Open-World PvP Guide: Rival Empires, Safe Zones, Duels and Guild War
How open-world PvP works in Ancient Online: Remastered: rival empires, safe zones, new player protection, name colours, PvP modes, duels and guild war.
In Ancient Online: Remastered, PvP is not locked inside an arena: the rivalry between the three empires, the game's factions, is played out in the open world. This guide explains how PvP works in this open-world PvP MMORPG: who can attack whom, where you are safe, how new players are protected, what name colours tell you, how a duel is offered and accepted, and what guilds add to the picture.
Ancient Online: Remastered is in development; it is currently in closed alpha and no release date has been announced. The rules below describe the development build and may change before launch.
Who can attack whom?
Every hit between two players is decided by the server, and the answer depends on who is standing in front of you:
| Who | Can you fight them? |
|---|---|
| A player from a rival empire | Yes, anywhere in the open world outside safe zones. |
| A player from your own empire | Only if your PvP mode allows it. |
| A member of your party | No. |
| A member of your guild | Only in a duel you have both accepted. |
| Your duel opponent | Yes, until the duel ends. |
| A member of a guild yours is at war with | Yes, whatever your PvP mode is. |
Two rules sit above this table: safe zones switch PvP off, and characters below level 15 are protected. Both are explained below.
Three empires, rivals in the open world
There are three empires in the game: Shinsoo, Chunjo and Jinno. Your empire is chosen for your whole account, and it decides who your rivals are.
- Players from different empires are rivals and can attack each other in the open world.
- Fighting a player from a rival empire is legitimate warfare: it does not flag you as an attacker and it costs no Ranking Points.
- A party can only be formed with players from your own empire.
What each empire stands for and how to choose one is covered in the empire guide.
Safe zones: where PvP is switched off
Village squares and spawn points are safe zones.
- If either the attacker or the target is standing in a safe zone, no damage passes between players. Your PvP mode, an attacker flag or a guild war does not change this.
- Hunting is not affected: you can still fight monsters and soul stones inside a safe zone.
- There is one exception. Two players in a duel they have both accepted can hit each other inside a safe zone too, so that nobody can escape a duel by running into a village. Nobody else can hit them there.
New player protection: below level 15
Characters below level 15 are protected automatically.
- In the lands of your own empire, other players cannot attack you and you cannot attack them.
- The protection only applies in your own empire's lands; it does not follow you into other regions.
- You cannot switch the protection off before level 15, and duels are closed: a duel can only be offered when both players are level 15 or higher.
- At level 15 your character moves to Peace mode.
PvP modes: your stance towards your own empire
Players from rival empires can always fight each other. How you treat players of your own empire is set with the PvP Mode option in the game settings:
| Mode | What it means |
|---|---|
| Peace | You do not attack players of your own empire. |
| Revenge | You can attack players of your own empire whose Ranking Points are negative, as long as yours are not. |
| Free | You can attack players of your own empire as well. |
| Guild | Works like Free; if you are not in a guild, it switches to Free. |
In every mode, members of your party cannot be attacked, and members of your guild only in a duel.
Attacking your own empire has a price
- Attacker flag: If you attack a player of your own empire who has done nothing wrong, you are flagged for 30 seconds. Your name changes colour, and while the flag lasts anyone can attack you, whatever their PvP mode is.
- Ranking Points: Killing such a player lowers your Ranking Points. Kills against rival empires, in duels and in guild wars carry no penalty.
Name colours: reading the crowd
The colour of a player's name tells you at a glance how the rules above apply to them:
| Name colour | Who it is |
|---|---|
| Pink | A player you can fight: someone from a rival empire, your duel opponent or a member of a guild yours is at war with. |
| Dark orange | A player carrying the attacker flag. |
| Light blue | A member of your party. |
| Yellow | Everyone else. If you turn on empire colours in the settings, these names are shown in the colour of their empire instead. |
Duels: a fight both sides agree to
A duel is a one-on-one fight that only starts when both players agree.
- Select the player, press Duel on the target window and choose the duel type.
- The other player receives your offer as a whisper with an Accept button. The offer stays valid for 60 seconds.
- When they accept, the duel starts where you are standing.
There are three duel types:
| Type | Rule |
|---|---|
| Normal | A standard duel. |
| No Potion | Potions cannot be used during the duel. |
| Wager | Both players stake the same amount of Tael, and the winner takes both stakes. |
The rules are the same for every type:
- Both players must be level 15 or higher, alive and close to each other. You cannot duel a member of your own party; members of the same guild can duel.
- The terms cannot be changed once the offer is sent: what the other player accepts is exactly the type and the wager shown in the offer.
- A duel ends with the first death, and it costs no Ranking Points.
- A duel lasts 5 minutes at most. When the time runs out, the player who dealt more damage wins; if the damage is equal there is no winner and the wagers are returned.
- Leaving the duel area for more than 5 seconds, or leaving the game, counts as a loss.
- If another player kills one of the duellists, the duel is cancelled and the wagers are returned.
Guilds: guild war today, sieges still ahead
A guild adds a second layer on top of the rivalry between empires.
- Declaring war: A guild leader declares war on another guild, and the war begins when the leader of the other guild accepts.
- Open-field guild war: Once the war is on, members of the two guilds can fight each other in the open world, whatever their PvP mode is. This overrides new player protection as well; safe zones still apply.
- No penalty: Kills in a guild war cost no Ranking Points, and members of the enemy guild appear with pink names.
- Guild skills: Guilds develop skills that support their members, and some of them can only be used during a guild war.
In development: Guild wars fought on a separate war map, guild alliances and castle sieges are the targeted parts of large-scale PvP, and they are still in development. Their rules are not final, so we do not describe them here; we will publish them on this blog when they are ready.
Frequently asked questions
Can I be attacked in a village?
No. Village squares are safe zones, and no damage passes between players there. The only exception is a duel you have accepted yourself.
Does Peace mode protect me from rival empires?
No. PvP modes only decide how you treat players of your own empire. A player from a rival empire can attack you anywhere outside a safe zone, unless new player protection covers you.
Can I duel a friend?
Yes, if you are both level 15 or higher and not in the same party. Members of the same guild can duel each other.
Can power be bought for PvP?
No. The game is free to play, and the shop only offers costumes, appearances and convenience items; none of them grant combat power. The details are in our no pay-to-win post.
Where to go from here
Pick a class in the character classes guide and take your first steps with the beginner's guide. To find people to play with and to follow development, join our Discord community.
