Player versus player (PvP) competition has been an essential part of almost every western MMORPG released. Although PvP isn’t as popular in Asian MMORPG games it does exist in games like 9Dragons and Perfect World. Fighting another player is always more interesting than fighting monsters or even fighting a boss, as there is a distinct sense of challenge; a sense of competition, as the victor would determine who the better player is.
Ultima Online, the first popular MMORPG had an open PvP environment where anyone can participate in PvP no matter where they were. No need to request a duel or teleport off into a special “zone” designated for fighting. You were able to fight almost anywhere you wanted to. The game’s PvP was also unique, as the game’s PvP combat relied entirely on skill rather than whoever had the best items. The difference between the best weapon in the game and the worst was almost negligible, which created an even playing field for everyone. The drawback to Ultima Online’s balanced PvP system is the game’s boring PvE experience, where monsters were plagued with stupid artificial intelligence and posed no threat even to the weakest players.
Everquest was the second popular MMORPG released. Unlike Ultima Online, in order to fight someone you had to request a fight with them which was a big step backward for fans of player verses player combat. In order to attract new players who preferred PvP, Everquest created a special server designated as a “PvP” server where players could attack each other almost anywhere in the game world. PvP duels and combat never became quite as popular in Everquest as it did in Ultima Online as the game wasn’t designed for balanced PvP combat, as Everquest didn’t impose level restrictions on items, which led to the player with the best equipment to usually win the fight.
Dark Age of Camelot, a game which was rumored to be the “Everquest killer” introduced a unique PvP system called “Realm vs Realm (RvR)” combat. Players would select a faction upon creating their character and fight to control strategic outposts in a designated “PvP zone”. Each realm, or faction, fought to gain control of the game’s relics. Each relic provided an in game stat bonus for the entire realm’s population if they managed to gain control of that particular relic. Dark Age of Camelot was also the first that successfully fused siege weaponry with PvP combat. Realms would have to use catapults and rams to knock down the walls of enemy outposts in order to steal that particular faction’s relics.
Today’s MMORPG games offer a very limited PvP experience as newer games aren’t being designed with PvP in mind, but are rather being tossed into the mix to simply add another feature. Even World of Warcraft, the most popular MMORPG on the market has a very limited PvP system. In order to participate in PvP combat on regular servers, players have to wait in line to be teleported to a special combat zone called a “battleground” where skill means nothing, as there are simply too many players in a single “battleground” at once for any single player to have a strong impact on the fight’s result. Even on “PvP servers” World of Warcraft is lacking. Duels and fights are almost always determined by whoever has the best gear. I’m still waiting for a game that has both a balanced PvP system and an equally fun PvE system.
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i did play guildwars only shortly but i felt it was well balanced pvp even tough it wasnt really open world pvp
i play aoc now and im kind of dissapointed in the pvp aspects.
it is for the most part open world ffa pvp but theres still some balancing to be done.
what dissapointed me a bit was that i expected something like soul callibur or mortal combat when i read about the combos some time back but as it is not. its more like unreal with some extra buttons to press. where i hoped for attacks/ blocks and counter moves its mostly bunny jumping and wild swings atm. it could still be called skill but its just not what i envisioned.
still aoc is in very early stages and has its chance to develope
and theres always war on the horizont
Tue Jun 17 2008 1:30AMYou're a year behind the curve and have missed some of the most significant PvP developments. Shadowbane had Guild vs Guild PvP in a sandbox environment. Eve did the same but more sucessfully and in a more open fashion. Pirates of the Burning Sea is linear but attempted to actually integrate PvP and PvE into a single conquest system. Not always sucessfully. AoC is attempting to raise the level of PvP above that of a pointless appendage but that part hasn't been implemented yet.
Tue Jun 17 2008 7:07AMwhat dissapointed me a bit was that i expected something like soul callibur or mortal combat when i read about the combos some time back but as it is not. its more like unreal with some extra buttons to press. where i hoped for attacks/ blocks and counter moves its mostly bunny jumping and wild swings atm. it could still be called skill but its just not what i envisioned.
Sorry Craynlon. This type of system is the holy grail for MMOs. For a massive multiplayer game, you simply cannot have a mortal kombat style of gaming. Even high end computers will studder and wail if more than a few people are in an area trying to perform MK style of manuevers. Until technology overcomes the framerate problem and lag when many many players are in one area, this detailed and enjoyable type of combat is not going to happen.
Age of Conan's combat system is the best mix for now. Doesn't provide much innovation for caster types, but its a start.
The PvP system of AoC is not even implemented as far as rewards. So far it is mini games and meaningless PvP. So all the usual negatives of PvP are the norm right now. Corpse camping, griefing, ganking are what entertain inthe gameworld. I hope the siege gaming does come forth soon, or else this game will fade..
Tue Jun 17 2008 11:23AMI honestly hope WAR will take PvP to the new level. It is fighting FOR something, winning something for your race. Fighting another person not for chest thumping yourself or griefing other people, but because your race will not advance. Your goal is the enemies capital, and other people are in your way..
I pray WAR lives up to its hype, if it does PvP wil lbe an enjoyable experience instead of a irritating distraction.
Tue Jun 17 2008 11:26AMWAR should be pretty good as long as they actually deliver what they advertise (capital city raids, open RvR, etc.
I also hope for sandboxy alternatives like that All points bulltentin, Well online, linkrealms, jumpgate evo, earthrise, etc. Jumpgate evo has my attention for the twitchy combat. Well has my attnetion for harsh pvp consequence and big open sandbox features
good blog, a fellow pvper. Salute
Tue Jun 17 2008 3:18PMBy far WAR hasn't delivered.
Tue Aug 05 2008 4:13AMheh, the mortal combat mmo is already on its way.
look here: http://news.curse.com/details/12334/
Mon Sep 22 2008 4:18AMMMORPG.com writes:
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