General Discussion

Flying Lab has posted a new devlog which takes a look at the state of PvP in Pirates of the Burning Sea.

Player versus Player conflict is one of the cornerstones of Pirates of the Burning Sea, and the primary avenue for that is our Conquest system. We’re in the process of making some fairly major changes to the Conquest system. We wanted to take a moment and explain those changes, and the reasoning behind them. There are a handful of major areas I want to address: port defense, increased PvP zones, and PvP rewards.

The first issue I want to talk about is port defense. Port defense is not supposed to be easy. While it is not supposed to be impossible (thus all the issues with economic ‘bombing’), defense is supposed to be harder than offense. The natural progression of the game world should not be towards stasis, but towards conflict. You’re supposed to be able to defend ports that are important to you, but a ‘perfect defense’ where none of your ports enter contention, should be nigh on impossible. Defending your ports should, most of the time, mean showing up for the port battle and kicking some ass, not stopping the battle from ever happening.

Read more here.

"Player versus Player conflict is one of the cornerstones of Pirates of the Burning Sea..."

Too bad you didn't point that out sooner, before a lot of us spent  the money to buy your game based on the PR that there was pleant y of BOTH PvE and PvP, your drop in population wouldn't be confusing you so much.  Ganking cost you subscribers.

"While port defense by unrest removal has been impossible in the face of the economic turn in situation, we still are not seeing the number of PvP zones we want. ...The goal of these changes is simple: create more PvP zones more of the time. We will be closely monitoring PvP zone creation, and unrest generation following these changes, and may adjust those values again soon."

Maybe the DEMAND for PvP zones is not as high as you once thought?  Hmmmmmmmmm.

When the whole point of the game is to "Conquer the Carribean for God and Country", resulting in a server reset so you can do it all over again (WWIIOL Style), that's pretty clearly a "PvP Cornerstone", and to miss that somehow in the description of the game is pure blindness, or stupidity. Which one, I'll leave for others to conjecture on.

And there can be *NO* ganking in the game. PvP zones are *clearly* marked, and if you don't want to PvP, stay out of the GLARING RED CIRCLES on the map, and you'll be fine.

If you get killed in a PvP zone, it's because you CONSENTED to PvP by entering that zone.

Maybe the DEMAND for PvP zones is not as high as you once thought?  Hmmmmmmmmm.

Exactly.  Once again mmog developers make the mistake of thinking that the .01% of very vocal PVP Team Action advocates represented the Majority of people who would want to play this game as a unique Fantasy Role Playing experience.

For the umpteenth time in the 11ty7th game that has made this same fundamental mistake: 

The overwhelming majority of Massively Multiplayer Online Gamers Do. Not. Want. PvP.

They, We, want Role Playing high adventure.

Originally posted by Flummoxed

Maybe the DEMAND for PvP zones is not as high as you once thought?  Hmmmmmmmmm.

Exactly.  Once again mmog developers make the mistake of thinking that the .01% of very vocal PVP Team Action advocates represented the Majority of people who would want to play this game as a unique Fantasy Role Playing experience.

For the umpteenth time in the 11ty7th game that has made this same fundamental mistake: 

The overwhelming majority of Massively Multiplayer Online Gamers Do. Not. Want. PvP.

They, We, want Role Playing high adventure.

As for the overwhelming majority not wanting pvp... says who? Where do you get your numbers and proof for that?

Originally posted by Flummoxed

The overwhelming majority of Massively Multiplayer Online Gamers Do. Not. Want. PvP.

Again, I say, if you do not want PvP, stay out of the BIG RED CIRCLES.

All PvP in Pirates of the Burning Sea is CONSENSUAL - and that's BY DESIGN.

Flying Lab actually *fixed* the one issue most people have with PvP - the helpless sensation of being ganked by a much more powerful player/group. They did this by making PvP fully consensual. You have to deliberately go into a PvP zone to be attacked by another player.

Yes, sometimes where you *want* to go is a PvP zone. Sometimes where you are *becomes* a PvP zone.

You *always* have options.

* You can sail the long way around the PvP zone. I did this quite frequently in Beta...sometimes with a Level 50 Freetrader ship packed to the gills with expensive components. Against the wind...it was brutal and time consuming, but I did it.

* You can put off whatever it is you need to do for a few days. The port will either go into contention, or it won't. It may change hands. It might not. Either way, the issue will be settled in a couple days, and that port will once again be PvP-free. Then you can sail in like Flynn.

* If you find yourself trapped in a port that's become a PvP zone...well...that's why you have Alts. Go play one for a while. That's why you have the ability to have multiple ships in multiple ports. Keep one ship in a non-contestable port, and you'll never, ever, be trapped in a PvP zone.

Seriously, Flying Lab talked for YEARS about how the Economy, Production, PvP, and Conquest were tied together intimately. They LISTENED to the people that said they do not want PvP - and they gave you...*gasp* the CHOICE to not participate in PvP.

Hear that?

If. You. Do. Not. Want. And. Still. Do. It. Is. Because. You. Personally. Are. At. Fault.