Suggestions wanted: Implementing PVP in a themepark without instancing

KenFisher

I'm interested in feedback on a PVP system that I'm having issues working out on my own.

 

WAC is a PVE themepark with multiple races but only a single Realm/Faction.  All players start off in the same location and share the same cities, towns, and vendors.  The entire world is zone based, all zones are public, no zones are instanced.  There are no guild-houses / keeps, and nothing currently in place as player controlled territory.

 

Things I've considered:

 

1) NPC operated factions similar to the houses in Morrowind.  This would be coupled with an open-world battleground in a zone specifically for this purpose.  One could teleport from the House's HQ to their corner of the battleground zone and reputation with the faction gained by killing players of opposing houses, killing NPC bosses of the faction and returning an item to their own house (sort of a pseudo capture the flag).

Problem I see with this is that guilds would end up with players aligned with different NPC factions (houses) so guild activity in the BG would be distorted.

 

2) A modified version of the above.  A guild would have a "house" alignment when the guild is created.  Anyone who becomes a member of that guild is a member of that "house" for as long as they stay in that guild.  The difference from the above is that guilds who are active in PVP could hold events where they meet up in the BG and go attacking (or even defending).

 

3) Skip faction alignment altogether and just make the BG group vs group.  Sort of a mass team deathmatch.  This would resolve zerg issues because max group size is 6 and there is no such thing as a raid group.  I have no ideas on rewards for such a PVP system other than kills yield points similar to WoW's honor system, and then points could be spent at special PVP vendors.

 

None of the above offer any sort of tiering structure so PVP would be for the most part an activity for level cap players.

 

Axllow18

I actually think the idea of multiple NPC factions players can join at endgame for PvP purposes is actually a really nice idea.

 

I would personally go with that one.

Elybo

I would go with the guild "house" selection at creation as well. Also, look into a way to perhaps limit the amount of guilds each "house" can have. I've noticed in Akia, if a faction gets too powerful, it's almost impossible for the lesser factions to get anything done. I know you could align your faction (provided the leadership agrees), but it still seemed kinda out of whack.

 

And maybe make it an open pvp bg zone, without a way for each "house" to enter the others without at least serious consequences.

 

Cheers!