Smother! A Pkers Guidebook

Some have asked, "Why do you PK?"
Quite frankly there is no easy way to answer that question simply. Here I offer my personal take on the role of a PKer's evolution.

The most important thing to know about a PKer is that they are in fact a PKer.

PK stands for Player Killer. Nearly everyone kills other players at some time because we are in a PvP (Player Vs. Player) game. As such, it is important to understand the different flavors of PKers and what motivates them to PK.


 * The Troll PKer- Often this is the first kind of Pker a player will assume he/she is dealing with. Troll PKers are easily recognized by the simple fact they seek nothing more than a reaction from other players. These are the players that do nasty things like corpse camp, start flame wars, belittle players with colorful language, and will utilize any exploit, legal or not, to kill you time and again. This type of pond scum is easily defeated by being completely ignored. DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS AND THEY WILL STARVE TO DEATH. Simple.  * It is rumored they are considered quite elderly at the real life age of 16...


 * The Grudge Pker - From time to time you and another player have some dispute that turns into a blood feud. You will find yourselves PKing each other for the simple fact that each other exists. This often has the side effect of promoting a war between Guilds via retribution PKing.


 * The Retribution PKer - Nearly every player falls into this category. If attacked or killed, it is only reasonable to retaliate, if possible. It is also reasonable to hunt down anyone that attacks or kills a fellow Guild-mate, or assist a non-Member kill a known PKer. Anyone killing another player because he/she killed them or another falls into this category.


 * The Career Pker - These are Players who role-play killing specific classes or Guilds. With this type of PKer, it is found they are surprisingly honorable and would never PK out of meanness or profit alone. They are well known for assisting low levels until they are strong enough to hunt. They also enjoy the occasional duel.


 * The Random PKer - Often mistaken for a Troll, this is the type of player who PKs for fun and profit. A random PKer is the player that kills you when you have 10 hit points left while fighting a powerful NPC. However, they are just as likely to heal you or bestow random gifts. If you have something they want (say the 4000 coins sitting in your pocket) and it looks like you might have gone AFK (away from keyboard) at a monument, they will most likely kill you to get it. They are also just as likely to contact Guild-mates, so they can kill you if you are too strong to take down alone, but can also be found to do the same to help battle an event NPC.


 * The Mournful PKer - There are times when in a fever to finish a foe, or through mere ineptitude, one finds they have killed a fellow player. They often demand a Retribution PK, or offer payoffs to make amends. Some say it's good to throw yourself in front of these players.


 * The Fake PKer - Some players morbidly run about with no intention to kill anyone. They take delight in reducing a player to ridiculously low HP and vanishing or counting coup. Usually, victim's report the attacker as a PKer, despite never actually being killed. A small token of the encounter from the attacker in the victim's inventory is often overlooked.


 * The Elder PKer - With great age comes great boredom. Many Level 99's succumb and turn to the arcane art of PK. No NPC can offer these players the challenge they crave. Often found standing in broad daylight or heard on the crystal looking for a fight or duel, and occassionaly going so far as to place bounties on their own heads for sport.


 *  * It is not unusual for a PKer to take on a mix of these flavors as they evolve...be warned, some leave a very foul after taste...

Coin
Unless you are dealing with a Troll, this will be the prime motivation of the 'Evil' PKer. There is no way to know how much coin a player is carrying until they are killed. It usually takes less BP for the PKer, and yields more coin than a NPC kill. This is easily dealt with by frequent visits to a bank in the beginning, and later via armor upgrades and high HP.

Vendetta!
The prime motivation of the 'Good' PKer. If you kill someone, expect to be killed in return, possibly numerous times. Easily avoided by not PKing.

WAR
Defined as a contention by force; or the art of paralyzing the forces of an enemy. Traditional to most players expectations. Enemies of a Guild are customarily killed. Avoided by picking the right Guild or by hiding all alone.

The Specialist
Some take the personal task to wipe out a certain class of player for varied reasons. Often they pay little or no heed to Guilds or player level. These players tend to be Role Players. Some examples... Join a Guild for guidance or learn by trial and error.
 * A Warrior sworn to rid the land of those horrible Necromancers who killed his family.
 * A Thief swearing death to all Medics for foiling a suicide attempt.
 * A Psychotic Newb killer looking for a powerful opponent to fight.
 * A War Mage with a secret lust for killing Traders.
 * A Player who has sworn to level by PKing alone.

Random Encounters
There is little one can do to avoid this type of situation. Curiosity of opponents weapons/armor/play-style or pure boredom are the primary factors in such cases. There are usually no prior grudges prompting this kind of attack. Your choices are very simple.
 * 1) Fight back.
 * 2) Run away.
 * 3) Die.
 * 4) Watch confused, as the attacker runs off leaving you with 2 HP.

Eliminating the Competition
Ever feel cursed when it comes to NPC drops? No matter how many you kill it NEVER drops. Do you know why this is? It is because others seek drops too. When several players are actively seeking a limited resource, someone comes up short. Many players find that encouraging folks to move along by smashing their skull in with a War Hammer improves their own odds after the victim has cleared out.

&Sigma;(o.0) ...Uh...okay...so who do I attack?
The simple answer is any one who attacks you. However, there are times when a player stumbles on to a fight in progress... For the new, how can you tell what is going on? If you see two players in combat, this is most likely what is happening.


 * The attacker is a PKer and the other person is about to die.
 * The attacker is a Retribution PKer and is getting sweet revenge.
 * They are friends and they are testing armor and weapons.
 * They are engaged in a duel.

Interfering with events will most likely have the following outcome for a lower leveled player.


 * 1) Who is attacking? Pick wrong and you will be assisting a PKer, who will surely kill you next!
 * 2) Who is attacking? Pick wrong and you will be assisting a PKer, and the Retribution PKer will turn on you as well!
 * 3) You will be the assumed PKer and quickly dispatched by the pair. Your name will be spread among their ranks as a PKer.
 * 4) It's a duel. You will no doubt be killed for your foolishness.

What do you do? Heal? Attack? Nothing. That's right. Even if you have dedicated your persona's life to eradicating all evil or you wish to be a powerful Overlord. DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!...well, at least flee the scene lest the PKer (if indeed there is one) turns their sights on you! Join a guild until you have a better feel for the player base and your overall goals.

Reducing your chances of being PKed
Knowing the habits of PKers can go a long way if you wish to hunt or avoid them. Pker tendencies:
 * Checks Banks and Vaults often.
 * Checks Monuments and Clinics frequently.
 * Kills non-hidden players with out remorse.
 * Will kill players who often hide at the same location.
 * Will kill players who often carry large amounts of coin.
 * Will sweep Unique NPC territories. (sometimes even hide with the NPC so you are easier to kill)
 * Utilize the Telepath Crystal to learn of meeting locations for easy kills.
 * Frequently test Guild Barriers.
 * Always found at NPC events.

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