Hunters', who specialize in hunting down those listed as Outlaws on the metagame community. In this instance, flagging is a community effort, and not an in-game mechanism.

PvP in video games

Dark Age of Camelot

Dark Age of Camelot is primarily focused on consensual faction PvP, termed "Realm versus Realm" (RvR), by restricting combat to specific areas between Realms (which are three set alliances). RvR is limited to the Frontiers, Darkness Falls, Labyrinth of the Minotaur, Passage of Conflict, Battlegrounds, and Celestius (the final Master Level PvE zone). Players must willingly go to these areas to engage in the RvR element. The borders are protected by massive forts that have NPCs who are unable to be defeated, safeguarding the homelands from invasion. As such, players can grow their characters without interference from RvR play. For Dark Age of Camelot, Realm versus Realm play was incorporated into the start of the game, and not an afterthought or add on. The game was designed with this type of play, and characters are balanced with that objective in mind.

The death penalties for dying in RvR are minimal, and are in general considered just an inconvenience. There are numerous rewards for killing enemy players in the form of realm points, which allow you to advance in Realm Ranks, which can open up additional skills. You also gain Bounty Points which can be used to purchase items in the game or even bypass some PvE elements such as Master Levels.

Dark Age of Camelot also hosts a server named Mordred which is dedicated to free-for-all Player versus Player interaction without Realm associations or zone restrictions on combat.

City of Heroes / City of Villains

City of Heroes and City of Villains use "closed" PvP. This means that any player that does not want to engage in any form of PvP whatsoever can do so, without having to join any special server or activate special requirements.

On the initial launch of the game, there was no option to PvP, but with the release of Update 4, special arenas were introduced in the game where players could set up friendly brawls against one another and fight it out. Special PvP badges were added to the game, and the arena had several unique temporary powers that one could buy to use in an arena battle.

The PvP was further extended with the release of City of Villains, adding in three PvP zones, and in a later update, a fourth. These zones are known as Bloody Bay, Siren's Call, Warburg and Recluse's Victory. Any player that entered these areas was able to attack and be attacked by the opposite side. In Warburg, a player could be attacked by anyone not on his team.

EVE Online

EVE Online takes place entirely on one server, so there are no specific PvP servers to join or any specific areas designated for PvP. Effectively, any player can attack another at any given time and place, if they are prepared to accept the consequences dictated by local law.

In Eve Online each star system has a security rating ranging from 0.0 to 1.0, if you attack another player in a system rated 0.5 to 1.0 then the local police will appear and destroy your ship. However if you manage to inflict enough damage to your target before Concord arrives they will be destroyed; the game mechanics only guarantee punishment, not protection.

In systems rated 0.1 to 0.4, the local police do not operate. However, certain areas within star systems are guarded by "Sentry Guns" which will fire on hostile players. These guns are not very powerful, however, and do not guarantee the destruction of a hostile.

Systems rated 0.0 are free from any form of protection or repercussion.

Player characters also have a security rating which is negatively affected by hostile actions in secure space. Once this rating gets too low, their ship will be destroyed on sight whether they attack another player or not. The lower a character's security rating the fewer secure systems will accept them without intervention.

Similar to other MMOs, players can form player-run organizations. In Eve Online, these organizations are called Corporations. One Corporation can declare war on another, which allows the two to fight without Concord's intervention even in secure space. It is also worth noting that a declaration of war is not mutual. If one side has players who do not want to fight, their only option is to avoid the attackers or leave the besieged Corporation.

Eve Online's death penalty can be seen by some as quite harsh. When your ship is destroyed, it is gone for good and there is a chance that any of the cargo or fittings will be left behind for the attacker to collect. So for example, if your rare ship is carrying everything you own and gets destroyed, the cost is high.

Guild Wars

Guild Wars is unique in the MMORPG world, in that players have the option to create PvP-only characters. These characters cannot enter PvE areas, but start at maximum level and can simply pick any equipment or skill that has been "unlocked" for the account, rather than acquiring it individually. PvE characters can access PvP areas as well, but must gain their equipment or skills in the role-playing (PvE) world.

In Guild Wars, players are only allowed 8 skills and only 1-8 other party members (for a total of 2-16 players in total, depending on the type of match you are playing). This makes the game based heavily on strategic play and creating skill setups (called builds) that work with the builds of your teammates. Expansions are released regularly in Guild Wars, and consistently create new forms of PvP combat.

PvP formats in Guild Wars include:

• Random Arenas - Random teams of four versus other random teams of four.
• Team arenas - Chosen teams of four versus other chosen teams of four.
• Heroes' Ascent - Teams of eight fighting in a tournament style game.
• Guild vs Guild - Two 8-man teams from two different guilds fight to conquer the other's guild hall. Considered the most competitive form of PvP combat, there are worldwide tournaments for Guild vs Guild, resulting in cash prizes to the best-of-the-best.
• Hero Battles - One person and his or her team of three customized NPCs battles another person with a team of three NPCs. Like Guild vs Guild battle, there are worldwide tournaments for Hero Battles, resulting in possible cash prizes.
• Alliance Battles- Pits the Luxon and the Kurzick Factions in a 12 vs 12 player battle. Battles are won by killing opposing players, while taking maintaining control over strategy points. There are several maps for these pitched battles, and the map battleground changes depending on the "borders" of the two factions. In this way, Alliance Battles redefine the borders constantly, allowing Guilds allied with a certain faction to take control of certain towns in an effort to increase notoriety.

Lineage II

Currently one of the most active PvP games is Lineage II. Most of the goals of the game directly revolve around PvP. In this particular MMORPG, almost all clans/guilds are PvP-oriented, and the siege feature of the game is exclusively a massive PvP event involving up to 300 or more people, and centering around the capture and defense of a clan's castle (there are nine castles in the game that can be conquered by clans). The opportunities for both solo and party PvP are numerous outside the towns, which are marked as peace zones. Lineage II incorporates a "flagging" system whereby players have to make a conscious effort to attack another PC (in this case pressing the ctrl and attack hotkey simultaneously). When a player "flags" or attacks another player, his name changes color from neutral white to purple, and other players can choose to flag him or her as well. If one successfully kills a flagged player, he receives a PvP point on his PvP counter.

Player-killing, on the other hand, is defined as killing a "white" or neutral player; one who has not attacked or "flagged" back. When a player PKs another, his name changes to red and he receives a certain amount of "karma" points based on the number of people he has just PKed, as well as his current PK count, which is separate from his PvP counter. If his aura is red, the chances of a player dropping equipment upon death increases to almost 90%, and thus "red" players are heavily targeted by those outside his or her own clan or alliance. This makes getting rid of karma an absolute necessity. The only ways a player can be rid of karma points are by either killing a variable number of mobs, or losing karma points by dying. This serves as an effective PK deterrent to those wary of losing XP (experience points). Lineage II has no clear-cut rules regarding PK or PvP, nor servers to separate PvE (Player versus Environment) and PvP gameplay (as compared to World of Warcraft).

The ruleset used for PvP in Lineage II is a commonly used PvP system. Similar systems are used in a variety of MMORPGs, especially those developed in Korea. Lineage II is notable as an example of this system because of its popularity.

Neverwinter Nights

Neverwinter Knights is a server using content made by players for Neverwinter Nights and it is available to the public for free. It is found in the Action category and is consistently the most popular server under "Local Vault", where you are allowed to bring in your own character builds. NWKnights is arguably the hidden gem of the team pvp universe. Unlike many other MMORPGs, NWKnights allows you to build and rebuild characters and their skill combinations instantly to maximum level and use all abilities available at that level (including using skills like pickpocket against human players!). You build a library of pvp characters on your own computer and can choose to use any one of them when logging into the real-time combat arena. Many players have 100 or more character builds. Battles are continuous and there is no waiting for a match to begin. Matches include formats like Capture the Flag and King of the Hill. What makes NWKnights outstandingly unique is that it is essential to have skills in building your character as well as playing it. This means merely having a good build is a poor assurance of survival in the combat zone. Team sizes are generally between 4 to 11 per side. NWKnights is designed such that team play is not critical to success. Even if you do not know your team members personally, you will always have the chance to shine as a hero on the battefield. NWK does not charge monthly fees and all you need is a legitimate purchase of Neverwinter Nights. Expansion sets are not essential to joining and playing on the NWKnights server.

RuneScape

RuneScape caters to PKers with its wilderness system. There is an area at the northern region of the map that is known as the wilderness. This is an area ruled over by chaos and contains high level monsters and challenges. The wilderness is also the only place where rule-free PVP combat may take place (players can die in the wilderness, unlike during dueling, where one only loses ammunition used and whatever wager they have bet on the battle).

This system is helpful for non-PKers, as they do not have to go into the wilderness and are not obligated to engage in PvP combat. Some high level quests may require players to go into the wilderness, but it is assumed that their high levels and experience enable them to defend themselves.

The wilderness system also provides balance by preventing high level PKers from attacking much lower-leveled players. The wilderness is metered in "levels" - the further into the wilderness a player goes, the higher the level. This level works by allowing a PKer to only attack anyone of the same combat level or who is within the same number of levels above or below them as the wilderness level they are currently in. For example, a level 51 character in level 3 wilderness can attack level 48 to 54 players.

Death is also experienced differently for PKers. This makes it more risky than PvE combat. When a player dies in PvE combat, they normally keep the three most valuable items they were carrying. However, players who have recently engaged in PKing will be marked with a Skull-and-crossbones icon, and if one dies while "skulled" they will lose all of their items. The prayer "protect item" (level 25 prayer) will allow players to keep one additional item beyond the normal limit (resulting in four items normally, or only one if skulled).

There are a variety of combat methods useful for PKing in the wilderness (such as Melee, Ranging, or Maging). Ranging and Magic attacks are especially useful in the wilderness, as PKers can engage opponents at a distance without being counterattacked. Melee is also widely used, since it only requires a weapon and the PKers stands to lose less if they should die. Many PKers combine methods, particularly in the use of magic spells (such as Snare or Teleblock) which will hold an opponent in place and keep them from escaping.

Shadowbane

Shadowbane, a free fantasy computer MMORPG, is notable for emphasizing player-versus-player combat, implementing non-conventional races and specializing in siege warfare (players building cities and trying to raze enemy players' cities). Whereas a significant number of MMORPGs released since Ultima Online usually restrict player killing to certain areas of the game, uses PvP flags, or special dedicated PvP servers, Shadowbane has one of the most open and active PvP and PKing systems among current MMORPGs. Also, compared to other PvP-allowing MMORPGs, the death penalty is not harsh, resulting in only equipment repair, as opposed to experience or item loss.

Players are also allowed to own cities and capitals and most of the property and cities in Shadowbane are player owned. In effect, Shadowbane's war status is decided by the players rather than the game company. Whether a guild city goes to war with another guild city is entirely up to the leaders. A government system is also implemented in the game. This ensures players are in total control of the Shadowbane world.

There are no quests in the game, which can turn many MMORPG players off. However, most players agree that Shadowbane's PVP, Nation, and Siege Warfare system make up for this fault. To this day, Shadowbane receives many praises as a PVP MMORPG, especially among "hardcore" PvP fans.

World of Warcraft

Main article: Player versus player in World of Warcraft

In World of Warcraft, all characters come from one of two factions, and apart from duels and "arenas", PvP is limited to combat between members of opposite factions. World of Warcraft includes both normal, PvE (player versus environment), and PvP servers. On a normal server, PvP is optional and regulated: characters cannot be attacked by other characters except by participating in designated 'battleground' matches, unless they have "flagged" for PvP through a command, attacked a flagged enemy, entered an enemy city or assisted a flagged character. On a PvP server, characters adventuring in areas outside of the initial starting areas (these areas are known as contested zones) are automatically flagged and players of the opposite faction in these regions, which make up the bulk of the game-world, may attack one another without restriction. Players may also "raid" cities and towns belonging to the other faction, attacking the NPCs there. On a PvP server, many of the guidelines for appropriate behavior are relaxed-- players are expected to enforce these guidelines themselves; actions which would be considered grieving, annoying, or hurtful on a PvE server are tolerated due to the lore behind the game.

An Arena system has been also added to include another rank-based system to the game. Teams of 2, 3, or 5 characters can be created to fight each other. Each team starts with a rating that changes depending on the team's wins and losses, and each member receives Arena points based on that rating every week. These points can be redeemed for special items. In order to receive points, each member must participate in at least 30% of the team's fights also the team must compete in a minimum of 10 arena battles each week to be eligible to earn Arena points. The top ranking arena teams every season will receive a unique flying mount and the rank of Gladiator.

PvP in live action role-playing games

Live action role-playing games (LARPs) have always featured player versus player conflicts, partly because even in PvM games the monsters are played by other players ('monster crew') rather than by GMs/referees/computers, partly because there is little a human referee can do to prevent one player-character attacking another player-character (apart from asking 'please don't do this'), and partly because it is often considered that another free-willed player is a more worthy opponent than an NPC whose background, choices and abilities may be determined by a plotwriter.

PvP conflict is not limited to lethal combat - in LARP it might include theft, social one-up-manship, political maneuvering, economic domination, or even romantic affairs. Still, the most direct and unambiguous PvP conflict is combat.

While there are a few LARP (or LARP-like) games whose primary focus is on killing other PCs, a lot of LARP gaming styles do not look fondly on unmotivated killings, or players who abandon any kind of characterisation but simply look for opportunities to kill monsters and characters, as might be normal in some CRPGs.

Some few LARPs ban player-killing outright. Many games have a stronger focus on PvM than PvP play, and social conventions deter (for example) the killing of a low-level character by a high-level character, at least without considerable provocation. Some LARPs, especially the larger ones, make complex PvP a principle element of the game.

PvP can be an advantage in LARP, especially large-scale LARP (hundreds of players or more) since it reduces the need for monster crew and plotwriting, and can enhance the sense of fair play, as well as produce a wider variety of opponents than a small plotwriting team could easily create. However, it can be hard to maintain PVP alongside some kinds of PvM plot. (For example, if the end of the world is at stake, the rational strategy is to temporarily ally with your enemies until the threat is over.)

The term PVP has been gaining adoption in LARP circles with the rise of internet-based discussion groups.

References