Hi guys, here is my review about the PTS 1.6 It only concern the Justice system because it's my main point of interest in this patch. I post it here to have your feedback before I submit it ingame. If you disagree about some point, thank you to let me know you point of view, I might change my feedback if you convince me that my idea is bad. If you agree, please send also a similar feedback ingame, this way we might have an higher chance to see those changes actually made.

Here I go:

First of all, thank you so much for implementing the first part Justice system. Overall it's amazing, and I can imagine how difficult it is to give at the same time more possibility for player to interact with their environment and not to impact too much on the gameplay for other players.

I think that stealing and killing works well, I love how different people will have different reaction when they catch you trying to pickpocket them: some will just rebuke you, some will attack you. I also think that the 2 first level of criminality shouldn't change: you are caught stealing stuff in a shop, guard will catch you if you pass near one, but won't especially look for you. If you are a confirmed stealer, they might want to arrest you, but will let you pay a fine to let you go. Slayers must be killed by the guard, and that is great also that they attack on sight if you reach the third level of criminality.

Here are now my ideas for improvement:
about the reaction of the NPC being attacked or witnessing an attack:
most of people who would witness a slaughter would either hide, or run for help. That would be the best option but i can understand that it is harder to implement atm, so I would suggest that each NPC has an emote to call the guards. Maybe it already exist, but if so, the guard should be able to hear them from more far.

Example: happened outside: attacked by bow an NPC which was in the middle of 2 guards, the 2 guards being some 10 meters each side of him, the guy unsheathed is weapon and run toward me, but the guard didn't do anything.

Another example: I enter a house, I kill the people living there one by one, slowly in front of every one, I get out, and in the street I sneak by a guard which was waiting in front of the house.

The last example: a post on reddit when someone claimed to have slaughtered the whole court of King Emeric. I would love to see my king defend his loyal subject by himself, but I could settle for him calling is guard to kill the criminals. It would be fun also (maybe it exist and I didn't see it yet) that some NPC looking "normal" are actually great warrior and would give us a fair fight or either kill us.

I wouldn't care if the arrival of guard inside a building/house is just timed rather than the actual time it would take a guard to run from his position in the street to the entrance of the building.

About the 3rd level of criminality:
I am fine for what's happening when I steal. But I can too easily slaughter an entire house, even taking my time and letting them scream for mercy, then go out unnoticed. I would suggest than the scream for help should be hear for more far, than the duration on the screaming could have an influence on the reaction of the guards: If people scream for a short while, guard should be able to locate in which part of city there was crime committed and hence heavily patrol there. Consider also giving some guards torch or inner light. If people keep screaming when a guard is near the house, guard should enter the house to attack me.

overall, about the difficulty:
I think there are too many entrance to the safe place for each city and these entrance very easy to locate because pinned on map. Its very easy hence to slaughter someone even in front of a guard then run strait to the safe place without any problem. Maybe reduce the number of entrance, hide them on the map and/or make i impossible to enter if someone is watching you.

About the bounty:
Bounty decreases over time. I don't know if that changed, but in the first day of PTS, even when I was lvl 3 in criminality, to wait few minutes was enough for the bounty to disappear. I would suggest that assassin have harder time to make themselves clean. For example, the bounty could not decrease over time or at least lose xxx bounty every hour (with xxx below 1000) . To balance that, I would love that the bounty are depending on cities in case of stealing, and to area/faction in case of murder.

I guess by now you understood that my only problem is that being a criminal is a bit too easy, and instead of reducing the possible gain, it would be much more fun to increase the possible risks, making an escape more based on skill. As it would be very hard to escape the scene of a crime if guards are patrolling, Here is my
suggestion for active skill in the legerdemain skill line:

-First attack from stealth has x chance to silence NPC. (any spell which stun might do the trick, bu I think if you don't one shot an NPC you will have a bounty added, regardless if he was stun all the time before he dropped dead)
-Possibility to stun a NPC: if nobody saw you going to stun someone, it doesn't count as if you attacked someone
-Possibility to distract, like throwing a stone,a flashbang, anything?
(cf rogue skills in WoW about those 2 last skills)


Others overall thinking:
If only people who are neither merchant nor quest related nor banker etc. can be attacked, what is the reason for guards to be really unkillable? Why not just very strong? that + the number of guard increasing in time if you fight for a long time (because NPC around are calling for help) should be enough.

Also, how about a "lvl 4" in criminality? for when someone reach the point when everybody in town know his face, and so each NPC would react with the same reaction that when you fail to pickpocket them: call the guard/ froze in fear/ attack you, etc. depending on their personality...

PS: Oh, and If you could make an official statement saying that the PvP part of the justice system is a matter of "when" instead of a matter of "if", that would be amazing. In case of PvP implemented, it would be less a problem if the NPC guard are not so reactive, because player would be for sure, provided that they could know when NPCs are screaming for help.

Here. Sorry, it was a bit long. I posted this feedback on reddit as well
http://www.reddit.com/r/elderscrollsonline/comments/2u2sdy/my_feedback_about_the_justice_system_pts_16/
Any suggestion?