How does the Criminal system work for PvP?

Ok, I'm new to the game and have recently found my way out of Tortuga with my Stygian Demonologist. The other day I was bushwacked by a player assassin many levels lower than myself.

A brief and exciting battle took place before I had my backside handed to me. I may have killed the other guy as well, I'm not sure. He was almost dead and had a bunch of DoTs on him when I died.

When I respawned I found myself branded as a filthy criminal for a whole long period of five minutes even though I did not initiate the combat. Does this imply that I'm not supposed to fight back against attackers of a lower level when attacked? Perhaps I should try reasoning and try to convince my attackers to give up their antisocial ways through well thought out arguments and golden rethorics to avoid legal consequences?

Anyway I enjoy the occasional fight as much as anyone on a PvP server and I can live with five minutes of shame if I fight back, but I'm a bit worried that penalties will gradually get worse for repeat offences so I'll have to endure extended periods of life outside the law, and if that is the case I may have to reroll on a PvE server.

So how does the system work really?

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Originally Posted by ShazPur

Ok, I'm new to the game and have recently found my way out of Tortuga with my Stygian Demonologist. The other day I was bushwacked by a player assassin many levels lower than myself.

A brief and exciting battle took place before I had my backside handed to me. I may have killed the other guy as well, I'm not sure. He was almost dead and had a bunch of DoTs on him when I died.

When I respawned I found myself branded as a filthy criminal for a whole long period of five minutes even though I did not initiate the combat. Does this imply that I'm not supposed to fight back against attackers of a lower level when attacked? Perhaps I should try reasoning and try to convince my attackers to give up their antisocial ways through well thought out arguments and golden rethorics to avoid legal consequences?

Anyway I enjoy the occasional fight as much as anyone on a PvP server and I can live with five minutes of shame if I fight back, but I'm a bit worried that penalties will gradually get worse for repeat offences so I'll have to endure extended periods of life outside the law, and if that is the case I may have to reroll on a PvE server.

So how does the system work really?

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It's not the answer you are looking for but, it does not work.

It's been completely ineffective since it was introduced.
It needs fixing.

Long story short; it doesn't

Long story long; It works on the system of murder points, murder points are awarded every time you kill a player lower than your level bracket. The lower the level the more points you earn.
Under 100 points and you'll be branded as a criminal for 5 minutes, but if you exceed that you'll be branded as a murder.
At this point you can get rid of murder points through pve, wait for them to go away but that is slow, or do redemption quests at outlaw camps found across the world.
As a murderer or criminal vendors won't deal with you and some travelers won't deal with you. BTW no matter how important the vendor you're screwed. So it's best to inform your attacker of the legal ramifications of physical violence, because even if a lower level attacks you first you still get the murder points.

Thanks for the replies. That sort of takes away the joy of playing on a PvP server. Does it usually become a major nuisance? While I'm lvl 28 it should be bearable but I'm worried about higher levels

I suppose there is no way to move to a PvE server if it gets too annoying?

Usually, if you are attacked first, the attacker will get an aggressor buff. Meaning that even as high level you can kill him without getting criminal points. Sometimes it bugs, sometimes the battle is too long and sometimes the attacker runs to the guards with a dot, resulting in them attacking you and flagging you as criminal.

Plenty of ways to abuse the criminal system, but mostly only when guards are around.
So, to answer your question: Yes, you can count on this happening often around towns like tesso, eiglo camp, aesir camp, kheshatta oasis and city, fields of the dead ...
Less chance in open wilderness, since the abuse is harder there, but there will be always the ganker who likes a challenge (or who just wants to test the latest third party software) by attacking higher levels (also in general a higher level does NOT mean more power in AoC...for example with the same gear a lvl42 will have better stats than a lvl39).

Here's another fun little thing I found out about the criminal system. As long as you never become a murderer the criminal buff goes away after 5 minutes regardless of points.
If you become a murder (100+ points) you have to lose all of them before you get downgraded to a criminal. Because that makes sense.