PVP FAQ

Wraven · Level 32 Joined: Dec 29, 2005 Posts: 788

[Note: All of this information is subject to possible changes, as PvP is still in beta status.]

I. General Info on the PvP Servers

1. When will the PvP servers be released?
SOE is looking forward to launch the PvP servers on February 21, 2006 - along with LU #20 and the second Expansion Kingdom of Sky.

2. How many initial PvP servers will there be?
One regular US server and another US server with Station Exchange enabled. Furthermore three EU servers for France, Germany and the UK.
All in all that makes five initial PvP servers.

3. What are the names of the PvP servers?
The PvP servers' names yet have to be revealed. We know, however, that they will be named after famous Norrathian Dragons.

4. Will there be character transfers?
According to two official statements by Senior Producer Scott Hartsman "the current plan is that there will not be transfers of existing characters to PvP servers".
(See his postings here and here.)

5. Do all 5 PvP servers have the same ruleset?
Yes, the five initial servers will have the same ruleset.

II. The General Setting

1. Is this FFA (Free For All) PvP or faction based PvP?
"This is strict good vs. evil." Thus, you will only be able to attack players from the opposing city: A good character from Qeynos may only attack evil characters from Freeport and vice versa.

2. Where does PvP take place? Are there Safe Zones?
There are no Safe Zones. "PvP will not be restricted to specific zones. It will take place all across the world of EverQuest II. Fight in dungeons, fight out in the wilds, defend your town, or attack the opposing side."

3. So we can actually raid Qeynos/Freeport?
Yes and no. The rules that apply to City Zones are different from those for other zones. To quote the official information on City PvP:

PvP within city walls works a little differently than it does in the outside world. The idea is that you are relatively well-protected within the walls of Freeport and Qeynos. Under normal circumstances, a player cannot attack another player within a city unless they are specifically flagged for this to occur. The rules for City PvP are as follows:

Attacking any NPC in a safe zone (i.e. city) flags the attacker for "City PvP"
Anyone flagged as "City PvP" can be attacked by anyone of the opposing alignment in any zone who meets the requirements to engage in PvP.
Anyone that attacks a "City PvP" flagged player also becomes flagged for "City PvP."
"City PvP" flagging lasts for 15 minutes from the last hostile action taken against a safe zone NPC or another "City PvP" flagged player.
4. Will I still be able to group, chat, trade and interact with enemy characters?
Good and evil players are strictly seperated from each other.
You will not be able to:

Group with members outside of your alignment
Join a guild that is not of your alignment
Send /tells to characters not of your alignment
View /auction, /ooc, /shout from characters of another alignment
Join chat channels created by characters of another alignment
View members of another alignment in the zone with /who
Send mail via the Norrathian Express
Trade items or coin
/duelbet (/duel still functions)
5. So I can't communicate with enemy players at all?
Exactly. In addition to these barriers, both factions have their own language (which -while attempting to communicate with enemy players- overwrites every racial language like Halasian or Oggish).
Good characters will speak "Antonican", evil characters "Lucanian". There is no way to learn the enemy's language and thus no way to communicate with players from the opposing city.

6. What about Exiles? Can they be considered as a real third faction?
Alas, little is known about the Exiles.
You become an Exile after betraying your original city and remain and Exile until you have completed the Betrayal Quest.
However, after LU#19 you will be able to betray your city at any level. Hence, you will (most likely) be able to stay exiled forever.
So far, nothing has been announced about making Exiles a real third faction.
According to official information, being an Exile you are "a target for everyone". It is not known whether everyone does include other Exiles as well. Not to mention possible Exile Hideouts (which would be obsolete with "FFA" among Exiles).

III. Regulations and Restrictions

1. Will I be able to attack any enemy player, regardless of his current level?
No. First off players below level 10 are excluded from PvP - neither may anyone attack them, nor are they permitted to attack other players. Moreover there is a general +/- 8 level range for being able to initiate attacks. This is how it works:

For the opposing alignment, players' names will have a red outline indicating that they are a valid hostile target. Any players +/- up to 8 levels are valid targets, and their names will appear as a color based on the level difference:
Green: 5-8 levels below you.
Blue: 1-4 levels below you.
White: Even level.
Yellow: 1-4 levels above you.
Orange: 5-8 levels above you.
Player names more than 8 levels below will appear grey, and non-aggro.
Player names more than 8 levels above you will appear red, and non-aggro.
You cannot attack any player that cons grey unless they attack you first.

2. Will other players be able to attack me, while I am zoning and/or shortly after I have been zoning?
EQ2 prevents "Zone Killing" by making players immune from PvP combat upon zoning, until they initiate a hostile action or move.

IV. Rewards and Penalties

1. What general rewards (penalties) are there for killing (getting killed by) other characters?
Depending on the enemy's percentage of health when initiating the combat, you might receive experience, status and faction.

2. Depending on the enemy's percentage of health?
Indeed. EQ2 uses as system of Honorable, Dishonorable and Neutral Kills which is based on the percentage of health your enemy had when you first engaged combat.

Honorable Kills: Any kill of the opposing alignment that was first engaged while the target had greater than 80% health. The first group or player that engaged will receive experience, status, and faction.

Neutral Kills: Any kill of the opposing alignment that was first engaged while the target had greater than 50% health. Neutral kills result in moderate faction gain, but do not reward experience or status.

Dishonorable Kills: Any kill of the opposing alignment that was first engaged while the target had less than 50% health. Dishonorable kills result in a loss of faction with both your alignment and the opposing alignment. Losing enough faction will cause you to fall out of favor with your alignment, and will restrict or remove any access to the rewards system.

3. How does this system prevent players from farming Status by killing the same character over and over again?
To prevent "friend farming", EQ2 uses a system called "Kill List":
Honorably killing another player will place them on a list tied to your character, designed to reduce friend farming and griefing. Any Honorable subsequent kill of the same player will result in a neutral kill until you have killed 10 other players. Neutral and Dishonorable kills have no effect on the list.

4. What kind of rewards do I get for my Honorable Kills?
By collecting PvP Status from your Honorable Kills, you will be able to buy special items (from special merchants). Everything else -like new abilities- is subject to speculation. Here the official statement:
"Once you earn PvP standing, you can buy valuable and useful items from your faction's merchants. This is real, desirable equipment, not just tokens, trophies, and trinkets, though we will be trying to include these as well for flavor. You wouldn't be able to dress yourself head to toe in them, though, as Adventuring and Crafting still play an important role in this ruleset."

5. Will I be able to loot killed players?
Currently, you will not be able to loot anything from killed players. Neither coin nor items.

V. Combat Changes for PvP

1. Will PvP balancing affect PvE balancing (even on regular servers)?
No. "There will not be PvE combat nerfs because of PvP".
Every CA/Spell has got seperate values/effects for PvE and PvP. Thus CAs can be adjusted for PvP without affecting PvE at all.

2. Will "Taunts" work in PvP combat?
Taunts have the ability to change players' targets in PvP. They can also keep targets focused on the taunter for short durations of time.

3. And "Detaunts"?
Spells that reduce hostile hate or lower your position on a creature's hate list can force players to completely lose their target. Examples would include a Scout's Evade or Templar's Placate.

4. Are there any limitations to Crowd Control spells like Stuns and Mezzes?
Control spells (Snare, Root, Stun, Fear, Charm, Stifle, Mez, and Pacify) will carry an immunity placed on the target for 2x the duration of the spell. Essentially, if you are rooted for 10 seconds, you will be immune from any root effects for the duration of that root and for 10 seconds after the spell wears off. *Note* You'll only be immune to these effects from other players; these immunities will not protect you from NPC spells.

5. Are there any limitations to Stealth and Invisibility?
Yes. Actually every character gets a free and permanent "see Stealth/Invis" with a range of 30m.

A character that would normally be invisible or stealthed to you will appear with a shadowy outline if within a specified range (currently 30m). Characters that would normally be visible to you (i.e. if they are significantly below your level or you can see-stealth or see-invis) will remain visible with the shadowy outline outside of this range.

Whether being seen as a "shadowy outline" means that you can be targeted and attacked or simply serves to warn the other players, we don't know yet.

6. Any other global changes I should be aware of?
As mentioned above, every Spell and Combat Art may have different effects for PvE and PvP.
Also there might be global changes like "all spells and arts do slightly less damage to players" whose exact values are subject to adjustments during beta.

Moreover, the maximum range for melee combat has been increased.
Positional spells and arts that require the caster to be either behind or flanking the opponent will work if either requirement is met.
(Both PvP only).