PLAYER KILLING: IS IT JUST?
(for ease of reading, this is in Times New Roman)
I don't think there's one day since I've used Battle.Net that I haven't heard someone mentioning being killed by someone they were playing with and losing all of their items. I can't even count the number of messages posted on www.battle.net that refer to this also. Words like "cheating" and honor are thrown around constantly in heated discussions between someone who's lost their stuff and someone who doesn't give a crap.
First of all, you will NOT (that's not for those who can't read caps) lose your stuff if you keep your Player Friendly (the crossed swords) on. This is the easiest, simplest way to avoid losing your stuff, note that you will still lose half of your gold.
If you are suspicious of the person you are playing with or you ask them to resurrect you and they say wait a sec, walk off, and bring a parry of monsters, RESTART IN TOWN OR QUIT RIGHT AWAY. This is a common tactic used by those clever enough to outsmart the system: If monsters kill a player, he loses his stuff. Since you're unarmored after you are killed, it is really easy for this to happen to you.
Another alternative is to play in private games with only people you know. This still can have problems as people will turn on you even if they know you. I question the significance of guilds since they might say NO cheaters allowed, but how are they to prove that you are a cheater? I'm sure there are more then a couple black sheep in the crowd.
So, in the end, you have two options: Play solo (which no one wants to do), or learn defensive tactics. Defensive tactics span from hitting ALT+F4 (auto quit) quickly to learning how to use phasing and teleporting effectively to confuse your opponent (I am currently experimenting with Telekinesis for a player push, which will be most enjoyable if it works). Some cheaters though have high level spells that can take you out in just the radius explosion. Note that from what I know, Apoc only affects you if you are Player Hostile.
Okay, aside from people who cheat and Pkill, what about those who build an honest character and Pkill? I say that this is completely just. No it is not "honorable", but this is just a game; we're not all part of some Klingon alliance pact. If Blizzard did not want Pkilling to happen, they would have made spells fly through other players and sword strikes aimed at others cut through the air. Diablo is a role-playing game (in my opinion, while not others). Part of that is playing out a role. This can be the warrior, rogue or sorcerer. Then, you decide to take on the personality of your choice. Evil is just another personality while Good is the other side. Play to enjoy yourself, not by some unwritten rules of Diablo.
I will admit right here that I have Pkilled without reason. Let's face it, once you play through single player and start on multi-player, there's not really too much new to do other than beating Diablo and collecting spells, items and gold (which can be fun, too). But when all of a sudden I took some guy out, it opened up a new aspect of the game. The tension built up by a few "mis-aimed" spells is quite interesting. Say what you will, I see nothing wrong with what I have done.
So, in conclusion, I will repeat myself again. There is nothing unjust in the act of Pkilling IF AND ONLY IF your character is not cheated. If your character is, you have little chance of losing if the other fights back. If you don't want to be Pkilled, build up your character with friends or solo play and DON'T put on Player Hostile. Lastly, I will say again since I can't stress it enough, LEARN DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS. So, let's all stop complaining about losing items when Pkilled, it's your fault...and if you lose some gold, that's easily acquired again.
For more information, see my Guide to Making Pkilling Fun