Player Killer

PKer (a contraction of Player Killer) is a term borrowed from other MMORPGs, typically ones where the monsters are NPCs, and refers to players attacking other players.

In the context of Urban Dead, where both humans and zombies are controlled by players, a PKer is a human character who kills other human characters (the zombie equivalent is ZKer).

PKers are often called the "third" side in Malton, the other two being zombies and survivors. Although PKing is frowned upon by pro-survivors, this "frowning upon" of PKers is a role playing feeling, and not a genuine dislike for PKers. PKers are welcomed in the Urban Dead community as they bring an interesting extra challenge to the game - in fact, the game's creator, Kevan, has stated that, "psycho survivors are a vibrant part of any post-apocalypse".

PKing in Popular Culture

"PKers" in Malton can be viewed as legitimate role-playing. Much zombie- or extinction-apocalypse fiction includes all manner of survivor violence - both organized and senseless killing. The breakdown of law and order in a city like Malton allows bands of murderous survivors to form and operate in the open. Support for unstable individuals is no longer available; the therapist's office is closed, and the pharmacy is ransacked. Survivors witness terrifying sights and gruesome acts on a daily basis. With all of these forces at work, survivor violence is a natural response well represented in popular zombie "mythology".

Though obviously not as central to the genre as the obligatory survivor-versus-zombie conflict, notable zombie productions have featured survivor-versus-survivor violence, encompassing a spectrum of motives, ranging from containment (REC, Quarantine, Zombi 3), looting/pillaging (Dawn of the Dead), perceptions of justice (28 Days Later), or sheer rage (Day of the Dead).

PKing in Urban Dead

Most characters created with the intention of being a PKer play as firefighters due to their powerful base close-combat attack. Firefighters have therefore become objects of suspicion because of this reputation, even though many legitimate players use the class.

PKers can either operate in groups that are dedicated to PKing, or they may operate alone. Besides those dedicated to PKing there are those who PK as part of an organization focused on some goal that does not include universal tolerance of all survivors. Usually some categorization of survivor is selected and 'legitimized' as targets. Varying criteria for what are legitimate targets could be members of a rival group, PKer, zombie sympathizers or even more eccentric parameters for defining enemies. These second type of survivors are less universally hated than those solely dedicated to PKing, though disagreement on criteria can lead to bitter rivalry (See DARIS and CoL).

PKers may also be nothing more than zombies who have been revived (either by way of a combat revive or by surreptitiously camping a revive point) and wish to continue killing survivors while revived. This, however, represents a small fraction of PKers, and many managers of PKer lists take care not to include these spurious PKers so as to not waste the time of Bounty Hunters.

Since the introduction of dark buildings, unpowered clubs, banks and cinemas have become common shelters for PKers.

PKer Philosophy

PK groups such as Pathetic Bill, Philosophe Knights, SillyLillyPilly and Red Rum explain why they PK as an ethical right. These groups argue that not only is the Urban Dead game designed to allow PKing, the game encourages PKing. Further, since there are no NPCs in Urban Dead (both survivors and zombies are players); almost all players are PKers. Therefore, according to PKers, PK groups are among the most honest groups in the game. However, contrary to this philosophy, "PKing" in Urban Dead is defined to be a survivor killing another survivor, not just any player killing any other. These groups use cooperation to create a community of PKers who view fighting the entire City of Malton as an exciting challenge.

There are at least two articles written on the subject of PKing, hosted at The PKer Hub (currently unavailable), and those wishing to write and submit their own articles can do so at the forums, which have moved here. The rise of historic mass PKing events in different suburbs has also given rise to examining PKers and specific mass events of PKing, such as The Second Massacre of Yagoton, or the yearly Samhain Slaughter events.

Pkers are often targeted by Bounty Hunters. However, in Malton, the number of PKers far exceeds the number of Bounty Hunters.

PKer Template

‎ Player Killer "One kills a man, one is an assassin; one kills millions, one is a conqueror; one kills everybody, one is a god." This user is a PKer and supports the act of Player Killing.

{{PKer}}

‎ Player Killer Group "One kills a man, one is an assassin; one kills millions, one is a conqueror; one kills everybody, one is a god." This Group is a PKer Group and supports the act of Player Killing.

{{PKerGroup}}

	PK Count
	This user has PKed some people.

{{PKcount}}