This is another concept idea/proposal in the hopes that a solution is found to cater for both PvP and PvE players within the same server in such a way that all playstyles are catered for with emphasis on retaining and hopefully growing the player base. One thing I think is for certain, that no matter your playstyle preference, we would all welcome more players. Wastelands and ruins with nobody to interact with works for no one, least of all the devs, who we obviously need to be able to play in the first place... and occasionally get new in game stuffs.
There is, and has for the longest time, been a culture to promote personal interests over what's best for the game. I appeal to you all to approach and critique concepts such as these constructively, placing the best interest of the actual game above that of your own.
I have a very basic concept I would like to present for discussion and fleshing out:
Most basic premise: Geographical zoning
Let's have designated continent(s) where players spawn. These spawn continents (centralised perhaps?) have criminal acts (and relevant siege equipment?) disabled. This, as a matter of design consequence, serves then as both an area where any player has the time to learn how to play the game while only being under threat of the environment, as well as the PvE playing area.
Beyond the borders of these starting continents lie the world as we know it, where all PvP skills and related mechanics are available to all.
That's the core idea. To make it more interesting I am sure many can come up with great ideas, better than mine but perhaps to kick off discussion on the transition, since at the very least, obviously, you would want to be able to prevent someone to just hop into the PvE only zone to hide and be untouchable, after they have committed a crime. You could add transition mechanics.
A right of passage skill, or perhaps even a ticket/passport stamp that you need to buy/acquire (with LP cost?) before you are able to leave the PvE starting zone.
With a similar mechanic in order to return but perhaps with a cooldown kicking in for <x> period (duration of scents?) to return. There could perhaps even be some sort of protest system (by means of notice board?) whereby the criminal would need to submit some form of request (to the game) to exit the PvP area into the safety of the PvE area, affording lobbying against the criminal (by submitting unique scents? as well as siege tickets acquired from siege equipment placed on claims within which the criminal's hearth fire is contained?) against the (identified?) criminal's request to depart (which is publicly advertised? or perhaps a scent is presented to the notice board to check whether a request has been submitted by a criminal to depart or some such?).
edit: perhaps successfully 'escaping' from the PvP area to the PvE area should also have an associated lp or stat cost penalty? Active scents of different types have different costs. To deter running away as well as discouraging abusing the 'escape' system. You might think twice about senselessly killing if escaping from murder costs you <x>% of your stats / lp skills.
Anyways, the details isn't what I'm trying to present here, but rather the concept and potential direction as (yet) another attempt to stimulate discussion to try source ideas to find a solution that caters for everyone and makes the game enjoyable by all.