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I've been struggling to fully understand the implementation of some gameplay elements, even considering this is an alpha. My guild and I were farming at Seph yesterday, all in the level 14 -16 range, enjoying the experience.
From what I understand about the PvP system, if someone wants to take over your farming spot, they need to kill you, going corrupted and accepting the penalty (risk vs. reward). This system also seems designed to discourage high-level players from griefing lower-level ones. While mob-pulling to wipe groups isn’t new to MMOs, it’s something players generally deal with, and in Ashes, equivalent-level groups could likely counter it with crowd control or PvP.
However, what happened last night didn’t feel right. Instead of players at similar levels pulling mobs, level 25s were dragging mobs into low-level groups to wipe them out, looting their bodies, and bypassing the corruption system entirely. By avoiding direct engagement, their PvP flag disappeared, and even if they did engage, there was no way for us to fight back effectively against a group of level 25 players.
This situation highlighted a big issue: there’s no incentive to flag or engage in PvP below level 25. The death penalties are so harsh that the game discourages risky content. I firmly believe the penalties, particularly XP debt, are too punishing and don’t belong in an MMO. Losing XP for dying discourages players from doing anything remotely risky, before level 25, and should just be removed from the game. This is not a survival game, it's a MMO, at some point the player's time invested needs to be respected. Additionally, loot drops should only occur during PvP when both players are within three levels of each other. This single change could address mob training, griefing, and similar issues.
I'm not trying to boast, but I work in the gaming industry as a developer. Even the most well-thought-out ideas sometimes need to change to ensure the game works for everyone, not just a specific group. I know some will disagree, but it's the reality of game development. Players will push your boundaries, and there are times when you need to implement safeguards to protect the broader community. There's absolutely no shame in doing what’s necessary to create a better experience for everyone.
My question to Steven and the Intrepid team is: It feels like the system allows high-level players to grief low-level ones with minimal risk, bypassing corruption and farming glint without meaningful consequences. This kind of unbalanced dynamic is frustrating and will push players away from the game. What’s the plan to address this? Because right now, Intrepid has cultivated a super toxic environment, where players don't feel the need to engage, and in most cases can't due to death penalties.
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