Posted by theidiot on May 9, 2000 at 18:49:22:
In Reply to: I disagree. (text) posted by Proud Blade(VIP) on May 9, 2000 at 08:57:41:
> 1) It's called obligation. Being in a cabal places roleplaying constraints on a character, and will often cause them to fight or aid another when they normally might wish to do other things. Many cabals expect you to fight to defend and retrieve their item. Several expect that you aid your comrades whenever possible.
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You sir, are a cabalist, and an optomist, but i'll ignore the last. Obligation that can make the most cookie cutter characters on the mud and does. Sometimes it turns into a game of combat football and roleplay is secondary.
> 2) Entering a cabal takes a great deal of time and roleplaying. (Even Empire... you may get inducted quickly, but your actions are scrutinized tightly from there.) It -should- come with a reward of sorts if you do it well. Ditto for tattoos. Both cabals and tattoos also usually mean that IMMs may watch you more closely.
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Entering a cabal seems to take very little at times, considering the very uneven roleplaying quality of the cabals at any given time. I've been turned down during stellar roleplay (in my own mind) by an obtuse individual before and inducted on the spot for breathing.
> 3) Entering a cabal may get you friends, but it will also make you enemies. Ask anyone in an "auto-titled" cabal (Dawn, Scarab, Arbiters) how their life changed afterwards.
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But the rewards of the cabal; powers, eq 15 ranks above you consistently, etcetera are pretty good.
> Finally, why should there be a reward for doing nothing? If you like to "roam and live your own path", what power is appropriate for all of those people? Should a level 26 duergar warrior who lives on the Eastern Road get these powers? Total newbies who only got to the mid-ranks by being dragged around by groups? Whay type of skill is exclusively learned by people with no strong direction in their life?
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If you mean by "Doing Nothing", not enhancing the game for others through roleplay in some way, cabalists are as good at this as anyone. So only a cabalist has strong direction in life? I do not believe that is true. Kind of doubt you do as well. I don't really like the idea of non-caballed special skills, but I liked Romes(?) idea of the Adventurers class/cabal thing.
> I'm not saying that uncaballed people -can't- have an interesting role- many do, including some of the most interesting. I just don't think that there should be some sort of automatic reward for not doing anything in particular. And if you require an interview/quest to get the skill, why couldn't a caballed person do it as well, if the reward is so generic as to apply to anyone?
They have interesting roles in which they "do nothing" and have "no strong direction in life"?
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