Cabal Reorganization

I've been working on another idea for the last couple of weeks that I hope will help to fix some key problems in the MUD these days. This is my first draft and I'd like to hear your thoughts about it so that I might revise and expand upon it. Some of the goals of this idea:

1. to lessen the gap between high and low skill pkers (for example: vets vs newbies, pk-intensive vs rp-intensive)

2. to vastly increase interaction between all characters (both PK and RP)

3. to readjust the focus back from the one-on-one solo PK world to more general world-scale warfare

4. to readjust Herald into a more meaningful and interesting position

5. to make cabals the focus of world politics and RP, not simply as PK perks

6. to shift the RP focus away from simply good vs evil

7. to show that FL is not static and that the game world can change dynamically (to continue the storyline)

The basic idea:

** The idea is to merge the existing cabals into three cabals with a total of seven subcabals. These new cabals will have a mixture of traditional and new beliefs. The root concept is if you have 24 players, you shouldn't have 8 teams. Three teams will give everyone more to do. The breakdown is as this:**

Cabal One: Empire

Praetorian + Sigil = Knight (subcabal)

Syndicate + Adjudicator = Agency (subcabal)

Herald + Council = Council (subcabal)

Knight + Agency + Council = Empire (cabal)

Cabal two: Forsaken

Reaver + Mysterum = Possessed (subcabal)

Pandemonium + Temporum = Savant (subcabal)

Possessed + Savant = Forsaken (cabal)

Cabal three: Gaia

Gladiator + Stalker = Stalker (subcabal)

Barbarian + Warder = Barbarian (subcabal)

Stalker + Barbarian = Gaia (cabal)

These three cabals will typically always be at war with each other (Empire vs Forsaken vs Gaia). However, the focus will be on the subcabals rather than the cabal as a whole. As such, if you are in the same cabal but in a different subcabal, you are fighting for the same general cause albeit in a completely different way. (Knight vs Possessed vs Stalker / Agency vs Savant vs Barbarian).

The basic RP premise behind each cabal and subcabal is as follows:

How to get to these positions is either following a world RP plot I've already designed or for the IMMs/another player to design a new one:

Empire (dominance of Aabahran) vs. Forsaken (destruction of Aabahran) vs. Gaia (preservation of Aabahran)

Praetorian + Sigil = Knight (subcabal) - Finally achieving a balance between offense and defense, the Knights seek to preserve existing civilization, to banish the invaders, and to bring safety to the countryside. They are the military arm of the Empire. Due to their success in finding the crown emperor, they have been divinely empowered. To maintain their piety, they are required to fight their battles as single challenges. Lawful + Good only. No rogues.

Syndicate + Adjudicator = Agency (subcabal) - With the incorporation of the Syndicate into the Empire, the Syndicate's efficiency was quickly merged with the Adjudicator's idealism, creating a brutal, covert force able and very willing to do all the dirty work that needs to be done to keep the Empire running smoothly. Non-lawful + Evil only.

Herald + Council = Council (subcabal) - the enlightened oligarchic leadership of the new Empire tasked with preserving civilization and its collected knowledge. They serve a dual political-historical role, guiding both the Agency and the Knights and marking criminals. Any ethos + neutral align only. WIS + INT = 40+ races only. RP-intensive role.

Knight + Agency + Council = Empire (cabal) - Risen from the broken Tribunal and based in Rheydin, the Empire's primary goals are to defend, rebuild, and expand itself. Not fanatically concerned with law, they are more interested in results. They are ever pragmatic, using both straight force (Knight) and underhanded force (Agency). The two opposite forces are kept in check and guided into the correct future by the ever-watchful leadership (Council).

--

Reaver + Mysterum = Possessed (subcabal) - Imbued with Reaver power and driven psychotic by tormenting visions of the past and future, the Possessed are the conquering, explosive arm of the Forsaken. Chaotic + Evil only. Class choice similar to the present reaver subcabal.

Pandemonium + Temporum = Savant (subcabal) - Controling the combined powers of the Rift and the Vortex, they seek nothing less than universal domination. They are the intelligent, calculating arm of the Forsaken. Any ethos + Evil only. No pure melees/rogues.

Possessed + Savant = Forsaken (cabal) - Learnining that the Vortex and the Rift are inexplicitedly connected, the old Savants and Nexus quickly joined forces to tap this newfound power. Controling Miruvhor, they use it as a base from which to assault Rheydin. Their goal is to conquer this weakened plane and to use it as a stepping stone to other, richer places. They care little that this would bring destruction to the whole of Aabahran.

Gladiator + Stalker = Stalker (subcabal) - Embracing all that is pure and natural in this world, the gladiators (self-reliance and non-magic) and the stalkers (anti-supernatural creatures) have found common ground. They seek to defeat that which is corrupting this world, namely the empowered Possessed and Knight forces. They fight with the skills and techniques of gladiators and the goals of the stalkers. They issue challenges to their enemies. Non-lawful neutral align only. Wamarster-acceptable classes only.

Barbarian + Warder = Barbarian (subcabal) - They have found a union in the word "freedom". Fighting the centralized powers of the Empire and hoping to preserve the natural world by defeating the Forsaken, they are outlaws that wish only to maintain their lifestyles far away from an encroaching world. Good-neutral align only.

Stalker + Barbarian = Gaia (cabal) - The wrath of the natural world. They fight both oppression and invasion. They hope to see Aabahran safely free of extraplanar powers and of racial dominance. This entails seeing to the breakup of the new Empire and the explusion of the invading Forsaken forces.

What will this do?

First, it will double the chances that one or more cabalmates will be online at the same time as you. It will also double the chances that your cabal enemies will be online. It will hopefully become Vet+newbie vs Vet+newbie (or Vet + Vet), both of which are much more favorable than Vet vs Newbie. The cabalmates will also be present to help killed players get back on their feet much faster and to draw enemy cabal attention away, rather than having to logout once beaten.

It will also mean that cabal wars will not be sporadic high intensity-skirmishes (hey, opposite cabal member just logged on, we should go attack!). With members of opposite cabals online more often, it will mean that the fighting will be more continual and less dependent on individual PK skill and player schedules. Attacking a cabal with multiple defenders becomes a new kind of strategic game that FL hasn't really touched yet. In that kind of environment, even a complete newbie can play a meaningful role and the top PKers still get their fixes.

Again, as the focus is shifting away from the individual PK-power character, full loots and deaths won't mean as much. RP will be much better rewarded in that you will need to exercise some form of politics to rise in the now more competitive ranks of your cabal. Now, cabal advancement is largely based on PK performance rather than upholding cabal ideals. In the new cabal structure, PK performance will still play a large role but it will be more balanced by your social relationships in and outside of your cabal. You will have more friends and more enemies which will lead to greater interaction all around.

This change will give us a new playing field. We can see that the world is actually changing instead of the never-ending Knight-Nexus, Savant-Warmaster nobody really wins state of affairs. The new cabal RP is an expansion and a 'level up' from the current state, where the cabal goals grow wider and their reasoning becomes much more founded.

Please post your thoughts in detail about which parts you like or do not like about this idea. Writing simply that "It's great!" or "It sucks!" doesn't help very much. Details please.

edit: typos!

Wow, gotta say Celerity really like the idea this would give people alot more option for RP as well as a little bit of a shield for the less skilled PK players, a bit of support for them if you would.

I do like the current incarnation of the Council however, I would like to hear more on how you would merge them with the heralds I think the idea has alot of merit I'm just unsure where the roles would sit together.

Mad mad mad Kutos

PS:

The idea of mass defenders will be interesting as well i believe, with the vets having less of an edge by being able to say "Oh im fighting bob the warmaster, I can expect x,y,z abilities." This kind of throws a bit of an x factor into the works so to speak, so you cant blanket prepare to fight Bob, when steve the...other nature cabal guy but different comes up and flying kicks you in the face. A great edge for newer players, and a new challenge to the folks who have seen and done it all.

The idea behind the council is that the Tribunal and Knight make a union (through crowning a Heraldric emperor for whatever RP reason). Herald recognizes that pure neutrality cannot maintain an accurate account of history and that civilization + survival are two neccessary ingredients to their work. They also know that if there are leaders to be had in this world, they are obviously the most enlightened, objective ones to be found.

OOC-wise, herald (RP intensive cabal) will be set as the third Empire subcabal, given a (powerful) leadership role outside of sending notes while still being able to concentrate on their mainly RP duties (PK goes to agency + knight first---the new heraldric council is purely defensive and political)

I rike it

I really like the idea of consolidating the cabals. Over the past two months I've found myself hoping between many characters trying to balance clan mates to ask questions of vs having opponents to fight. As Nemis, a good, I found people were FAR more willing to answer my questions, but often times I didn't have anyone to battle. As my current evil, I'm not able to find help as easy, but I have broader selection of people I can battle.

Right now things are horribly balanced in my playtime. I was used to only seeing a clan mate every couple days. I logged on yesterday and almost all of the players were in my clan. Not fun.

One thing that would be cool is if Cabal'd people could use clanmates in some fashion to help with wars, scouting, etc. When I was a knight wannabe I really appreciated that Salith and one or two others would ask small things of me. It made me feel more like a part of the structure even though I was only clanned. I really struggle with RP and it helps a ton.

Amazingly great ideas. I especially like the Herald/Council one. Where the heralds (best rp'ers) can become leaders i.e. Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses. This would not only lead to great things but there model would always give those within there cabal greater aspirations to reach and/or follow. Many times I've had an idea for a char only to feel so restricted by the current way our cabals motives are set up. We need more freedom and a huge change or else we'll lose fl forever and I believe this is a great start to do it.

Celerity for Pres?

Please, folks, please don't jump down my throat here. Yes, I'm the ONE so far who said he didn't like the idea.

Celerity, I do love your RP reasoning and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I love the politics involved here. I loved the story line continuation. It all runs very smoothly.

So, you're all wondering, what don't I like? It allows for too many people on one team. Moving to this would help with our current situation (small PB size), but what happens later (I know, I'm daydreaming probably) when the PB grows?

I reiterate, it's beautiful and logically I can't come up with more than what's above, but it's striking a discordant note within the fiber of my being..blah blah blah....This has nothing to do with me clinging to the past, either. I love everything that this is (and would currently) stand for.

While I definitely agree with the advantages of this idea. I see one problem with it which will make it seriously unfun for me. With the implementation of this idea, there will be cabal enemies around like 95% of the time. Does this mean that when I log into FL, I do nothing but capture/retrieve/defend the standard for all of my playing time? While I do love PK, I don't really want to do it all of the time. (especially not the standard ping-pong game).

I think how the new warfare will be conducted between these bigger cabals need to be better thought out for this idea to work.

Moving to this would help with our current situation (small PB size)' date=' but what happens later (I know, I'm daydreaming probably) when the PB grows?[/quote']

If this system were to be too confining for a future large playerbase, we could just simply break up the cabals again as needed.

I think how the new warfare will be conducted between these bigger cabals need to be better thought out for this idea to work.

I was also thinking about this problem. It is a huge problem with our current system too.

I don't have a good solution for it either. What I can say is that in our current system, you are almost always 100% responsible for both attacking and defending when an enemy logs on. In this system, that responsibility would be spread out among a larger group of characters.

The constant cabal warfare is the huge downside for joining a cabal, but I think the more continual warfare this idea will enact better represents the 'total war' state of the world. I think that having all the perks of caballed life with no downside until the enemy logs on was never the intention of cabals.

So yes, you might not be able to have those idling hours of eq runs, but the combat will also be much different. There will need to be a lot more coordination for both successful defense and offense which directly translates into RP (RP that isn't tea parties for those that hate that)--with slower (due to planning), if more devastating combat. You will also see the emergence of dedicated defense and offense which will give those members some break as the battles develop.

There are lots of possibilities with greater numbers. As it stands now, we see the top pkers taking care of all of the cabal warfare and the rest of us just idling or trying to avoid those top pkers for as long as possible. In this system, it is entirely possible to go on an eq run to keep those pk-heavy players in top shape in the middle of war because enough cabalmates are online to do so.

In a nutshell, yes this system will increase both the amount and intensity of cabal warfare. On the other hand, it will spread that responsibility among a larger amount of players.

On the RP side, I think this will lessen our 'free time' (non-combat scenarios), but it will also be greatly intensified. With more people aligned as either allies or enemies (i.e. not as neutrals--as most people are now), that 'free' time will be quite busy with RP and eq runs. So you might have less time to chat idly, but you'll have more to talk about and to do.

Wouldn't fewer cabals mean less reasons to "RP" and more reason to just swing the sword? My quick thought is that more cabals is the answer.

Fewer cabals creates a "your with us or against us" situation.

More cabals makes weak cabals that have to work with other cabals and are DESPERATE for new members.

To work best, there would need to be a new over-cabal alliance system.

Pro:

Cabals have to negotiate and make allies to have any power.

Desperate for new members, cabal members would be more likely to recruit and groom characters who are unaffiliated or lose them to cabals that do.

If a cabal alliance became too powerful, Imms could inflict political infighting on it to break it up.

Con:

It would require some coding.

It would require testing and balancing.

There are more pros and cons. This is the quick version.

Wouldn't fewer cabals mean less reasons to "RP" and more reason to just swing the sword? My quick thought is that more cabals is the answer.

Exactly the opposite I think. Imagine this who list right now:

[savant] George

[Warmaster] Harold

[Tribunal] Max

[Watcher] Tex

[Nexus] Timothy

[Knight] Alexis

[Herald] William

[syndicate] Alan

Here we have 8 people online and 8 cabals. 99% percent of the 'rp' here will be PK between the two opposite members, with the vet winning in 99% of those cases, causing the loser to log off, as they have little chance of winning PK and have no control over it. My RP is almost limited to my cabal enemy (and PK mostly at that).

Now imagine this scenario:

[Forsaken] George

[Forsaken] Harold

[Forsaken] Max

[Empire] Tex

[Empire] Timothy

[Empire] Alexis

[Gaia] William

[Gaia] Alan

We still have 8 players online. But now we have the case of 3 vs 3 vs 2. Yes, Gaia is outnumbered, but that is fine, because the enemies are also divided against each other. Maybe somebody dies, but no problem, as the opposite cabals have still have 4 other cabal members to target while that defeated character recovers. RP-wise, I'm associated directly with all 7 other players, with both positive and negative relationships. I'll be LESS prone to go rush in and 'swing the sword' as if I do so, I risk facing three defending cabal members and will 'get swung at' instead. I will need to coordinate with my cabalmates (or even the enemy cabal) in order to have much success.

More cabals makes weak cabals that have to work with other cabals and are DESPERATE for new members.

Weak cabals means that at any time probably 3 of the 8 cabals are inactive because A) the players are all concentrated on the other team and B)I need a super strong solo pk character to shift the balance when I'm -alone-. There is no RP solution and the PK is dependent on my personal skill alone.

edit: typos

I see your point but I'm concerned that an alliance between two groups, however temporary, would completely destroy the group that is left out.

I will quite what I liked about the idea and what I didnt like but overall I beleive it will be a good while it seems much has become stagnant and same old same old as of late.

Firstly.

1. to lessen the gap between high and low skill pkers (for example: vets vs newbies, pk-intensive vs rp-intensive)

2. to vastly increase interaction between all characters (both PK and RP)

3. to readjust the focus back from the one-on-one solo PK world to more general world-scale warfare

4. to readjust Herald into a more meaningful and interesting position

5. to make cabals the focus of world politics and RP, not simply as PK perks

6. to shift the RP focus away from simply good vs evil

7. to show that FL is not static and that the game world can change dynamically

(to continue the storyline)

#1 I like because just because you are a skilled player doesnt mean you are going to be skilled with all classes, this would help vets as well as new players.

#2,3,5,6 I will have to say I have tried to spark rp with my cabal enemies the only person Ive ever even talked to is Paeceran, Willibald, and a little with Kaylia. Ill admit I play Kinivus and mainly the only people who are willing to rp with a Knight Sigil Thief are other goods, #3 I havent logged Kinivus on in about a week and a half due to something going on however yesterday Knight had a nice world warfare against Syndicate yes we had 3vs2 for a bit then Kaylia logged. Yes I died but I still had alot more fun then just running around making someone who alot of people fear even more powerful, this system would allow for more warfare slimming the chances of one character gettting overpowered, and yes there is 1 and sometimes 2 in any given cabal at any given time. And this isnt a knock at all toward any of these characters. You have worked hard to become these scary mofo's however its not that great to see new players getting disgruntled to losing to these same powerhouses day in and day out. And this statement also goes with a post I made on either the old forum or new, but equipment really does matter. Skills are a part but I spend about 150 to 200 hours on any character mainly training and have decent equipment however I still get it handed to me by players with god equipment and mediocre skills. This would give them slightly less time to aquire those and when they do aquire them it would be that much more reqarding I would think.

And I really like the ideas of joining certain cabals Herald/council awsome, I mean they are doing a good job however they are bored I cannot even think how Palwen has logged what 4 bazillion hours not within getting bored but they need a litle more to the way they are now.

Savant/nexus great ideas there they would make a great rp oppertunities for the taking over the world rp.

Praetorian/Sigil combined as knights as Military is a decent Idea personally I do not think that many understand how the Sigil is sopposed to be played as it is now. (help sigil might help understand this) Sigils are not the frontal assult troops more the scouts tacticians blah blah blah, you wont beleive how many times I see and this is not a bash, Praetorians order me into combat while I have a dragon and a dragon slayer wielded and them full metal jacketedso to speak, but I am no coward so I go. Heh fighting a Vampire with these and not dying I was impressed with even my own skills.

I will leave it at that for now until I can think of something else which I am sure I will, please remember anything that I posted is not a knock I am more trying to be constructive here.

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

Remember with more people logged in your major cabal, there will be more people to defend, allowing you time to RP.

Especially if your standard is inside the city, a place where most RP takes places, or will take place.

We might need an extra buffer area between both cities, but it is fine.

Border zones.

This will also means, that if you leave your borders into enemy territory you are more likely to get attacked.

I used to play a huge north-south map mud, with increasing danger as you approached the opposing faction (N or S) base.

This will mean a WE style combat. Interesting.

Rheydin has quite limited acess to underdark, but both East and West have easy access. The map overlaps via the Underdark.

It's about time the Knights get the axe and hammerd into the Tribunal/Justice.

It will actualy be good to have 1-3 "kings". Good for RP.

Make cabal powers selectable, so that you cannot predict a cabaled characters skill set.

Still lots of RP roles for PK heavy characters under the guise of Faction Leader/Commander.

I really like it...

What is the max number of player's allowed in a Cabal and individual Sub Cabal?

It would still be possible for a Cabal to become an elite power with the majority of vet's in it...however, I do see how people like playing the undergo to get it up and running...so, all in all, I think you have yet ANOTHER good idea with this...I am more inclined to rp...I see far more reason and ways to rp with this cabal system...not to mention...the Herald orginization actually being seen as a part of a REAL cabal.

What is the max number of player's allowed in a Cabal and individual Sub Cabal?

I would leave that detailed balancing up to the IMMs, but if we followed our present pattern of 10 per cabal (8 in total)= 80...80/7 subcabals = ~11-12 per subcabal

A couple of things I love, a couple of things I dislike. I love the whole idea of the fact that there would be a smaller range of Cabals, (3) and the rest as subcabals. However, as someone already mentioned I'm not entirely sure where an alliance will take place here. That is, if an alliance would become null after this implementation or not.

Also, how would we put these sub cabals together under one cabal whose main concern would be overly different then all the other sub cabals? Wouldn't it become a huge cabal with a bunch of differences, fighting, and couping rather than 3 cabals fighting against one another?

Thirdly.. what about couping? Would that become obsolete? What about Leaders and Elders of the 3 cabals? Would there be a L and an E for each sub cabal, and a 'King' so to say for the whole cabal?

I'm just not sure we've all this thought out, yet. Needs a -lot- of work for the time being. Until then, I'll vote no, since I'm unsure if the Immortals (or me) would want to make such a large change...

Good idea though

A couple of things I love' date=' a couple of things I dislike. I love the whole idea of the fact that there would be a smaller range of Cabals, (3) and the rest as subcabals. However, as someone already mentioned I'm not entirely sure where an alliance will take place here. That is, if an alliance would become null after this implementation or not. [/quote']

Perhaps have an NAP option between Subcabals.

Also' date=' how would we put these sub cabals together under one cabal whose main concern would be overly different then all the other sub cabals? Wouldn't it become a huge cabal with a bunch of differences, fighting, and couping rather than 3 cabals fighting against one another? [/quote']

Political intrigue.

Thirdly.. what about couping? Would that become obsolete? What about Leaders and Elders of the 3 cabals? Would there be a L and an E for each sub cabal' date=' and a 'King' so to say for the whole cabal?[/quote']

A test of skills. Forsaken can coup, Gaia sub leader can challenge the current supreme leader in combat before the eyes of nature and the stars in the sky, Empire sub leader can politically put forth an objection to his current supreme commander and/or a lawful fight challenge before two presiding members or the Immortal/s in charge of subcabal/Cabal.

My thoughts, I don't know about the whole lawful thing only for the Praets...