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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Comments
All I was saying is Classic WoW, before Honor and PVP gear and flying mounts, actually had an engaging world PVP experience. You would have open battles between Southshore and Tauren Mill, if you were out questing and came across an enemy, you would either run (if too high level) or attack (if somewhat equal), and yes you had gankers. But when someone was ganking Red Ridge or something, all you had to do was call in guildies or even band-up and try to take them on.
My favorite pvp memory was me as a level 40 combat (mace stun spec) rogue who answered the call to Red Ridge to stop a ganker, only to find out it was a level 60 Rogue. But after multiple fights with him, I ended up winning most of the matches and scared him off. (of course he kinda sucked in a fair(ish) fight, and I was combat mace stun spec which nobody was playing at the time).
PvP for PvP's sake works, but once you start adding in PVP gear/currency/systems, it ruins it or forces it to be instanced like BGs or arenas.
EDIT: WoW also has PvE servers so if you didn't want any PVP, you could choose not to do it. I thought I would mention that as it is relevant to this discussion.
Great summary of that large thread! It's definitely worth going through, as there are a lot of interesting perspectives.
There's a chance Steven will elaborate on the design decision further, especially when we're able to show off that aspect of gameplay. For now, it's certainly something we look forward to testing externally when the day comes, for player feedback.
Sadly that's a lot harder to do when they've been merged into other only superficially related threads. I can't imagine it's easy to undo that sort of merge action (particularly this long after), but I was disappointed to see it happen.
Ok, ok.. I'll admit it.. I exaggerated a bit with the 'Discussion is a waste of time' for comedic effect. Even if I believe we'll not reach a consensus on this, it's always beneficial to discuss subjects like this, in order to understand different points of view.
Thanks for the update
Depending on how the flagging happens, its not too much difference than caravan flagging. Approaching international waters, i imagine a banner shows on screen, alerting you, to flag or turn back.
Now, how do you deal with travelers vs battlers...?
Lets say there intentions for being at sea.
Travel, pirating, moving goods, and content.
Moving goods, pirating, and content, all fit into a group that would be prepaired for combat. Where traveling, does not necessarily fit into that group.
How do you deal with curruption, when a handful of level 5 players hop onto a mechant ship souly with the intention of moving to another region? If that ship sinks, does everyone on the attacking ship become corrupted? It is simpler to just make is known that pvp at sea is something you arent protected from, than to try and explain all the acceptions, changes, interactions, and such from corruption. And how corrupted players are treated as monsters, i would imagine a currupted player isnt able to use features on a ship either.
This is assumptions about how "completed" systems would interact. And we arent there yet in development. But i imagine, everyone on a ship as sea is a combatant. Is a simple change, to keep things simple. Over the alternatives.
You can safely travel between areas with ways in game where you can't be flagged on.
I think this is a typo? "You can't safely travel where you cant be flagged on", as you can always be flagged on yes.
But green players, who think of the curruption system as a shield for them. I think its easier to say, your shield is gone at sea. That trying adapt the curruption system to navel content?
Idk. Maybe my first impression isnt correct in general. But that was my first thoughts of it.
Ill expand a bit as well.
What happens when a ship sinks? Do the players on board die, or are they left in the ocean? I would like boarding parties, and being able to leave a ship with an aquatic mount. So i would think players are left in the sea.
If players are left in the sea, and hostile creatures are in the sea, and they die to those mobs, and never flag, even tho a player sunk their ship. No one gets currupted. So those players stayed green to try and persuade their attackers to leave them alone, and did not force curruption on their attacker?
These kinds of issues and situations, i think are easier to be rid of, by just making everyone in the ocean flag.
I wouldn't be playing the game, either, if Caravans auto-flagged people.
It's not that a shield is gone. Players with manual flag/default Non-Combatant can still be attacked. The primary difference is adventuring with a flag that says "I am in a mood to fight, come at me..." rather than adventuring with a flag that says, "I am focused on other stuff; not PvP - you might be severely punished if you kill me."
With Caravans, PvP can be happening in the area near me and I can choose to adventure in that area without flagging as a Combatant. In the Open Seas, I cannot even explore that area without advertising that I'm in the mood for PvP combat - I'm going to want to explore the Open Seas without advertising that lie.
And...if I can't do that...I just won't play at all. Just as I don't play on PvP servers.
Even though I like objective-based, opt-in PvP - I typically move from PvP-Optional servers to PvP-Only servers.
So... it was always unlikely that I would play Ashes in any case - Corruption would have to succeed as a sufficient deterrent to frequent PKing in order for me to be willing to play. Zones with no Corruption is an automatic fail... for me.
But, it's a great ruleset for people who enjoy PvP combat.
(Yes. There will be warning messages alerting that auto-flag is imminent.)
@PenguinPaladin
I dont mind either way, for it to be flagged or not. But with coastal waters using the curruption system, i dont understand the need for the auto flagging.
Like... who is going to be at sea, and not prepared to fight back? If you are out there to be a pirate, then you'll be attacking whoever.
If pirates are out there, anyone moving goods will be prepaired to fight back...
So i dont see the need for the change.
I disagree 100%. Greater rewards should entail more danger in obtaining these rewards. The danger is other players competing and trying to take those rewards. Truely organic competition.
How is competition dangerous?
Why not join a group to less the risk of dying? Join a guild who will organize groups to do this content? There are ways to lessen your risk in this content if you so choose. Or why not just stay in the coastal waters, they will have similar content with no risk.
Kinda depends on the penalties the destruction of your ship will cost you but if 10 groups compete over something, then there is 9 who probably lost their ship over it.
Because someone else can come in and take your resources
So, I don't see what the problem is. Generally land and coastal waters will be low risk of PvP
We don't even know whether you get the "resources" in your inventory. Potentially they will go the AA route where you need to have ship storage to put the treasures and fish in, which you will lose upon destruction
If chances are high to loose resources then I see danger. But then competition is not a word I would use.
More of game of chance. Danger = risk. Competition is skill related.
More players to willing to attack you = more danger.
Skill has nothing to do with that, that is another element.
If a place is visited often by many players, one has to join the bigger/stronger team. Be friend with the guy with legendary armor. Especially if his weapon has your name on it.
I'd agree with this... skill can come in my forms. Perhaps your a popular guy and are able to form groups easily, that could be considered a skill.
Well, we already have to caravan system and corruption as well as guild wars etc... already a lot IMO.
And then Naval Caravans will still be a portion of resources dropped when the ship is destroyed? Or full loot?