Project 1999 - PvP Server Concept

This post is purely conceptual. I don't expect, or even want, our devs to try and do any of this. Just thought I'd share since I like you guys.

Three things are necessary for what one would call good PvP:

Players at the same level and in the same place
Players both want the same thing and have to fight over it
Neither player is totally immune to the other's attacks

One idea for a server built with all of the above in mind (again, I don't expect this to happen or want our devs to try it, and they wouldn't anyway):

Game has no levels.
- Abilities and high-level spells are learned by finding them throughout the world. Strong spells are drops from specific places, and most abilities come from completing quests for trainers.
- Higher casting skill (evocation, divination, etc.) reduces mana cost of spells.
- Higher melee skills (1h slash, 2h blunt, etc.) increase damage and accuracy of attacks.
- Powerful spells cost more mana and require a higher casting skill.
- Long cooldown abilities (50+ stuff for melees) learned via quest chains and require mastery of other skills.
  - For example, mastery of Flying Kick would be a prereq for Thunderkick Discipline.
Partial resists: resists reduce the damage and duration of spells, but don't totally negate them. This way, nobody gets screwed over by RNG.
All mobs same level as player, so every area is dangerous. However, harder areas with better gear have stronger monsters with more powerful spells.
- For example, Guk is still harder than Blackburrow, but a really good player might be able to go in there with a fairly new character.
The difference between powerful gear and weak gear is not as extreme as it currently is. It's closer to the difference between Pre-Planar vs. Kunark gear.
Gear and learning new spells and abilities are the primary forms of progression, exactly the same as it is now. Levels have just been removed so everyone can play with everyone else.
World is larger since areas like Qeynos Catacombs are still relevant and might still have things that advanced players want.
- For example, specific spells might only drop in certain areas, and everyone would need to go to specific places to learn their abilities.

Just thought I'd share. Again, it's just an idea I had. I want to see what holes you bunch of nerds and cool normal people can poke in it. I know it'd be a lot of work so, again, just conceptualizing.