Conflict Progression and Resolution

This article will serve to act as a “good practice” article that combines both generally agreed upon practices as well as how those practices are implemented on Barbarians of Gor.

Individual Conflict

Individual conflict, that is conflict between characters enacted out in the online game world, which for us is Conan Exiles can be approached in three different ways:

1. Mechanical such as Player vs Player (PvP)
2. Rules such as Dice Systems
3. Free form

Before we begin, let’s define two terms that are typically at the core of moderation dispute.

Facts

Facts are things that are either true or untrue. Do you have a weapon, a lock pick, a guard, a ship, a horse, a bandage.

Actions

Actions are things that are done, and in this case, typically refers to actions done prior to the in game conflict encounter. Did you learn how to do the skill, did you stable a mount near by, did you lock pick the gate, did you bribe the guard.

Mechanical

Mechanical resolution, especially in the form of PvP, is the most straightforward because the rules are essentially non-negotiable. Either you can do a thing within the programming of the game or you can’t. Mechanical resolutions address facts and actions in a straight forward way because you either have the thing, the thing is documented within the game fiction, or you have completed the mechanical action. Examples:

• You escape on horse back because the horse is a ridable mount that you can get on and use to gallop off.
• You can apply a bandage because the bandage is in your inventory.
• You can claim there is black lotus because black lotus is an in game item you can “prove”.
• You can lock pick a door because we have a lock picking system that allows doors to be mechanically opened with locks.
• You have the knowledge to make or cook the food because the game has feats which can be trained.

Rules

In online role-play communities that do not have PvP there is typically a dice system for the resolution of combat. These rule systems may additionally cover what other items you can have, what other facts are true and what can be done by players. Often these systems have character sheets or websites which detail information not covered by the game world, such in the case of non-conan fiction. Like we have sip wine because the wiki says we have sip wine.

Barbarians of Gor does not use a combat dice system, nor does it use character sheets, but we do have a wiki that defines facts which might not be in evidence from the game mechanics themselves.

Free Form

When a situation is not covered by Rules or Mechanics the players need to engage in conflict resolution in a free form manner. Throughout most of my experience in free form role-play the following standards have been consistent, if not identical.

Attempt

Actions are attempted allowing the target player the right to respond and accept the action.

One or Two Actions

Actions are limited to one or two actions so that the other party can respond to what is happening and have a hand in the progression of the conflict.

Facts

If a fact or item can not be represented by the game mechanics or other rules, AND if the fact is significant to the conflict, negotiation of facts is often necessary or needs to be proven with previous role-play.

Actions

If an action is assumed to have happened prior to the conflict, and that action is significant to the conflict, it is common for the opposing party to request logs of the earlier role-play. (And example of this is bribing an NPC guard that doesn’t have a mechanic to be bribed. In this case, a player has the right to say, hey! Did you actually do the RP of bribing him?)

Stay in your own lane

It is generally agreed upon that players can not control the items, land, buildings, npc, etc of another player. In this example, Player A can not bribe Player B’s guard without allowing Player B to respond to the attempted action.

Large Scale Conflict

How does this apply to large scale conflict between a group of players, clans or in our case hubs?

In truth, the options are the same.

• There is a mechanical method for resolution such as siege equipment, building damage and PvP, which we do have in Conan Exiles. (For those familiar with RPCSS this would be considered a mechanical solution for the resolution of large scale conflict as well.)
• There are rules or dice systems which address how conflict between clans can be resolved outside of mechanical means. We do not have a lot of these rules, at this time, but we do have some that are outlined on the wiki, and while they may not apply directly to a situation there is information there, such as how many NPCs can a player claim to control.
• And finally Free Form, when there is no mechanical solution or when the rules don’t fit the situation. Large scale Free form, including posts on the news and rumors channel of discord, needs to follow the same good practices as individual free form. When in doubt, OOC negotiation should be conducted.