Shattered Kingdoms

No clue why my post is formatted in a [REDACTED] manner (other than being directly related to my lack of knowledge on how to format posts correctly) - if a moderator knows of a quick fix I would appeal to them to either teach me how or to do it themselves if willing, thanks.


I think that allowing players to join multiple cabals and multiple tribunals would be good for the mud, but I think there is so much foolish opposition to this issue that talking about it is stupid. Newbs will always believe that dualing cabals/tribunals would make someone OP even when it wouldn't.

I believe that weapons should be sent back to the old system, but whatevs. It won't happen. As soon as I return to SK I will remake the weapon comparison list.

I think the solution to a great deal of the balance problems in this mud is the removal of offensive scrolls, staves, and wands. Most people disagree because it goes against the history of the game and they dislike the idea of changing something so built into the mud, but eh - these things just benefit veterans so much that it's absurd.

I disagree. I don't see a problem here.

Worthless until immortals start caring about bug abuse. Money is still a joke to get in this mud as long as shopkeepers can be stunned by your NPCs and not remember being stunned by you..such an absurd bug that has been let pass for ages by our imm staff.


What I would rank as priority #2 - the best thing about SK is how players can really change the mud, this would enhance that.

Priority #1, along with allowing Banish to work on all players regardless of crimes committed. This pk and rp of this mud would both be greatly improved with this change.

I think all of these changes serve little purpose. Additions to the outer planes are unnecessary imo. New races aren't called for when so many races are unplayed due to their [REDACTED] stats/attributes that could be easily fixed. SD should be made a harsher punishment, not made weaker.

I don't think any of these affect game balance at all, and I don't have too strong of an opinion either way on any of them.


I think that increasing HPs would unfairly benefit casters. A better change would merely be to weaken backstab so that it can't 1hit hybrids anymore. I don't think that warriors are better than casters in the mud currently, so these changes are not called for.


I don't think a super elemental is a good idea, but giving warlocks about 5 more elementals with varying strength/weaknesses would be a cool idea to increase tactical use of them and make warlocks are bit better after a possible removal of offensive wands/staves.

Having not played in several years, I can only offer insight into how newer games are accomplishing some of these tasks.

Warhammer is an excellent example of how a relatively static world can have an ebb & flow mechanic for realm control. For those that are unfamiliar with it essentially you take an objective or a keep from your enemy thus giving you 'control' of the area. How this is done would cause this to be a much longer post but essentially by controlling the area you're in you are given a boost to a few things presently its including +10% to certain types of experience and +5%/-5% for selling/buying things from merchants. You also earn XP accomplishing this making it very lucrative and fun.

Lei_Kung once had a post on here on how an economy/trading system could be implemented I'll not rehash everything he said but suffice it to mention that the system in SK would be ground breaking.

I did try and login to SK while waiting for Warhammer's release and just wanted to test out what being a 'newbie' was like all over again in SK after a several year break. I have to say its not an enjoyable experience. The grind of starting is very unrewarding. Add another ten levels and make xp gain faster again, no game should look to increasing its grind at this stage there are other ways of introducing 'grind' like models to slow people down. In the end those that wish to power level will do so, and those that wish to level slowly and enjoy the game will do that as well but having a cumbersome process rewards no one.

I can't address everything in this post but a 'balanced' class system can be accomplished through rock paper scissors instead of every 1v1 being capable. Especially in the direction SK has apparently gone with the grouping becoming important class based PvP should reflect that as well where roles and certain types are fulfilled rather than every person being able to kill every other class given the right wind/temperature/weather.

The other things that made it fun 'back in the day' which I'm sure you're sick of hearing about by this time. Was the cool overpowered difficult to get weapons and such that were ultra rare. Having detailed RPs generated by players and sponsored by immortals. Interactions between otherwised diametrically opposed people other than just PKing each other. And for me especially discovering the 'secret' histories that SK has or where certain items/areas came from unlocking the secrets that had been forgotten and making new ones to forget.

That was the magic of SK. It was fairly easy to level, it was easy to get into RP and PK, and it was fun if you took the time to make yourself the best by getting those items/potions/armor/weapons that made you badass really did make you a badass. The cabals were just icing on the cake and made for a whole new type of gameplay that was utterly destroyed by the CRS system.

I do find it funny all of us, including the original proponent of CRS, are against it but Dulrik lets it live on.

As to Dulrik and additional coders. On the one hand it would indeed require a level of trust, one that as I understand was breeched once long ago, and for that reason I wouldn't want people messing with my IP either. However at this stage in the game the mud competition is relatively low and loss of source code I don't think would harm anyone the fan base will remain loyal and all said and done it won't be a big deal anymore unlike it used to be many years ago. That said, I see both sides of the coin and can blame neither for choosing as they do.

-Smaggs