Games like Tibia, Ultima Online and Albion: open PvP and a player economy

What these games have in common

Tibia has run since 1997: a top-down world where other players can attack you outside protected areas, and dying costs you progress and sometimes your gear. Ultima Online made the classless, skill-based character famous, with an economy of player crafters and a reputation for dangerous roads. Albion Online brought that to the modern day: you are what you wear, nearly everything is player-made, and the most dangerous zones let the winner take all. All three need a download.

Open PvP in Averse Lands

• Three stances. Neutral puts your weapon away for trading; Attack fights monsters; PvP fights monsters and players. Tab switches between them.
• PvP opens at level 8. From then on, anyone in the PvP stance may attack you outside a safe zone, whatever stance you are in. Below level 8 other players cannot attack you at all.
• Towns are safe. Town squares, the ground round arrival points and travel keepers, and havens are safe zones, except for anyone already carrying the grey flag or a standing of Wicked or Devil.
• A grey flag for the attacker. Hit a protected player and you carry a grey flag for two minutes from your last such blow. While it lasts, anyone may attack you without penalty, you cannot travel or read a Scroll of Return, and logging out waits until it clears.
• Your standing remembers. Nine standings run from Angel to Devil. Killing protected players drags yours down; at Wicked or Devil, anyone may attack you freely, even near towns, and your only shelter is the Heroes' Respite.
• No reward for killing players. A player kill gives no experience, no training and no loot of its own, so there is nothing to gain by farming other characters.
• Parties never hit each other, and the Sundered Ravine battleground runs capture-the-flag matches, three against three, and one-against-one duels, with public rankings on the Ranks page.

What you lose when you die

When you fall, you get ten seconds to choose. Revive where you fell costs a share of your experience and of your progress on your best attribute and weapon skill, never a whole level or point, and twice as much while you carry the grey flag. Teleport to town costs no progress, but you may leave behind one worn piece and one slot of your bag, which anyone can pick up. Bound items never drop. This is far gentler than full loot: you will rarely lose your whole set.

A player economy

• The Exchange is one market for the whole world, at brokers in town: list gear and goods at your price, or place buy orders, with a price chart of recent sales. Listing costs 2%, and a sale pays 5% tax.
• Trade face to face in the Neutral stance, both sides locking their offers before anything changes hands.
• Crafters make the gear. Smiths forge weapons, armour, shields and tomes from metal, wood, leather and linen; alchemists brew potions from monster parts. Gear you no longer need can be taken apart at a smith for materials.

Who should not bother

• If you want full-loot PvP, Albion's most dangerous zones or Ultima Online's are closer to it.
• If you want guild wars over territory, or player housing, Averse Lands has neither yet.
• If you want a crowded world today. It is a young game in a small, invite-only beta.

Coming from RuneScape instead? Read the OSRS comparison, and for what your computer needs, the no-download guide.