CryoFall: PvP and PvE Differences

CryoFall is a Sci-Fi multiplayer survival game set on a forgotten planet in a distant future. Master technology, trading, crafting, industry, farming, exploration and more!

PvP and PvE Differences

This guide explains the details and differences between available game modes in CryoFall.

CryoFall game modes overview

CryoFall features two separate game modes:

• PvP – Player versus Player as the main competitive game mode
• PvE – Player versus Environment as a more relaxed game mode without direct player competition

Any server must choose which game mode to run. Official servers usually offer both game modes in all geographic locations, while community server operators can make an individual choice and run their servers as they wish.

PvE game mode is the recommended mode when you first join the game—it will enable you to learn the game in a more relaxed manner. It also functions as a great replacement for the single player mode, but with an added benefit of social interactions. For example, you can run a private store on a PvE server and trade with other players without worrying about your store being raided.

You can find a more detailed game mode described below.

PvP game mode

PvP is the primary game mode of CryoFall.

It’s a competitive experience where players are fighting and raiding each other’s bases and competing for the control of some important resources such as geothermal springs (to extract Lithium) or Petroleum oil deposits.

You’re in a constant danger here and it’s better to join forces with other players to survive and thrive in such environment.

There are some important mechanics you need to know before joining a PvP server.

Combat

• PvP features full loot system. Upon reaching 0 HP, the killed player will drop all the items (except installed implants). These items can be taken by the attacking player.
• New players receive Newbie Protection which lasts several hours while the player is online. It doesn’t provide immunity to damage and has some limitations (it’s not possible to damage other players), but it saves newbies from dropping their items in case of a PvP death. It provides enough time to build a safe base and craft all basic items needed to survive.

Resource domination

• Geothermal springs (Lithium) and Petroleum oil deposits can be contested and individual sources can be controlled by a single player or a group of players.
• On Oil or Li deposit spawn, a 30 minutes countdown starts, preventing players from claiming the deposits early. All online players with researched Xenogeology are informed about the location of the new deposit. This mechanic ensures competition for the resources between active players.
• Oil and Li (geothermal springs) deposits decay over time preventing unlimited control by a single owner. They also deplete faster if they are actively exploited.
• When Oil/Li deposit is depleted it will respawn within two hours in a new location.
• Oil and Li deposits (except infinite) could also be blown up with explosives. They will enable them to respawn in a new location sooner.
• There are also alternative sources of those resources: oilpod bushes in the Boreal forest (for Petroleum oil) and salt minerals in salt flats found in desert (for Lithium salts). This makes it easier for individual players to gain access to these resources without contesting large deposits.
• There are also two public towns with infinite Oil and Li deposits to be exploited by anyone. They cannot be claimed or destroyed.

Misc

• Abandoned buildings will decay if they’re not protected by a land claim building.
• Abandoned land claims (not visited by any of the owners for more than 32 hours) will start decaying and then decay (lose “health points” to 0) within 24 hours.
• Land claim will start a destruction countdown on reaching 0 HP (displayed over the building). If it’s not repaired timely, it will destroy completely.

PvE game mode

PvE (player versus environment) game mode is intended for a more relaxed and creative experience where players don’t have to worry about being killed or raided by other players.

You can peacefully expand your base, learn new technology, explore the world and fight with many creatures inhabiting the world of CryoFall. You could participate in various social interactions, such as running a store or joining parties to explore radtowns together.

PvE is the recommended game mode for all new players. This way you can learn the basic of the game before committing to a more demanding experience of PvP servers.

Combat

• Players cannot damage other players (unless both have “Duel Mode” enabled).
• Players cannot damage objects inside of other’s land claim area in any way.
• Even if your character dies – you do not lose any items upon death. Even if you die from monsters. But you do lose LP as normal.
• Duel Mode could be toggled in Politics/Diplomacy menu. While enabled for the current player and another player – they can damage each other. You will also see red “crossed blades” icon to indicate this mode. But you still do not lose any items upon death. If any of two players don’t have the tag, then they will see a message explaining that both of them should have Duel Mode enabled in order to fight.
• Duel mode is canceled when the player is offline and re-enabled when going back online (to prevent offline killing).

Interactions

• Players cannot harvest any farm plants inside other player’s land claim area or interact with a few other objects of similar nature to prevent griefing.

Resources

• No lithium or oil sources in the world (except public towns with infinite resources). Extractors can be built anywhere as long as you unlocked it and the ground type is suitable (Li-forest biomes except tropical, Oil-Barren/desert biome only), but the efficiency is only 1/5 of the original. Except for public infinite sources where the efficiency is full.Misc

Misc

• Player despawn timer is enabled. If a player is offline for more than 4 hours AND their character is outside of their own land claim-their character is removed from the world on a timer. When they respawn they get “You’ve left your character outside of your land claim area for too long and it has been removed from the world. You can respawn again as normal. You did not lose your items or LP.” This message will be accompanied by a clock icon instead of death/shield icon for other messages.
• All technologies related to raiding bombs are removed in PvE (except mining bombs).
• Mining bombs cannot damage other players or structures in any way.
• Respawn cooldown is always 0 seconds as there are no PvP engagements.
• Newbie protection doesn’t apply to PvE servers (as there is no reason to have it here).
• Official PvE servers have 64 hours decay delay (x2 longer than PvP servers).
• Official PvE servers have slightly reduced PvE damage to make creatures a bit more difficult to fight.

Special features

• If you die in radtown (from radiation) you get special status effect “Mutation” which is permanent and you die instantly when you are exposed to radiation while this status effect is active. So, you cannot abuse item protection to loot radtowns indefinitely.
• In order to remove “Mutation” debuff players need to craft a special medicine (which is available in T1 cooking and crafted in a cooking station or medical laboratory).