How does PvP work right now?

[gord96]

I am a bit confused how PvP works right now. If I have a pirate who can I attack? I also have a French Naval Officer. Can I attack Brit and Spanish ships and players? Does a person have to be flagged for me to attack them? What is this "contention" thing I keep hearing about?

Thanks guys!

[Fatebringer]

right now they have to be flagged

come next week look for red circles on the map, in those any pirate and privateers from other nations with the appropriate skill can attack or be attacked by nationals, if the circle has 2 different colors in the inner one anyone not in your nation is fair game.

you can never attack your own nation

[Corison]

There are realy two types of PVP.

1. PvP Zones and
2. PvP Flagged

PvP zones are created by contetion/unrest around a port. They show up as big red circles. The details are posted somewhere else. But they come in two flavors, a general pvp area were anyone can attack any other nation and then larger pirate pvp zones. In this area pirates can attack anyone (and privateers with their pirate skill). Note that you won't see any of these until release.

PvP flag is something that is set manualy or by sailing an invalid ship. With this flag set, anyone of another nation can attack you. You can not attack other people unless they have their flag set and then only of different nations.

[gord96]

oh ok. what about naval officers? can they go cause trouble in those zones?

[Yamen]

First off, things are different right now in the pre-launch, but I'll get to those differences in a minute. For now let's talk about how things work regularly.

Option 1 for PvP: The PvP flag. You can turn on your PvP flag at any port, and until you turn it off in port again, you can be attacked by any player from any faction other than your own. Right now, there is no situation that allows you to PvP against a member of your own faction. You may attack someone who has their PvP flag turned on, regardless of weather or not yours is, but doing so turns your PvP flag on too.

Option 2: Contention. Every time you sink another ship, both NPC and Player ships, that belongs to the faction that controls a nearby port, you gain contention points for your nation at that port. For example, if you are Spanish, and you attack a bunch of Brethren ships around Matthew's Town, contention in Matthew's Town will rise for the Spanish faction. Once enough contention has been raised by any faction, a Pirate PvP area opens up around that port. This is a large red circle visible on the maps in which Pirates can attack or be attacked by any nation (other than themselves, obviously). If contention continues to raise, another smaller circle will open up, in which any player can attack or be attacked by any other player of another faction. If contention raises even further, a Port Battle is initiated. The Port Battle takes place 24 hours after it has been announced, and will be between the nation that raised the contention the the appropriate level and the nation that owns the port. When it's time for the Port Battle, a raffle is held and 24 currently logged in players from each nation are chosen to participate. The more contention you personally raised for that port, the more likely you are to be chosen. Once all players are chose, the battle begins. There is a ready room where each side can discuss strategies, and enable special advantages they may have unlocked for that battle. Then both sides duke it out, and whichever side wins takes control of the port. If Spain, Britain, or France takes a port from Spain, Britain or France, it is taken permanently until someone else takes it back. If Pirates take a port, it is "raided" for three days, then returned to its owner. If anyone takes a Pirate port, it is "suppressed" for three days, then returned to the Pirates.

Now, during the pre-launch, contention is turned off so that players joining at launch won't log in to find a bunch of PvP areas messing up the map on day 1.

[Evilmonkee420]

Thanks Yamen,

That was a very detailed, yet easy to digest post. It will definitely be interesting how contention plays out once the game goes live.

[gord96]

yes yamen thanks for that post. answered everything and more! :)

[Endrek]

Don't forget the part about invalid ships if you're a pirate.

Would have been nice to know this earlier... should be in the tutorial or something if you're a pirate. My friend and I got jumped by about 12 Spanish players because he was in a Limburg - he lost the ship and we couldn't figure out how we were attacked without being flagged. Thanks a lot FLS.

[bpdlr]

Don't forget the part about invalid ships if you're a pirate.

Would have been nice to know this earlier... should be in the tutorial or something if you're a pirate. My friend and I got jumped by about 12 Spanish players because he was in a Limburg - he lost the ship and we couldn't figure out how we were attacked without being flagged. Thanks a lot FLS.

You must have been drinking heavily to see 12 players. The maximum for any OS encounter is 6. Either that or check your glasses' prescription :p

[bpdlr]

The PvP you are experiencing now is only a shadow, a fleeting glimpse, of the splendour that awaits you on the 22nd.

Currently we are sailing around hoping to find a flagged player, knowing that most likely there will be a a group of at least 4 of them in a tight group (not always tight enough tho...). Or maybe someone will be daring (or silly) enough to attack you in your flagged ship. It's not likely though.

These are mere morsels, crumbs, frustrating ***-bits thrown from the table of the PvP gods.

On the 22nd, lovely red circles will start to blossom like bacteria in a petri dish, beautiful patches of crimson where nervous freetraders will rush towards port, bold young Naval Officers will huddle in groups, and schools of pirate sharks will gather at the edge and rush at the scent of death into the bloody fray.

This game will start for real on the 22nd of this month.

[grima77]

I got pk'ed yesterday by some spaniards as a pirate in a Atlas Bark. Apparently that is "invalid"? What makes it invalid and how do I know what is? I was not pvp flagged. The other thing is if I`m in an Atlas Bark and I`m being escorted by other ships and get attacked by a player, can my escort help and enter the fight for sure? By reading the previous posts, my escort CAN help me even if they are not pvp flagged but then will become flagged, is this correct? Thanks guys.

[saevel]

I got pk'ed yesterday by some spaniards as a pirate in a Atlas Bark. Apparently that is "invalid"? What makes it invalid and how do I know what is? I was not pvp flagged. The other thing is if I`m in an Atlas Bark and I`m being escorted by other ships and get attacked by a player, can my escort help and enter the fight for sure? By reading the previous posts, my escort CAN help me even if they are not pvp flagged but then will become flagged, is this correct? Thanks guys.

Yup you were pvp flagged, why? because the Atlas bark is a free trader only ship, and as a pirate, sailing a class only ship [non pirate] will automatically make it an invalid ship and flag you pvp.

To the second question, yes, if you have escorts and they're within 10 miles ish or so, they can get pulled in combat with you, or they just have to rush to your battle marker before it closes, they must be in your group tho, if my memory serves well [unless its a pvp zone].

Now, regarding the pvp flag on your teammates, i think only the one that actually started combat gets pvp flagged, but then again....maybe they all become flagged?. . . not sure there myself, i know attacker gets flagged immediately, i don't know about the rest of the group.

On a side note, thanks for the salt pepper and the logs and everything else :yar:.

So yeah, if you plan on going around in an invalid ship full of cargo, make sure you have buddies protecting your back, unless you're certain you can escape any attack, you didn't know before, but now you do, which is indeed, a good learning experience for the future.

[grima77]

thanks Saevel! I don't think you sunk me, I`m on blackbeard, but I did loose 30 iron ingots!! and 200 common wood, hehe, good learning experience....I made some spaniards happy last night... so if I`m in a bark that has 300/720 cargo hold and I get sunk by a smaller ship, where does the loot go? They do get to keep EVERYTHING I had in the hold minus ammo and consumables, if they have the room, correct? Thanks again.

[saevel]

thanks Saevel! I don't think you sunk me, I`m on blackbeard, but I did loose 30 iron ingots!! and 200 common wood, hehe, good learning experience....I made some spaniards happy last night... so if I`m in a bark that has 300/720 cargo hold and I get sunk by a smaller ship, where does the loot go? They do get to keep EVERYTHING I had in the hold minus ammo and consumables, if they have the room, correct? Thanks again.

If they get the room, they get everything[well a % of your cargo that is], if they don't, they get to pick what to keep and the rest goes to waste.

And hmmm yeah you're right, guess the one we sunk was someone different, but most likely in the same situation you were in, and probably saying "wtf why!?", and no they don't get to keep everything, they get to keep, or more likely, be able to "loot" a certain % of whatever you had, but they don't get everything, else, surrender would be far more worthless than it already is.

[grima77]

oh so they keep a %, not all of yer cargo hold, but if my ship has 1 durability, the loot that they don`t have access to is just gone? ( I assume it doesn't go with me to the port), I assumed the spaniards got it all. One last question, when I died I went to Cat island. I had not been in cat island in days, nor did I have a ship or warehouse there. Why did it send me to Cat island? Random? THanks.

[saevel]

oh so they keep a %, not all of yer cargo hold, but if my ship has 1 durability, the loot that they don`t have access to is just gone? ( I assume it doesn't go with me to the port), I assumed the spaniards got it all. One last question, when I died I went to Cat island. I had not been in cat island in days, nor did I have a ship or warehouse there. Why did it send me to Cat island? Random? THanks.

You go to the nearest friendly port, and yep . . . whatever they don't get is lost forever, nor u nor them can get it.

[Evilmonkee420]

Just for the sake of depth of gameplay, I think it would be cool if you could have the ability to perform a "dump cargo" type of action. Something you could perform in the event that sinking is immanent. There might also be a random chance of it being successful and have a lengthy cool-down timer of say, 30min or more. Upon activation of the command, it would remain queued until the point that you are actually sunk, at which point the die is cast. If it fails, it does nothing. If it passes then the remainder of the random % of loot that the winning player does not have access to is put into a loot box in the form of floating crates(like the ones that can already be found in certain missions). These crates will linger for a set time(5 minutes?) or until you leave the encounter. The same "dump cargo" ability could be performed in any PvE encounter but only a random % of your cargo would be retrievable from the floating crates, just like looting any destroyed, abandoned, or boarded ship. There could be a risk to using the ability in the event that you win the battle and escape being sunk. Not sure how that might work but something like losing a small % of your cargo. Perhaps an initial timer is activated when you execute the command that gives you a 1 or 2 minute window in which you must be sunk. That would make the timing of when to execute the command critical. Sounds kind of complicated, I know. :) Just thinking out loud.

This could be incorporated as a learned skill by completing a mission, and possibly only after reaching level 50.

[melbach1]

When you load up your shiny, new, captured ship and enter the ocean. Pause to smell the fresh salt laden air and enjoy the view. Then look at your UI and see the little PvP For Invalid Ship flag and say to yourself, "Self is this trip really necessary?"

[bpdlr]

Just for the sake of depth of gameplay, I think it would be cool if you could have the ability to perform a "dump cargo" type of action. Something you could perform in the event that sinking is immanent. There might also be a random chance of it being successful and have a lengthy cool-down timer of say, 30min or more. Upon activation of the command, it would remain queued until the point that you are actually sunk, at which point the die is cast. If it fails, it does nothing. If it passes then the remainder of the random % of loot that the winning player does not have access to is put into a loot box in the form of floating crates(like the ones that can already be found in certain missions). These crates will linger for a set time(5 minutes?) or until you leave the encounter. The same "dump cargo" ability could be performed in any PvE encounter but only a random % of your cargo would be retrievable from the floating crates, just like looting any destroyed, abandoned, or boarded ship. There could be a risk to using the ability in the event that you win the battle and escape being sunk. Not sure how that might work but something like losing a small % of your cargo. Perhaps an initial timer is activated when you execute the command that gives you a 1 or 2 minute window in which you must be sunk. That would make the timing of when to execute the command critical. Sounds kind of complicated, I know. :) Just thinking out loud.

This could be incorporated as a learned skill by completing a mission, and possibly only after reaching level 50.

Bzzzz! Wrong. This was discussed to death in Beta. Cargo dumping is considered griefing by the devs and will not be allowed in future unless a 100% surrender is refused. I hope the patch is before the 22nd too.

[bpdlr]

When you load up your shiny, new, captured ship and enter the ocean. Pause to smell the fresh salt laden air and enjoy the view. Then look at your UI and see the little PvP For Invalid Ship flag and say to yourself, "Self is this trip really necessary?"

If it is, go to the port captain and set your voluntary PvP flag. You will be flagged anyway, might as well get the 10% OS speed buff.

[beltpouch]

oh so they keep a %, not all of yer cargo hold
They get 75% if they sink you and 100% if they board you I believe.
Bzzzz! Wrong. This was discussed to death in Beta. Cargo dumping is considered griefing by the devs and will not be allowed in future unless a 100% surrender is refused. I hope the patch is before the 22nd too.
The details of the new surrender fix was recently announced in another thread. Here is the quote.
Here's a (very rough) outline of how it works:

* Normally, you can't dump cargo in PvP combat.
* If you offer a 100% surrender, and that surrender is rejected, you are flagged to not give cargo loot.
* If you're flagged and defeated, the player defeating you gets none of your unsecured cargo. They still get marks and other rewards as usual, but your unsecured cargo is lost.

There are a bunch of edge cases and special circumstances that apply, but that's the basics.

This change is in the 1.2 build, so it's not going to be in at launch, or (probably) this month.

It looks like it won't be ready on the 22nd but seing as we have an actual build number now it should be soon.

[bpdlr]

They get 75% if they sink you and 100% if they board you I believe.

The details of the new surrender fix was recently announced in another thread. Here is the quote.


It looks like it won't be ready on the 22nd but seing as we have an actual build number now it should be soon.

Thanks Jack. I was going to link but I then thought the post wouldn't still be there as it was in the beta Forums. Did you keep your own copy? :)

[beltpouch]

Thanks Jack. I was going to link but I then thought the post wouldn't still be there as it was in the beta Forums. Did you keep your own copy? :)

Actually that is a quote from Isildur yesterday :-)

[Endrek]

You must have been drinking heavily to see 12 players. The maximum for any OS encounter is 6. Either that or check your glasses' prescription :p

There may have been only 6 in the actual battle, but there were more in OS before it started. Even so, I think 6 vs. 2 is enough of a gank. =)