FonduemanVIII, There will certainly be opportunities for unsavoury things. But complains about them will be up to players ans NPCs. Some will make everything they can to stop them, other do nothing, others something in between. So piracy will be a thing (at some extent) and there will be NPC guards/lawmen and bounty hunters.

You CAN create a group of bandits out of peasants and do what you said and can be killed by those with more money then you (but just by those with more money ingame because after launch we will not be able to buy objects ingame, of any kind).

So, per overall, you CAN do anything you want. But everyone can have any reaction they choose to your actions. Still many details are not set yet.

Christian gives a pretty good answer Fondue :D

Banditry and Piracy will not be considered "griefing" in CoE. Developers will only step in and stop things that are game breaking exploits or the like. Player and NPC driven crime will require correction from Player and NPC driven law enforcement. Whether that is the Sheriff making their rounds and conscripting people to put down a known bandit camp in an area, or a baron leading troops out will be largely up to interpretation.

We will begin Elyria with a fully functioning world, so there will be lawmakers, guards, and the like in the form of NPCs until a player comes along to replace them (or another npc replaces them) so there shouldn't be a lack of crime fighters. That being said players can and will certainly attempt it.

Other thing to keep in mind though is players that are outside of the safety of a settlement with a well and tavern, will have to consider survival elements of gameplay. So having a bandit camp deep in the woods might keep you from the law, but it won't feed you or quench your thirst :P

Thanks for the replies, I have played eve Online a bit and enjoyed the developers stance on scams, piracy and bounty hunting. I am just a bit worried for the kingdom discriptions that I have read regarding things like this (I'm on oceanic) and while I think constant harrassment and griefing is definitely something to be dealt with at a higher level, the extra danger of bandits and the fun of hunting them will bring a lot more to the game for me. The only issue I see is that anyone who has paid more to get better starting gear such as horses or the battle mount will have a large advantage if they want to get up to no good. I don't really go in to dripping more than a few dollars on a game before release so won't have any special gear to kick of my game.

FonduemanVIII well, we can expect to anything, but one thing is sure: anyone can be stoped, at some point. :)

Well if course rulers will want to stop criminals as it hurts their power ultimately. Doesn't mean you can't be a bandit etc, you just have to be clever and not suck at it.

The fact that there are consequences for that behaviour is a good thing or it would be all over the place and that wouldn't be fun for most other players.

I'm pretty sure there will even be state sanctioned 'bandits' and privateers and other nefarious types, so you could even get support from the state to do that type of thing.

Bandit camps, where there's more players then NPCs, will be an interesting thing to have to deal with. If a bandit camp were to have around 50 players that are well organized, plus another 50 NPC henchmen, they could be a force that could reek havoc on the towns they are near. The bandits do not need expert blacksmiths or farmers if they are able to raid the towns nearby and just steal what they need. A well organized bandit camp could do a lot of damage to any town.

Even with law enforcement and bounty hunters there's still a chance that the bandit camp could have enough people to hold off any attack the town makes. Now getting a couple towns together, and wiping out the bandit camp could be a lot of fun too.

This type of stories is what I love most about this game. :)

I believe there is always a risk of theft but if your a person high enough in rank would you want taxable income leaving your towns for illegal gains. The richer better equipped will likely be driven by sources of income as well. All the things needed to survive and grow could turn a small bandit group into an immobile town and a target for larger forces. Size can be a disadvantage. There also is power in providing a safe haven for players to allow them to grow and become much more than a back water story. I am looking forward to playing and joining my friends and their kingdom.

Thank you for all the replies. This is definately a good response in my opinion as people seem to feel that bandits would add to the game and make it more exciting as I do. I am a big fan of how eve Online deals with its player base and I hope that SS take that type of approach. Obviously large towns and things will have high security so people can be safe and play as they like so hopefully people see it as more of a game mechanic than something negative. I would also like it, if at some point if a lord goes rogue, that a Robin hood type character could emerge. Would be great fun.

Roleplaying and the law

To speak the truth, I don't think that it would be smart of you to play alone, but if you want to nobody is stopping you :D

You can steal, kill etc. and If nobody sees you, you will be fine. Players will create the rules and NPC will follow. In other words npc can always report you or something like that.

You can be a pirate, but they are practically bandits, so every player and/or npc will try to hunt you down. (if you are infamous enough)

In the end nobody knows for sure, all we can do is just wait for SBS to clarify :D

You can also read more here: https://chroniclesofelyria.gamepedia.com/Judicial_system