Playerkilling basics

The following is a basic check-list of things that apply universally when engaging in pks. Don't take it as a guide that's going to teach you how to play a class - it won't - but there's universal rules that apply when it comes to escaping and surviving fights.

Introduction

When people fight other REAL players it is the rush that makes it fun. Some people can't handle this rush, they get the shakes over it, so they don't like to pk. They can have the same enjoyment fighting mobs. On the other hand, there are other people who truly live for that adrenaline rush, like a junkie needs his fix, the feeling of dominating other players is addicting, and they fight other players pretty often. Thus they end up getting an edge over people who only like to fight mobs. This is why the "killer" type of player ends up becoming so unstoppable - because he dedicates himself to that art. Mobs will never be smart enough for you to catch up with someone who devoted themselves to pure PK for just a few months. Being a PK-loving player myself, I really dont find it fun to steamroll through people who I dont think stand a chance. This is why I chose to write a guide... to show some people why its fun and some basic tips to accelerate the easiest improvements you can make, and to show that there is another perspective on pk'ing that isn't just about fucking people over on purpose to try to make them delete.

Most people who PK well will agree that playerkilling isn't really like that. Its a sport, and the sense of competition and challenge is what a good pker lives off. When you see people pissing on people's faces, getting a kick out of people quitting out instead of fighting them, that's what gives pk a stigma and a bad name, and makes people decide not to participate. But that isnt the full playerkilling experience.

The stigma attached to PK

There's always going to be shitty players, who seems like good players, and also good players behaving shitty. Its like Unreal Tournament where guys who are normal and nice people in real life feel that internet anonyminity gives them the all-clear to behave like a total fuckwad. A lot of people who might have liked to play on PK servers are put off them by these people.

Finding exploits, multikilling, ganking, and bullying new players, those are all things that get pks, and all too common. Unfortunately when people who want to be good at pk look for role-models what they see is the common behaviour like that and this "pwnage" reputation to go with it, which makes that seem like its the way to be regarded successful.. and they're going to copy them. So these things stay in the game.... and they always will... that is the darker side of pk, unfortunately the side you'll probably meet first.

The PK cycle

To get better at playerkilling, you need to start somewhere. Its not like you can just jump into level 50 and begin raping people. If you only played the game for a few weeks, even guys who mostly just fight mobs will be able to clean your clock. To get better at fighting, the trick is to raise the bar each time you beat it, and work your way up the ladder. Here's a character list I might typically expect from someone who is learning to pk offensively properly:

• First character or two.. Lowbie giant warriors, fighting people at level 15-20
• Some "niche" evil stuff around level 30, like dark-knights, shamans, necro - or a squire/paladin to fight niches with (its the range where you start needing purples)
• Level 36-40 characters, where you'll meet both vets and noobs, meaning its win-some lose-some
• First cabal character, taken to level 50. Probably a failure that gets pwned
• Series of piece of shit level 40-ish niche characters after realising 50 is too tough
• More attempts at level 50 pkers. Next time without the cabals.

You might think ..cool I'll get started on that list right now. Right? A whole list of characters to make that you hadn't even got around to doing yet. Well, this guide isn't about creating your first pwnage pker, its just about being able to stay alive against one. There's no way of skipping any steps in the PK cycle when you finally decide to become one.

Defending yourself

Stay alert

First and foremost. Who pk, where pk. Those commands tell you if a threat is around. You need to stay alert because of opportunists gankers, not just the good pkers. There will be players who depend on catching you hurt or off-guard to get an early advantage that's too wide to fight back from. So make sure you do what you can to stop that before it happens. Those commands take a few seconds to use but they save lives.

In early levels, there is this defence against lowbie pkers called "invisibility", because detect invis doesn't really get easy to get until considerably later in levels. It can save you some early grief by just using invis while you rest outside emerald, but dont expect it to continue working after about level 15-20.

Making a get-away

Barring a few skills in the game which prevent this, you will find that most people who pk are absolutely awesome at running away like a girl when they're hurt. Ever wondered why they're so fast? Well its because, unlike you who is reading this guide to try to avoid taking additional beatings, those are the players that have gotten over this hurdle. This doesn't mean they're better than you'll ever be - chances are, they're still learning just like yourself. Just a simple fact that before you can mount an offensive, you've got to get the hang of retreat. That's a hurdle everyone has to eventually learn to jump.

Fleeing - obviously "flee" is the first step to running off, but be careful you don't kill yourself with it. This can be punished with things like summoning people near aggressive monsters, the "lag" and extra duration affect on skills like dirt and hobble.. check that it is safe to do so first, before you flee. If waiting a bit will make fleeing safer then wait.

Running - if you are going to try to run and hide from a fight you will need some idea of where you are going. For example, if you run straight west through forests, the areas are extremely wide and you will be easily followed. On the other hand, if you had lead your opponent out of town (like into the sewers), then recalled back into town and take a gate before he can return too, you'll have completely lost him, and that same escape route would probably be fine. You don't need to be fast - you just need to have a plan. Exploring the realms helps find hiding places, which helps running. Recall potions are a great way to get a head-start.

More on running - When you run off into a new area, run deep then try a "where pk" to see if they've followed you, if they have then you should have a wide enough lead to use your recall potion and pick another escape route. If you're an autosneak race, running couldnt be simpler.. run a few rooms outside an area, scan the way you just came from, then run back in (straight past them) just before they've caught you up. A newb pker will be fooled. *also works with any class with the sneak skill*

Tanking the enemy - you're going to get attacked and you need to be able to take the damage without dying. It really helps to go with some saves and health items, and get some purple potions to get sanc. Think about it, if you're just trying to escape, do you really need all that hit/dam equipment for it? No. That hurts your opponent, but besides that, it doesnt help you. If your focus is on staying alive, you should be defensive. You need .. health, save vs spell, movement, recalls for emergencies.. a weapon that parrys good. That is the essentials for defensive strat. And don't forget how important it is to watch your health while ranking... if you get hurt too much, someone may come in and find you easy prey. Don't make your death your own fault.

Teleport - If all else fails, eat a spotted blue pill and hope for the best. Worst case is, you die from the teleport. Its a last resort.