By now you may have heard that Sea of Thieves — a famously PvP-centered game — is incorporating a smaller “safer seas” PvE mode for those folks who don’t like getting griefed. For some who might have found the competitive PvP arena too prohibitive, this may eliminate an obstacle and welcome those players into this world.
Of course, whenever you bring up the subject of a PvE option for PvP MMOs, there usually tends to be a whole lot of pushback and reasons why it’s not necessary. But this is a conversation we need to keep having, because I’ve spoken to far too many gamers who would gladly play a particular MMO if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s full of toxic wolves waiting to devour them. (Plus, in this particular case, players have argued that the PvE mode is a deeply degraded experience designed to push people back into PvP.)
Still, would more PvP MMOs be better off with safe areas or even realms like this? Is there a demand for it, would that break the game, and would it cause irreparable harm to the overall population by splitting it up?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
