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Player versus player

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"PvP" redirects here. For the webcomic, see PvP (webcomic). For other uses, see PVP.

Player versus player (PvP) is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between human players.[1] This is often compared to player versus environment (PvE), in which the game itself controls its players' opponents. The terms are most often used in games where both activities exist,[2] particularly MMORPGs, MUDs, and other role-playing video games, to distinguish between gamemodes. PvP can be broadly used to describe any game, or aspect of a game, where players compete against each other. PvP is often controversial when used in role-playing games. In most cases, there are vast differences in abilities between players. PvP can even encourage experienced players to immediately attack and kill inexperienced players.[3] PvP is often referred to as player killing in the cases of games which contain, but do not focus on, such interaction.

History

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Genocide, an LPMud launched in 1992, was a pioneer in PvP conflict as the first "pure PK" MUD,[4] removing all non-PvP gameplay and discarding the RPG-style character development normally found in MUDs in favor of placing characters on an even footing, with only player skill providing an advantage.[5] Extremely popular, its ideas influenced the MUD world heavily.[6]

Classifications

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Player Killing

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PvP can also create additional facets in the community. In Ultima Online and Asheron's Call, a rift formed between those who enjoyed PKing, those who enjoyed hunting the PKs and those who simply did not want to fight at all. The Renaissance expansion later added a Trammel facet where PvP[7] was not allowed, giving some out to the UO crowd that did not wish to engage in PvP at all. Asheron's Call contained a server that was completely unrestricted in player interactions where massive "PK" and "Anti (PK)" dynasties formed.

Anti-Player Killing

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Anti-PKing, also known as Player Killer Killing, PK Killing, or PKK,[8] is a form of in-game player justice. Often motivated by an overpopulation of in-game player killers, vigilante Anti-PKs hunt Player Killers and Player Griefers with vengeance.

RvR (realm versus realm) combat

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Main article: Realm versus Realm

In 2001, Mythic Entertainment introduced a new team-based form of PvP combat with the release of Dark Age of Camelot.[9]

This was a new concept to graphical MMORPGs, but was first introduced in the game that preceded DAoC, Darkness Falls: The Crusade, which has since been shut down in favor of building on DAoC. Other MMORPG games now also feature this type of gameplay.[10]

Ethical issues

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Player-vs-player dynamics involve ethical issues with players. Because of ganking, some game developers view PvP with contempt. Despite the advantage experienced players have over new players, many game developers have assumed an honor code would prevent PKing.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 407. ISBN 0-13-101816-7. Player(s) Versus Player(s) (PvP). Players are opposed by other players in a game. In a combat situation, this means PCs can fight each other.
  2. ^ Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 407. ISBN 0-13-101816-7. PvP and GvG both assume PvE.
  3. ^ a b Sicart, Michael (2011). The Ethics of Computer Games. MIT Press. pp. 179–184. ISBN 9780262261531.
  4. ^ Reese, George (1996-03-11). "LPMud Timeline". Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2010-04-14. January 1992 ¶ _Genocide_ starts as the first MUD dedicated totally to inter-player conflict, which is a fancy way of saying that its theme is creatively player-killing.
  5. ^ Towers, J. Tarin; Badertscher, Ken; Cunningham, Wayne; Buskirk, Laura (1996). Yahoo! Wild Web Rides. IDG Books Worldwide Inc. p. 149. ISBN 0-7645-7003-X. Genocide is a breakneck-paced, brutal MUD that has none of the mobs or quests you might be used to. It's a bloody world of kill-or-be-killed where you battle your fellow players in a savage race to the finish. [...] The only advantage the veterans have is experience and the knowledge of where to find the good stuff fast.
  6. ^ Shah, Rawn; Romine, James (1995). Playing MUDs on the Internet. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0-471-11633-5. Some Muds are completely dependant on player-killing, and have wars that start every half hour or so. These Muds are becoming more common, basing a lot of their ideas on the extremely popular LPmud known as Genocide.
  7. ^ Irfan (2024-02-29). "What is PvP? Meaning, Differences, and PvP vs PvE in 2024". SimplyIrfan. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  8. ^ Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 518. ISBN 0-13-101816-7. Vigilantism, defending the innocent from PKs n... The killing of PKers is known as PKKing
  9. ^ Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 407. ISBN 0-13-101816-7. Group versus Group (GvG). Players are members of groups that are in conflict with other groups. In a combat situation, this means PCs can fight any PCs who are members of enemy groups but not those who are members of their own (or a neutral) group.63 [...] 63 This is often known as Realm versus Realm (RvR), as it was popularized under this name in Dark Age of Camelot.
  10. ^ Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 411. ISBN 0-13-101816-7. The term RvR comes from Dark Age of Camelot, but it's not the only virtual world to use this approach; indeed, it's not the only big, graphical world to do so. Anarchy Online has characters divided into three groups, with people meeting in PvP areas for combat. Lineage has clan-like groups called bloodpledges, which can conquer castles from one another in (scheduled) sieges; success here has material results, in that owners of castles get tax income they can invest in preparing for the next siege.
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