2024-10-21 · PvP, guilds & cross-play

Morning Pass battleground mode

Morning Pass is a battleground mode built around fast 5v5 PvP, temporary match gear, and objective scoring. It is presented as a distinct PvP ruleset within Scars of Honor rather than as a replacement for character progression elsewhere in the game.

The mode is designed to create a more level playing field by reducing the impact of long-term gear advantages. At the same time, it still includes short-term match progression through scavenged equipment and objective control.

Core rules

In Morning Pass, characters enter the match at a fixed battleground level and receive basic equipment appropriate to their class. The example used in the update places all players at level 10 regardless of their normal character level. The team notes that level brackets may be added later.

The battleground uses a skill-based ruleset in which normal character gear is stripped on entry and replaced with standardized starting gear. This is intended to prevent heavily progressed characters from overwhelming newer or less-geared players in only a few hits.

Alongside this mode, the team also mentions a separate progress mode in which players would enter PvP with the gear earned through normal play.

Loot and death mechanics

Morning Pass includes chests and weapon racks that provide stronger gear during the match. This creates an internal progression loop inside the battleground itself.

Death resets that temporary advantage. When a player dies, the scavenged gear is dropped and the character respawns with basic starting equipment again. Opponents can loot the dropped items, which gives team fights additional consequences beyond kills alone.

Because respawns are quick, the mode is intended to stay fast-paced. Teams are expected to decide quickly whether to continue pressure, recover dropped gear, or rotate to objectives.

Objectives and scoring

Victory is not based only on kills. Players collect soldars from battleground activities and deposit them at extraction points for score. The default deposit point in the starting area gives the lowest return, while active control points on the map provide a score multiplier.

Control points appear during the match and can be claimed for a faction. Once controlled, they become more valuable deposit locations for soldars. This creates a tension between safe scoring at base and riskier, more rewarding scoring at contested objectives.

The mode also includes ancient relic objectives inside the ruined castle area. These are described as important to faction success, though the narrative details behind them are intentionally left unexplained in this gameplay-focused update.

Tactical play and team coordination

Morning Pass is described as a mode where coordination matters more than simply charging into fights. Temporary gear swings, objective timing, and quick respawns create an ebb-and-flow structure in which no advantage is permanent.

The team discusses voice chat as a possible future feature for this kind of coordinated PvP, especially because the battleground rewards quick tactical communication more than text chat does.

Design purpose

The battleground is also used internally as a benchmark for the game’s systems. The developers describe it as proof that their current engine and game structure can support custom PvP modes with different rulesets. They suggest that additional battleground variants could be added later, including modes focused on different mechanics or different balances between skill-based play and meta progression.

Source

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