Its a game and people want content. The games main and only really worth while content is PvP. Gathering the mats you need for gear really isnt that time consuming. Especially when everyone wears bone armors (bone/emalj/molarium) And steel weapons are cheap or flake which is good enought.
The punishment for playing the game is far too restrictive and you will never stop people from PvPing. Only making the game less enjoyable for everyone.
People are just seeking the NPC to fight for them instead of playing the game them selves.
Mats are a bit too easy to get. Even as a solo player I have no problem maintaining a 6g bag of IB and QL for farming mobs. Armour uses so little that is is almost a joke... But OMG Horse Armour! That sht takes so much to grind up lol. Basic animal materials are not hard to get and then... Well... Need something to do.
Either get into trade or PvP... or both?
The bandit AI is horrid and TBH off-putting how Bandit Bowmen can run backwards at speeds I can just about creep into... and then they go over rocks I can't.. while running backwards, drawing their bow and never missing. Fuck that shit. The other Bandits are boring and have to drag multiple in to be 'fun'.
I'm a solo player ATM and while I'm not into PKing, I do like a reason to PvP other than "I'm bored". MO1 had some nice skirmishes outside of towns until /guards ruined it. As a solo it was easy to jump in and defend your town... A reason for PvP while giving people who wanted PvP a way to initiate it. The content.. I mean blues ;P could res quickly and jump back into the fight while the generally more skilled (due to more practice) had a bit more of a run to res and as such a bit more of a time sink.
MO does nothing to encourage this style of PvP from what I've seen. I may be wrong and if so then please enlighten me
I've seen people just chill out at Tind gates till people leave, no desire to get out and fight for the sake of Tind... I was equally at fault as well lol. It isn't easy to initiate the aggressive action in def for a place unless the other player is red. Many blues PK as well which means that town def fights are more like being trailed from the gate until you're easy prey.
Now to circle back round to rep XD
Its getting to the point where I'd welcome factions in MO just to allow people to kill each other with zero consequences. Fuck it, reward them for being killers! Can easily make the rewards better for killing others with high rep and no bonus for killing people at the lowest standing. Just having a bunch of factions feels shallow.. Another mechanic which makes this game look like an ocean until you go to dive into it and realise it's a freaking pond!.
EDIT:
Oh and why all factions don't care if your awesome buds with other factions? Would be nice if us players had to choose to be friendly to A but that would force hostile towards B...
IRL example... We have a real issue going on and we can see sides being drawn in Europe. Companies trading with Russia are being hit (sanctions etc) by the opposition. No case of friendly with all, all love and flowers, hug and cuddles for all.
This is how I mean the factions in MO feel shallow.