Player vs Player (Overview)

We consider ourselves to be a role-play shard with PvP, we are not a "PvP Shard". PvP is intended to be part of the shard storyline progression. Players are expected to role-play before PvP conflict and followed the documented rules of engagement.

Overview

This is the first time this community has ever needed to implement these types of PvP Rules. I have spent weeks talking to players and trying to come up with a fair and balanced system that wasn't overly complex. I'm not sure I've managed it -- there are a lot of opinions on what is best.

Consequently, I reserve the right to change this as much as I need to until I feel that I have gotten it right. This is by no means our first iteration, and is in fact our third. I put this overview document together to help myself and others understand the basic concepts before they delve into the rules and mechanics.

I hope it does the trick!

Introduction

This version of Sanctuary is intended to be a high conflict setting. Players who do not want to participate in political conflict role-play may choose to be residents of Summer Isle and not declare a kingdom (or team) allegiance. A few warnings and restrictions:

• If you purchase a house on the main land you will be unable to remain neutral.
• Players who participate in the political conflict are expected to have the experience and maturity to maintain appropriate IC/OOC boundries.
• A player can only LEAD one RPCSS team, however they can have 4 other characters who are members of other teams. Consequently, players are STRONGLY encouraged to keep ALL political discussions IN-GAME.

Kidnap and Ransom

Before we get into what PvP is and isn't allowed, I'd like to take a moment to talk to you about kidnap and ransom. I certainly can't speak for everyone, but I can speak from many years of experience in other PvP games. There is going to be a large group of players, especially female players, who are going to seriously prefer being kidnapped, role-played and ransomed, rather then attacked.

Please take a moment to consider how much more role-play you can get, as well as loot, by capturing, role-playing and ransoming people. As long as you actually role-play the captive, this is is an option that may have hours of enjoyment to be had.

Summer Isle & Underhill

Summer Isle and Underhill do not allow any player vs player combat. Attacking other players is completely disabled on both maps even in party. The only way to fight is to use the "I wish to duel" system that comes with Serv UO, and the dueling system is mutual consent required.

PvP Free Zone

In fact, if you want to avoid PvP completely, you are able to craft, hunt and role-play on Summer Isle and Underhill with no reason to go to Cuiviénen at all. You can also choose to only go to Cuiviénen (world stage map) when there are storyline events with other people around. You won't get as much opportunities for involvement this way, but the option does exist.

Resurrecting a Knocked out Character

To the right you will find a map of Summer Isle marking the locations where you can resurrect your character if you find yourself in a situation where you have been knocked out by mobs.

Cuiviénen

The main storyline revolves around Cuiviénen and the RPCSS System. It is on our custom Felucca map, using RPCSS, that the large scale land based army conflict between Noble Houses takes place. If you want to be a part of this storyline then you need to expect both personal and guild conflict, as well as, potential PvP. It is our intention to direct most PvP towards the furtherance of the storyline and away from individual player conflict, especially for those who are not interested in personal conflict outside of the guild and shard storylines.

To this end, we offer standard Felucca PvP Combat with reasonable PvP-RP rules as well as guild/faction warring managed by a player-negotiated Rules of Engagement and enhanced by RPCSS. Additionally, to keep ICA=ICC (in-character actions equal in-character consequences) we are implementing a death curse function as well as an RPCSS assassination process.

PvP

The main world stage map used for RPCSS is setup on Felucca and allows open PvP as long as the PvP Rules are followed. Please note that looting is not allowed between individual parties unless their guilds are at war. PvP kills in this manner do not give murder points.

Warring Guilds

The base guild system in UO allows two guilds to mutually agree to go to war. This forms enough consent that players are considered to have been warned. However, the entire goal of the storyline and RPCSS is to create conflict between players, and to that end, the RPCSS system can and will override a guilds war/ally flag with other guilds once their RPCSS armies are in conflict.

Details on when this will actually happen will be made available to house leaders who use the RPCSS system. Players should assume that if the RPCSS armies are fighting, so to then are the guilds and thus the players. A guild leader can continue to try and sue for peace and avoid conflict on behalf of his or her people right up until armies clash.

The shard Rules of Engagement are created in combination with staff and players and are reviewed on a regular basis. The RoE applies to combat between warring guilds on the World Map. Failure to adhere to the rules may result in players being "banished" to Summer Isle for a period of time. Read More ..

Death Curse

An extended "wound" system is in the process of being implemented for use on the main land. The system is not yet designed but its intention will be to cause a player to "recover more slowly" after a death. How and when it can fairly be used will be a factor of both the regular shard PvP Rules and the Rules of Engagement.

• The current PvP Rules state: Players may use the death curse functionality after two PvP encounters between two players within two months.
• No rules have been decided on for the Rules of Engagement.

Marked for Death & Nearly Dead

Based on how the RPCSS system has worked in its alpha, it is crucial for players to have the ability to remove other players from the storyline and stop or decrease their ability to impact RPCSS. We expect that those who are targeted in this manner have a direct impact on how the storyline is played out in RPCSS.

If you are the leader, a valued advisor, a skilled spy or valuable asset, you may be marked for death in the RPCSS system. We expect this feature to only be used for storylines where taking that character out of the situation is vital to your own guilds plans.

For Example: Do not try and kill a leader's younger sister just to traumatize the leader, instead kidnap her and keep the RP going. However, if she is scheduled to be married off for political gain, then killing her may be the only option for you to stop an allience.

This function requires Mith and Lara to sit down and hash out how it works. Our initial thoughts are as follows:

The spy master might have the ability to mark a player for death. In essence, he is spending money to facilitate the chance to get at the target and make sure they are nearly killed for as long as three turns in RPCSS, about 3 weeks. Players would have to get the spy master to pay for and submit the action in RPCSS.

Conversely, we expect that the spy master from the other team will have options to figure out that someone has been marked for death and potentially counter the action. Ultimately however, if a character is killed in PvP by the warrior guild then an extended death timer will activate. When this happens, the player will not be able to be rezzed, won't be able to use RPCSS and can only interact with others via spirit speak.

As this function can only be activated by a guild leader or their spy master, I feel we can comfortable expect that it will be used responsibly and will be managed by both staff and aspects of an RoE. If it fails, then the admin team will step in.

Obviously our intention is to take you out of the RPCSS game, not further screw the player over in other situations that might arise from a prolonged death, such as their vendor, pets or house.