Shattered Kingdoms

If possible, I'd like to keep this thread off of bashing the CRS system, since that's been done to death, and obviously isn't going to change. Instead I'd like to focus on a certain part of the system that I think is really inherently flawed.

The whole "goal" of the CRS system when it was first implemented, was as far as I am aware, to promote PK between cabals and tribunals. In effect it gave people a way to effectively limit the powers of a cabal, by stealing their relic, thus weakening the organization a faction is at war with. The system obviously had inherent flaws, the relic had to be guarded by PC players, there were two guardians, the outer and the inner, however both were easily dispensable by a well prepared group, the outer guardians could actually be solo'd by anyone with a bit of creativity. This lead to many groups simply waiting until the dead of night to steal relics from enemy cabals, when very few, or no PC's were around to defend their relic.

To counter this I suppose(I can't say for certain, the guards were added while I was on hiatus) cabal HQ's were given groups of quickly spawning guards, that from what I have observed, attack all members of the attacking party that were involved in killing the outer guardian. They obviously don't attack just anyone in the HQ. Sounds fine in theory, beef up the cabal defenses a bit, but I think we've crossed the line to far back in the wrong direction.

Before the guards cabal HQ's were to easy to raid, and breaking into a cabal's HQ wasn't a terribly difficult ordeal. After the guards were added, invading an enemy HQ has become tantamount to suicide, in the two times I've raided an enemy HQ since I've started playing again, one time was with a group of nine, and the guards still managed to kill one of us, and nearly got another couple. The second time, the HQ actually had a player defending it, coupled with the guards, the entire party nearly wiped, two died, many more came damn close. That's how powerful the guards are. It completely goes to far in the wrong direction, and discourages any attempts at even thinking of breaking into an enemy base. If there are actually 3 or 4 people to defend an HQ, that small group coupled with their guards could easily wipe an entire invading party.









It goes on and on, am I the only one that thinks this is overly excessive? I mean these guards are like sorceror/mercenaries, they're petrifying assholes with swords and maces, and multiple attacks. Isn't this going off the deep-end a bit?

I thought the whole idea was to encourage conflict? It's to the point were you may see a relic taken once a month if you're lucky. Nobody wants to have to fight that, and nobodies certainly going to be foolish enough to attempt it when there's actual player characters on to back up their guards.

I understand the need to make cabal HQ's slightly more difficult to raid, so people couldn't just go grab a relic with a group of three or four, but it's been pushed to far across the line. We've got a whole thread of whining about how powerful tribunal NPCs are, I'm really baffled that this hasn't been brought up. Sure cabals can't take their NPCs anywhere, but they sure as hell can hide out in their virtually impregnable HQ whenever they feel like it. On top of having amazing skills and abilities the rest of the player base doesn't have access too.

Does anyone else agree? I think if the whole idea is to promote conflict and attempts on relics, we're going about it the entirely wrong way.

I think it's multiple NPCs different classes, not multi-classed NPCs...Anyways, I'm not sure they're overpowered, but I don't think they should be in the game either way.

I mean seriously, Dulrik, you always want to talk about how twinkish people are about how they do stuff in SK. NOBODY ever, EVER straight up raids an enemy HQ. You do not go to an HQ to attempt to take their relic when there are actually PC's on. You might break in to try and kill some of the PC's, but then you leave. Yes, I'm bashing CRS, despite Sypher's wishes.

The number of NPCs that come out depend on the number of foes compared to the number of defenders. The greater the number of pc foes verses pc defenders, the greater the number of NPCs. Of course, if a cabal is bankrupt...

Either way, throw out ctf and bring back the secret hqs and the bluff-and-bluster.

Again with the hijack.

I don't think the guards are overpowered, I've been on a few successful raids since the guards have been introduced, it just takes a whole lot of muscle, which is fine considering you trying to break into someone else's HQ.

Before saying anything I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to allies and foes alike in-game of SK, those who do not play the relic-exchange games.

Contrary to what Sypher has outlined, from my observations alone, relics of most cabals have been taken now and then in the last few months of conflicts. I have also discovered that should a cabal does not have an 'unified front', or simply lacking members, then they would be in a big trouble. Therefore, this forces RP in the direction of teamwork and securing alliances with other factions. (This completely removes secrecy and independence, which can be argued good or bad of course.)

A relic attack on a HQ is too fast, too furious. The inner guardian does so much damage to the group, even with moderate enchantments someone would die. Now add a few defending, knowledgeable PCs on top. It has become a system for the elites of SK. This is why relic attacks have mostly been done when the others are offline, and guards are currently zerged and worn out instead of any real tactics coming into play.

In a sense I suppose Dulrik's vision has come to fruition in many ways, forcing player to player interactions, promoting mass recruiting or secure alliances, but secrecy is no longer something that can come easily unless the cabal very sparingly use cabal skills. It's just that..... What has SK cabals become, anyway? It's like a lot of different PvP groups with different skillsets that function differently...? Where's all the scheming and plotting gone?

Here's something CRS needs, please take a look:

Please change the long descriptions of the NPCs so that we can distinguish between a merc, a priest and a sorc. (Whatever else spawns with them, too.)

That way we can dirt kick, blind, bash and actually employ tactics when they come rushing out of the gates. Giving the attackers at least a tick or two before guards spawn, and increase the time interval between guards respawn would be nice too. Currently if the attacking group runs out of mana doing outer guardian + guards, they have no shot at all for the inner + defending PCs.

I just have an odd question. Cabals are not secretive in any measure. The moment they do a raid, who lists, alliances, truces, and wars all reveal who is in what faction. So, why are they still so secretive?

Because, despite ctf, they are supposed to be secretive orgs.

I think it's all been answered already:

- If you want to see less NPC defenders, attack when you have even odds. The NPC guards are there to keep gank squads from rolling over the lone defender. I know it's counter-intuitive, but suck it up. Attack when you have even odds and it will be more fun for everyone.

- There were not that many guards actually in the room as shown in that quote. At least half of them were mirror images. Yes, it would be nice if you could tell the mages from the priests from the warriors. I can probably add that in at some point.

I don't plan to spend any signficant time making changes to CRS. I spent a few years doing that and even though the system is much improved, it never made the complainers happy. As mentioned above, the system does accomplish most of what I set out for it. I'm done with changes except for minor tweaks. There is other, better, more important work to be done to keep the game fresh and continue to bring in new players.

PS. If you want me to remove the word "secretive" from cabal help files, and that will settle things once and for all, I could go for that too.

Please do, that way we can discuss cabal skills/spells that are also no secret to anyone anymore. Even though we already discuss them now.

Actually no, I want cabals to be secretive again. Anything to further their lack of secretivity (tm owned by p40) is a further destruction of cabals primarily and SK secondarily.