So, intro is over, and now to scratch the surface before we get into the nitty-gritty. PvP? Pk? Griefing? Aren't they all pretty much the same thing? Nope. Let me break it down for you:

PvP: Player versus player. These are the situations where you're out for blood, and your prey either knows you are coming, or is an area where hostile contact is expected. Let me use World of Warcraft as an example here. If you go to Warsong Gulch, this is PvP. You know you're going to an area where people are going to be out to kill you. PvP can include one-on-one arena style, team versus team, or free for all. Tactics to be followed will vary greatly. This will be an additional post with much more detail later on.

PK: Player Killing. Different than PvP, as the intention here is to attack someone and off them before they know what is happening. For them, hostile contact via another player is not expected. Generally considered "Dishonerable" by non-playerkillers. Tactics change, here. You're not out for a protracted battle, you're out to locate your target, kill him, and be on your merry way. In WOW, this would be fighting in a contested zone, then suddenly getting cut in half by some dude wandering along. PK is more risky in PvP, due to the assailant usually working alone and without external aid. Think Sergeant York.

Griefing: Generally young PvPers in the making. These are the guys that kill you over and over again and rub your face in it. They will do anything and everything to get an edge on you, up to and including bug exploitation and cheapness bordering on the extreme. Think of that level ninety-nine Amazon in Diablo 2 that kept joining your act 1 games and killing your entire group. The only thing seperating Griefers and PvPers are tactics and maturity. Griefers usually crave the attention they get for their actions, since they don't get enough attention in their normal lives. The worst possible thing you can do to a griefer is ignore him.

And as a little bonus, here are some other terms critical to the cause:

Burst Damage: A critical thing in many MMORPGs. If you've ever gone onto a game's community forums, and seen posts that break down the damage-per-second of every possible skill, then you've witnessed the posting of what is more than likely a very dedicated PvPer. Burst damage is a string of attacks designed to maximize damage at all costs, with the speedy target's death the only result. Mostly a PK concern.

Overlapping Defense: Team VS Team PvP concern. I saw a lot of this done by the masterful tacticians in the "Inner Circle Elite" group during the Fury betas. Unbelivable. I witnessed matches where not one of their members died, in games where body counts usually reach twenty to fifty. Watch those guys.

"The three Ds of PvP": Dispel, Debuff, Destroy. In many games magic is critical, especially if the fights tend to be protracted and take a while. In these cases, the object is to first strip away any buffs they may have, debuff them until they have the physical prowess of a colicy infant, and then liquify them. A well orchestrated attack will result in the assailant being barely scratched at the time of the victim's death. Practice makes perfect.

"Twinking": I hate this term, but it's used frequently, so here it is. This is using an assortment of tricks, abilities, and equipment to make your character much more powerful than others comparable to your level. This is what people mean when they accuse someone of being a twink. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it. A massive investment of time should have a comparable benefit. If I have better gear than you, it's because I sat aside the time and put forth the effort to get it. Deal with it.

Cheap: Tactics that utilize skills, equipment, or tricks that take no effort to kill your foe. Basically killing enemies with something that has no counter. Griefers love 'em. "Honerable" PvPers and PKers won't use these for the most part. Makes killing too easy and diminishes any bragging rights you might've earned. Also referred to as the "Win button".

Talking Smack: Killing your enemy and rubbing his nose in it. An integral part of PvP, PK, and Griefing. Not everyone does it, but everyone expects it. I got some favorites of my own, such as "I'll disembowel you, and hang you with a rope made from your own intestines." or "I'll sew you back into your mother's womb, then kick her in the stomach." Points for originality and cleverness. This technique is the PKer version of two dogs sniffing each other out.

And lastly:

w00t: "We own the other team", though this is contested. Supposed to have started during the early Team Fortress days, though there are many other explanations that fit just as well. Used often, even when other teams or even PvP isn't even involved. Used as a celebratory term now.


That's about it for now, folks.

Next post's objectives: Get avatar, banner, ect. Name BLOG. Get into PvP details.

~Whackjob