The Zone

PvP is the game action of eliminating another player's character from the game, either through death, having a contract put out them or otherwise forcing them to give up freelancing.

PvP is a valid action in the game, but it is discouraged. It should be considered a last resort in dealing with a character you disagree with and there are consequences for doing so.

At its heart, PvP for its own sake is a deeply anti-social action in a hobby that is supposed to be about social interaction. The referee team would rather PvP was kept to a minimum and used for valid purposes. People who randomly murder others because they think it's funny will find they are not welcome back.

You can kill another character by using the Coup De Grace call on them when they are on the floor with other injuries. This is the only way to guarantee someone is dead. Simply shooting them gives them a chance to survive.

If someone does not have the first aid materials to pick themselves up after a fight then choosing to leave them to die is a valid option. This does still count as a PvP action but it does not attract the same level of consequences.

Anyone can post a bounty on anyone at any time. The Barkeep will verify that the person posting the bounty can pay, that is about as far as checks and balances will go. The Barkeep can also post the bounty anonymously if requested at which point they will take the money out of your account and pay the person who collects on your behalf. If no-one collects, the money is gone anyway.

As far as consequences go, posting a bounty can both improve and ruin your reputation. Posting a bounty for trivial reasons can ruin your reputation entirely, but where there is a genuine grievance or someone is seen to have betrayed the freelancer community on some level, putting your own money up to resolve the issue often earns respect.

You can sell someone out to one of the factions within the Zone and let them exact whatever revenge they see fit. Whilst this will keep your hands clean and prevent reputation loss it is quite easy to be discovered in the act and suffer for it.

PvP is not a simple matter, and the consequences are many and varied. Each case is judged on its own merits before the referee team decides on a course of action. Killing a known liability does not attract the same consequences as killing a rival, and killing someone with a long history of screw-ups is not the same as killing a first offender.

The referee team will be tracking every character's reputation throughout play. If you kill someone, your reputation will very likely suffer, and suffer quite badly. A low reputation bars you from some work and can reduce your pay on other jobs. You may also find other freelancers refuse to work with you.

A proven murderer is often exiled from the bar. If this happens whatever money is held in their account with that bar is seized and they are no welcome there. To all intents and purposes the character is no longer playable.

If the victim had friends or allies they may well take out on a contract on the killer. Just as above this contract can also attract consequences. Where a tit for tat contract war has broken out the smuggling gangs have generally stamped down on it by exiling all parties. They do not like actions that unduly damage the free flow of commerce.