Open World PvP Area Concept: The West Shroud

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

As a preface: This concept was born from various player feedback, with the intent to find a common ground and compromise for what would be accepted as an open world PvP zone/area in game. I can't take full credit for it, and encourage both player and developer feedback on the idea to help it grow and possibly see reality someday. For ease of reading, I've used a format similar to the ones used in patch notes.
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PvP Zone Overview and Concept:
Reintroduce the West Shroud as a PvP-enabled open world map. Players would be notified upon crossing the area border that they will be entering a PvP-enabled area and must confirm acknowledgement upon first time entry. Within the zone, designated safe areas/sanctuaries will have marked borders (similar to the dueling circle's glowing borderlines), and a chat log notification of entry/exit of said areas will serve as notification.

Synopsis:
"Officially, the Grand Companies deemed an expedition into the West Shroud for any reason would be of no use, given the widespread devastation in the wake of the Sixth Calamity. But the adventurer's spirit and curiosity are as unyielding as Eorzea's will to recover from the Calamity, and the possibility of fight or fortune is hard to resist. Thus having discovered a way into the forsaken area, you now embark on a dangerous and lawless adventure, where any other adventurer can be friend or foe!"

Requirements:
Disciple of War or Magic level 30. Players must first complete either the quests "A Pup No Longer (Maelstrom)", "A Pup No Longer (Twin Adders)", or "A Pup No Longer (Immortal Flames)".

Participating in an Open World PvP Zone
Players can freely enter or exit the area alone, or in a party of up to four players. There are no role restrictions. Moreover, players can freely change jobs at sanctuaries.
* The recast time of skills will not be reset when changing jobs.

Chat
The Say, Party, Alliance, Yell, Shout, Free Company, Linkshell, and Novice Network chat channels can be used.

Retaliation
Incapacitated players will be able to choose to return to the nearest of two sanctuaries. Furthermore, players will be invulnerable so long as they remain within a sanctuary. This effect will be lost upon returning to the combat-enabled areas.

Mounts
Players are free to use mounts within the zone. However, players taking damage while mounted will be inflicted with the Limp status effect.
* Flying mounts cannot be used to fly within the area.

Return
Using Return will teleport players back to their last sanctuary visited. Moreover, this action has no recast time within the zone. Please note, however, casting will be interrupted by attacks.

Rules of Engagement
Players can freely attack monsters and other players within the area. Defeating enemies awards PvE EXP, PvP EXP, and data points, with larger amounts of data points awarded from defeating other players. Incapacitated players will lose a small percentage of their collected data points, furthermore, if defeated by another player, the lost data points will be awarded to the other player. Data points can be exchanged within sanctuaries for Wolf Marks, Allagan tomestones (High values required for tomestone rewards), and other items.
* Players below level 50 will not receive Allagan tomestones.

Hunt marks unique to the area will award data points, Wolf Marks, and Allagan tomestones. Daily and weekly hunt marks will be available, and available only within the area. Hunt marks outside of the area will not apply to challenges within, and vice versa.

Outlaw Adventurer
Players that successfully KO 4 players will gain a damage buff, similar to Battle High in Frontlines, and become marked as a Outlaw Adventurer. Successfully defeating other players as an Outlaw will yield slightly more data points, however if an enemy player defeats the Outlaw, they will lose slightly more, and their Outlaw buff and status. Within a sanctuary, Outlaw status will be lost if changing jobs or exchanging collected data points for rewards.

Group Pose Camera
The group pose camera and idle camera functions will be usable within the area. Please be careful when using it, and understand that outside of sanctuaries, you may remain vulnerable to attack from enemy players and monsters while in use.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

Discussing it a bit with some fellow players, I envision the area, aesthetically as a mix of the North Shroud (near the Dalamud fragment/Second Coil), the Burning Wall, and the more jungle/rain forest-like parts of Eastern La Noscea, with very dense corrupted crystallized terrain. Mind you, this is me having never seen the West Shroud in 1.0. Having some memorable locations or set pieces would be good for the nostalgia, of course.

[Mofafafa]

Could try add in "Gathering" to collect craftable materials for specific-ly "PvP" related furnishing / gear / etc

to make gatherer class more intractable with the whole system

[Kisagami]

I was one of the strongest naysayers on an open PVP concept, but this model of the idea addresses all my concerns. Its very much like the GW2 PVP shstem, and I approve of it. \o/ Have no complaints here.

So, SE... the cards are on your table now. Lets give the PVPers at least ONE thing they want.

If anyone wants to read the process of how we got this far read this: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...world-PvP-Zone There were plenty of concerns raised, and here is the compromise. This PVP zone would learn from the mistakes of other games in the concept, giving PVPers a zone away from PVE content, who, if desired, can blissfully never go there and thus have no reason to complain that such a thing exists.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

I'm open to the idea of gathering, if only for PvP related ends. I wanted to maintain a focus of competitive environment, freedom/exploration, and danger (I'd imagine lots of "dark matter" versions of Shroud wildlife in there). But so long as gatherers understood that, and accept the risk, a few nodes here and there couldn't hurt.

Or perhaps special gathering actions could be slotted (or used like duty actions) within the area? Would that work?

Also, how do folks feel about allowing request-style duels within sanctuaries, like the current system we have? No data to be acquired from it, but good for practice/prep.

[RiyahArp]

Retaliation
Incapacitated players will be able to choose to return to the nearest of two sanctuaries. Furthermore, players will be invulnerable so long as they remain within a sanctuary. This effect will be lost upon returning to the combat-enabled areas.

Players will just camp those sanctuaries and wait for the person to step outside. In-game example is spawn camping in Seal Rock. You'd need like 4-5, possibly with fast travel between then as to give less incentive to just camp. With two, someone could park an alliance outside one and just nail stragglers and parties, or keep them trapped inside unable to do anything.

Chat
The Say, Party, Alliance, Yell, Shout, Free Company, Linkshell, and Novice Network chat channels can be used.

...you need this, but people are going to be such incredible jerks as you won't believe, Third. I say disable all reporting from in this zone, and emphasize blacklisting players.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

I already considered that.

Perhaps give the invulnerability a timer to fall off after leaving, or if someone's that dead set on trying to camp a sanctuary, call in a few friends or simply wait them out. I personally would join a party with someone being camped and step up to crush that kind of ill behavior.

And chat? Not bending on that. Not one bit. People are just going to have to behave themselves, especially since it IS open world. I doubt anyone wants a bad reputation on their server, and even if they did, there's already ways to handle that. So no, chat is in, and that's non-negotiable, unless SE's willing to restrict all open world chat.

PvP, and the community, CAN be what you make it to be. Play nice, or if it's necessary, stomp out bad behavior and show people it's unwelcome in your Shroud.

[AriaFairchild]

I already considered that.

Perhaps give the invulnerability a timer to fall off after leaving, or if someone's that dead set on trying to camp a sanctuary, call in a few friends or simply wait them out. I personally would join a party with someone being camped and step up to crush that kind of ill behavior.

Or you can have invulnerable guards that can one-shot those within a radius of x from the entrance (with ranged weps, to avoid being kited). Also have multiple entrances in the sanctuary, so that you can ambush the campers from behind.

[RiyahArp]

I didn't say remove chat, I said remove the report function XD. Its going to be that bad. If just because people who are ganked are going to be tempted to use it to equalize things.

Stuff doesn't happen in it like you think. People do not play nice or band together to stomp out people who aren't. They aren't going to behave. You don't want to rely on them too much.

[Kisagami]

I didn't say remove chat, I said remove the report function XD. Its going to be that bad. If just because people who are ganked are going to be tempted to use it to equalize things.

Stuff doesn't happen in it like you think. People do not play nice or band together to stomp out people who aren't. They aren't going to behave. You don't want to rely on them too much.

I don’t think removing the report option is a good idea. RMT-Sellers would have a field day with that. You’d also run the risk of exchange of personal information, etc. No, I like Thirdchild’s suggestion: no tolerance for it. When reports come in, SE can make it clear there’s a no tolerance policy in behaving badly in such a zone. Exploiting and talking badly in open chat is at first a warning, then a mark against your account, etc.

It’ll also help if the good PVPers like Thirdchild will stand up against ganking and make it an honorable competitive system. PVP gets a bad rap because of bad actors, and because of those bad actors people from PVE, like me, are mortified at the idea of going there to try it. Play fair, generate more interest, and teach us it can be fun for everyone to learn.

If Thirdchild is the way they state, we need to clone them. If things were the way Thirdchild says it is for his community, I’d be more likely to join. I want the rush of “Hey, I may have lost, but that was really fun and challenging!” Or “That was a close call, but I won and that was awesome.” I wanna be able to laugh if I lose, not not even get that far and get gamked out the gate and farmed cause I’m just learning and new.