In the past, PvP and PvE were connected in MMORPGs. But that is no longer the case. When did these “worlds” separate and why?
What did MMORPGs look like in the past? During the early days of the genre, around the time when Meridian 59 was released in 1996 and Ultima Online in 1997, MMORPGs looked different. There was no distinction between PvP and PvE.
This meant that players could essentially meet and fight against other players all the time. Anywhere and at any time.
Freedom comes at a price
Why was this the case? MMORPGs aimed to grant players as much freedom as possible and to provide a second home that opened up plenty of opportunities. Players should feel at home in an MMORPG and not be overly restricted.
This also included the ability to duel each other. There were supposed to be player-on-player raids, which made every journey a danger.
This is how things got out of hand: When Ultima Online was released in 1997, it offered a fantastic world where everyone could be whatever they wanted, whether it was a fisherman, a blacksmith, a baker, or an adventurer. It was possible to get lost in this world.
However, there was no distinction between PvE and PvP. For example, someone wanting to mine ore in a dungeon to sell it to a blacksmith had to be prepared to be robbed by other players at any time.
Players exploited this, and constant attacks occurred. It became almost impossible to travel from one city to another.
PvP became a nightmare: Player Killers (PKs) took pleasure in luring especially new players into traps or attacking them repeatedly. While there were player-created militias that hunted PKs, the situation spiraled more out of control. It was nearly impossible to just have some fun exploring the world or fighting monsters in a dungeon.
The separation was necessary
What were the consequences? The constant attacks on players caused a lot of frustration for the victims. It even got to the point where fans dropped out and lost interest in continuing to play.
The development studio Origin and publisher Electronic Arts noticed this and had to pull the emergency brake. Ultima Online was meant to bring players together and be fun, not cause frustration and alienate fans. The MMORPG was on the brink of collapse. If it had continued like this, it probably would have had to shut down.
What change was introduced? Origin divided the players in 2000. Two worlds were created: Felucca and Trammel.
- On Felucca, open PvP still reigned. Anyone could attack anyone.
- On Trammel, however, there were strict rules. It was no longer possible to attack other players without their consent to engage in combat.
How did this affect the genre? Other developers had, of course, noticed how open PvP without real rules had pushed Ultima Online to the brink. Systems were developed to separate PvP and PvE because players should have the choice and not be constantly frustrated by Player Killers.
What does this look like today? Most MMORPGs have either zones where PvP takes place or servers designed for player-versus-player battles. A combination of PvP and PvE is rarely seen. Players consciously decide whether they want to participate in PvP. Raids by other players are then only possible on PvP servers or in PvP zones, and players can better prepare for them.
Was Ultima Online the first game to separate PvP and PvE? No, Everquest, released in 1999, learned from the mistakes of UO and offered players the choice between PvE and PvP servers from the start. This way, the game avoided this problem. Ultima Online thus helped to find a solution.
Open PvP is still a topic in MMORPGs today. Some players desire it, and several titles – such as Fallout 76 – offer it as well, albeit with restrictions. Generally, however, it is important for an online game to allow players to choose whether to participate in PvP, whether through special servers or PvP zones in the titles.
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