loftar wrote:I think a q200 sword should account for something as well, though; as should having higher combat skills than one's opponent. There's probably a proper balance to strike between player skill and character skill. I'm not sure just where we are on that balance right now though, unfortunately, since I don't really have a lot of PvP experience.

Maybe durability or something... If a q200 sword clashes with a q10 sword, the q10 sword would have a good chance of breaking. This could also involve strength and perhaps special equipment-breaking skills. The broken sword could still be used as a weapon, but it could be notably less effective. And/or the sword could just lose quality over time, so having a higher quality one would be more convenient for hunting trips/battles.
loftar wrote:Actually, I'm inclined to agree with Haba that traps should be the main hunting method. Taking on a bear in hand-to-hand combat should be something thrilling and enjoyable, which it intrinsically isn't if you're just out for your 20th batch of leather. It is arguable, on the other hand, that the rewards should be greater, but there already is the LP gain (and prestige) of killing animals in combat, and I'm not sure anything more than that is necessary.
I think spamming traps to kill a boar would be akin to the construction sign abuse. Of course, you'd probably need a bit of time to set a trap, so you'd maybe just set them up around your camp or near a wild boar and then aggro/lead the boar to your trap(s). I guess it sort of depends on how exactly the traps would work, but if it's another kind of passive, threatless battle, I'm against it being the main method. I suppose if traps scammed you out of rewards like LP, hunting would still have incentive, though.
Taking on a bear directly should certainly remain a challenge throughout the entire game seeing as they're the toughest animal. That's one place where I think the q200 sword is a problem.