“Oh Gawd, not another PvP thread…” is what some of you are thinking. I apologize in advance for adding to the many pools of these, but I felt this was necessary so the purpose and pros/cons (Or lack of) could be conveyed from the beginning. This thread is aimed at educating on how a PvP channel could be implemented in this game, why it’s good to have one, and how it can affect our gameplay and community experience. First, we’ll start off by listing the possible benefits and restrictions:
Benefits of using the PvP Channel
- Players get to fight against something that’s not scripted in a semi-open environment.
- A small boost to the EXP rate (10%).
^Behold. For those of you who don’t plan on using the channel, the only thing you’re missing out on is someone potentially having more fun than you (How dare they!!), and receiving 88 EXP instead of 80. That’s not so bad, now is it?
Now we need to establish the restrictions in the PvP channel, so that it doesn’t become a mess:
Restrictions on the PvP Channel
- Safe Zones will be placed around the Portals and the Gaia Statue, preventing battle.
- Reviving in the same spot using iCoins/items will be disabled.
- You cannot hit/damage a player if they are over 15 levels lower than
you. If they hit you first or heal/buff a player that you are
currently fighting, then PvP with them will be enabled.
Note that the above are the bare minimums of what should be added into the PvP channel. Other benefits/restrictions could be added, but these are what should be expected from the start.
Now finally, the Q&A wall, because I’m an Oracle so I took the liberty of answering before you ask:
Q1: Why add a PvP channel in the first place?
A1: Why add a card-battle system? Why add an open-lodge system? Because they’re features that players can interact with if they wish, for fun. They are also optional, and players can still progress fine without feeling they need to be “forced” to use them or else they’re at a big disadvantage.
Q2: We already have a PvP Arena. Why do we need a channel?
A2: In the beginning, the first “PvP” interactions were 1v1. It was later expanded on to an Arena, then eventually reached open-channel, until finally touching open-world/server PvP. Although, server-wide PvP does more harm than good in a game that’s not making PvP a core aspect of the game itself, which is why the topic at hand is for a channel instead. The point is: expansion. It never hurts to build on a current aspect of a game to appeal to the players.
Q3: If server-wide PvP would do more harm than good, then how is a PvP channel which is almost the same concept any different?
A3: Well, a PvP server in a game not originally designed to have PvP as a core-aspect is pointless in the grand scheme of things and also a waste of resources.
Secondly, Players who have friends that just want to play the game as it was originally intended, will be less likely to even create a character on the PvP server (much-less actively play on it) because all their friends will be on the regular server.
Finally, a reason that is specific for this game/version, is the fact that IMCGames would have to create multiple PvP servers for different regions since there are already multiple regular servers planned for those who live in different parts of the world (I’m referring to this international version). This is because high ping/latency is damaging to PvP gameplay, so even people who liked PvP Servers wouldn’t go on one if the server was located halfway across the world. All three of these things lead up to one thing: Inactive PvP servers, and a waste of money.
Q4: But a PvP Channel would make the forum more toxic, with people starting arguments because of it. Isn’t it better to not have one because of that?
A4: This is a common mistake that people make when deciding on the “Yes or No” to adding a PvP Channel, in a game that already has other PvP functions. PvP arguments will eventually happen on the Forums with or without a PvP Channel, because the game already has other PvP features. People may argue over something that happened in the already-implemented PvP Arena, but that’s not a reason to remove the PvP Arena, is it?
Q5: But we already have a PvP Arena. What’s the point of the PvP Arena then if players can PvP on any map?
A5: The PvP Arena is an entirely different environment from a PvP Channel. The Arena is limited to 5 players, removes the element of surprise so strategy can be thought out for each round, is fair (in numbers) on each side unlike a PvP Channel where you could walk into an area and get jumped by a gang that’s 50-deep, and has its own rewards/achievements. Players interested in PvP will still do both.
Q6: What benefits would a PvP Channel have other than to satisfy Players who want to PK each other?
A6: Other than the enjoyment of semi-free PvP, this would also alleviate some players from other channels into the PvP channel which would help with clearing “grinding” spots (Although the server will automatically create new channels if a current channel becomes too crowded). It would also help the game appeal to a wider audience, become a good change of pace for those accustomed to linear-grinding and be a great use of the games many maps.
Q7: I see. Well, I still think adding a PvP channel is a bad idea, because I don’t like it. What should I do?
Answer:
Thank you for your time! Divided we fall.
