>This is far more indicative of a problem with the cabal as a
>whole than DB being balanced because it makes ranking
>awesome.
>


I was not saying DB is balanced because it makes ranking awesome, I was saying DB as it exists has a significant impact on ranking, and changing DB in the way the OP (and you) suggested would have more than a "minor" affect on Ragers ranking.

Further, I was saying that if he (and you) are going to make suggestions on ways to tweak Rager powers, you should probably consider the entire experience of being a Rager as opposed to focusing on extreme examples of 1v1 Rager v. Non-Rager-PC matchups.

My thoughts on whether or not Ragers are balanced are very complicated. I realize it's embarrassing to say your thoughts about a text game are "very complicated," but.. um.. there it is. In fact, it's almost too complicated for me to just spit them all out in response to this particular suggestion on tweaking DB. Further, I think two people can have completely different experiences playing a Rager. For example, if I deleted Malakhi after 250ish hours, back when Woldrun first con-died, I would have thought Ragers were awesomely powered and fun, based on the Rager backup I had and the level of PK competition I had. But over the next 300ish hours of the character, when I was, at times, one of 2 hero-range Ragers in the entire cabal, I had a very different experience. And that's just in the lifetime of one character. I can imagine someone like Abernyte or maybe even you, if you ever play a Rager, having a different perception than mine.

Setting the above aside, for now, I'll just settle on saying that all things considered, DB "works" to maintain a competitive balance. I think, for example, that imperial training, black circle, and imperial spies are all just as sickly powerful, as well, but at the end of the day, they generally "work," all things considered.


Also, FWIW, I disagree with the below, and/or think your suggestions are comparable with balancing easy-XP ranking spots on the assumption that enemy PCs will be a constant threat to rankers there.


>A defender can do just fine without a berserker, so yes, they
>can heal. They also can have bards in the cabal. If the
>problem is no healing, the solution is simple: recruit bards
>and defenders. There is no law in CF about cabal leaders
>saying 'We're recruiting X classes. If you are not X class,
>it's time for you to #### off.'
>
>Using non-cabal healers only very rarely factors into ranking
>and only depending on your group composition. It's more
>frequently abused by neutrals with bad RP (darsylon, darsylon,
>akan, darsylon) than it is an actually clever move (arkham
>crypts for goodies, who need an edge like that since the imms
>made it pointlessly more difficult).
>
> If you want an actual tank in Village, stop recruiting people
>with no dex or tanking legacies or use more doubleblock. The
>mana is an issue but bards can do this neat trick where they
>turn off autoassist, get drunk as hell and rest instead of
>swinging their sword pointlessly when their weapon skills are
>100%. People taking a scout are often going to be some version
>of: tank warrior, assassin, bard anyway.
>
>In short: total red herring.