Regardless of whatever ruleset Pantheon ends with for its first PvP server it helps if the game has seamless systems built-in that encourage pvp, or make it more for fun for players to participate on. By "seamless systems" I mean systems that are designed in a way that feels very natural to the game world without being perceived has separate from the experience, or "gamy". 247(though it had its uses) extraction was an example of a "gamy" pvp environment system that detracted from the game world and, in my opinion, seemed immersion breaking. That's the type of system I wouldn't want in a pvp server, personally.
So here's an idea that I think fits this approach:
If you've played the Witcher3 you know that most inns in the game world had bounty boards, where your character could essentially pick up a quest to kill a beast or person and (iirc) extract proof of your kill, such as a finger or a tooth.
I propose a similar system for Terminus, where any player character could place a bounty on another player and define the reward as coin or gear or both.
Imagine that this particular pk is griefing you or someone you know, and you want that pk to be dealt with publicly. Place a bounty on him/her, and if it gets fulfilled, the kill would be recorded somewhere in an npc record keeping office for pvp bounties, where the details are publicly visible. These details comprise the bounty sum, the player who posted the bounty, the player who fulfilled the contract and the target player (pk). On that record keeping office there could also be a sort of leader board for highest bounty fulfilled and unfulfilled, player with the most amount of bounties placed on him/her, etc
This can be a fun, unobtrusive system for all parties involved. For the player picking up the contract it gives a sense of being a "bounty hunter", for the player posting the contract it gives some satisfaction of the pk being publicly "dealt with". Finally, for the target player (the pk) it gives him a sense of being a "criminal outcast" kinda like Riddick.
Just a small example of an in-game system that encourages pvp in an seamless way.
What's your idea ?
PS I agree that the discussion around what the PvP ruleset should or should not be is an important one. But please start another thread for that. It keeps each individual discussion more focused, avoids confusion and helps the devs gather information more easily.
One idea I think I would enjoy is simply making points of interest, resources, named mobs, etc a little more rare so that they are *worth* fighting over. Early game resources are so common that it's probably more efficient to just go find a new node rather than kill another player so you can mine the one they're looking at. We've only really experienced early game, maybe later on in other zones resources would already be more rare.
Basically I want PvP to feel natural based on the world that is built. Not something that the game is telling me to do just for the sake of doing it, something that we benefit from doing because of the world we live in.
Bounty board is a great idea! I personally don't want separate PVP servers vs PVE servers, separating the community.
Alongside your idea for natural, seamless, and optional PVP, make certain transient-zones of Terminus flagged for PVP,
Lets say you want to get from region A to region B. You can take the normal, safer route; where you only deal with mobs along the way. It takes longer.
or, to save time, you can take the shortcut from region A to region B, It would be like a pass/bridge/plains/etc you have to cross. High risk high reward shortcut. This idea encourages to travel with buddies. This idea creates emergent gameplay such as players being able to be like outlaws or highwaymen, or persons can even be hired as 'guards' giving you save passage for some coin.
It would compliment your bounty board idea for hunting down those of ill repute who maybe frequent these transient-zones.
If you don't like the shortcut, no big deal, take the normal or long way around to your destination.
gotta separate pvpers from pvers. pvers should not be forced to pvp (and they shouldn't).
by playing on a pvp server, ur already consenting to it, so there's no room to whine.
pvp should simply be between players and thats it. no bounty boards, no resource nodes, none of that is needed. the extent is to allow guilds to declare war on each other with no penalty. individuals can still flag to kill players. make a stacking debuff for each player killed where their gear explodes when they die. 1 kill = 10% durability loss. after 10 kills if they die once boom no more durability to pvp :3
rights to a grind spot is the prize. the simplest solution is usually the best one