MO2’s estimated total codebase is around 7 million lines, with approximately 3% (~210,000 lines) dedicated to justice and reputation mechanics.
While that might sound daunting, most of it doesn’t need a full rewrite—many existing systems can be retained, tweaked, or modularly expanded.
✔ Basic Flagging Mechanics (Blue/Grey/Red Status) – The existing system technically works, but it’s oversimplified and requires refinement, not replacement.
✔ Guard AI & Responses – While flawed, guards and towers already exist. Their behavior can be improved rather than rebuilt.
✔ Crime Logging (If It Exists) – Some form of crime tracking already exists (e.g., temporary red status). This can be expanded rather than rewritten from scratch.
✔ Decoupling Justice from Reputation
✔ 
Bounty Hunting System (Proper Overhaul)
Guard AI Overhaul
Judicial Systems (Jails, Debt Sentences, Outlaw Strongholds)
✔ Only about 50% of the existing system requires an actual rewrite.
✔ 40% of the justice system code would be entirely new additions, which are often faster to implement than unraveling old spaghetti code.
✔ 30% of the existing code can be retained with only minor adjustments.
This means fixing MO2’s justice system isn’t as daunting as rewriting all 210,000 lines.
Instead, it’s a more feasible 105,000 lines of rewrites + 84,000 new lines—a far more manageable task.
Enhances player retention – Fewer players quitting due to unchecked griefing.
Balances PvP & criminal gameplay – Without turning MO2 into a "safe-zone" game.
Encourages bounty hunting as a real profession – Adding new layers of emergent gameplay.
Eliminates loopholes & exploits – Prevents criminals from gaming the system.
If SV is serious about long-term success, this must be a priority.
While that might sound daunting, most of it doesn’t need a full rewrite—many existing systems can be retained, tweaked, or modularly expanded.
1. What Can Likely Be Left in Place (Minimal Adjustments Needed) (~30% / 63,000 lines)
✔ Basic Flagging Mechanics (Blue/Grey/Red Status) – The existing system technically works, but it’s oversimplified and requires refinement, not replacement.✔ Guard AI & Responses – While flawed, guards and towers already exist. Their behavior can be improved rather than rebuilt.
✔ Crime Logging (If It Exists) – Some form of crime tracking already exists (e.g., temporary red status). This can be expanded rather than rewritten from scratch.
2. What Needs to Be Rewritten (Core Overhaul) (~50% / 105,000 lines)
✔ Decoupling Justice from Reputation- Right now, crimes only impact reputation, which is a flawed system.
- Instead, justice needs to function separately, persisting independently from reputation.
- Criminals can currently just "wait out" their status with short cooldowns.
- This needs to change to a lasting, meaningful system that enforces consequences.
3. What Would Be Entirely New Code (Fresh Additions) (~40% / 84,000 lines)
✔ Bounty Hunting System (Proper Overhaul)- The current bounty system is too restrictive and ineffective.
- A properly functioning bounty system must include:
- Persistent bounties that don’t disappear after timeouts.
- Multiple bounty hunters being able to track the same target.
- A scalable payment system that prevents exploits.
Guard AI Overhaul- More Guards – Increase guard density in key areas.
- More Proactive Guards – Guards should react to crimes instantly and aggressively.
- Roaming Guard Patrols – Instead of static guards, patrolling forces should respond dynamically.
- Guard Alarms & Response Radius – If a crime occurs, nearby guards within ~800m should be alerted and will proceed to the crime scene.
- Fix Guard Towers – Currently, guild guard towers do nothing while guild members are being murdered nearby.
Judicial Systems (Jails, Debt Sentences, Outlaw Strongholds)- Jails for Greys – Grey criminals should be detained upon capture for a fixed time.
- Penal Colony for Reds – Red players must work off their sentences if unable to pay restitution.
- Restitution System – Tied to the current task and trade mechanics, ensuring fairness.
Final Breakdown of Recoding Effort
| Task | Estimated Code Impact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal Adjustments Needed | 30% (~63,000 lines) | Minor tweaks to flagging, guards, and crime logging. |
| Core Rewrites | 50% (~105,000 lines) | Major rewrites to reputation, crime tracking, and criminal consequences. |
| New Features (Fresh Code) | 40% (~84,000 lines) | Bounty system overhaul, outlaw mechanics, guard improvements, jails, and judicial processes. |
Conclusion: A Manageable Overhaul, Not a Full Rewrite
✔ Only about 50% of the existing system requires an actual rewrite.✔ 40% of the justice system code would be entirely new additions, which are often faster to implement than unraveling old spaghetti code.
✔ 30% of the existing code can be retained with only minor adjustments.
This means fixing MO2’s justice system isn’t as daunting as rewriting all 210,000 lines.
Instead, it’s a more feasible 105,000 lines of rewrites + 84,000 new lines—a far more manageable task.
Why This Investment is Worth It
Enhances player retention – Fewer players quitting due to unchecked griefing. Balances PvP & criminal gameplay – Without turning MO2 into a "safe-zone" game. Encourages bounty hunting as a real profession – Adding new layers of emergent gameplay. Eliminates loopholes & exploits – Prevents criminals from gaming the system.Final Thought: This Isn’t a Dream, It’s Achievable.
This overhaul is not a complete reinvention of the game—it’s a necessary fix to make MO2’s justice system functional, immersive, and balanced.If SV is serious about long-term success, this must be a priority.
. And have the players to fight it out. It gives the opportunity for the criminal to flee. And it gives the chances to have a fight. Why is the fun just for the npcs? Why do you want to remove the content so hard and so fast the moment it shows up?