PvP, PK and karma in Lineage 2: how it works and what it threatens
In Lineage 2, you can attack almost any player at any time - the game encourages this, but punishes unreasonable aggression. The difference between normal PvP and PK determines where you can spawn and where the city guards will hit you.
- PvP without consequences - at the Olympics, sieges and clan wars.
- Attacking without a flag makes you flagged: you can be hit without karma.
- Killing a player without a flag gives karma: a red name and closed cities.
- The settings for losses due to death are set by the server - check with the administration.
Where PvP goes by the rules
- Olympics - one-on-one fights in class and general classifications.
- Castle sieges are massive battles for territory; there are no restrictions here.
- Clan wars are a declared conflict where participants beat each other without consequences.
- Open world - free PvP with consequences: flag, karma, loss of things.
Flag: how it works
If you attack a character who is not involved in the conflict, you yourself receive a flag for a short time - about a minute after the last attack. The flagged character becomes a legal target: he can be killed without karma and without consequences. Therefore, in the open world, an experienced player first looks for a reason to knock the enemy out of the “pure” state, and only then hits him seriously.
PK and karma
Killing a player without a flag turns you into PK: the character receives karma and the name in the interface turns red. With karma, ordinary city life closes down - merchants do not serve, city guards and some NPCs begin to attack first. The higher the karma, the more serious the consequences of death: expensive things also fall.
What do you lose when you die?
| Situation | What usually gets lost |
|---|---|
| Death by mobs | Part of the experience, sometimes one of the things if the enemy is lucky |
| Death by player in normal combat | Some adena and things according to server settings |
| Death of a PK character with high karma | Several things, including equipment |
| Death to a certain level | Experience cannot be lost: newcomers are usually protected |
How to remove karma
- Time: Karma gradually decreases while the character is in the game.
- Hunting for other PKs: for some assemblies this gives a reward and reduces karma.
- Quests and items: In later chronicles and many builds, karma can be redeemed.
- Separate mercy server: simplified settings help administrators - check the rules for details.
The exact rules always depend on the chronicle and the assembly: somewhere karma goes away in a day, and somewhere it hangs for weeks. If you plan to play in open PvP, first of all read the server rules - it says what exactly is lost upon death and how karma is calculated.
How to avoid getting into karma by accident
- Don't hit first: attacking without a flag puts a flag on you, not the target.
- Be careful with mass skills in a crowd: they catch other players.
- On sieges and wars, check to see if the conflict is actually declared.
- At high rates, karma flies away quickly: clearing zones for the sake of mobs is still unprofitable.
You can check where the real battles are currently taking place using the selections of servers: Top by votes, Interlude servers, High Five, Essence.
Questions and answers
How is PK different from regular PvP?
PvP - a battle within the rules: a duel, an Olympics, a siege, a clan war, or a battle with a flag enemy. PK - killing a player without a flag, for which karma is awarded. It is karma that turns an ordinary player into a “red” outcast.
What can't you do with karma?
Use the services of city NPCs: merchants refuse to serve, and guards and guards attack at the entrance to the city. Typically, dungeons, open areas, and camps where there are no city guards remain accessible.
Do things get lost when you die on PvP servers?
Almost always - yes, but the amount of losses is set by the administration: on some servers only adena is lost, on others one or two things are lost, and on servers with a high level of comfort losses are disabled for new players.
Live Lineage 2 servers with start dates, rates and player voting: