I have read quite a bit of the conversation on the potential PvP and PK that will be available. I have paid for the game as well, but am a bit concerned.
My experience's in ATITD and WURM online are much more related to what this game is, rather than these other MMO's (which I have played as well) that players are discussing.
ATITD had no PK, but it had plenty of griefing. WURM has both issues.
To me, PvP and PK is all about loss. Loss of what is the question. It's based on a perspective of what is important to each individual player. If I spend 4 hours mining, and I get PK'd and lose everything I worked on, then nope, I don't want to play. It's NOT fun.
If I build a camp (or a house or whatever) and someone comes over and builds garbage cheap buildings all around it so I can no longer even enjoy being there...then nope, I don't want to play.
It's about value, it's about what we individually value. Each of us finds different things important. It has GOT to be balanced or this game will simply turn into a different type of gank or grief-fest. Some folks like those kind of games, but many of us, do not.
ATITD has a law system, that allows players to define the laws...the issue with it is, it's slow. Too slow to be useful or effective. I really appreciate the law system they have and would love to have something like that here, but it would have to be a much faster process for it to do the job properly.
In a game like this (town building etc), any form of PK that allows loss of items will be rough. Nobody wishes to spend hours on anything and have it lost in a moment.
No place in the real world would a murderer be allowed to rampage for days on end. It shouldn't be like that in a game either, all that leads to is corpse camping and alot of angry players.
PvP is player vs player and is generally something that is ASKED. PK on the other hand is player killing and it's usually more of a free for all environment...and not something that is chosen. It just happens and has a more out of control feel.
Personally, I can deal with PvP. I can even get involved in it. PK on the other hand just has a bad reputation (and to most of us, it's an earned reputation) and gives me a really bad feeling if any games allows it.
I have seen many systems use locks (in this game we could build them) and lock down each piece of gear and box that we don't wish to lose if we are killed (that we are carrying). But nothing like that would solve repeat offenders from just pounding someone over and over when they try to collect supplies, or build something.
I have a suggestion that might help. Each time a player kills another one (I am hoping it won't be PK, but rather PvP...but either way this might work)...
1. He receives a chain link attached to his ankle. Each link he wears slows his movement speed down. He can have a maximum of 10 before he can no longer walk at more than crawl speed. He can have a blacksmith remove the links, one per RL hour. However, the blacksmith would earn some form of bad reputation for each link removed and thus, also earn links after so many are removed for others. Once the player is maxed out (10 links) that player can also be captured easily and placed in jail.
or...
2. Players are limited as to how many they can kill in one day. The cost of being captured should be high. So, for example...they killed someone and stole a ton of ore. That player would be required to collect 1.5x the amount of ore stolen before he would be released. So maybe during his jail time, his spirit can exit the jail (not interact with anyone) but can collect the retribution payment. The goal of course, would be to not get caught.
***Just ideas, and I don't have a clue if any would work. But PK or PvP needs cost. Cost EQUAL (or higher) to the losses they give to other players. 4 hours of real life time and work, should cost the pk'r that as well if they are caught. THAT would be fair.
There are way too many games that just let the gank fests ruin the game. This game has SO much potential.
I prefer choice...if I want to PvP or not, I say yes or no. But if that can't be here, then please...make sure the cost to the PK'r equals the loss of the player being pk'd.
Bottom line, I don't want to lose hours of work. In fact, I can say that I won't do it for long if it happens.
Just my thoughts. :S