Avoiding PCs in favor of survival?

[Maso]

Running away isn't a great survival strategy. It gives the threat a chance to track you down or find you again and get the drop on you.  And since you've given away your tactic, the threat will respond accordingly and be more sneaky or more overwhelming the second time around.

Best chance of survival for most dangerous encounters is complete submission and cooperation, deception or counter attack.

When I'm the aggressor, I usually try to create a situation where my victim will survive or die based on their choices and reaction. A lot of pcs seem to prefer death over submission, for some reason.

Unless it's a bounty or some other predetermined kill. Then I try to end it before the target has a chance to react.

If I even SEE another PC anywhere in the Known...I hit run and run all the way to the nearest city. >.>

Sometimes. It depends how I'm feeling. Most times I just run up to them all bolshy like, so they think I'm harder than they are. Then act over confident and send them on their way.

[BadSkeelz]

I only avoid PCs in the cities >.>

[SMuz]

I had a PC who didn't avoid anyone. In fact, he was the retarded type who stares everyone in the eye (even stared at a templar of the opposite sex in a hostile city state). He died from a cloaked gith who I thought was a PC in the outdoors

It's perfectly good RP to run away at the sight of someone in a dangerous area (unless you have a retard who stares at people until they attack). It's kinda out of character to not flee hoping for an interesting interaction. Whether it's good for the game is another discussion.

[path]

I can't believe how many of you do this! I am SHOCKED, good sirs.

I can't remember an instance when I didn't interact with whomever I found in the wilds. It's so tense and fun. That's the best. That's why I play Armageddon. None of them has ever slaughtered one of my PCs, but if they had, I'm sure it would have been a better death than most I've had.

[Maso]

I can't believe how many of you do this! I am SHOCKED, good sirs.

I can't remember an instance when I didn't interact with whomever I found in the wilds. It's so tense and fun. That's the best. That's why I play Armageddon. None of them has ever slaughtered one of my PCs, but if they had, I'm sure it would have been a better death than most I've had.

I felt this way too....until my desperately surviving PC was gripping on to life by their teeth and succeeding...and then a rogue gicker just came and slaughtered them, no role play, no nothing. They were definitely in a position to safely interact without need to kill my char immediately, and my character wasn't going anywhere and really wasn't a threat....so I was pretty peeved about that...I was into that character too...they could have had the decency to give them a memorable ending.

That put me off hanging around. If I've put days of time into a character, I'm not going to flippantly put their lives into the hands of another PC that I have no experience with and could potentially be an absolute tool. I'm an elf.

[Malken]

That put me off hanging around. If I've put days of time into a character, I'm not going to flippantly put their lives into the hands of another PC that I have no experience with and could potentially be an absolute tool. I'm an elf.

Word.

[Feco]

There are plenty of far off places ingame you'd probably be confused seeing other people.  In a real life situation like that, I'd probably avoid them.

[solera]

It is still better than dying to a twinky NPC. 
(Was that my curtain call?) 

[spicemustflow]

I'm not terribly trusting of other players, sadly. I've been PK'd with very little rp and for, what I think, very frivolous reasons. It's not that I haven't done it, once or twice. Sometimes you just want to feel what a PK is like.

So, I'm gonna run the fuck away the next time. Sorry if that spoils the scene.

edit: to be fair, there have been some awesome scenes where PCs who had legitimate reasons to kill mine choose another punishment instead. So, I don't know.

[Patuk]

I'm not terribly trusting of other players, sadly. I've been PK'd with very little rp and for, what I think, very frivolous reasons. It's not that I haven't done it, once or twice. Sometimes you just want to feel what a PK is like.

So, I'm gonna run the fuck away the next time. Sorry if that spoils the scene.

edit: to be fair, there have been some awesome scenes where PCs who had legitimate reasons to kill mine choose another punishment instead. So, I don't know.

Someone went and attacked me because they thought I was taking too long in replying to their emotes. I just.. I went and stared at the whole scene for a while after my character died. Silly IC reasons is one thing, but.. Unless you're replying so slowly that you're probably disconnected or something, I don't think typing speed should really be considered ICly, let alone be your license to kill someone.

[Riya OniSenshi]

For all they knew you were waying backup.

Hopefully that's not a recent event, though...

[RogueGunslinger]

I'm not terribly trusting of other players, sadly. I've been PK'd with very little rp and for, what I think, very frivolous reasons. It's not that I haven't done it, once or twice. Sometimes you just want to feel what a PK is like.

So, I'm gonna run the fuck away the next time. Sorry if that spoils the scene.

edit: to be fair, there have been some awesome scenes where PCs who had legitimate reasons to kill mine choose another punishment instead. So, I don't know.

Someone went and attacked me because they thought I was taking too long in replying to their emotes. I just.. I went and stared at the whole scene for a while after my character died. Silly IC reasons is one thing, but.. Unless you're replying so slowly that you're probably disconnected or something, I don't think typing speed should really be considered ICly, let alone be your license to kill someone.

I might do the same, considering how long it's taking you. Like Riya said there's a number of things you could be doing, like buying time for someone else to come and save you.

[Patuk]

Eh.. That seems pretty lame, it does. If my characters are waying and this affects my reaction speed, I tend to emote that out somehow anyway. And even so.. I wasn't emoting as quickly as this particular raider, but even so, not everyone is a grade-A typist. Taking such a thing ICly and attacking someone over it is pretty lame.

[Potaje]

Eh.. That seems pretty lame, it does. If my characters are waying and this affects my reaction speed, I tend to emote that out somehow anyway. And even so.. I wasn't emoting as quickly as this particular raider, but even so, not everyone is a grade-A typist. Taking such a thing ICly and attacking someone over it is pretty lame.

I think you have to take in account that people don;t know its -You- on the other end of the screen to know -you- would be emoting that your waying or some other thing, when there is no response. I'm curious to know how you know they pked you for the ooc reason of not emoting, or taking to long to do so.

[Patuk]

Eh.. That seems pretty lame, it does. If my characters are waying and this affects my reaction speed, I tend to emote that out somehow anyway. And even so.. I wasn't emoting as quickly as this particular raider, but even so, not everyone is a grade-A typist. Taking such a thing ICly and attacking someone over it is pretty lame.

I think you have to take in account that people don;t know its -You- on the other end of the screen to know -you- would be emoting that your waying or some other thing, when there is no response. I'm curious to know how you know they pked you for the ooc reason of not emoting, or taking to long to do so.

Because I was typing out an emote, they went 'being difficult, mm?' and attacked me?

[Gunnerblaster]

I like to give players the benefit of the doubt.

I also believe in the policy of trying to put in as much effort as the people I'm playing with.

If someone walks into a room, looks at me, and attacks me without so much as an emote - I'm probably going to respond in kind.

If someone walks into a room, emotes out a scene with me, I'm going to make it worth their time instead of running away without so much as an emote.

This is a game based upon interaction with others. If you aren't interacting with others simply out of fear of losing your PC - Then you really aren't enjoying everything the game has to offer.

Edited to add:
There is always that 'fight or flight' feeling I get when an unknown, masked/hooded and armed PC enters the same wilderness area as my own PC. There's always that tense moment where you're wondering, "What happens now?"

Even if a small emote, I always try to throw one off acknowledging the player. It's my way of letting them know I'm willing to roleplay with them.

[Riya OniSenshi]

Eh.. That seems pretty lame, it does. If my characters are waying and this affects my reaction speed, I tend to emote that out somehow anyway. And even so.. I wasn't emoting as quickly as this particular raider, but even so, not everyone is a grade-A typist. Taking such a thing ICly and attacking someone over it is pretty lame.

I think you have to take in account that people don;t know its -You- on the other end of the screen to know -you- would be emoting that your waying or some other thing, when there is no response. I'm curious to know how you know they pked you for the ooc reason of not emoting, or taking to long to do so.

Because I was typing out an emote, they went 'being difficult, mm?' and attacked me?

That seems to imply that they thought you were stalling for time in some way or waying... Not that they thought you were in the middle of typing an emote or knew it was you playing the pc.

If you're afraid your typing speed is a concern, next time use smaller emotes frequently. Like instead of "emote nods, shivering with fear, as he slowly reaches up to pulloff his pack and lay it on the ground before stepping back" just go "nod; remove pack (shaking as he does so); drop pack (setting it down on the ground); emote steps back away from the pack". (The semi-colons in this case denote pressing enter - not using them to separate commands on a single line like some clients use it.)
Or at least use a couple smaller emotes to show that you're emoting and not something else.

[marko]

If you're afraid your typing speed is a concern, next time use smaller emotes frequently. Like instead of "emote nods, shivering with fear, as he slowly reaches up to pulloff his pack and lay it on the ground before stepping back" just go "nod; remove pack (shaking as he does so); drop pack (setting it down on the ground); emote steps back away from the pack". (The semi-colons in this case denote pressing enter - not using them to separate commands on a single line like some clients use it.)
Or at least use a couple smaller emotes to show that you're emoting and not something else.

Or just type:  >nod

There are a set of in-game coded emotes.  Learn them and use them when you are freaking out.  That shows that there is a PC there and active. 

Once that initial rush is over of.. OMG.. you can start doing longer emotes if you want.

[SMuz]

Eh.. That seems pretty lame, it does. If my characters are waying and this affects my reaction speed, I tend to emote that out somehow anyway. And even so.. I wasn't emoting as quickly as this particular raider, but even so, not everyone is a grade-A typist. Taking such a thing ICly and attacking someone over it is pretty lame.

It's very situational.

People tend to be very forgiving if they don't think you're fecking around with them. I've been a raider and I've been raided. Pretty much every time I've raided someone, there was a 100% of that person getting out alive without doing something stupid. But too often, they take the stupid route, like drawing a weapon, trying to flee, making threats, or worst of all, "ooc i'm new "

It's simple.. you drop your weapons, drop your backpack, drop your pants, whatever the raider tells you to. You try not to look hostile. If you're delaying, the raider will assume that you're trying to think of a way to escape. Even worse if you're delaying in the middle of a busy road; the raider wants to get business done immediately, so any delay is a hostile action.

I've dropped to the ground or whatever the raider asks me to... sometimes I get backstabbed/sapped, sometimes the raider lets me off freely for being such a good sport on her turf. But always lived.


I've probably been PK'ed a few times without any emotes or whatever, but quite often, it made sense in RP context. Annoying of course, but when you're running around the 'rinth backstabbing NPCs willy nilly, you can't really complain when a bigger fish tries to backstab you.

[BleakOne]

I don't avoid PCs anymore, although I did with my first few characters. Some of my characters would still be alive had I taken the safe route, but I think the additional fun of the vast majority of times when things turn out better and more fun is worth it.

[brytta.leofa]

There are plenty of far off places ingame you'd probably be confused seeing other people.  In a real life situation like that, I'd probably avoid them.

An Abandoned Place [NSEW]
  The broken stones of this ruined town seem to still shine from the spilt tears of its enslaved children. A hanging saloon sign creaks as it sways in the wind. Watch your back; there's probably First Nations about.
No one else is here.

You utter a spell.
The uncanny power of the earth does unseemly things to you.
You cackle gleefully.
You utter a spell.
The rocks groan as they are bent to your terrible will.
You shout, in sirihish,
  "I'm the juggernaut!"

The figure in a scrub-camouflaged sandcloth greatcloak asks, in sirihish,
  "Hey, aren't you Joe's sister?"

[bennybubonic]

I really wish there were some basis for etiquette in situations involving PvP survival. I'm all for playing out a gruesome death scene for my idiotic four-day-old <insert guild, race, and gender here>, but it's tiresome and super anti-climactic when your soon-to-be murderer jumps in without a single emote or show of interaction and proceeds to execute you.

I say again: I wish there were some basis for etiquette. 

[Harmless]

My PVP interactions involve establishing dominance, and reacting to perceived submission or resistance, which can be IC or OOC.

A smartassed comment is resistance as much as a defensive coded action, and licenses the aggressor to react with action.

Avoidance, fleeing, esp. If you're fleeing from an enforcer of some kind, be it a raider claiming territory or a militiaman, gives free license for hostile action.

I will always remember fondly one of my first rinthis. I walked into (ic info) territory and overtly looted corpses of sentimental value to (ic info) clan member. I told a clearly dangerous enforcer of territorial lines to fuck off, thinking I could get away with it by my OOC skills in running around and being evasive.

I was never more happy to be proven wrong, because the chase took me literally up walls and on rooftops, with the final deadly blow being a lethal poison delivered by throwing knife. I had a SHITLOAD of fun dying with that guy, and boy was I impressed with the hunting skills of the players in this game. It also taught me that avoidance of conflict can often be why you end up dead. (granted, telling him to fuck off wasn't wise, but his intention before killing was to hold me down and teach me who's boss, until by fleeing I showed him it would be easier to just kill me.)

Obviously, you'll get away by running more often than not... But now that I have come to gain some of those skills in PKing myself, I advise avoiders of conflict that you may end up regretting avoiding a scene of conflict. If your goal really is to stay alive, you might want to think carefully on how you react to someone who might perceive your fleeing as a nuisance or insult.

[Riya OniSenshi]

Obviously, you'll get away by running more often than not... But now that I have come to gain some of those skills in PKing myself, I advise avoiders of conflict that you may end up regretting avoiding a scene of conflict. If your goal really is to stay alive, you might want to think carefully on how you react to someone who might perceive your fleeing as a nuisance or insult.

And likewise, don't bitch when you're hunted down and slain for it (with or without emotes).

The only thing that really seems to be coming from this thread is "if you run from raiders they're just going to kill you". And people keep saying it over and over, as if no one can understand it.
Well, don't be surprised when you start to get actively hunted down en mass by clans for it. There are consequences for both sides so you all need to stop trying to ignore such.
Dieing may be part of the game, but the pattern of escalation is fairly clear that people don't like being raided and killed (or their friend/employees killed).

Reality is that most individual PCs don't bring that much impact to the game. (What's the average PC lifespan now anyway? Last I heard it was almost 2 RL weeks.) That's especially true of the average raider PC.

[Shepard]

First off, I must say NPCs are the worst for not emoting! A lot of them will chase you down if you run too! Bastards...

Second off - the way I deal with most raiders:

1) Don't look at them (don't type look figure) - If you don't know their face, they might let you live
2) I then do what my PC would do which could be:

i) Emote drawing my sword (nervously/confidently) then draw my sword - that shows I am more into the rp then just draw and kill
ii) Emote cowering off of the start - I have raided myself before by opening my pack, grabbing coins, throwing them at the person who walked up, and was like "PLEASE DONT HURT ME!"
iii) Emote noticing them in the distance, and running.

Sometimes you die, sometimes you don't. Yet that is the life in Arm.

After my incident some years ago with a Mul Assassin in Under Tuluk (I pointed undertuluk, walked south, got backstabbed killed, respawned, was like wtf, got backstabbed killed) I learnt how best to deal with deaths that happen in the flash of an eye. You need to understand you are writing a story, and not all stories end well. So if your character dies in a flash, well that can happen in RL.

... I forgot what I was saying, heh...