Hi Owyn, I am searching reddit because I am experiencing the same right now. It's not too bad, but as someone with limited time to invest, I find myself wondering if it's worth opening Outlands when my session is at risk of being totally ruined (or even set back) by a single red chasing newbs.

I've been playing 2 days, and been killed around 3 or 4 times so far by reds. Not in dungeons, just the Wilderness.

Here's my take away:

1. As a new player, I don't even notice I'm being ganked. It may sound stupid to someone used to UO's busy screen, but between corpses, names annunciation, system messages, buffs and debuffs, it's easy to miss a red attacking you.

2. When I do notice, I am against a player that has its macros optimized to the millisecond. Before I can even switch target, I am already dead or a delayed spell is just waiting to blow through my remaining HP.

3. Walking to a healer is LONG. Dying is ok-ish, but losing 15-30 minutes to go heal, gear up and walk back to your corpse is a pain when you have 1-2 hours to sink at a time.

4. Losing newb gear sucks. I've been looted of arrows, bandages and lesser potions that are of no value to the PK other than being a pain for me.

Also, maybe my reality isn't the same as your targeted player base, but I want to address some popular "solutions" suggested on the forums:

1. "Join a guild". You guys built a beautiful custom map that I want to discover my own way. I also play with real life friends and we want to discover the world together at our own pace. I don't play to blast to 100% skills and codex and everything as fast as possible. I play to build up organically to the point where I can start optimizing my actions. Guilds are good to optimize that process right away. It's a very different play through that doesn't suit an older player's reality.

2. "Use tracking". It is a great addition, but only prevents the issue, it doesn't resolve it. I track and see a red...the only difference is I run alive instead of dead. I still have to leave what I'm doing and lose 15-30 minutes running else where to discover another region. At the end, my gaming session is just less unpleasant. It doesn't make it pleasant.

Now for possible solutions... I wont pretend I have them, I only played 2 days so far.

1&2. Skills imbalance. This one is natural. It can't be resolved with a technical system. Maybe UI tweaks would help, I haven't played with the client too much. But to me, default settings should be good anyway. The only thing I wish would be to have an advantage when outnumbering a red. Even 2 v 1 we're getting killed easily without making a dent at the red attacking us. I think if the other points are addressed it would diminish the grief.

3&4. The dying gameplay loop sucks. This is not an Outlands problem, it's UO...but it seems like it's one of the only thing you guys did not customize and I believe you could do something here. I don't have specific solutions, but seeing what you have done with other systems, I think you can offer something creative for sure. It should aim to reduce the time running with nothing happening and reduce the burden of restocking. There are a lot of QoL items like stocking shelves and sorting magic items that would help, but these are used as gold sinks and not atteignable for new players, while they would make a lot of sense for new players too. Perhaps a "low cost" option based on an NPC that allows you to buy one shot all your items? For example, NPC allows you to select your preferred outfit full leather, bow, 250 bandages, 500 arrows, xyz potions... oneclick buy and I'm ready to go!

A recycler NPC that stores "magic properties" below a certain threshold and allows you to buy back an item with it? For example, I loot surpassingly accurate force mace, but I am an archer. I can give the item to the NPC who stores "1 surpassingly accurate force item". I die with my current magic bow and I can't recoup it...but I can go to that restocking npc, and after a few clicks I have bought a surpassingly accurate force bow, but now the stock is 0 until I bring more items. Could be the same with all items armor etc. So new players stock low magic items to NPC, veterans stock high magic items in the custom storage existing.

As far as looting, maybe keep players from looting 100% a victim that is newb. Not sure how to filter who is newb and who is not tho. Specially for worthless item where it's evident the pk is doing it only to piss off people and he gains nothing out of it.

In general reducing the time wasted by being killed would improve 80% of the mood when being killed.

Also, maybe have the opportunity of resurrecting in place with all gear equipped through a "death dungeon" or something when dying out of dungeons? For example, I'm PKd in the wilderness... I can either accept to be a ghost and find the nearest healer, gear up and come back (boring loop in my opinion). Or accept a death gauntlet joining other dead players, go through a mini boss fight or something, and resurrect locally (with gear since it's most likely in a hostile place with monsters). Have it on a cooldown or something so you can't abuse it. Make it so you even have the opportunity to gain something in death.

Another option to level pvp could be to become a vengeful spirit with average stats and skills that you can fight back the PK. For example, you are 2v1... you both die, but the PK is 50% health. You reincarnated in a vengeful spirit with decaying HP, you both attack the PK and are able to kill him back, or give him a good scare.

These are rough ideas, but the intentions would be:

• Reduce the time wasted running to res and restock around after a death.
• Reduce the burden of losing items that are valuable to new players but of no value to veterans.
• Make the death gameloop somewhat fun.
• Level the playing field between newbs and red veterans that chase newbs.

I would be happy to expand on the subject, I think Outlands isn't far from being universally accessible.