You may have heard the term “illegal farm” in ArcheAge while you have been playing. What is it? It’s anything you (or another player) happens to plant that is 1) not in a public farm and 2) not on a designated farm plot. These are farms that you plant anywhere you want, which means other players can come along and harvest them any time they want (including when they’re in the sprouting stages). These farms are not technically ‘illegal’ by game rules, you’re able to plant where ever you want. They’re termed this by other players, most notably those who come along and uproot things after you have planted them.
There are two ways to handle this. One, don’t plant anything you mind having removed, and two, you can report players who uproot things that don’t belong to them. They will then (after accruing points) go to trial – there’s ups and downs to the trial process when it comes to illegal farms. I’m not sure if it’s the same for every server / faction, but on mine most people do not find these players guilty if they are dealing with illegal farms. Why? Well their explanation is quite simple.
- People who use illegal farms are “evading” the tax system.
- It’s a method of balancing the economy (keeping items ‘valuable’ instead of letting players plant 10,000 items anywhere they want.
The above are the two most popular reasons I have heard so far regarding not guilty charges against someone who has ‘stolen’ crops. Everyone of course has their own opinion. On one hand sure, it really sucks to have a stranger come along and remove things you have planted, but there are ways of keeping your stuff safe and if you choose not to use those methods, well the blame lays on your shoulders. The other side of this argument is that right now there appears to be very little space for players to purchase farms / housing plots, thus more people resort to illegal farming. Is it really ‘their fault’ when they’re forced into the action in order to experience this side of the game. The whole ordeal is fascinating to me, and while most of the trial battles I have witnessed so far are pretty cut and dry, some times an interesting case does come along. Players who really get into defending their stance and awaiting the verdict can become quite passionate. In most cases as I said on my server at least, players uprooting illegal farms are doing a service to society and are found not guilty. Pirates and other pvp battles on the other hand, are a mixture of guilty and not guilty depending on the whims of the jury.
Just one more of the many reasons I’m having so much fun.