Pay for protection

[Krouk]

Protection

This would be an additional / different utilization of bounty hunters. Instead of sending a hunter that would act immediately, one could purchase protection from aggressive characters. If an aggressive character were to come initiate an unjustified attack then a bounty hunter would arrive in defense.

(Protected) Krouk is here
con krouk
you feel like attacking Krouk is unwise.

Protection would defend against unjustified attacks from:
Sociopaths
Fanatics
Miscreants

Protection would be purchased from the magistrate.

Duration: 100 tics

Cost: Determined by your current PK classification:

Pacifist: 10,000 gp
Reprisalist: 25,000 gp
Vigilante: 100,000 gp

Protection may not be purchased by: Miscreants, Fanatics, or Sociopaths.

Additionally, 50% of all gold earned during a period of protection would be forfeitted to the magistrate/clerk. - (similar to autosplit)


Goals this idea would accomplish:

Primarily peaceful characters recieve the oppertunity to enjoy tfc while large groups of aggressive characters are likely to stalk their every move.
While a protected character could still be slain, there would be some defense in a realm where little is traditionally offered.

Protection would create an additional gold sink without inflating player stats or item affects.


Krouk

[Vale]

I like this idea

[Rosemark]

[ink]

Not really a big fan of it

[Katrana]

Would this be limited to 1 purchase at a time? Like the protection does not stack and you cannot get 2 hunters to protect at the same time. Also, if the player engages another does the protection drop? Would the Hunter be with you at all times, or come only once the person is engaged? Not sure if I'm a like or dislike at this point...I need a bit more clarity around it

[Anduin]

I'm with Ink.

[Mugen]

i dont think this is a bad idea, but 1 hunter vs 5 people still isnt going to provide much protection....but hopefully enough for people to evade being killed.

[Whoz]

I'd imagine this would only be effective if the "bodyguard" were in constant attendance, otherwise he/she is unlikely to arrive in time to prevent a kill, especially in the recent spate of 2x50s vs lone eff 30-35s.

I'm in favour of any idea that levels the playing field a little for xping characters against the plethora of bored 48-50 bullies. I'm not sure this is it, but it can't see that it would do harm.

[Nicademus]

I dont like the idea. Over the years there has been a ton of playing field leveling... I am not wholly against the concept of parity, but I dont think this is the answer. Let us remember that in the old days once you hit level 20 you were fair game to everyone. Sure it was difficult and you had to really work at xping and leveling, but to some extent it was better. It created a situation where you needed to learn how to survive. It also made it a little harder to level a Character up to 30, 40 or 50 in a month or a few months. Anyway, to me this idea isnt the right fix, and frankly I can see it being open to abuse.

[Katrana]

The more I think about it the more I dislike the idea. I believe it could put people into a false sense of security. Perhaps it is being involved in an active pk following, but off the top of my head, I could think of at least 5 ways to solo a protected person - meaning separate them from the Hunter/bodyguard.

[Tynian]

Guard was implemented with this sort of idea in mind. But over time, I've become less enamored with 'guard'.

[Rosemark]

In light of the opinions against protection for us wee pacifists, I have organized PPFPH, Pacifists Pray for Peace Hallelujah!
Pacifists unite! Sociopaths and straggler miscreants, fear our prayers, for they are powerful! They will smite thee. Yes, indeed.

[Krouk]

Nicademus:

I agree with parts of what you said. In the past there was an eff 20 kill fest. As soon as you got there you were likely to loose your enchanted morning star, 2str rings, boar hide pants - rakasta claws, and elfweave bandanas. This usually happened at TP when someone came invis, shut your door, and eliminated your 200hp's with a storm of deci-devastates skillfully timed into your blynd lag. However likely as you were to be killed, there were several other players similarly in danger. There were also many larger characters present that would sometimes help you exp by keeping the dangerous pkers occupied.

Currently, there are far less people playing tfc. While the equipment variables have changed and it is far easier to recoup from death, many characters are left feeling as though they have more to loose when they die - or maybe they just don't enjoy being chased around the realm, pinned down in saferooms, wiz marked at every turn, and followed through GH. While experienced characters have greater hp, they have to defend against ANNHI lightning bolts, summons that pierce Major blockings, A larger percentage of eff 50 characters with less active targets - therfore increased probability of attacks. At times, one might feel helpless and log off rather than enjoying the game.

So while I agree that TFC has changed over the last decade, I will suggest that it has changed for a reason. People still need to learn how to survive and giving them additional methods is not lessening that capability - it is improving it.

While this idea may not be the perfect fix, I am sure that this is not a one step process. I believe version 5.x will contain an effort to achieve some similar goal. Also, I am extremely curious as to how you see this idea being abused. Please leave examples, maybe they are easy to defend against.



Mugen:

I agree. I think in a 5 v 1 situation the character can still easily be killed. Besides helping the character escape the hunter still serves a great purpose. Instead of being able to pin a character into safe - those aggressive people now have to deal with the bounty hunter. This will give that character time to get away, go somewhere else, etc... It should at least slow down the rate of harassment.

Katrana:

You're right, we do need more details. It should be limited to one purchase at a time. The hunters size would be based upon the largest member that attacks the protected character. The hunter will be aggressive against any and all members of that party. The idea is not for 5 hunters to come slay the group, but a bodyguard to help the character attain experience / escape death. The hunter should not be dispersed as easily as a character suiciding. It should hunt until it kills, or is killed - such as the arch mobs do.
While a protected character could be summoned, teleported etc.... there is no gaurantee that the player will die, (just as this protection should not be a gaurantee that a player will live). There is a gaurantee that the aggressive characters will have to deal with the hunting mob. The trickiest part of this idea is deciding how many guards a character can have. While i think that the answer is one ... the character has paid for protection throug a 100 tic period. When he has lost his guard, he should be entitled to a new one.

Whoz:

Good point. I think the hunter should be in constant attendance, who else could enforce that the additional gold is collected? Maybe if the hunter is slain by an attacking party - they would receive that gold.

Krouk

[Rhysling]

"Maybe if the hunter is slain by an attacking party - they would receive that gold." Minus the percentage that goes to the organization. Much like the amount that is "redistributed" by a thief-mob.
I'm not really sure I like this, but I do agree with the limit of one guard.

Also, even if someone does manage to separate a character from their guard and manage to kill them, they can always buy a bounty hunter.

I wonder, if someone hired a hunter to attack a character with a guard, would the guard step in or is it only against players?