For me, some kind of timeout for reds is important.
I would say this is important for a couple of reasons:
- A red can steal many hours of work from someone not interested in PvP, so the timeout is a "back at you bro" moment.
- I imagine the jail mechanic gives the sheriffs a bit of satisfaction.
- Most importantly, if a red could return to a hotspot within minutes of being cleared there would be no chance of peace at all.
Please bear in mind the history of reds in game like UO. A developer once shared that a single group of reds could generate hundreds of support tickets in an evening. While it is true that people need to do a better job of reading the box before buying a game the fact is if several hotspot can be converted into de facto arenas 24/7 many people will simply go play something else.
So the satisfaction of banishing a red, even for a few hours, is important.
However, the game should remain engaging for reds.
In thinking on this, I wonder if the option to kill a red and send him to Tartaros - perhaps a place a healthy and dangerous jog from the portal? Maybe that would give the lawfuls a bit of a break from the constant griefing while at the same time being more fun than sitting in jail?
Don't be too hard on the idea, improve it!