In Return of Reckoning, three RvR zones are usually active at the same time. One zone often attracts most of the population and the majority of warband fighting, while the other two remain relatively quiet.
The idea would be to use normal RvR activity in these secondary zones to trigger an event that directly affects the main front.
The overall system would work as follows:
- In secondary RvR zones, players capture Battlefield Objectives and deliver the supply boxes they generate.
- Each delivered box continues to contribute normally to the rank of the local keep, while also adding one glyph to a realm-wide progress bar.
- Once a realm reaches the required number of glyphs, a prisoner belonging to that realm appears somewhere in the secondary zone.
- Players must locate the prisoner, free them and escort them back to their warcamp.
- If the prisoner reaches the warcamp, they organise a supply caravan on the main front.
- Players must push and protect this caravan within a limited amount of time.
- If the caravan reaches the allied keep, it delivers a significant amount of supplies.
1. Generating Glyphs in Secondary Zones
The existing campaign mechanics in secondary zones would remain unchanged:
- players capture Battlefield Objectives;
- BOs generate supply boxes;
- players transport those boxes to their keep or warcamp;
- delivered supplies continue to contribute normally to the rank of the local keep.
Glyphs would represent collective progress generated through the zone’s existing logistics gameplay. They would not be physical items carried by players. Instead, they would be added automatically whenever a supply box is successfully delivered.
This means the new event would support the existing secondary campaign rather than compete with it. To generate a caravan for the main front, players would first need to capture BOs, transport supplies and continue improving the secondary zone’s keep as normal.
2. Triggering the Event
Each realm would have its own glyph progress bar within the secondary zone.
Once a realm reaches the required threshold, a prisoner belonging to that realm would appear somewhere in the zone.
The prisoner could, for example, be a military quartermaster, caravan master or important logistics officer.
Their exact position would not be displayed on the map. Players would only receive a general indication of the area in which the prisoner is being held, such as:
“An important Order quartermaster is believed to be held captive among the ruins in the northern part of the zone.”
Players would then need to search that area to locate the prisoner.
3. Freeing the Prisoner
The prisoner would be visibly restrained with chains, shackles or another appropriate device.
To free them, a player would need to complete a short channelled interaction. This action could be interrupted by incoming damage, crowd control or the player’s death.
Simply finding the prisoner would therefore not be enough to complete this stage. The realm would also need to secure the surrounding area long enough to free them.
This phase could already generate fighting between players attempting to rescue the prisoner and enemies trying to prevent the rescue.
4. Escorting the Prisoner to the Warcamp
Once freed, the prisoner would begin travelling towards their realm’s warcamp.
Players would need to escort and protect them along the route. The opposing realm could attempt to ambush the escort, eliminate the defenders or isolate the prisoner.
If no allied players remain close enough to protect the prisoner, the opposing realm could recapture them.
The prisoner would then reappear in chains at a different location within the zone. A new approximate location would be announced, and their realm would once again need to:
- locate the prisoner;
- free them;
- escort them to the warcamp.
This would prevent a single lost fight from permanently removing all the progress earned through supply deliveries.
It would also allow the objective, and the fighting around it, to move throughout the zone.
5. Spawning the Caravan on the Main Front
If the prisoner successfully reaches the warcamp, the first stage of the event is completed.
As a reward for being rescued, the prisoner organises a supply caravan on the main front—the RvR zone currently containing most of the population and fighting.
The caravan would carry a significant quantity of supplies intended for the allied keep.
However, it would not move automatically.
6. Moving the Caravan
To make the caravan move, several players would need to remain close to it and channel a dedicated interaction.
While channelling, these players would be unable to use their normal abilities or participate fully in combat. They could, however, cancel the channel immediately whenever they needed to defend themselves.
The caravan’s speed would depend on the number of players contributing to its movement, using several possible thresholds. For example:
- approximately 6 players: minimum speed;
- approximately 12 players: medium speed;
- approximately 24 players: maximum speed;
- more than 24 players: no additional speed increase.
This mechanic would create a constant strategic choice for the escorting realm:
- assign more players to move the caravan quickly;
- or keep more players available to defend it.
7. Time Limit
The caravan would need to reach the keep before a limited timer expires.
This time limit would prevent the escorting realm from completely abandoning the caravan, using its entire force to eliminate the enemy, and then moving the caravan safely once the area had been cleared.
The timer would create constant pressure.
The defenders would need to alternate quickly between two actions:
- pushing the caravan to maintain sufficient progress;
- cancelling their channels to fight whenever they come under attack.
The attacking realm would therefore not necessarily need to destroy the caravan immediately. Repeatedly interrupting its movement and forcing the defenders to waste enough time could also be enough to make the event fail.
8. Fighting Around the Caravan
The caravan would temporarily create an important mobile objective on the main front.
The escorting realm would need to:
- protect the players moving the caravan;
- control the route and surrounding flanks;
- prevent enemies from reaching the caravan;
- decide how many players should push and how many should fight;
- maintain enough progress to beat the timer.
The opposing realm could:
- prepare ambushes along the route;
- attack from several directions;
- interrupt the players moving the caravan;
- force the escort to stop advancing;
- damage or destroy the caravan;
- delay it until the timer expires.
Even a realm fighting at a numerical disadvantage could therefore disrupt the escort by choosing the right terrain, timing and angle of attack.
The objective would not necessarily be to defeat the entire enemy realm in a direct confrontation. Delaying the caravan for long enough could already be sufficient to win the event.
9. Caravan Outcome
If the caravan reaches the allied keep before the timer expires, it delivers a substantial amount of supplies.
This delivery would significantly accelerate the keep’s progression and bring the realm closer to launching a siege.
The reward should be important enough to make the caravan a meaningful strategic objective, but not so powerful that a single successful caravan automatically completes the keep’s entire progression.
If the caravan is destroyed or the timer expires:
- no supplies are delivered to the keep;
- the logistics operation fails;
- the event ends.
10. Weekly Contribution in Secondary Zones
To reward players who regularly support the secondary fronts, each delivered supply box would also add points to a player’s personal weekly contribution.
This contribution would be calculated exclusively from the number of supply boxes the player successfully transports and delivers in secondary RvR zones.
Freeing the prisoner, escorting them and participating in the caravan event on the main front would not affect this contribution score. This would keep the system simple and directly tied to the activity that generates glyphs.
It would not necessarily be a ranking in which players compete against one another. Instead, each player would progress individually through several contribution tiers over the course of the week.
At the end of the weekly period, the player would receive a reward bag based on the tier they reached. For example:
- low contribution: green bag;
- regular contribution: blue bag;
- high contribution: purple bag;
- exceptional contribution: gold bag.
Players would therefore not need to outperform everyone else. They would simply need to reach the required thresholds to improve the quality of their weekly reward.
11. Contribution Rewards
Depending on the quality of the reward bag, it could contain:
- Gold;
- War Crests;
- Crafting materials;
- a New cosmetic currency
The rewards should be valuable enough to encourage participation in secondary zones, without making the activity mandatory or more profitable than every other form of RvR.
12. Main Goals of the System
The main goals of this system would be to:
- give secondary RvR zones additional strategic value;
- encourage players to capture BOs and transport supply boxes;
- continue progressing the campaigns of secondary zones normally;
- attract more solo players, small groups and potentially some warbands to quieter zones;
- generate more movement and player encounters across those maps;
- temporarily distribute the population more evenly between the three active RvR zones;
- directly connect the secondary fronts to the main campaign;
- create a large, mobile open-field battle around the caravan;
- provide a regular and rewarding activity for players who contribute to realm logistics.
The overall concept can be summarised as follows:
Players capture BOs in secondary RvR zones and deliver the supply boxes they generate.
Each delivered box continues to improve the local keep, adds one glyph to their realm’s collective progress bar and increases the player’s personal weekly contribution.
Once the glyph threshold is reached, a prisoner appears and must be located, freed and escorted to the warcamp.
Successfully rescuing the prisoner triggers a caravan on the main front, which the realm must push and protect within a limited amount of time in order to deliver a major supply shipment to its keep.
PS : Please feel free to share your thoughts on this event concept. In particular, do not hesitate to be critical and point out any inconsistencies, potential exploits, balance concerns or practical issues that could arise when moving from theory to actual gameplay. The goal is to identify what might not work in practice and improve the idea through discussion.
Thanks.
