Shattered Kingdoms

Not sure how long CRS has been in the game, but I remember when it first got implemented so it seems fair to say that I've been playing on and off since its inception. Yet, I have never ever had a single enjoyable interaction with that part of the game, be that as a defending force against someone stupid enough to attack while I was online (or clever enough to know I was in an impotent cabal when it comes to CRS defense) or as an offensive force trying to break in and grief someone. Also, during that time I have only read a single log of CRS that seemed to be enjoyable for at least some of the parties involved.

All in all, not the best track record.

Perhaps if the goal was not to grief the players who lost their relic, but instead a great boost on those who did get the relic, it would be a different game.

Personally, I find this game's world is far too rich and varied for me to want to be stuck running instances of capture the flag.


The point is that I still don't understand the purpose of CRS, big D... and I really want to, because it seems like you have a grander purpose that we're missing.

It's not a necessary alternative for PK: the vets already subscribe to enough of that, and tribunal characters are not going to engage in cabal-based raids without supporting cabals since they have nowhere to dump the relic (nor can they take a bodyguard into the HQ unless they are also at war with the host tribunal).
It's not a chance to obtain bonuses for a win (the victory bonus is laughably small).

It is a chance for a large group of attackers to steamroll all over a small set of defenders and take their things (which is the way it really has to be if you're going to successfully breach an attack when there are defenders online).
It is a chance to ruin the other guy's fun by taking away his fun and nifty abilities that make his play experience more exciting.


Please, please inform us of how you envision this process working, because I can't see it.

You can actually gate/rift from the first room of the HQ, so it is possible, though granted, more difficult.


I honestly don't mind the siege aspect of CRS, in fact I enjoy it: But, the fact that even the best siege where you fight on even footing and take someone's relic can be countered by them just waiting until you are offline and then ganking your relic with a priest and melee class makes the entire process seem very fruitless. Moreso, I don't blame a cabal for retrieving their relic in such a way because honestly, playing without cabal abilities sucks and players shouldn't feel forced to wait until there's a "even matchup" to try and get their skills back.

I have experienced on multiple occasions of this 'vision' that came into fruition, posted about it, and confirmed by Dulrik in the past. There are certain cabals/tribunals in SK that are less popular for the veterans, and some tend to attract certain types of players, therefore often not powerful in wars, anyway, that's another topic.


Many, many years ago, before there was "CRS", cabals/players in SK went at each other during wars/conflict, and for the longest time, even when one side completely crushed the other, few would admit defeat. Then, from that, players asked for the means in SK for one side to really crush another, so they are forced to be defeated.

Thus, CRS was born. The idea is when one side occupies the relic of another for a long time, the cabal without relic would want to negotiate truce. Most of the time it doesn't happen in SK still for multitude of reasons; due to its design, capturing another cabal's relic is always, still up to date easier when there are fewer or no defenders online. Therefore for many years, most of the time, CRS simply turned into a game of offline relic trading.

Getting back to the point, however, when a cabal is so destroyed, when its people don't even want to play, don't want the responsibility of recapturing relic even when other cabal is offline, or simply have no means to do so, then this cabal is then forced to secure means by diplomacy, making friends/allies outside the cabal, feigning/going through disband, etc., these have happened, but it's so shameful the news usually wasn't widespread.

Over time, though, players have figured out that taking another cabal's relic is usually futile and not courteous. Most players have figured out some players just won't roleplay defeat even if it hits them on the head, therefore taking their relic simply amounts to grief. In another words, we have done the run-around that we probably could have gone without in the first place, but now most of us have become wiser, right?

In summary/essence, the idea of CRS means well, but it requires a great number of players, as well as constant presence in the game to see better results. We used to have a lot more European players then, now SK is sort of a graveyard after 3AM system time. It is the similar idea of splitting cabals/tribunals, and having so many religions, they promote diversity, but require the numbers to do so. Anyway, it is a noble vision, and one we still need to see through.

In the past I have campaigned recombining cabals/tribunals before, and I still believe that is the best option at this point; some would agree certain cabals/tribunals should rejoin, and then say others shouldn't, etc., we could never agree on this. Realizing now that's never going to happen - we will probably always have the rise of this topic once in a while, similar to the reoccurring tribunals granting players immunity threads.

I don't care for the CRS system. Perhaps if there were more players, it would be interesting to do more relic-capturing.

However, some form of the CRS system in a future incarnation could be fun if applied to tribunals. Has always seemed like an interesting idea to make it possible for tribunals to conquer enemy territory.

The taking of cabal powers should just be scrapped. Instead there should just remain the reward for successfully capturing the relic. The reward is obviously still based on the eveness of the encounter when it begins.

The victors should get a bonus to their hp, me, and pe pools, which was a cool idea to begin with, but it seemed like it only worked for the hp pool. I remember the last time I successfully won one of these was back when I played Arsilan, and the bonus lasted for a week.

I find myself less interested in taking relics to deny my enemies their skillsets than I am in producing the victory bonus.