There have been some big and small changes that I'd like to mention here at the launch. But first I'd like to welcome you all back and say what a great time I've had playing with each and every one of you. We've been playing together, some of us, for over 4 years now and it has been, and will continue to be, one of the great pleasures of the gaming world to do battle at the side of so many good people. Though the game has changed, and we all have changed in our own ways, we still represent a beacon of honor and courtesy in the sea(SE?) of madness that the internet gaming world presents us. So it is with great pleasure that I open this new phase of Cabal, by welcoming you all to Ghenna's latest creation, our new Forum.
Now let's talk about Faction. Cabal has a history of being a social shell, offering refuge and respite from the drama and stress of other endgame shells as well as a haven for youngers to learn the tricks and traps of their jobs from more experienced players in a friendly community environment. Throughout our years together, some of the finest players on the unicorn server have enjoyed our welcome hearth. We sweepers of the Cabal are here to serve the interests of all who come here, and so it is with great pleasure that I announce the creation of Faction. Faction is not a splitting of Cabal, rather it is a separate level of play where players interested in the more serious and hard hitting endgame activities can organize. Faction will also be open to players who might not otherwise be a part of Cabal, which will remain the calm sanctuary it has been since it's inception.
Faction will have a level and rank requirement. Not all Cabal members will qualify immediately for access to Faction.
Cabal will still expect high level members to be courteous and helpful to the youngers. Not all Faction members will qualify for access to Cabal.
To facilitate large Faction events a new Faction linkshell has been created and is being kept by sweeper Ghenna. The Faction shell is not for socializing, and will be kept vacant except when in use for an event. If your Faction pearl is broken this does not mean you have been kicked out of Faction, it just means the room is being cleaned and readied for another official use. Faction pearls will be handed out by Moderators prior to any relevant Faction event. The Cabal shell will continue to serve as our permanent home for casual chat, advice, and assistance.
Now for some of the smaller changes. Poking around I'm sure you'll find that Ghenna has added several features to user profile pages allowing you to detail your mission progress, jobs, and crafting levels. To search for other members with the skills, jobs, and mission requirements that you need, a "roster" link has been placed along the top bar. Expect continued improvement of these and similar features as time passes. Also, the ranking system has been simplified. A brief review follows:
Unranked members: have access to public areas only, but can submit a request to join Cabal, Faction, or both.
Cabal and Faction members: have read and write access to their own shell area, and read access to all others. It is possible to be a member of both groups at which point you can choose which color your name is.
Moderators: These are the folks you pay attention to. Their role is to keep the peace here. They have full athorrity to lock, delete, or modify posts, suspend or ban members, and approve membership into Cabal or Faction.
Sweepers: Guys with brooms who keep the floor clean and make sure that things like the linkshells and the forum website continue to exist.
I hope you all continue to enjoy being a part of this community as much as I do. I'll see you online.
