Player corruption

When you gain that corruption you have the potential of losing your completed items, your weapon, your armor, stuff that is very difficult to achieve; and then the other aspect of that is, that in order to deter basically players taking alternate characters and saying this is my PK alt, the more players you kill, the more corruption you gain, the higher your combat efficacy in PVP diminishes. If you're out there and you killed you know 20 players... you will not be able to perform in PVP any longer. You will need to take that character and go work off that corruption. The other aspect of corruption is that if you kill another player, who is a non-combatant and the level disparity between you and that player is great, you will gain a higher amount of corruption from that single kill. To the point where you should not be killing a level one character.[2] – Steven Sharif
If a combatant (purple) character, or their summon, kills a non-combatant (green) character in Open-world PvP, they will be flagged as corrupt (red).[3][4]
- You can't necessarily time perfectly the damage or understand even the health of the player. Unless you were in their party you cannot see an opponent's health as well, so that's another component that adds risk..[5] – Steven Sharif
- A player's corruption score (corruption value) increases with each non-combatant player killed.[6][7][8] Corruption score has a scaling impact on the efficacy of a character's skills in PvP combat.[9]
- Reward without risk is meaningless... Corruption is just another word for risk.[10] – Steven Sharif
- The wider the level disparity between the players, and the higher the attacker's PK value, the more corruption they gain.[6][7][8]
- Corruption value from PK'ing a non-combatant is based on level disparity along with the PKer's cumulative PK value.[6] – Steven Sharif
- Corruption penalties occur as the corruption is gained.[11] The higher the corruption score:
- The more skill and stat dampening applies (lower health and mana, lower gear proficiency), until the corrupt player ultimately becomes ineffective at combat.[12] This dampening only affects PvP combat.[13]
- If you go on a murder spree and you have 10 pks under your belt then you might start feeling a significant dampening to your skill effects against other players. I don't want to give necessarily a number or curve for players to extrapolate prior to us having the ability to actually test these ideas and where those numbers are going to lie; but I would say what is the intent behind that dampening: The intent isn't to limit the fun of the player, the intent is to provide a give-and-take or a risk-versus-reward; and the risk of continuing down the road of accruing corruption is not only the loss of your gear and amplified death effects but also your ability to perform in that activity.[14] – Steven Sharif
- The higher chance of dropping of carried raw materials and gear (Weapons and Armor) when the corrupted player dies.[7][15]
- The more corruption you gain, the less effective you become in PvP and there's going to be a certain period at which point you have gained enough corruption that you're going to be gearless and you're also going to have a massive reduction in your PvP efficacy.[16] – Steven Sharif
- Corrupted players can be attacked regardless of other affiliations. This is something that will be tested during Alpha-2.[17]
- If a non-combatant attacks a corrupt player, the non-combatant will not flag as a combatant.[18]
- Non-combatants who heal, buff, or otherwise assist combatants or corrupted players will be flagged as combatants.[19][20]
- A corrupt player’s location is revealed to bounty hunters on their world map.[7][4]
- Corrupted players may kill bounty hunters without acquiring additional corruption score.[21][22]
- Corrupted player's combat penalties do not apply when battling bounty hunters.[21]
- Player to player trading and the ability to store items in public warehouses is disabled for corrupt players.[23]
- Q: Will there be any large-scale consequences when many players in a group guild region religion etc become corrupted frequently or for an extended period of time?
- A: There are not group dynamics or mechanics that revolve around mass murdering people in the world. The corruption system is intended to deter mass murdering, not to provide incentives by which players can go out and gain corruption.[24] – Steven Sharif
- Q: If my guild has no one corrupted and your guild is like always killing people and always corrupted, will your guild have repercussions because they're corrupted versus my guild?
- A: No I don't think so either. And the reason why is we want to deter it, but we don't want to make the system meaningless; and if the deterrent becomes too heavy-handed then it's a system without a purpose. And I think that the intent behind the corruption is that like during a rise in passion and like anger and whatever you want to make this decision and do something and you'll suffer the repercussions later. But if those repercussions are just overwhelmingly bad and even anti-social in the sense that like your guild is like hey man you went corrupted and this gives us like corruption points on the guild, and like you're out of here, then people just aren't going to choose to use it; and then at which point might as well just take it out. So I think there's a healthy balance between the type of deterrent used.[25] – Steven Sharif
Players do not lose gold upon death, no matter their corruption level.[26]
- Corruption has a visible effect on a player’s appearance.[27]
Contents
Alpha-1
Player corruption is expected to be implemented in Alpha-1.[28]
Removing corruption
The primary means to remove corruption is through death. Multiple deaths may be necessary to remove all corruption.[30][18]
- Dying removes a significant portion of a player's corruption score.[31]
- Gaining experience will also slowly reduce a player's corruption score.[30]
- That creates a fun kind of experience for the bounty hunters to try to catch you while you're working it off.[30] – Steven Sharif
- A quest may be utilized to reduce the player kill (PK) count of a corrupt player in order for them to accumulate less corruption score in the future.[32][31]
- Corruption duration is reduced in military nodes.[34]
Bounty hunters
Bounty hunter maps
Players with a high enough corruption score will be visible on the world and mini maps. These players will have markers posted on the map by an NPC from a Military node of at least stage 4 (Town), and will only be granted to players who have the Bounty hunter title.[35] The accuracy of bounty hunter maps is determined by a player's progression in the bounty hunter system.[36]
Taverns are one of the locations that bounties will be posted. As players gain corruption, taverns may offer bounties to eliminate those players; or have a specific area cleared of problem players, thus giving a POI (point of interest) on the world map.[37]
Bounty hunter Pathfinding ability
Skill | Icon | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pathfinding | Reveals corrupted player locations on the bounty hunter's map.[38][39] Activating this ability will flag the bounty hunter for combat only to corrupted players for a period of one hour from the time of activation.[38] The pathfinding ability can be toggled on or off.[38][40] | The accuracy of the pathfinding skill is determined by a player's progression in the bounty hunter system.[36] | The accuracy of the pathfinding skill is determined by a player's progression in the bounty hunter system.[36] |
Corrupt players killing bounty hunters
Corrupted players potentially gain rewards for killing bounty hunters.[41]
NPC guards
NPC guards will kill corrupted players on sight.[43]
- NPC guards may be available for hire to defend freeholds after a successful node siege.[44] NPC guards that permanently exist on a freehold are not a planned feature.[45]
Player flagging
The open world PvP flagging system is designed to deter people from griefing other players.[4]
- Players can participate in open world PvP with one another without having to resort to murder.[46]
- Players will gank other players, but the intention is for Ashes of Creation to not be a "gank box".
- The penalties are intended to be severe enough to deter any type of spawn camping.[47]
- Summons follow the same PvP flagging rules as players and share the player's flag status.[3][48]
There are three levels of flagging for world PvP in Ashes of Creation.[8]
- Non-combatant (green)
- All players start as non-combatants.[18]
- Non-forced attacks (such as AoE) will not hit non-combatant players.[49]
- Green players killed by mobs (the mob deals the killing blow) do not flag attacking players as corrupt, but since the exact health of another player is not known (outside of the same party, raid, alliance, or guild), attackers run the risk of killing the player and becoming corrupt.[50]
- Non-combatants will not be flagged for looting bodies.[51]
It's important to note that the idea is going to be that, unless a player is in your party, alliance, guild, or raid that you will not have definitive knowledge of their exact hit point values. So when you do something that's sketchy like that, where you want to bring them close to death and let a monster finish him off, you are taking the risk of overhitting and actually gaining the corruption.[50] – Steven Sharif
- Combatant (purple)
- Players are flagged as combatants if they, or their summon, attacks another (non-corrupted) player when carrying out a forced attack. If the attacked player fights back, they are also flagged as combatants, otherwise the attacked player will remain flagged as a non-combatant.[3][52][18]
- Non-combatants entering an open world battleground (PvP event) are automatically flagged as combatants and remain flagged for a period of time after leaving that battleground.[8]
- This also applies to attacks made by combat pets (or any other player-controlled entities).[53]
- Non-combatants who heal, buff, or otherwise (positively) interact with combatants or corrupted players will be flagged as combatants.[19][20]
- Players can kill combatants without repercussions, and are encouraged to do so, since dying while a combatant has reduced death penalties.[18]
- Players are not able to manually set their flagging status to combatant.[52]
- Players remain flagged for a period of 90 seconds following their most recent attack on a non-combatant or another combatant.[54]
- Players cannot log out while flagged as combatants.[55]
- Corrupted (red)
- If a combatant player, or their summon, kills a non-combatant player, the player's character will be flagged as corrupted.[3][4]
- Corruption multiplies death penalties and reveals a corrupted player's location to bounty hunters.[4]
- A player’s corruption score increases with each non-combatant player killed.[8]
- If a non-combatant attacks a corrupt player, the non-combatant will not flag as a combatant.[18]
- Corrupted players may kill bounty hunters without acquiring additional corruption score.[22]
- There is a 60 second timer to logout while corrupt.[55]
Players will be able to opt-in (via a checkbox) to allow their beneficial or non-beneficial AoEs to hit flagged players. If this is checked then AoE heals or damage will affect flagged players. If it is not checked then the AoE will not damage or heal any flagged players, and as such will not cause the caster to be flagged themselves (if they are not already).[56]
If you have that check-box for flagging with your AOEs and heals available then you will flag. If you do not have that box checked then on completion of the skill it will not flag you because the check was made at the start that there was a flagged party member; and then he will not he or she will not receive the beneficial effect as a result or the damage, if it's an offensive spell.[56] – Steven Sharif
A player may not flag on members of the same party, raid, guild or alliance.[57]
Sieges, caravans and guild wars do not use the flagging system.[58]
You're not going to see griefing in the game very often; and that's because our flagging system. The corruption mechanics are based around disincentivizing a griefer or PKer but still offering the opportunity, should the occasion arise, where the benefits outweigh the risk, you have the ability to do so. If you gain corruption, which is killing a non-combatant - a player who is not fighting back basically - if you gain that corruption, your world has changed. It is not going to be a very beneficial place to be and you have the potential of losing your gear. Your combat efficacy decreases based on the amount of corruption you accrue. It is a comfortable balance between player agency and grief and basically removing player agency for other players.[59] – Steven Sharif
Player death

We don't have deleveling, instead what we have is experience debt. Now the more experience debt you accrue, the greater the detriment to your character; not to the point where you can not get out of the debt. There will always be a way forward to remove your debt.[59] – Steven Sharif
When a player dies they disintegrate into ash. The ashes contain any items lost by the player due to applicable death penalties.[61][62][63][12][64] These ash piles are immediately lootable by any player.[62] Player flagging is not triggered by looting.[51]
- A non-combatant (green player) who dies suffers normal penalties, which include:[12]
- Experience debt (negative experience).[65]
- Durability loss.[67][68][12]
- When players die and they take durability loss, our durability loss isn't like other games where it's a gold sink so to speak. It's a combination of both a gold sink and a material sink. So in a sense, even if you only have completed items, when you take that durability loss you are losing out on materials. It's just a debt to the materials that you are losing instead of the active loss of that material in your inventory. So now you are accruing a material debt if you want to repair and increase again the performance of those particular items that take that durability loss.[67] – Steven Sharif
- Dropping a percentage of carried gatherables and processed goods.[63][12]
- This also includes a percentage of the certificates a player is carrying.[64]
- If a player dies there will be a period of time before their mule despawns. Other players must kill that player's mule to be able to loot it.[69]
- If a player's mule dies its corpse will contain the same percentage of lootable items as the player.[69][70]
- A combatant (purple player) who dies suffers these same penalties, but at half the rate of a non-combatant.[12]
- A corrupt (red player) suffers penalties at four times[7] the rate of a non-combatant, and has a chance to drop any carried/equipped items based on their current corruption score. This includes:[7][12]
- Any amount of corruption allows a player to drop equipped gear upon death. The higher the corruption the greater the chances.[71] – Steven Sharif
- These dropped items may be looted by other players.[72]
- Corrupt players respawn at random locations in the vicinity of their death, not at regular spawn points.[39]
- Non-corrupt players always respawn at the closest active respawn point (to their death).[73]
- Dampening (due to corruption) only affects PvP combat.[74]
- Corruption penalties occur as the corruption is gained (not just at death).[11]
Experience debt will scale to approximately 2 or 3 percent of the total XP for a max level player. These numbers are subject to change based on testing.[75]
Death penalties (mostly) do not apply to objective-based events (such as caravans, guild wars, and node sieges).[76][77][78]
- There will not be death penalties applied to event-based deaths. The penalties are in the outcome of the event. So your number of deaths is likely going to impact your ability to win that particular event and that's going to be the penalty. This is it to encourage players to opt in to the events right because the more participation we have the more fun it can be; and we understand that the community at large- there's already a risk versus reward component to these events. We don't need to stack on additional risk versus reward to inhibit kind of- to increase the barrier to entry for players who may not be as interested.[78] – Steven Sharif
- Gear degradation applies on death during Caravan PvP.[76][77]
Death penalties do not differ between PvP and PvE, but this is subject to change.[79]
Death by falling is possible.[80]
- Fall damage that occurs while mounted will be first applied to the mount; and if the mount dies as a result, then the remaining damage may overflow onto the player, but this will be determined based on testing.[80]
Death by drowning is possible.[81][82]
- Players that drown will respawn on shore.[81]
If a player dies there will be a period of time before their mule despawns. Other players must kill that player's mule to be able to loot it.[69]
- If a player's mule dies its corpse will contain the same percentage of lootable items as the player.[69][70]
Players do not lose gold upon death, no matter their corruption level.[26]
- At the moment, the plan is for players to not lose gold upon death, no matter their corruption level.[26] – Cody Peterson
Respawn lore
The lore behind how death and resurrection exists within Ashes of Creation is the concept of this Avatar of the Phoenix being represented of the Goddess of Creation, from which all life on this plane has has come from essentially... Because when you do get reborn it's that connection with your soul to the essence that binds you with the Goddess of Creation that brings that spark of the of that Avatar of the Phoenix back and brings you to life through that manipulation of the essence. So this is a little update on the ash effect.[61] – Steven Sharif
As players enter into the world of Verra they are empowered with the spark of life that comes from the Goddess of Creation. This spark houses a portion of what represents their soul and their conduit to The Essence.[61][62][83] When a player dies they disintegrate into ashes, in accordance with the mythology of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth that is associated with the celestial avatar of the Goddess of Creation, the phoenix.[61][62]
- The ash pile conveys the location of the body, so that the player may be selected for resurrection.[61]
- The ash pile is also interractible to allow players to loot any dropped items.[61][62]
- These ash piles are immediately lootable by any player.[62]
- Player flagging is not triggered by looting.[51]
- This effect applies to players and not mobs.[61]
The reason for why respawning occurs, as you guys know, the avatar of the Goddess of Creation is the phoenix; and the phoenix obviously has some very stable mythological lore to it with regards to the cycle of life and death and rebirth; and that type of thing. As you enter into the world of Verra you are in a way empowered with the spark of life that comes from the Goddess of Creation herself, and in that sense you're able to house a portion of what that represents in your soul and your... conduit to the essence.[62] – Steven Sharif
Respawn locations
Non-corrupt players always respawn at the closest active respawn point (to their death).[73]
- Corrupt players respawn at random locations in the vicinity of their death, not at regular spawn points.[39]
- Events in progress may disable certain respawn points in proximity to those events, which might cause players to respawn further away.[73]
That has to do with the lore behind death and resurrection and what it means to have your soul connected as a conduit of that spark of life given from the Goddess of Creation, being that phoenix type of avatar; and if corruption has moved into an area and an event has started, the access to those kind of ley line oriented respawn points may be obscured- might not be accessible. So that could create some additional distance that needs to be traveled as part of these types of events.[73] – Steven Sharif
See also
References
- ↑ Video, 31 May 2020 (5:29).
- ↑ Podcast, 23 April 2018 (51:31).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4
- ↑ Livestream, 30 January 2020 (1:40:48).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Interview, 18 July 2020 (41:54).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 MMOGames interview, January 2017
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ 11.0 11.1
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.9 Podcast, 5 May 2017 (43:05).
- ↑ Interview, 11 May 2018 (5:05).
- ↑ Podcast, 11 April 2021 (38:31).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Livestream, 17 November 2017 (35:20).
- ↑ Livestream, 22 May 2017 (42:33).
- ↑ Livestream, 29 July 2022 (1:07:20).
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Interview, 27 April 2017 (0:17).
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Interview, 22 April 2019 (54:40).
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Livestream, 17 November 2017 (29:45).
- ↑ 21.0 21.1
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Interview, 27 April 2017 (1:18).
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Livestream, 30 April 2021 (1:14:49).
- ↑ Livestream, 27 August 2021 (1:20:09).
- ↑ Livestream, 27 August 2021 (1:20:51).
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2
- ↑ Interview, February 2017 (39:33).
- ↑ Interview, 8 August 2018 (18:55).
- ↑ Livestream, 9 July 2018 (20:41).
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Interview, 18 July 2020 (44:35).
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Interview, 19 July 2020 (30:51).
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, 4 June 2018 (2:18).
- ↑
- ↑ Interview, 20 January 2017 (06:12).
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Livestream, 24 May 2017 (48:00).
- ↑ The mighty beard!
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 Interview, 27 April 2017 (9:28).
- ↑
- ↑ Interview, 20 October 2018 (15:51).
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, 28 February 2020 (1:14:38).
- ↑ Livestream, 19 May 2017 (28:04).
- ↑ Livestream, 18 January 2018 (31:05).
- ↑ Livestream, 12 May 2017 (24:52).
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 Livestream, 30 July 2021 (1:10:34).
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 Podcast, 11 April 2021 (34:41).
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 Livestream, 30 November 2020 (1:09:06).
- ↑ Livestream, 31 October 2018 (44:12).
- ↑
- ↑ 55.0 55.1
- ↑ 56.0 56.1 Interview, 8 July 2020 (1:05:27).
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ 59.0 59.1 Podcast, 23 April 2018 (49:21).
- ↑ Livestream, 28 March 2020 (1:58:24).
- ↑ 61.0 61.1 61.2 61.3 61.4 61.5 61.6 61.7 Livestream, 24 September 2021 (51:20).
- ↑ 62.0 62.1 62.2 62.3 62.4 62.5 62.6 Livestream, 26 March 2021 (1:07:33).
- ↑ 63.0 63.1
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 Interview, 18 July 2020 (27:11).
- ↑ Livestream, 19 May 2017 (13:37).
- ↑ Ashes of Creation Forums - Former Lineage 2 PvP'er wanting to discuss PvP loopholes.
- ↑ 67.0 67.1 Interview, 7 February 2021 (13:14).
- ↑ Interview, 29 July 2020 (16:46).
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 69.3 Livestream, 29 January 2021 (1:24:27).
- ↑ 70.0 70.1 Livestream, 27 September 2018 (47:46).
- ↑
- ↑ Interview, 11 May 2018 (15:41).
- ↑ 73.0 73.1 73.2 73.3 Livestream, 25 June 2021 (1:15:37).
- ↑ Interview, 11 May 2018 (3:43).
- ↑ Livestream, 28 May 2021 (1:50:50).
- ↑ 76.0 76.1 Livestream, 30 June 2022 (1:14:52).
- ↑ 77.0 77.1 Livestream, 27 August 2021 (1:22:56).
- ↑ 78.0 78.1 Livestream, 22 December 2020 (1:13:51).
- ↑ Livestream, 15 May 2017 (36:23).
- ↑ 80.0 80.1 Livestream, 25 February 2022 (1:06:45).
- ↑ 81.0 81.1 Livestream, 29 April 2022 (1:08:27).
- ↑ Livestream, 28 July 2017 (50:22).
- ↑ Podcast, 11 May 2018 (51:39).