Board Thread:Dark Souls/@comment-24591958-20141115064416/@comment-25561331-20141117204919

A threat level system would cause more problems than it would solve. The attitude I've seen in advanced players is that dodging is more important than being able to take a hit. A person could be using the lightest set in the game and a Bandit's Knife with Hornet's Ring and a small shield. His threat level could be abysmal, but because he knows how to dodge and parry effectively, he's a huge threat.

Also, "threat" is subjective. You can feel absolutely terrified at the sight of a Giant Dad because your build is bad at countering a tank. Or you could be totally nonchalant at Giant Dads because you can roll and are light, but be horrified at an Oroboro the Ninja build because you have low poise and magic defense. Or at a Peeve Peeverson build because you're using a weapon that can be easily parried.

A good system may be to have explicit areas for PVP, or to have a game mode dedicated to it. Like when you start up your game, you're asked if you want to play PVP, PVE, or a mixture. That way, if you want to be human or summon other players you can do so without fear, and if you want to PVE with summons but still feel the rush when a guy invades you, you can.