In its current state, PvP in AO doesnt really have much purpose other than bragging rights on who held 2HO or MMD the longest. Big whoop right?

The trick is to make players want to PvP for something more meaningful, that effects the way the game is played for them. After all, if your going to be in a war, or have some sort of battle, shouldnt the results effect the game world?

One way other games like Meridian59, and later DOAC did to create this is by introducing tokens/relics. By possessing a certain number of these, a politcal faction would gain the bennfitt of added bonuses.

What if, for instance, AO were to have a similar system? Lets take a Capture the Flag like scenario for elaboration ( dont cringe and call me a twitcher just yet.. hear me out):

- In the political areas, add a number of forts, or a terminal, or some object that is within context to the game that functions as a switch in each of the play fields and put it on a timer.

- These switches (in whatever form they appear in) should be both defendable, and attackable.

- Put each switch on a week long timer that randomly puts out a server wide message at some point, along the lines of:

"Incoming reports suggest the catheral approach in stret west is once again under despute"

- This would cue whoever is online at the time to moblize. Now, how does one control this switch? I tihnk this can be made in two ways.
a.) one side must control the switch for a given length of time
or
b.) one side must control the switch by a fixed deadline time. IE one hour after the server message

- So now, we would have omni tek and clans working to get to that area, and gain possesion of that switch, and keep it. Whoever ultimatly controls the switch, gains possesion of that territory until the week long timer has expired.

- Which ever side holds the most territory gains an added bonus. Better prices in vendors, damage bonus, skill bonus, whatever.. but make it desireable.

A bit to much like capture the flag? Maybe. But if the mechanics of this could be implemented and still remain in context to the game (not neccessarily the storyline), we'd now have real goals, objectives, and reason to PvP.. and.. we'd have real results to show for it.

This would also lead to more Team PvP, and less 2hO, MMD doldrums on who killed who the longest.

Obtainable objectives.. would be nice. The possiblies of what would evolve around this i think are really good.