Shattered Kingdoms

Many times I've heard the suggestion that cabals and tribunals need to be merged. Several times I've heard the alternate suggestion that a player should be able to join both a cabal AND a tribunal. I tend to like the second idea better in theory. However there are two major problems.

1. Technical reasons - The code is built around the idea that tribunals and cabals are really the same thing, therefore it's impossible to join more than one. However with enough work this is an obstacle that can be overcome.

2. Gameplay reasons - If you let players join both organizations, they will have the powers of both. One concern is that it would be overpowering. Midnight isn't a perfect example of what it would be like - to be fair, I'd have to add a new power for midnight to make them equivalent.

This thread is not about the technical problems but the gameplay ones. I would like to see the ramifications for this dual-joining fully hashed out in this forum. What can be done about the balance problems? Would it be more or less likely to cause issues with people sharing OOC info and/or joining multiple organizations with alternate characters?

I'm not committed to implementing this idea. I'm on the fence and need to be convinced one way or another. As rational players will affirm, comments made on these forums do influence the development of the game. This is your chance to have your ideas influence me more than usual. Use it.

First, a few questions.

1. Would a single character be able to have the leader flag in both a cabal and a tribunal?

2. Why do you prefer dual membership, as opposed to tribunal/cabal merging?

Now, my suggestions.

If a single character can be leader of both a tribunal and a cabal, it has the potential to be awesome. A single character can basically rule an entire kingdom (unless you're of the mistaken belief that cabals are global). This allows for better RP opportunities and better state unity and patriotism. If they can't get the leader flag in both, I think it's a little bit silly, just because it'll shut the door on so much RP.

I don't really like the idea of dual membership as opposed to cabal merging, mostly because I'm a fan of simple gameplaying, and this'll make things a bit more complicated. I suppose it will give the opportunity for more inter-cabal/tribunal RP though.

As for your MC idea, I don't know why you're fixed on the fact that they have to represent both a tribunal and a cabal. For so long they've been considered (in theory at least) to be just another organisation, with the abilities of both, yet they've been considered an equally valid choice as say, the peacekeepers or the harlequins. Why not keep it exactly the way it is, and allow players to join another cabal/tribunal from the MC? If you don't allow that, then you'll see a mass exodus from the MC, and it probably won't be touched for quite a while after this update goes in (unless their new power is really, really good).

At the end of the day though, a change like this really is necessary, either in its current form or in cabal merging. There's no other way to look at it. That's all I've got for now, though I'm sure I'll probably post again later.

If you're going that route? why bother? why not just merge them back? together? Your plan will just cause more headache than anything else and pretty much get the same result if you just merged them. I'd hate to see the chaos that would follow if this idea got the go ahead.

Forgot to add one thing, Minotaur Monks! Now Dammit!

Mc joining any other cabal tribunal doesn't fit well the the MC theory of serving only the emperor as his elite. Why not just let them take guards out of their nation.

I like the systems as they are. Cabals seem to be growing more behind-the-scenes, which they DEFINITELY should be, though tribunals could use a bit more membership. Exile just lost a horde of guards.

Merge the Hammer with the Peacekeepers, Fists with Talons, Adepts with CoN, leave druids and guardians seperate, give guardians some more abilities, and naturally harlequins will stay as they are.

I actually really like the idea. I think it would work best if steps were taken to make cabals more selective and more secretive.

The only thing that I could say about that is for balance would be gimping cabal abilities. Ie less abilities. But that would completely ruin them.

MAYBE it would work if the members were given a specialty or something. Choose skills or leadership.