Forsake Cabals

Random idea just popped into my head. Right now, playing an uncaballed character it really hard, because the cabal skills are super powerful. The problem is that being in cabal is kind of a limiting experience. There are alot of great RP that just don't fit in one cabal. So I want to do something to boost non-caballed people.

Basically, we let people become "renegades" who swear off cabals. We couid always have undoing renegade be a by application thing, so its not permanent, but not easy.  You can only become a renegade at level 50.

Perks of being a renegade:

-Pick an additional two perks available at character creation, for a total of 3.

-Discount and Reduced Lag using Cures/Heal/Uncurse at Temples, as the Priests Take Pity on you

-Being a commoner has its advantages. You are no one important, so as long as you are not bloody and are either sleeping or resting, you do not appear on "where".

-It is difficult for bounties and wanted status to stay on you, as no one knows who the hell you are. They run out in 25% of the time for a normal character. 

-Align Specific:

--Goods: Request Lag is is cut in half, and you don't lose hp/mana/mv while requesting.

--Neutral: You are not important enough for them to know, so good aligned mobs will allow you to request from them so long as their level is lower than your own. 

--Evil: Good people are so easy to fool. Ask them to give you something, and they will become distracted, and you can stab them in the back and take them to 50% health.

They sound like good additions mainly for newer players only. The 'where' command one is far more useful than literally everything a Cabal or even a Qclass can offer though. Sure there's the one class that can quite literally remain off 'where' for quite a long time and couple it with a specific Cabal, they can pretty much do so indefinitely. Otherwise though that is definitely a bit much in my eyes, and I usually prefer to go without a Cabal for long periods of times or even a clan since I don't like doing quests for the clan halls making people think I'm committing. I just want the gold and to train in peace mostly.

Two additional perks isn't bad though, and neither is the lag reduction, but I'd say if it were implemented to go a step further and make it so only your hometown healers would do that for you since they know you more.

I don't mind the reduced bounty time, I usually think of the bounty system as a pretty OOC thing though since we all know what happens when you bounty someone and they are killed. It also makes me feel that those who do bounty are more cowardly or know they wont kill the person which is why they do so. Even if that is based in their RP, sometimes it's difficult for me to accept that some people find that system to be completely just in every way. It should be in my own eyes similar to that of Tribunal captures. Person who bountied doesn't get anything from you, and the Syndicate person or the person taking your bounty since they did the work.

I've always felt that Neutrals should be able to request at least from other neutral aligned MOBs. It would be a nice addition for them, but I highly doubt that this would ever be implemented. We have to look at who still plays the game, and a great deal of people are against anything that will give someone else the upper hand a lot of controversy is put in around it. I don't think they should be allowed to do so with Good aligned MOBs though at all, after all, they're not there to help benefit their side or the evil side, but they do benefit the walks of life that don't choose a side.

The evil one is a bit much as well. Some higher end MOBs are good aligned and all it would take is a simple stab and now suddenly a tough fight is reduced to a quick skirmish. If anything I would say they could be able to barter items from other Evil aligned MOBs that can be a game of dice. If you roll higher than them, you can gain the item for X amount, and if they do, their stats are boosted by twice the amount until the next shift or they manage to respawn.

I could see it as something that would work better for those who are moderate though and not for people who choose Hardcore or Ruthless. They're not bad ideas overall, but some of them are pretty far fetched due to the one sided nature of them.

I see this idea pop up now and then, but the reality is, cabals are the endgame of FL.

You are not supposed to be uncaballed in FL really, simply because you are not supposed to that free. If that happened, noone would fight anyone and this game would quickly die.

At the very least, you're not supposed to get the kind of power boost that cabals provide without also getting the enemies that cabals force upon you.  If you want power, you have to fight to hold it.

@f0xx and @Pali make valuable points.

That kind of power has to have a counter to balance it.

When cabals grant powerful things there is;

1. Time required.
2. A Hard Coded Enemy to deal with
3. An Avenue for losing those powers.

So for your suggestion to be considered realistically, and discussed for its merit, you will need to add these concepts.

I made a similar suggestion on the prayer forum once. I suggested being able to purchase cabal like powers through RP points. Mostly as a way for individuals to be able to create their own cabals.

Looking back I realize I also failed to provide a couple of these down sides. Time to gather RP was there, but no Hard Coded enemy, no avenue of power loss.

I will have to consider the different ways one can deny power.

First Idea. For Loss of power.

As Individuals have no standard, perhaps give all cabals a new service "Fate Seal".

service fateseal (target)

The target of fateseal loses  connection with all bazarre related abilities for 24 hrs.

(problem: only lets cabaled characters counter your individual powers, which means I have to nullify your cabal like powers if you are fighting an uncabaled character)

Second Idea. For Hard Coded Enemies.

Make them fly a flag.

All individuals seeking cabal level powers should have to wear a flag [GENISIS}.

This will tell all people around the world that the character is a powerful upstart who may turn into a rival power they must deal with.

Just telling people you are special is not enough. It places a target, but now we have to inspire people to shoot at you. So...

Maybe + RP every time someone destroys a Genesis?

The problem with this idea is our player numbers. We've not enough to keep cabal wars running in some cases already now, we definitely won't have them if we split up things further.

Gravity seems to affect us.

In my "time slot" I have seen my few fellows tend to gravitate toward cabals where were are together or at least aligned. (this happens IC/IG I do not have ooc contacts)

Likely this stems from a QOL aspect people enjoy, its late, we don't want to waste my time gathering consumables, we just want to learn what is where and what it does.

When several people lock into this mindset, we get several heralds, or merchants, and the endless battle that IS the history of Aabahran becomes weak and lackluster.

What about adding RP rewards for PK on top of CP or Bounty rewards?

Died in PK? 1 RP

Killed someone in PK? 2 RP

Inspire them all to kill me again. That's what I want Santa.

In short, this is little more than a decentralized cabal.

IMO, if you want to remain unaffiliated, you don't get perks for doing so.  A down side.

An up side to being unaffiliated is you can be friends with anyone you want (and that your alignment/class allows), allowing you to more or less choose your enemies instead of having them forced upon you.

Now that doesn't mean the ideas are bad, though some are overpowered or can be exploited easily (such as hidden on where).  Adding one or two of these to Journeymen might be a better fit.  Or perhaps have another mini-cabal like Breakers.  As Anume said, we don't really have the numbers, even for a cabal that's not a cabal.

I could get behind this idea but the only gripes I had to uncaballed characters was fixed when the bazaar was created.  I.e. Binding/reinforcing/locating/identity

I would not call Cabals endgame.  Yes, you get the major wars and powers from cabals, along with the downsides.  But, there is also RP angles that simply do not fit into any of the current cabals.  I wouldn't want a greater power to 'kill' as a non-caballed character.  However, you should not be fodder for those whom are caballed simply because they are caballed.

The caballed choose those strengths and weaknesses, yes.  They should get them because they earned/earn them.  They should also be able to utilize them.   However, the idea of forcing another to fight is another matter entirely. 

I remember creating a character for my very first Herald, Thren.  I had no idea what to expect, and surely did not expect to get Leader.  I was so pissed when my comp died and i couldn't finish what i wanted to finish with him as I had a blast.  But, for the vast majority of his career i was locked into handling cabal duties.   Organizing those tomes was a complete bitch and a half.  I had FAR more fun setting some RP plots.  (Even when some IMM decided to write a note on my behalf from Thrren😛)

The point i am making with that example is where i had the most fun was somewhat stifled by the politics of Herald.  I was working HARD on  changing those politics but it was somewhat limiting.   I like the ideas presented here for the sake of better survival so those wonddrful RP ideals can be met for those who suck at PK like me but want to enrich the RP the environment.   But not showing up on where is WAY too much of a PK advantage in my eyes.

16 hours ago, Fool_Hardy said:

Died in PK? 1 RP

Killed someone in PK? 2 RP

Inspire them all to kill me again. That's what I want Santa.

I've suggested this in the past and people who are active PKers prefer not to gain any RP points form this and it was argued against being RP overall. I am for that change regardless, and even completely for submitting them specifically for RP logs to gain RP points if there's actual RP involved before or after.