I don't play CF anymore, and when I did tribs were never a problem for me to begin with because 90-95% of them are never a threat even if you are wanted, hell you can just exploit, and being flagged is at most a mild inconvenience once you know what you are doing. I struggle to remember anytime I ever died to a trib when wanted once I figured out how to move around in CF. All trib does it really make life a little more difficult for newer players.

I just think the cabal could be better constructed.

I do actually agree with Java though.
The cabal would be pointless without an open legal system that enables all this for the sake of RP. But I think it is detrimental at best to even have an open legal system to begin with, just to try and create RP (empire serves as en enemy cabal already). Because the only way for the cabal to work at all is for it to be inherently flawed.
Which is why the cabal is garbage.
Or I should probably just say could be made much better.

Again, all moot points since there is no staff to actually do any work to make significant changes to the MUD from what I can see.
Where's Zulgh when you need him.