I've been away/free from CF for about two years - and upon checking the forums I saw thieves were updated (i'd only been waiting 6 years!) and rolled one up.

What drove me away before was the elitism of the game, the cliques in chatrooms exchanging ooc tips and imms creating super characters that knew where everything was, knew all the mechanics, and had no qualms enjoying the fruits of their hard work.

I came back to a mud that has more clearly defined what info improves gameplay and what should be up to you to discover. Discovery is fun, death frustration and helplessness are not.

There are more roads, more signs, invis is meaningful, money is more meaningful, maxing skills is harder, and more things to discover - both easy and hard.

The players have been a mix of haughty newbie-feeders, typical pk'ers, arrogant supreme rp'ers, and polite semi-newbies. The ratios are just better now.

The thieves are awesome, and with any class I feel I'm able to compete in any fight despite being so ignorant that I dared get attacked without my barrier wands zapped up first.

sometimes progress isn't all about technology!

I know the imms don't often respond to appreciative comments, so I will do so now. We always appreciate positive feedback - that goes for everyone who has made such comments, as well as yourself.

We do know that appreciative players are out there, though. The fact that the MUD has consistently been so successful is a testament to the fact that we're doing something right. As you point out, there are countless crappy MUDs out there - designing a fun, immersive, and balanced game isn't as easy as some might think. It's just human nature to complain about what is wrong and say little about what is right.

Still, it's refreshing to hear a positive comment once in a while. The lack of response to such comments doesn't reflect our apathy about your appreciation so much as exhaustion from having to deflect all the misconceptions and negativism. It's a relief to have a positive post that doesn't require a defensive response.

I'm glad you're back and enjoying the game. Have fun!

To bad the cabal part is way out of balance these days... I feel the current changes that has happened has given loads of cool stuff for the evil side to check out. Goodies has been left out. God how I miss the mage cabals that was before.

Well maby the balance will be back in half a year or so, still thats to late for me... I am out...

Found other carrion bases that is still in balance, its a drag to get the knowledge again but hey atleast its fun to play again hehe.

Btw good luck with you comback! (<- not sarcasm, ment as a cheer on)

Still kudos to the Carrion team if they can attract new players with the new stuff, still pity I can't say I really find it all that enjoyable.

Fun stopped a few months ago when the cabals were torched, and I guess I just should get out before it gets into my system. Hey its just a game anyways!

Because I want a hit of what your smoking.

The cabals are VERY well balanced, bucko. I don't know how many times veteran players have to tell new and intermidiate players (these being people who have played less than 4 years) that the balance always swings between the cabals. Strong players go to the underdog, and the masses follow... then the strong players switch to the new underdog... and the masses follow. You tell me what cabal is constantly on top right now? I know it isn't Empire... When I'm on my hero maran we have the orb 90% of the time, and the Codex maybe 20%. It certainly isn't Scion thats in power, Ragers aren't the overpowered unkillables they were 5 or 6 years ago... the new quasi-evil cabal Outlander is DEFINATLY not in power. The Fort heroes die A LOT(with the exception of the leaders and a couple others.)

Yes, we don't have a mage cabal. I promise you one is in the works. If you honestly can't see that CF is a far better mud than it's ever been than I'm glad you leaveing. Your exactly the kind of person that ruins the gene pool of CF.

the new quasi-evil cabal Outlander is DEFINATLY not in power.

Outlander can and does induct members of all moral alignments. It has an ethos bent, not a moral one, and it was designed from the ground up to allow good, neutral, and evil members.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

What can I say... You didn't read the post. I gave credit to the team and gave my feedback and you go like haywire??? Maby take counceling for your anger Mr. I didn't say the cabals wasn't balanced in itself, its the sum of the cabals that does not match up anylonger, and I'm sure new will come to get the balance going sooner or later. Currently I don't want to sit around for months to let them evolve and as much as half a year until it settles into the mud and players adopt it. If you ever run/coded a mud or been the part of a mud staff (exchange mud with any program name and it would still be true) you would know changes take time, testing and coding is not the worst. It's the bugfixing tweaking after it comes into play thats the worst, crazy players find all kinds of exploits and bugs. It takes a lot of time, and you allso have to get the players to adopt it and do things the way you want them to. I just don't feel for waiting for that to happen. I loved the cabals that were and I can't say I do the same now, sorry to dissapoint you...