Absolute Fair Play

As of today, there are three types of MMORPG in respect to PvP:

1. Open PvP. A good example is Ultima Online, as well as dedicated PvP servers on the World of Warcraft and Dark Ages of Camelot etc. In this case the game's control over PvP is virtually nonexistent. As a result, we get a huge number of children, beginners or happy serial killers that kill adversaries just for the heck of it. There is no risk to criminals in such cases and their actions can impair the user experience of more constructive players. With this stile of PvP players have to invent their own systems for controlling raging murderers.

2. Limited PvP. Examples: wars of Realm vs. Realm type. Here PvP exists only in designated areas or within very narrow limits. A winner gains nothing but glory, and a loser, accordingly, loses nothing. This is better, but still not very exciting.

3. Controlled PvP. There are, as yet, no examples of it among modern MMORPG's. The idea of "control" is that PvP is allowed but it always has realistic consequences for all parties to the conflict. PvP relations in the W.E.L.L. Online are based on precisely this principle.

Why have we chosen controlled PvP?

The logic is simple. Limiting PvP to an arena or a frontier area means not making full use of all the advantages that one-to-one combat brings to the game. Actually, the only argument against allowing PvP is the so-called "senseless player killing", that is, the meaningless murders described above. In all other respects this is one of the most compelling aspects of the game, and excluding it would deprive players of a certain (and rather substantial) pleasure.

What is the solution? A COMPETENT PvP CONTROL SYSTEM. This adds a whole new layer of gaming action and adds dept to the PvP experience.

In W.E.L.L. Online this control works as follows. Any killing automatically creates an evidence-object visible only to expert detectives. Jointly with the police they can catch the criminals, and if the latter's guilt is proven, they will spend some time in penal labor, shifting rocks. Players who kill by the rules (i.e. within framework of their organizations' quests) are not penalized by the detectives or the police. Thus, anyone willing to pit their martial skills against another player by the rules is free to do that, while thugs not accustomed to fair play will shift rocks in prison camps.