The Elder Scrolls Online Team showed off a new crime and punishment system coming to the game, a system that will feel pleasantly familiar to Skyrim players.
At this point in the game Tamriel is a bit of a socialist hippy commune. There are items lying around that just anyone can take, apparently community owned.
But, as shown in this video from "The Future of TESO," panel at last week's QuakeCon, under the criminal system being introduced those items will now be listed as stolen. And if you get caught stealing them you'll be accosted by a guard and can pay your way out if you can pony up the bounty.
You can also go on your murder sprees against NPCs. That racks up a high bounty, and if you can't pay it the guards will attack you. If you defeat or escape the guards, you still have to worry about other players, as the game is adding a PVP system where players are encouraged to bring criminal players to justice.
It's not as complicated as, say, the justice system in the upcoming MMO ArcheAge, which has its own courts and player
juries, but it is a promising bit of player-driven interaction.
