Unlike many other MMORPGs, Darkfall will feature unrestricted player vs. player (PvP) combat. According to developers, they don't want to put "restrictions to player interactions that doesn't make sense"[1], as the fantasy literature and mythology that fantasy RPGs are inspired by and based on contain conflict and combat between the characters and that is part of what makes them heroic and dramatic. For that reason, a softer version of Darkfall without PvP won't be available.
Darkfall encourages players to kill enemies of opposing races and clans, although it is up to each kingdom to set and enforce the rules within its borders. Each kingdom will have NPC guards to whom the player king and lords will give specific orders. They can be ordered to attack specific characters, clans, races or alignments on sight. Killing a player of your own race or of an aligned race except during a declared war will lower your alignment. Players with an alignment score that is below a certain level will not be allowed to trade with or accept quests from most NPCs. Alignment can be raised by killing player characters of opposing races, or of the same or aligned race if they have an evil alignment.
There are no safe zones in Darkfall other than those the players themselves will create and enforce. Other than that and based purely on game mechanics there are no areas in the game where a player cannot attack another player, although cities full of clanmates and guarded by Guard Towers do provide relative safety. The six, very well guarded racial capitals will be the safest locations on Agon.