Feel free to skip straight to the next chapter to see our proposal.
Firstly, we want to preface this by assuring you guys that we in no way want to promote/demote particular play styles or players; we are using terms purely to describe contrasting styles, these are simply a way of categorizing a player’s habits/preferences, along with the existing, and widely known, Bartle categorization (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_ta ... ayer_types).
An average wolf: PvP-oriented, competitive, typically gets enjoyment out of winning and subsequently humiliating the loser (in varying proportions depending on their personality).
An average sheep: PvE-oriented, crafting, supportive gamgety, gets enjoyment out of simply enjoying the process, achieving in-game peaceful goals and/or supporting other players.
Like any categorization, these are general and do not necessarily mean strict groups - players can be 60% wolf/40% sheep, or 20% wolf/ 80% sheep, etc.
We believe that this categorization accurately reflects the majority of our players and it was and remains our ultimate goal to create a game where ‘wolves’ and ‘sheep’ are able to coexist together in symbiosis. In fact, the design of our logo was created to reflect this relationship: the sickle represents peaceful/crafter/sheep, and the dagger represents an aggressive/warrior/wolf.
Typically, fun for wolves is based on emerging triumphant in combat over other players, some weaker wolves or, in most cases, sheep that are easier targets, since they are not usually proficient at (or simply interested in) PvP.
The presence of a winner is, of course, typically accompanied by a loser. And, it is fair to say, losers do not want to remain the defeated party - there is no fun in it. Especially if the defeated player feels they are being repeatedly humiliated.
Working on improving oneself is, of course, a good way to progress and be victorious - alas, even after improvement, changing the situation in our MMO completely from scratch is not an easy feat. Due to its numerous servers, occasional server wipes and faster progression settings, LiF:YO gives a place for players to retreat and start something from scratch, but in a better and more efficient way, utilizing previous experience, and that, in the end, could help them progress and gain victory.
This is why destructive fun in LiF:YO, where one’s castle could simply crumble to dust in a single Judgement Hour attack, can provide a lot of fun for the PvPers, while there still remains places for those with no interest in battle (and even the not-so-successful fighters!) to retreat, improve (if they so wish to do so) and win in new conditions, a fresh start, or simply on a privately moderated server.
As stated above, however, LiF: MMO does not contain an option for a retreat to a safe area. Migrating to an alternative server, leveling a new character and building a new settlement from the ground up is not that easy and/or simply impossible, especially if veteran players of another server have already laid claim to all of the good spots.
During our development and game mechanic tweaking, we’ve always strived to protect and aid those who do not want to partake in PvP, while simultaneously keeping the PvPers happy - but it got to the point where we were basically removing their source of fun, which certainly showed.
We are very much aware that, although this definitely contributed to a decline in that playerbase, we know that bugs and server performance issues are also to blame, and we are working very hard on rectifying this. Right now, though, the consequence of said bugs grows tenfold in the eyes of those who are on the defeated side, and, despite the fact that the winning side is also dealing with the potentially disadvantageous situation due to these issues, we do understand why it would be frustrating.
For us, PvE content, especially endgame, is also lacking at this stage. We understand that this may also cause a number of our more casual players to feel bored and leave. Rest assured, we are working on this too as one of our top priorities for our Major May update.
In short: we believe that it is also important to create an escape option for the players who either do not want to partake in battles, or simply need to recoup after a fight, while simultaneously providing that sense of victory and fun that the PvPers crave.
This is where our idea of a new PvP round based world kicks in. A world where the ‘wolves’ can partake in competitive gaming, actually experience victory and be honored for winning - a world where players who want to participate in, and try out, the ‘wolf’ playstyle have the chance to improve, experiment and develop without feeling forced to pick out potentially easier wins on our RP-Oriented worlds.
We will still stay true to our concept in the vanilla servers, but we want to provide a more aggressive - yet forgiving - place for ‘wolves’ and their ‘sheep’ symbiotes. This new PvP-oriented server should offer a slightly safer environment for the players who prefer a more casual experience on the RP and vanilla ruleset servers at the same time.
Please check out the proposal and rules below, we are eager to hear your thoughts and discuss this with you guys - our players.
Proposal
Create new PvP/competitive servers with fast progression. These servers will be wiped every two months and winners of the round will be named, rewarded and honored. Please see the ‘Win Conditions’ chapter below to learn how winners will be picked.
General Rules
- Round: two real-life months
- Server wipe (map and characters) at the end of each round.
- Character names and guilds are not wiped.
- Progression is 2-5x faster (skills 5x, crafting recipes 2x less ingredients)
- Cheap IBs (and sieges once implemented)
- City claim objects can be damaged during JH (if during an official war)
- Tier 1 guild monuments can be destroyed during JH (if during an official war)
- Barkboxing and other siege-like actions allowed
- All types of harassment strategies are allowed (except obvious exploits like attacking/shooting through walls etc.)
- JH every day or once every two days (depending on the community suggestions)
- JH two hours long
- Tile loss per lost IB like on Avalon (10 tiles)
- Trees, iron ore and other important resources amounts are x5-x10 times lower on the map (underground resources are closer to the surface though). This should promote early competition and more value for finding, creating and controlling the iron ore mine and global positioning of the guild claims.
Win Conditions
To win, simply hold the top score by the end of the round. Points are awarded to each guild every real life day, after the end of the JH/primetime period based on the amount of the special buildings it controls on its realm land.
Special buildings of roughly 5x5 tiles (farmhouse, medium house, small stable - we will decide later) must stand fully on the realm claim. We are looking into implementing a rule, which will prevent placement of those buildings closer than 20-30 tiles of each other. This way, realm lands will not be spammed with the same buildings and the guild’s score point generation will not depend solely on the amount of land it controls, but by the amount of ‘good’ land it controls, which can be used for the placement of these special buildings. Thus it’ll be more difficult placing castles on an island on the lake or atop a mountain, for example - while being easier to defend during JH and raids, players will have trouble placing these special buildings on their realm lands and scoring the points effectively.
Kingdom guilds will be able to set a taxation rate for all of its vassalized guilds, which will mean that part of the score points that vassals have generated will go towards kingdom guild score. We want to build the scoring rules and formula in such way that certain vassalized guilds will have a chance to be in the top 10 - or maybe even in first place - due to the fact that it generated points on a continual basis and kept a low profile, while others got targeted and wiped out by other guilds near the end of the round once they got into first place in the score table.
Every player will be able to review the scoreboard at any time and view the amount of points each guild receives per day, along with the source of those points (buildings and vassals taxation). Maps should also visualize a heraldry shield and its saturation/size amount of points each guild generate per day and who its subordinate is with a second heraldry shield (if there is any).
Rewards
All accounts who were members of the winning guild for at least a month will receive the following rewards:
- Special title in game for all characters on the account
- Forum nickname color and title
- God’s Favor reward
- Global announcement cheering the winner across all our communication channels
- Lifetime position in the Hall of Fame of LiF as a winner of the XX round
- (Maybe) Have their guild symbol included in the official set of heraldry symbols
P.S. Just literally one hour ago we've finished the game design meeting where an unpolished idea has come up to interconnect that competitive PvP world with the current worlds with a free character world migrate system and a separate trading system (seaport with an import/export). Our idea is to make vanilla servers a more secure "green zone" - still with PvP, full loot and ganks but with a significantly fewer assets destruction and griefing. A place for sheep to strive and have their fun with a forgiving PvP. While new PvP competitive worlds will be a total "red zone" with a PvP to the max.
At the same time both "zones" will depend on certain new resources to trade with each other (spices produced on those controllable farms?
). Thus a really good guild in order to be successful will be interested to have both strong wolves and sheep backup on both continents.
Town claims are almost invulnerable. It takes 
