Post by Andrea on Mar 27, 2017 17:55:55 GMT -5
Greetings, expeditioners!
We'd like to offer another installment of our "pillars" of game design this week. As before, we do welcome discourse on any of these topics, so feel free to engage. And of course, if you agree with us, feel free to share these posts to spread the ideas. This week's topic may prove a bit more divisive, but it's one that we have strong feelings about: PvP.
Player-created content is great for filling in the gaps and enriching your experience, but unfortunately when it comes to Player vs. Player conflict, every player has a different comfort zone. This is compounded by the fact that a LARP character is both a financial and emotional investment of not insignificant proportions. Dealing with a variety of PvP that you're not interested in or comfortable with can utterly sour that experience, since unlike staff-run plot, that other player isn't designing this encounter in the hope that you'll succeed. Therefore, it's important that everyone involved is on the same page, and that a handful of ground rules are observed when potentially engaging in PvP.
First of all, in order to openly discuss PvP, we need to make sure we're all on the same page about what PvP is. Player vs. Player content is any type of conflict that pits one player against another, be it outright combat, sabotage, or political intrigue. It can be spontaneous or premeditated. It could be driven by plot or world dynamics, or it could be completely personal. It could even be unintentional. In any kind of PvP scenario, there are a set of community guidelines that you should follow, as well as obligations to the game's staff to fulfill, so make sure you know the extent of these before you engage.
The first ground rule is inherent to the very process of creating a character; don't design a character who you know will derive fun from interfering with other players' fun. Don't play someone who would just steal from player characters for the fun of it. Don't play someone who is so explicitly evil that the player base will feel that they have to do something about you. Don't play someone for whom you can't justify working with other characters of varying backgrounds. Staying in character is of the utmost importance, but at the same time, "but my character would" is not an acceptable excuse for causing needless and harmful inter-player dynamics. This is a game built around cooperative play, and if your character premise significantly impedes that type of play, it is not a character suited for this game.
That said, organic and well-reasoned PvP should never be outright prohibited, as it just doesn't make sense that there would never be disagreements or conflicts of interest among a group of thirty unique characters. In fact, PvP at its best should still be potentially enjoyable for all parties involved. Some aspects of the world may even nudge characters of different backgrounds toward conflict. However, any time you feel that you are headed toward direct conflict with another player, if you don't already know that player's comfort zones regarding PvP, you should consider talking to them about it out of game. This does not mean that you should outright threaten players out of game ("My character will kill your character if you do this"), but you should explain your position and how you feel your character would respond ("My character has these stakes in this situation and probably wouldn't just let this happen"). If either of you don't want the assumed outcome, then you should try to come to an agreement regarding how to proceed.
This does not mean, however, that a player should try to avoid consequences for their actions by insisting that they dislike PvP. If you are doing something that interferes with another player's goals, and they have expressed to you that they will take action against you, while you can certainly state your preferences regarding PvP, you can't attempt to forbid PvP entirely if you are also not willing to cease that behavior, or at least come to a compromise.
Since PvP can definitely be a murky and complex issue, we also believe that it is imperative that we as staff do get involved. Taking a non-involvement stance in PvP risks that poor behavior go unchecked, and that good players may be driven from your game despite their enjoyment of the game itself. One of staff's many jobs is to serve as the referee, and ensure that all players on either side of a conflict have the opportunities they need to either exit the conflict or have a fighting chance. For this reason, it is required that any player intending to initiate PvP inform staff beforehand. We do know that sometimes PvP scenarios occur unexpectedly, and so in those cases, you should make sure to inform staff as soon as possible by knocking on the door at staff center. Keep in mind that this system incorporates both magic and investigative skills, and so we need to know about any recent PvP actions in order to give accurate clues and results should the need arise.
We know is a lot to consider, and some of it rests on a fine line. Do your best, and be honest with yourself and others about when and how PvP might necessary, and you should find the community a healthier one as a result.
We'd like to offer another installment of our "pillars" of game design this week. As before, we do welcome discourse on any of these topics, so feel free to engage. And of course, if you agree with us, feel free to share these posts to spread the ideas. This week's topic may prove a bit more divisive, but it's one that we have strong feelings about: PvP.
Player-created content is great for filling in the gaps and enriching your experience, but unfortunately when it comes to Player vs. Player conflict, every player has a different comfort zone. This is compounded by the fact that a LARP character is both a financial and emotional investment of not insignificant proportions. Dealing with a variety of PvP that you're not interested in or comfortable with can utterly sour that experience, since unlike staff-run plot, that other player isn't designing this encounter in the hope that you'll succeed. Therefore, it's important that everyone involved is on the same page, and that a handful of ground rules are observed when potentially engaging in PvP.
First of all, in order to openly discuss PvP, we need to make sure we're all on the same page about what PvP is. Player vs. Player content is any type of conflict that pits one player against another, be it outright combat, sabotage, or political intrigue. It can be spontaneous or premeditated. It could be driven by plot or world dynamics, or it could be completely personal. It could even be unintentional. In any kind of PvP scenario, there are a set of community guidelines that you should follow, as well as obligations to the game's staff to fulfill, so make sure you know the extent of these before you engage.
The first ground rule is inherent to the very process of creating a character; don't design a character who you know will derive fun from interfering with other players' fun. Don't play someone who would just steal from player characters for the fun of it. Don't play someone who is so explicitly evil that the player base will feel that they have to do something about you. Don't play someone for whom you can't justify working with other characters of varying backgrounds. Staying in character is of the utmost importance, but at the same time, "but my character would" is not an acceptable excuse for causing needless and harmful inter-player dynamics. This is a game built around cooperative play, and if your character premise significantly impedes that type of play, it is not a character suited for this game.
That said, organic and well-reasoned PvP should never be outright prohibited, as it just doesn't make sense that there would never be disagreements or conflicts of interest among a group of thirty unique characters. In fact, PvP at its best should still be potentially enjoyable for all parties involved. Some aspects of the world may even nudge characters of different backgrounds toward conflict. However, any time you feel that you are headed toward direct conflict with another player, if you don't already know that player's comfort zones regarding PvP, you should consider talking to them about it out of game. This does not mean that you should outright threaten players out of game ("My character will kill your character if you do this"), but you should explain your position and how you feel your character would respond ("My character has these stakes in this situation and probably wouldn't just let this happen"). If either of you don't want the assumed outcome, then you should try to come to an agreement regarding how to proceed.
This does not mean, however, that a player should try to avoid consequences for their actions by insisting that they dislike PvP. If you are doing something that interferes with another player's goals, and they have expressed to you that they will take action against you, while you can certainly state your preferences regarding PvP, you can't attempt to forbid PvP entirely if you are also not willing to cease that behavior, or at least come to a compromise.
Since PvP can definitely be a murky and complex issue, we also believe that it is imperative that we as staff do get involved. Taking a non-involvement stance in PvP risks that poor behavior go unchecked, and that good players may be driven from your game despite their enjoyment of the game itself. One of staff's many jobs is to serve as the referee, and ensure that all players on either side of a conflict have the opportunities they need to either exit the conflict or have a fighting chance. For this reason, it is required that any player intending to initiate PvP inform staff beforehand. We do know that sometimes PvP scenarios occur unexpectedly, and so in those cases, you should make sure to inform staff as soon as possible by knocking on the door at staff center. Keep in mind that this system incorporates both magic and investigative skills, and so we need to know about any recent PvP actions in order to give accurate clues and results should the need arise.
We know is a lot to consider, and some of it rests on a fine line. Do your best, and be honest with yourself and others about when and how PvP might necessary, and you should find the community a healthier one as a result.