Posted by Thrakk on January 2, 2000 at 006:31:19:
1) It is very difficult to rank. When you finally find a couple of people who arent criminals to group with, chances are someone will committ a crime and you will be forced to end your learning because you have to go investigate. 2) You are generally heavily outnumbered. 3) You cant kill creatures in town. No ranking on guards, shoppies, etc. No killing the mobs in Seantryn for their sweet eq. 4) You must fight other cabals the same way the U.S. fought in Viet Nam... one hand tied behind your back. Example: Ragers take the book, you finally find that rare occassion when you have a shot at getting it back but thats all you can do. You arent allowed to take their head. I remember about a year ago when Saagkri was Lord and the Sylvans were just butchering arbiters left and right.. hell, sylvans practically moved into the cities.. kinda like what they are doing now but thats another story. Anyway, the few times we got an edge over them they would just flee back into the woods and camo. Saagkri wanted to take the sapling and he posted a note saying to do so. Some spineless immortal told him to remove the note or else. Sigh. 5) Arbiter powers are a joke. You cant flag people in combat or manacle them and guards are weak.. practically useless against anyone in your range. 6) Astein is an egotistical maniac who twists the truth into something that isnt. I remember someone asking me for my approval to join arbiter. I told him I had no power to induct him. Then he tells me Jaldean told him to get two arbiters' approvals before he would consider letting him join. So, I started asking him questions and he answered poorly. So, I told him to go to Seantryn motrin and do some research as to why he felt it should be a protected city. Next thing I know Astein is threatening to kick me out for giving out a "quest". Gimmee a fucking break.. the guy came to ME and asked for my approval and thats how I decided he could get it. 7) There is rarely any mortal leadership and even when there are, the arbiter immortals think they have to micro-manage everything. I remember telling Astein I was going to give an interview and could he sit in? I figure it would be good practice for me seeing how I was going to ask to be Lord. Well, Astein FREAKS out once again threatening me and telling me this is my last chance. God forbid someone take a little initiative and show some leadership in a cabal that has long since been the whipping boy of thera. 8) Jaldean is a hypocrite who will find a stupid reason to kick you out if you dont kiss his ass. There are many, many tiny rules which arbiter must follow. Example, stay vis when handing arbiter business, dont go into other guilds unless for business, make sure you tell people why they are flagged.. things like this. So, basically these rules are broken on a daily basis either by accident or carelessness or whatever. Every now and then someone will get yelled at for going into a guild or will be asked by immortal if you properly explained to the criminal why he was flagged. This protocol is all layed out on the pillar in the hall. Well, I flagged a guy the other day after getting two non-biased, lawful witnesses. The person I flagged was someone who I had already caught lying in the past and saw no reason to argue with him again before I flagged him. Well, check this out... Jaldean (who I have never gotten along with), kicks me out for not following rule 4 about listening to both sides. What a crock of shit. SO, join arbiter, lose 20 lives sitting in town trying to keep order, get put on trial constantly by your own immortals (dont ever expect any support from them), then get kicked out. Ill tell you right now I have never felt so betrayed in my entire life. I played Thrakk straight up. There wasnt a crooked bone in his body and tried like hell to give everyone a fair shake. I spent time with younger arbiters teachin em a few tricks, I spent time trying to rebuild the relationship between empire and arbiter and master and arbiter.. man, I was devoted and this is what I got. Ill never play another arbiter again.. not so long as jaldean and astein are there.
Very few people want to be arbiters and those who do usually change their minds and delete or get kicked out around rank 30. There have been less than TEN new heroes in arbiter over the past year. How many have other cabals each had? 100?