Which is precisely what you’d expect someone described by post 9 to say, right?
It’s not necesarily griefing, but it can be. You come across a guy a similar level to you trying to do quests in the same area you’re in, so you kill him. Not griefing at all - this is actually what non-douches want when they sign up for pvp servers. But far more common is a level 70+ going down to a level 30 or below zone and killing people. Then waiting till they spawn, then killing them again.
The level 30 player cannot harm the level 70+ player, they are entirely touchable. And the level 70 player can kill the level 30 player instantly with one button push. There’s no reward for the level 70 player. There’s no challenge. There’s no sportsmanship. There’s no meaningful victory. The only thing you get out of it - THE ONLY THING - is that you’ve caused some other person annoyance and wasted their time.
If doing something where the only thing you accomplish is to annoy other people who cannot stop you or fight back is not griefing, what the fuck is?
As per above, if “the entire point” of the game is to kill people who present no challenge to you, and can’t fight back, then it’s only made by the way by the sheer amount of assholes participating. I’ve had some really fun actual world PVP matches where I’ve fought people of similar level while competing to do the same quests in the same area. That can make the experience of doing stuff out in the world more exciting while also letting you fight back, and not just hope that no griefers are out today to make things hard for you. The fact that this is relatively rare, and griefing is relatively common, only speaks to just how many people are douchebags rather than any design intent of the game.
Why, exactly? Please explain your reasoning in detail, it’s relevant to the thread.
No, it’s not. Hazing is done as a way to transition people into acceptance amongst a group. These players aren’t trying to make them “earn” their way into being high level - very often, probably the vast majority of the time, the players with these low level characters already have high level characters. This is simply a consequence-free way to cause aggravation and distress to other human beings, from the safety of a virtual world because while these douchebags would just love to make people miserable wherever they could, they’re too cowardly to do it in real life.
But someone taking your money in monopoly isn’t the right analogy here. That suggests the players are on an even playing ground, playing the same game, either one could win if they played better. Two similarly-leveled players having a chance encounter out in the world while they’re both trying to do something is what would fit in any “playing the game” analogy, not an entirely asymetrical situation where one person could never possibly win against another.
The better analogy is what if every 5 minutes Arnold Schwarzenegger walked up to a bunch of 8 year olds playing a board game and kicked the table over? They couldn’t harm him, they’d be at his whim, and he’s not playing with them in any meaningful way. And the only reason he’s doing it is because he likes that it hurts them when he does it.
