The year was 1998 and I had just started my very first MMORPG, Ultima Online.
I had no idea what to expect from this new genre but at first things
didn’t look so different. I wandered around town and eventually made my
way to a nearby forest. After killing a few orcs and trolls I thought I
had the game figured out but what happened next took be my surprise. In
the distance I saw another band of travelers and decided to make my way
towards them to say hello. Little did I know that this particular group
of players were in fact player killers (PKs) and were more interested
in my new suit of armor than in exchanging greetings. Needless to say,
I was overwhelmed and found myself a defeated ghost, forced to wander
the world in search of a healer who could resurrect me. My armor,
weapons, and the loot I had gathered from the orcs were all gone. I was
angry and I vowed to take my vengeance upon them when I was strong
enough. Over the next five years my skills improved and I joined a
guild and even took a side in the ongoing civil war between the forces
of Lord British and Lord Blackthorn. Mainly because of its PvP
features, Ultima Online kept me engaged longer than any other MMORPG,
even longer than the other early MMO hit EverQuest.

A False Dawn

Now fast forward to 2009 and it is obvious that the MMORPG market
has achieved new heights. Today there are hundreds of games available,
many of them don’t even charge a subscription fee. But what about PvP?
World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online
both boast of their Player vs Player content. Mythic even claims RvR
(PvP between larger numbers of players) as its opus magnum but both
games fall short of the kind of open PvP first offered over a decade
ago. Death in either of these games is meaningless since players are
instantly resurrected with only a slight financial penalty in the form
of damaged equipment. Some free to play MMORPGs like Atlantica Online, Ragnarok Online, Shaiya
and Warrior Epic offer many controlled PvP features but again, it lacks
the natural feel of Ultima Online’s open-world, anything goes
atmosphere. Many free MMORPGs don’t even bother with PvP at all these
days, take for example Maplestory or Fairyland Online.
What is even more unfortunate is that EA chose to castrate Ultima
Online by restricting open combat and mixing foreign elements into the
game to try and make it resemble other popular offerings.

A New Beginning?

Over the years many bold developers have tried to carry UO’s PvP
banner but have stumbled before getting very far. Shadowbane comes to
mind. During its development it was hailed as the PvPers dream come
true, the MMORPG that would be Ultima Online and more. I admired this
spirit but unfortunately, the game failed to live up to its fan’s
expectations. All Shadowbane servers were permanently closed in the
first half of 2009. Now a new game has risen to claim the UO mantle,
DarkFall Online. DarkFall offers many of the same features diehard PvP
fans crave, unrestricted combat, free looting and so on. The game has
so far been attracting so many users that the publishers have had to
limit the number of new subscriptions allowed each day. Hopefully they
will fix their technical issues soon and allow anyone who wants to try
the game an opportunity to do so. Will DarkFall elevate MMORPG PvP back
to where it was during the golden age? Only time will tell.

Original Soures:

The Decling Role of PvP in MMORPGs

RPG Wallpapers

RPG Music