PVP zones - differences

[tarsus4x4]

I've just been through the manual and honestly can not catch any serious difference between piratePVP and fullPVP zones... Also are they both marked as same red circles?

[Josh_Brown]

Pirates and Privateers (above level 15) can attack all others in Pirate PvP zones. Any career can attack in full PvP zones.

[Remus]

The reverse also applies:
Anyone can attack Pirates in Pirate PvP zones
I think: Anyone can attack Privateers with Sanctioned Piracy (level 15 career mission skill iirc) in Pirate PvP zones

Naval Officers, Freetraders and Privateers without Sanctioned Piracy cannot attack other Naval Officers, Freetraders and Privateers without Sanctioned Piracy in Pirate PvP zones.

If you PvP-disabled ship such as sailing a fallback or on a trial account, you cannot attack, but you can be attacked subject to the rules above.

If a battle instance has already been created in a Pirate PvP zone, anyone of the appropriate nations can join subject to the 6-ship limit and the join timers.

There are two types of red zones:
If there is a single circle round a port, then it is a Pirate PvP zone
If there is a double circle round a port, the inner circle is a full PvP zone and the outer circle is a Pirate PvP zone.

Note that the messages such as "You have left a PvP area" can be misleading as you might still be in a second overlapping PvP zone. Always look at the local or mini-map, or at the icons below your name. PvP zones are not distinguished on the open sea itself.

[Mirage Artois]

Simply put:

In a full PvP zone (dark red), anyone can attack anyone else of another nation.
In a Pirate PvP zone(light red) this is only possible if there is at least one pirate or privateer involved.
A full PvP zone is always surrounded by a pirate PvP zone.

Now as to WHEN you get these zones, that depends on the port contention status:

• Martial law: No PvP zone. Port can not be put in contention and will eventually switch to Peaceful.
• Peaceful: No PvP zone. Port can be put in contention through PvE/econ.
• Sporadic fighting: No PvP Zone. Contention can be lessened or worsened through PvE/econ.
• International tensions: Moderate Pirate PvP zone. Port contention can be changed through PvE/econ.
• Civil Unrest: Moderate full PvP zone. Port contention can only be changed through blockading, PvP or fleet grinding.
• Under attack: Large full PvP zone. Port will remain contested until a port battle takes place (the port has been 'flipped').
• Raided by pirates: Small pirate PvP zone. Port can not be put in contention and will eventually switch to Martial law.

Note that a large or moderate PvP zone can mean different sizes depending on where the port is located. As a rule of thumb, ports in the east antiles will project huge PvP zones, while ports near one of the five newbie ports(the newbie auction house, 2 mission ports and 2 basic econ ports) of a nation will project tiny PvP zones even when flipped.

While the 2 newbie econ ports CAN be flipped, these ports enjoy some extra protection against flipping (for example, all nation apropriate missions will have unrest reduction as part of their rewards and the ports bleed off unrest at an increased rate), so are hard to put in contention.