Phaite Accompli
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Posted - 2009.12.11 01:05:00 -
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After reading some of the whining about PvP, I just had to post this idea I had a few weeks ago. I'm not trying to draw any flames, but I do like a hot fire, so...
I'm still a new player and probably will be for quite some time. I know I am too inexperienced and too ill-equipped to deal with the common PvP situations that crop up in lo-sec and nullsec space. PvE is mostly easy vs NPCs though, well at my low level anyway. This got me to thinking if maybe there was a way to engage in a more limited form of PvP as opposed to the all out free for all you are more likely to find. I primarily do mission running, so that's how the idea came about.
When you accept a mission, your character is tagged as being the one running that mission for that agent. Maybe you invite some friends along, but -you- have to complete or fail that mission. Now, what if you have an "Accept PvP" option when you accepted that mission? There are thousands of players online at pretty much any given time. There are most likely at least dozens, but perhaps hundreds of players in the near vicinity of your character location. Now let's say another player is running missions for a competing or enemy agent and he also chooses the "Accept PvP" option for a mission. Let's just go with "he", though it could be "she". Things start to get interesting at that point. Let me give an example of what I mean ...
You request a mission from your agent. You get a nice, simple courier mission. Pick up item from location A and deliver it to location B and report back to agent. You might run into some NPCs, but most likely the mission will be cake. Instead of clicking on "Accept Mission", you click on "Accept PvP Mission". It works the exact same way, but now you might encounter some PvP action during the running of your mission. You have no way to know ahead of time. Nice bit of added preparedness tactics there, not to mention "the unknown". Now, unbeknownst to you, another player requested a mission from a competing agent. When you clicked "Accept PvP Mission", you alerted the DB to update dynamic missions for agents that could generate a PvP encounter with you. This happens to be one of those agents. This other player sees a mission that has him intercepting a courier and either preventing the pickup entirely or possibly having to wait until the cargo is picked up, then trying to get the cargo into his own ship and take back to his agent. If the player chooses "Accept PvP Mission", he has no way to know if he will be encountering an NPC or another actual player. Again, that player has that bit of edginess in his system that only PvP can generate. If he chooses the regular "Accept Mission" button, he is guaranteed an NPC encounter.
If he does choose to accept PvP, then that locks the two players together through the mission DB. It updates CONCORD flags and all that to allow the two players to freely attack each other, should they choose to do so. The 1st player might jettison his cargo if he feels outclassed, and make a run for it. No combat took place, but it sure as hell made for a more interesting mission. The way this limits PvP is that only the two players have accepted the PvP mission. The DB updated so CONCORD won't attack the 1st one that attacks, but if either player takes friends along, none of them can attack anyone first without bringing CONCORD down on them. Of course, should a mission player fire upon them first, they are entitled to defend themselves. This entire scenrio is based on Hi-Sec. Lo/0.0 would, of course, have to be handled somewhat differently, if even an option.
I admit, the idea is fairly rough and may or may not be feasible, but should be technically possible. It may have been suggested before, or thought of before by CCP and decided against. Still, I thought it was kind of a cool idea and thought I'd put it out there. And, BY NO MEANS, do I think the PvP should be limited to same class of ship or lower or anything like that. Only the limits already imposed for operating in Carebear space.
And you PvP whiners ... you do not have to choose the "Accept PvP Mission" button. However, at least this way the playing field is slightly more "leveled" for you should you choose to press the RED button.
Yeah, I think that covers the basic idea. Have at it.
~To engage in combat is to accept that you are already dead. Once you accept that fact, there is no longer anything to fear
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