Posted by Proud Blade(VIP) on August 20, 2000 at 14:41:57:
In Reply to: Just a question.... posted by Imperial on August 20, 2000 at 14:18:37:
... are slightly on the weak side, although it varies from sect to sect. Arcana and Divine have average stuff, with Blade slightly on the weak side, and Dark Sect getting powers that are a bit too specialized for my taste. (Summon tricks only do so much, although I admit that Imperial philosophy makes summon a very nasty thing to specialize in.) Centurions are great when used properly. I've found query to be very useful, although I don't get the feeling everyone does. Bloodoath is a burden- either people roll up a character intending to be an Imperial (so tha bloodoath is a weak form of 'induct'), or they refuse it entirely, because Oathing can screw you in so many ways. It's not nearly as useful as it could be as a recruiting tool.... The reason Empire powers don't stack up one-for-one against, say, Sylvan, is that Empire permits you to play a total bastard and be rewarded for it. You can gang, lie, bully, or whatever, as long as you play by the rules and kiss the right asses. The induction process is easy, you are not expected to defend/raid against nasty odds, almost any class is eligible, and you usually have a group of less clueful lackeys to order around. For all that, you pay three prices: easy anathemization, a large subset of enemies, and mediocre (but not bad) powers. How I'd rank them: Powerful: Entropy, Sylvan (A lot of the above change with circumstances, and your particular role. Even though I played a scarab for an awful long time, I'm not sure how to rank them exactly. Masters might be medium, but I don't think so.)
Medium: Arbiters, Battle (Berserker, Spy), Empire (Arcana, Divine)
Mediocre: Masters, Empire (Blade, Dark), Battle (Defender)
Weak: Dawn, Troupe (lack of items and all)