Alys Brangwin
Novice
A bit of a background. I took a break from Outlands because I honestly thought it wasn't for me. I saw multiple patches come through, and those patches were focused on PVP content. War Aspect, Faction Wars... then I come back and I see the devs saying that they kinda regret spending 8 months on something that wasn't utilized, because really, 5% of the population participates in PVP.
So! We know now that reason why so little people participate in PVP isn't because of lack of content. The fact that factions have such low participation is proof of that; there is plenty of PVP content, but very few players participate in it. Maybe the focus should be on WHY players don't participate in PVP. I can tell you my experience, and the experience of many people I've talked to.
It's pretty well known that when a red enters a dungeon, the PVEers flee and scatter, and most hardcore PVPers and UO vets find this silly. 3 reds can interrupt a PVM shrine event, and pick off the 10+ PVEers participating in it.
Vets look at these situations and say "That's dumb. The PVEers should just turn around and murder the reds, or at least drive them off. Even if the PVEers don't have optimal specs. The reds are drastically outnumbered. Why is this even an issue?"
I think the big culture problem is, people don't sit down and think about _WHY_ 95% of the server has zero interest in PVP.
PVE in Outlands has been modernized. It's one of the reasons the server is so popular. Aspects, Codecies, Mastery Chains... the works. It's all super fun, and there are lots of [ commands to make it easier.
PVP, on the other hand, is a clunky mess, and feels like an entirely different game. It still feels like an early 90s MMORPG with lots of warts. It almost feels like playing a MUD. PKers are essentially playing an entirely different game, and they are good at that game. Either way you look at it, it's clunky, and whether you like to admit it or not, it's not intuitive. It has a steep learning curve from going from total newb to being able to actually win a fight. It's not like modern MMORPGs where it's easy and fun to play, but hard to master. In WoW, for example (or any modern MMORPG), even a total newbie can get into it and use basic controls, and get this; use most of the same abilities and tactics they used in PVE, and still find success. They won't be able to regularly beat people who have PVP specs and put in the time, but 3 vets driving off 10 noobs simply wouldn't happen.
In UO, You need a LOT of setup and practice to even get to a beyond 'speed bump' level of PVP.
Going back to the above example, the reason why PVEers scatter and not turn on the red, is because most PVEers are no good at PVP, and they have no desire to learn because they don't find it fun.
Think that's stupid?
By all metrics, PVP in UO isn't fun. It's poorly designed. Because of course it is. Again, early 90s MMORPG, designed by a team that actually didn't like PKers much.
I don't know about you, but I'm no good at pole-vaulting. I could probably get good at pole-vaulting if I wanted to, but I have no interest in doing so. Just like I have no interest in getting good at anything that on the surface, looks like something I won't enjoy. I enjoy PVE in Outlands, but every time I've dipped my toe in PVP I'm like, 'This isn't fun at all.'
You could tell me UO Outlands isn't for me, but by that logic, it isn't for all but 5% of the playerbase. You see what I'm saying?
Honestly, the only way to really fix it would be a complete conceptual overhaul to PVP in Outlands as we know it, likely using [ commands that perform extremely robust actions, with the goal of making PVP less clunky and a lot easier to get into. With maybe some builtin, in-game tutorials. Yes, existing PVPers would probably be turned off by this, but as said before, existing PVPers only account for maybe 5% of the playerbase.
Another idea to throw at the wall would be to make it so aspect actually matters in PVP. Not the LEVEL of the aspect, but the aspect in and of itself. Make it so people with poison aspect armor do poison damage that actually matters in PVP. Make it so people with air aspect actually get an attack speed bonus (just not as much as they do in PVM). Just some examples.
Either way, to summarize, if you want more players to be involved in PVP, something has to change. It's NOT lack of content. The content is there. It's the clunky, un-fun methods in which Outlands PVP is done.
So! We know now that reason why so little people participate in PVP isn't because of lack of content. The fact that factions have such low participation is proof of that; there is plenty of PVP content, but very few players participate in it. Maybe the focus should be on WHY players don't participate in PVP. I can tell you my experience, and the experience of many people I've talked to.
It's pretty well known that when a red enters a dungeon, the PVEers flee and scatter, and most hardcore PVPers and UO vets find this silly. 3 reds can interrupt a PVM shrine event, and pick off the 10+ PVEers participating in it.
Vets look at these situations and say "That's dumb. The PVEers should just turn around and murder the reds, or at least drive them off. Even if the PVEers don't have optimal specs. The reds are drastically outnumbered. Why is this even an issue?"
I think the big culture problem is, people don't sit down and think about _WHY_ 95% of the server has zero interest in PVP.
PVE in Outlands has been modernized. It's one of the reasons the server is so popular. Aspects, Codecies, Mastery Chains... the works. It's all super fun, and there are lots of [ commands to make it easier.
PVP, on the other hand, is a clunky mess, and feels like an entirely different game. It still feels like an early 90s MMORPG with lots of warts. It almost feels like playing a MUD. PKers are essentially playing an entirely different game, and they are good at that game. Either way you look at it, it's clunky, and whether you like to admit it or not, it's not intuitive. It has a steep learning curve from going from total newb to being able to actually win a fight. It's not like modern MMORPGs where it's easy and fun to play, but hard to master. In WoW, for example (or any modern MMORPG), even a total newbie can get into it and use basic controls, and get this; use most of the same abilities and tactics they used in PVE, and still find success. They won't be able to regularly beat people who have PVP specs and put in the time, but 3 vets driving off 10 noobs simply wouldn't happen.
In UO, You need a LOT of setup and practice to even get to a beyond 'speed bump' level of PVP.
Going back to the above example, the reason why PVEers scatter and not turn on the red, is because most PVEers are no good at PVP, and they have no desire to learn because they don't find it fun.
Think that's stupid?
By all metrics, PVP in UO isn't fun. It's poorly designed. Because of course it is. Again, early 90s MMORPG, designed by a team that actually didn't like PKers much.
I don't know about you, but I'm no good at pole-vaulting. I could probably get good at pole-vaulting if I wanted to, but I have no interest in doing so. Just like I have no interest in getting good at anything that on the surface, looks like something I won't enjoy. I enjoy PVE in Outlands, but every time I've dipped my toe in PVP I'm like, 'This isn't fun at all.'
You could tell me UO Outlands isn't for me, but by that logic, it isn't for all but 5% of the playerbase. You see what I'm saying?
Honestly, the only way to really fix it would be a complete conceptual overhaul to PVP in Outlands as we know it, likely using [ commands that perform extremely robust actions, with the goal of making PVP less clunky and a lot easier to get into. With maybe some builtin, in-game tutorials. Yes, existing PVPers would probably be turned off by this, but as said before, existing PVPers only account for maybe 5% of the playerbase.
Another idea to throw at the wall would be to make it so aspect actually matters in PVP. Not the LEVEL of the aspect, but the aspect in and of itself. Make it so people with poison aspect armor do poison damage that actually matters in PVP. Make it so people with air aspect actually get an attack speed bonus (just not as much as they do in PVM). Just some examples.
Either way, to summarize, if you want more players to be involved in PVP, something has to change. It's NOT lack of content. The content is there. It's the clunky, un-fun methods in which Outlands PVP is done.