PVP (Player vs. Player) is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict between two or more live participants.
Figure 1: PVP or Player versus Player
How do I enable PVP?
The only requirement to enable PVP is to reach level 30. To enable PVP, you need to press the right bumper then the up directional pad button to enter inspection mode first. Once inspection mode is enabled, press and hold the Left Stick and then enable PVP. There will be a message that will show if you have successfully enabled PVP (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Enabling PVP
NOTE: You cannot enable PVP inside Protected Zones like towns and cities. You can only activate it when you are in a disputed area.
After enabling PVP, you can then start attacking other players. Keep in mind, however, that if you attack players that are below level 30, the damage you do to them is greatly reduced, unlike when you attack those who are level 30 or above. After attacking a player, your character’s name will be shown to others as Hostile (Figure 3) meaning they can attack you too.
Figure 3: Hostile Player’s Name
Tier 1 Karma
After you kill a player, you will receive a Tier 1 Karma (Figure 4) and other players will be able to attack you. Tier I Criminal Penalty duration is 20 minutes of game-play.
Figure 4: Tier I Criminal Penalty
Tier 2 Karma
If you kill 3 or more players, your character will receive a Tier 2 Karma (Figure 5). The duration of Tier II Karma is 1 hour but it will increase as you kill more players. Guard NPCs will also attack you and do massive amounts of damage. Your location will be shown on the minimap as a Red Dot (Figure 6).
Figure 5: Tier II Criminal Penalty
Figure 6: A Hostile Player on the Minimap
A player can check the duration of the penalty by going to the Main Menu and clicking on the “RT” button.
Figure 7: Duration of Criminal Penalty
Figure 8: Duration of Outlaw Penalty
Figure 9: Penalty for a Criminal or Outlaw who dies
When a player who has the “Criminal” or “Outlaw” status dies, that player receives a penalty that reduces their stats.
Figure 10: A player that has their stats reduced because of the penalty
If a player with a Criminal or Outlaw status tries to enter an area with an NPC Guard, they will automatically be attacked by it. These NPC Guards can restrain your movements and will attack you nonstop until you're either dead or out of the area.
Figure 11: NPC Guards attacking a player who has the "Criminal" or "Outlaw" status
How to participate in PVP?
Players can easily join in on a PVP battle just by going to the undisputed area of the map, mostly outside the vicinity of a city or encampment, and enabling PVP. There is also a battlefield where players are split into two teams and face off against each other. The requirement for to join the PVP battlefield mode is also level 30. You can queue for a battlefield at the Matchmaking hub. To get there, just press the menu button on your Xbox controller.