Player versus player
From Free net encyclopedia
Player versus player, or PvP, is a type of combat in MMORPGs, MUDs and other computer role-playing games pitting a player's skill against another's, where the goal is ultimately the death of the opponent's player character. While this can include player killing or PKing, this term is usually used in a narrower sense. It is the antithesis of combating mobs, known as player versus monster (PvM) or player versus environment (PvE).
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History and background
PvP combat 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. However, with the groundbreaking popularity of EverQuest, primarily consisting of PvM elements (with the exception of PvP between similar levels on one specific server), PvP was not considered to be a major selling point.
PvP slowly started making a resurgence with the release of Asheron's Call in 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 Age of Shadows expansion. The main concerns voiced by critics were lack of an individual's skill involved (primarily reaction time and hand-eye coordination), heavy dependence and reliance on items, and too much prerequisite PvM. Some MMORPGs currently in development are starting to use competitive PvP such as dueling as a main feature. In most MMORPGs, dying results in negative consequences. Therefore being the losing party in PvP combat is undesirable. For example, in Asheron's Call, you lose items upon death.
Currently one of the most active PvP games is Lineage II. Most of the goals of the game directly revolve around the PvP aspect. 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 centering around the capture and defense of a clan's castle (there are five or more 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 colour 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.
PK on the other hand in Lineage II 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 (the higher it is, the more karma he has to burn). In red or PK status the chances of a player dropping equipment increase to almost 90%, and thus red players are heavily targeted by those outside his or her own clan or alliance, hence rendering getting rid of karma an absolute necessity. The only way a player can be rid of karma is by a) killing a number of mobs, b) losing karma points by dying. It often takes several deaths to lose karma on a character that pvps frequently, which serves as an effective PK deterrent to those wary of losing XP (experience points). Lineage II has no hard and fast rules regarding PK or PvP, nor servers to separate PvE (Player versus mob) and PvP gameplay (as compared to World of Warcraft) which makes it a favourite among "hardcore" pvpers, as opposed to carebearish types found in many other MMORPGs.
In World of Warcraft, PvP is popular and moderately regulated. Characters come from one of two factions. Apart from duels and the "arena", PvP is limited to combat between the factions. Exceptions to this include players under mind control or other conditions in which a player loses control of their avatar. World of Warcraft includes PvE (player vs environment) and PvP servers. On a PvE server, characters cannot be attacked by other characters except in special designated battlegrounds unless they have voluntarily "flagged" for PvP. In other words, characters do not engage in PvP unless they elect to do so. On a PvP server, characters adventuring in areas outside of the initial starting areas are automatically flagged. This means that players in these regions (which make up most of the world) may attack one another without restriction. Players may also attack cities and towns belonging to the other faction. On a PvP server, many of the guidelines for appropriate behavior are relaxed-- players are expected to enforce these guidelines themselves.
In World of Warcraft, victories in PvP contribute points of honor to that character. Every week, characters are awarded ranks based on their honor relative to other players. These ranks permit players access to high-level items. Similarly, players fighting in battlegrounds gain reputation with their faction's army there, in addition to any honor they accumulate for their PvP. Sufficient reputation lets players purchase high-level gear that is otherwise inaccessible, and is more appropriate to PvP play. Thus, in World of Warcraft, regular PvP is a nearly-viable alternative to traditional PvE gameplay.
In MUDs, notably Realms of Despair, players engaged in PvP are usually separated from the rest of the community, and are organized in clans as well (the precursor to clans and guilds in MMORPGS).
Character death in an online game usually comes with a penalty. In many games death is expected to be common, resultingly the penalty for death is usually small, often some XP, equipment or in-game money. Penalty paid, the character re-enters the game alive. Permanent death (such that the player must create a new character) is relatively uncommon in online games in general and more specifically when PvP is involved. Common PvP implementations make unpredictable death relatively common, so the severity of permanent death is not included.
On August 4 2005, the Chinese government announced a ban on all "violent" MMPORG 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 nonconsensual and usually random. An aggressor attacks an opponent without agreement to any set of rules of engagement or combat. This can include raiding spawns, camping towns, and any other action which constitutes griefing another party. It also can be applied to group versus group, or GvG, combat where one group has an advantage usually due to larger in number. In Ultima Online, before the release of the Renaissance expansion which added a Trammel facet where PvP was not allowed, a rift formed of those who enjoyed PKing and the Anti-PKs, who do not and protected Trammies.
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. Final Fantasy XI was the first MMORPG to debut a formal dueling system ingame (Ballista); other MMORPGs such as City of Heroes, World of Warcraft, and Guild Wars feature PvP as competitive, consensual dueling in a group setting.
PK flag
EverQuest uses a system that involves a PK flag, where a character has their PK flag set to off by default. However, by a small quest they can permanently set their flag to on. Once set to on, there is no way to go back to off and the player is freely attackable by another other player who have their flag set to on. 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 "revenge flag" or RF. Use of this system is not standardized among MMORPGs and is hotly contested among fans and players about how exactly it should be done to avoid griefing and clone wars.
Player versus monster
Player versus monster or PvM is the conventional type of MUD as opposed to player versus player, often used to make this distinction. In some other games (notably Lineage II) it is called Player versus Enemy or PVE.
Player versus environment
Many new MMORPGs advertise themselves as being player versus environment or PvE meaning there is more depth to the interaction between the player and the game than merely killing monsters the traditional way, mainly in the form of scripted events, and that the game specifically does not focus on PvP combat.
See also
- MMORPG
- MUD
- Computer role-playing game
- PvP, a webcomic whose name derives from this phenomenonde:Player versus Player