Why are Arc Raiders players so averse to PvP? To find out, we spoke to a sociologist.
You may have heard tales of the friendliness of Arc Raiders players. How in this high-stakes PvP environment people are coming together and helping each other out rather than shooting each other in the face and / or body. The reason why remains a mystery: why are Arc Raiders players so keen to lend a helping hand, and so frustrated when others decide to shoot them for their own benefit?
Speculation as to why is widespread and fiercely debated, as the two tribes of PvPers and Anti-PvPers wage battle both in-game and online. To get an academic perspective on the matter, Eurogamer spoke to MA/PHD Social Researcher Luke Millard on the matter. His PHD study is on AI, Anti-Tech Resistance, Neo-Luddite Activism, so it seemed appropriate to bring him into the world of Arc Raiders and its playerbase of very literal anti-tech resistors.
Why are Arc Raiders forming together like this? Can this Anti-PvP movement last? Why are PvPers treated harshly from a portion of the community? To find out about this and more, we’ve written out the short interview with Millard below.
Eurogamer: There seems to be a real debate between Arc Raiders players, who have landed in two camps: PvP and anti-PvP. Why do you think this has happened?
Luke Millard: «My opinion has changed the more I’ve looked into this. I’ve seen a lot more people going over to not-PvPing, a lot more people frowning at PvP and punishing PvP players. I would have said, from a sociological perspective, it’s based on this concept of power and authority.
«The game’s industry is focused on giving these linear lack-of-options games, which take the autonomy away from the player. So when a player gets a choice — which I think is marvelous — whether to play a certain way, they automatically side with other people. In this case, that means not doing PvP.»
Eurogamer: Why do you think people have that tendency to side with each other rather than interact with the game as arguably intended?
Millard: «It’s this idea of comradery, isn’t it? You’re in the foxhole with your friends.
