In a world where “free to play” used to be the sign of a title with limited content and catering to the young gamer who chooses ease over challenge, Cabal Online is attempting to forge a new path in both mindset and challenge. For those who are unfamiliar with Cabal Online, the bottom line is a world that has been totally decimated and few of the human race have survived. Now, their survival relies upon relearning how to take care of themselves in the most basic ways with the most basic of tools, and working on rebuilding what they once had. In the process, this race will rediscover old-world technologies and magics… with the hope of avoiding disaster again.

I sat down for about an hour last week, at GDC, with David Hoffman, Executive Producer with OG Planet, and we talked about a variety of things. What I really wanted to know from him first and foremost was what will make Cabal different from other similar models. We discussed game mechanics, in-game play, crafting, and mounts. We touched on PvP, as well and to put it mildly… I was notably impressed.

Cabal Online was initially developed as a subscription model, and was then turned into a free-to-play title. This was a decision that “made sense” to David, and he went with it. The team makes a conscious effort to provide a balance for the free-to-play and pay-to-play communities in overall experience. This title has successfully completed the closed beta phase, with 5,000 players taking part in this most essential aspect of pre-release testing, and open beta is now in progress (having opened on February 1, 2008). So far, according to David, there is “nothing to send up red flags” and delay the anticipated release of Cabal Online – however, OG Planet is declining to specify a date where we might actually get to see the finished product released. Is this cause for concern? I don’t believe so. Rather, I believe this is a smart move. Since there is no publicly announced plan no one can become upset if release dates slip or changes are made. But I digress. Let’s talk more about the game itself, and what I learned.

According to David, you can play this title from level 1 to its cap of 170 “without ever having to spend a penny”, although there is a cash store, and players can purchase items to help them along. When asked how the casual player might be affected by not purchasing items, it was pointed out that really the only advantage in using the cash store is achieving goals quicker. In other words, no one needs to spend money in this free-to-play game in order to be competitive. However, when you navigate to their website, a pop-up window does appear with items in their shop, encouraging you to purchase a premium membership which gives you increased experience gain, expanded inventory, increased drop rate, in-game items such as training dummies, dungeon entering items, core enhancers and more. So time will tell if there really is a significant advantage. Until then, I’ll take David’s word for it.

Within Cabal itself, players can choose from 6 different classes:

• Warrior
• Blader
• Wizard
• Force Archer
• Force Shielder
• Force Blader

Each player has an innate magical ability. However, the “force” classes are individuals who make use of the internal magic that was the basis of the destruction of the world years before. These classes, however, are capable of using this magic to summon weapons, or enhance their own weapons as they advance. There are additional ways for the other classes to channel energy. Do not think you must choose to be a “force” class in order to enjoy this aspect of game play. Currently there is only the human race for players to choose from, but David did indicate that other races are currently under consideration for possible implementation at a later date. He did not provide any further information, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! The crafting system in Cabal is in-depth, in that every item within the game can be crafted. Should you choose this path, you may be kept busy upgrading and enhancing players’ equipment. However, you must work to achieve this, as the ability to create, change, or upgrade existing items is not innate – it must be earned and the right given to you through a series of tasks.

Player housing is not yet available, however at some point in a future expansion it may become an option. For the launch of the game, the developers felt that housing was not essential for players to enjoy the title. Do not despair; however, it is under consideration!

Naturally we all wish to know about available mounts in any game we might be considering. Cabal is no different, and upon release two such items will be available. Keep in mind that Cabal is not your traditional fantasy MMO, so what is available will be technological: a hover board and the astral cycle. We did discuss possible future forms of travel – such as flying – and this is an option under consideration as a possibility at a later date.

Traveling across the land without a mount can be cumbersome, naturally. Who wants to go slow? In Cabal, everyone has the ability to “dash”, giving you a burst of speed to cross a short distance quickly. So if you are unable to acquire one of the faster modes of travel right away, at least you know you can still get some quick movement across the land.

Currently there are over 300 instances in Cabal, giving players a wide variety of areas to explore. Some are timed, some are access-quest required, and the rest are open format. This would appear to comprise a large part of the game play, and traditionally “instances” require groups for successful completion. However, David indicates that the solo player can successfully get from beginning to end without ever really needing a group. Naturally, you might miss out on some of the content that does require grouping – but none of it is required for success.

In fact, solo players may achieve a more in-depth understanding of the game, the lore, and the land as a result of taking their time to get through it. That in and of itself can be a great reward for those of us who like to really get into a game world. As you level up, you’ll gain points that you can allocate toward your strength, intelligence and dexterity. More personalization can be purchased through using your in-game currency to obtain upgrades. Of course there are also items that can be obtained to further your personalization, such as weapons, armor, jewelry, etc. Epic armor is also available later in the game, both through questing and higher level instances. In order to acquire these items, the average minimum level will be 110 to 120 – the zones and quests required are definitely end-game style content. These items will most likely never be purchasable through the in-game store. Player vs. player is a part of Cabal Online, and there will be factions you will be asked to choose from. Eventually, these factions will go to war – and large scale wars are an upcoming feature that is in the planning stages. At this point in time, on the non-PvP realms you can still duel each other in consensual combat. In the PvP realms, however, it is a free-for-all format which lends itself to griefing and just outright homicidal tendencies.

As a result, a penalty system has been implemented to discourage those players from being constantly dishonorable. Continued misdeeds will find you in a zone that is like a huge maze, and according to David, “it may or may not have an exit…” So griefers beware. The more you cause trouble, the more you’ll find yourself in this impossible maze. Each offense brings you a longer sentence within it. Also, honor points can and will be lost. As you level your character, honor points become more important in terms of faction and other game play aspects. So to lose them – especially later in the game – would be a major misstep, as they are increasingly difficult to earn the deeper into the game’s content you go.

Among the many features on the official website will be leader boards. They will relaunch the site with the release of the title, so be sure to check it out.

From what little I’ve seen, I think it will be interesting to watch this title reach the community and hear what you guys have to say about it. Naturally all games wish to be “the one” that you choose to spend your time at, but Cabal sounds as though it will successfully offer something that will allow both casual and the hardcore gamers to compete with each other. I’m interested in seeing how the balance works out. Only time will tell, but I think Cabal is on the right track with their ideas and concepts… now to wait and see if the implementation of those concepts is successful.

Maggie "AutumnKiss" Olsen
Senior Editor, Zam Network