Other aspects of my post that you criticized, such as my expectation of "ganking", etc. have been backed up by other players with more experience across multiple games than I have. I just know how fighting works (I do consensual full-contact PvP (with mock weapons) in what passes for another part of my "real" life) and what I experienced in the years when I did participate in Outpost battles.
In PvP, if you have more than a few levels in (whatever battle skill) above another player then the mechanics of the game say that you are going to win, given equal armor and weapons and assuming you don't handicap yourself in some way. The same is true in real life. Sure, anomalies can happen and the weaker fighter win, but it's not the way to bet.
Further, I did make a positive suggestion as an alternative, which you then twisted by adding the thought that the game devs should somehow incentivize PvP. I happen to agree that the current possibilities for purchase with PvP points are limited. So are those available for purchase via National Fame points or Faction Points. In fact the limits are very similar. There was a whole set of threads on this subject some small time ago. However, my suggestion was meant to test the idea that PvP was *fun*. If an activity is *fun* people will do it without further incentive than having *fun*.(*) If the devs can be shown that a large number of people are having *fun*, then it might justify the investment in energy in crafting rewards and incentives.
(*)That statement is based on my observations of my acquaintanceship group and other areas in real life.)
You asked how I knew what new players like. I deal with them on a regular basis, lending a helping hand. The ones I deal with want to learn how to play the game. This is a natural selection process, since no one who wants to train PvP is going to ask me to help them. However, the people whom I have helped have universally said that the reason they are looking at this game is that it is not a PvP fest. I am certain that there are those who want to do PvP -- I see it in the questions in Universe Chat. However, I am not convinced that they are a majority or even a substantial minority of those who stay past a few weeks.
One more question: Given that we do *not* have access to the owners records of number of subscribers and players, on what do you base your assertion that "homins are leaving in droves"? I find that my active contact list has remained pretty constant over the last year. This is a serious question -- people are claiming substantial losses, but I saw well over 80 toons at the battle of the Mara camp in HS earlier today, and only a few of them were Mara. (I.e. this wasn't so much a PvP event as a PvE event with a few bits of PvP thrown in.) There were similar numbers at the Tryker Diamonds in the Sky event and the Matis Gift Outright event (based on /who counts made by friends).
Note: We will never keep all the people who show up in Silan -- that's just not the way the group dynamics of recruitment works. If we were doing well, I would expect that we would hold perhaps 10% of the visitors to Silan. Further, of those who disappear I suspect that many are simply intimidated by the mechanics of the game or disappointed by the lack of instant success, not by the lack of PvP. (This is based on my gut reaction to the questions being asked in Uni.)
Yes, we need to spice the game up. Having interesting events would help, adding rewards for RolePlay (violent OR peaceful), adding rewards for Faction or anti-faction actions probably wouldn't hurt. However, making it difficult for a substantial part of the player base to play the game in peace will not, in my opinion, help in the least.
-- Bittty
Edit: removed personal attacks
GM Tiximei
In PvP, if you have more than a few levels in (whatever battle skill) above another player then the mechanics of the game say that you are going to win, given equal armor and weapons and assuming you don't handicap yourself in some way. The same is true in real life. Sure, anomalies can happen and the weaker fighter win, but it's not the way to bet.
Rollocks
How would that keep me out of the game? I would not be able to harvest, train, craft, trek, or gawk at the landscape. That is locking me out of the game as I am playing it whether I can literally log in or not, and your proposal was for at least two days and possibly a week or a month. That is the proposal I initially reacted to, and I feel that I did so in a thoughtful, though mostly negative fashion. Ryzom should have one week a month or perhaps just a weekend where PvP tags are mandatory. Every homins PvP flag would automatically be turned on and everyone automatically have to engage or be subjected to being attacked as part of PvP. (emphasis added)
Further, I did make a positive suggestion as an alternative, which you then twisted by adding the thought that the game devs should somehow incentivize PvP. I happen to agree that the current possibilities for purchase with PvP points are limited. So are those available for purchase via National Fame points or Faction Points. In fact the limits are very similar. There was a whole set of threads on this subject some small time ago. However, my suggestion was meant to test the idea that PvP was *fun*. If an activity is *fun* people will do it without further incentive than having *fun*.(*) If the devs can be shown that a large number of people are having *fun*, then it might justify the investment in energy in crafting rewards and incentives.
(*)That statement is based on my observations of my acquaintanceship group and other areas in real life.)
You asked how I knew what new players like. I deal with them on a regular basis, lending a helping hand. The ones I deal with want to learn how to play the game. This is a natural selection process, since no one who wants to train PvP is going to ask me to help them. However, the people whom I have helped have universally said that the reason they are looking at this game is that it is not a PvP fest. I am certain that there are those who want to do PvP -- I see it in the questions in Universe Chat. However, I am not convinced that they are a majority or even a substantial minority of those who stay past a few weeks.
One more question: Given that we do *not* have access to the owners records of number of subscribers and players, on what do you base your assertion that "homins are leaving in droves"? I find that my active contact list has remained pretty constant over the last year. This is a serious question -- people are claiming substantial losses, but I saw well over 80 toons at the battle of the Mara camp in HS earlier today, and only a few of them were Mara. (I.e. this wasn't so much a PvP event as a PvE event with a few bits of PvP thrown in.) There were similar numbers at the Tryker Diamonds in the Sky event and the Matis Gift Outright event (based on /who counts made by friends).
Note: We will never keep all the people who show up in Silan -- that's just not the way the group dynamics of recruitment works. If we were doing well, I would expect that we would hold perhaps 10% of the visitors to Silan. Further, of those who disappear I suspect that many are simply intimidated by the mechanics of the game or disappointed by the lack of instant success, not by the lack of PvP. (This is based on my gut reaction to the questions being asked in Uni.)
Yes, we need to spice the game up. Having interesting events would help, adding rewards for RolePlay (violent OR peaceful), adding rewards for Faction or anti-faction actions probably wouldn't hurt. However, making it difficult for a substantial part of the player base to play the game in peace will not, in my opinion, help in the least.
-- Bittty
Edit: removed personal attacks
GM Tiximei
---
Remembering Tyneetryk
Phaedreas Tears - 15 years old and first(*) of true neutral guilds in Atys.
(*) This statement is contested, but we are certainly the longest lasting.
<clowns | me & you | jokers>