Slavery: Lower the Price

[Anime Sword Fighter]

I was under the impression the huge amount was designed to be a gold sink for the immense amount of gold everyone had. And it worked to a degree. At one point there was like 4mill that was just apparently burned on freeing slaves, and that was what only I knew about. There probably was a lot more as well from others.

But now that we AREN'T getting that insane amount of gold, it seems like the price is just way too high now.

Now slavery is something that most could never dream of getting out of. Hell, even before I never would have as well. I never got the stupid amounts of money everyone complained about.

Suggestion:
It costs, to buy your freedom when un-owned, 3x the amount of gold that you would be sold to the Slave Master of Andunor for based on your 'skills' (see: level)
At least, that's how I thought it worked.

I'd think this is a reachable goal to work for. Thoughts?

[IndifferentPerson]

Pre-gold buff. I recall getting to one million was a hard task, I did it with some odd money making tactic(no it wasn't healing get out) plus adamantine market. None of my other characters ever got past 400k.

I think the fact the slave freeing price being obscenely high is good, but it could be lowered slightly.

[Mithreas]

Not sold - as it stands it gives people a reason to work together. I like that.

It's definitely something I'm keeping an eye on, though.

[If Valor Were Inches]

I like the high price.

What I would dream to see is a very high risk way to free/save slaves without paying. Auto-collar on the liberator on failure! Then would be rescuers could equally add to lost slaves as they could take away.

[IndifferentPerson]

I like the high price.

What I would dream to see is a very high risk way to free/save slaves without paying. Auto-collar on the liberator on failure! Then would be rescuers could equally add to lost slaves as they could take away.

Something similar is done IC, but you still gotta pay the 500k fee.

[Manabi]

Just out of curiosity, how does the collar work? Is it put onto the person with the players consent or can anybody be collared?

[Queen Titania]

No one can force a collar on a character.

The character can pick slave or prisoner from the collar NPC: Slave long-term, prisoner short-term. Its used to summon a slave back, making escape difficult.

[Manabi]

So, a character being set up for slavery has to speak to some NPC about the collar? I've always thought it was somehow forced. Like, sending -attach_collar through a tell to a surfacer down in the underdark. Maybe not that exactly, but something similar.


But yes! Four million is. . . quite a bit.

[Hunter548]

It's not four million. The exact number shouldn't probably be shared here.

[Rattus_norvegicus99]

Let me just say this. I've had a slave character since the new UD slave system was put in place. I have to say, I've been a bit disappointed in how easy it is for slaves to wander off ... I don't know if the price is perfect for buying freedom, but I do think that slavery needs to have a cost and a consequence ... and I'm not sure what that should be. Sadly, few people that make slave characters, stick them out, for a whole plethora of reasons, but I do wish I saw more - at least - moderate term, slave characters. There are very few of us left down there.

[Yma23]

I'm in favour of one of two things happening.

1) Cutting the price of freedom a little, as priorly suggested, to make it a little more affordable post gold change.
2) If not, then a call out to all UDers, all players.
SLAVERY IS A SERIOUS BUISNESS!
To get you character enslaved in an OOC agreement as much as IC. If you want to give it a go? Great. Awsome. But don't do it thinking 'Oh I'll be free in a couple of weeks if it doesn't work out.' It's a major, long term change to you character which could very seriously last the rest of you characters 'life.'
I hope I speak for all Underdarker Players when I say = I'd much rather have someone playing on arelith, having fun, with a neat character they enjoy than to destroy that character concept for my own pleasure. If you want to say 'No' ooc? There's no shame in that what so ever. There's always the prisoner coller, after all.

[Peppermint]

Speaking as the player of a slaver, honestly, I'd love to see the price reduced too.

I have no qualms with people working together. I think that's cool. That sort of thing is the whole reason I play a villain.

However, I can enslave characters a lot faster than people can band together to get 500k. My concern is that post gold-update, it will be so difficult as to become impractical -- and no one will bother trying. Which would make me sad. Goodies banding together to do good things is exactly what I'm trying to encourage.

[LittleWeasel]

Thank you, Peppermint! There are still goodies out there working their hardest, but the 500k now seem unattainable. Especially comsidering the politics involved in the slave freeing business that doesn't leave much time for blind grinding for money.., or for crafting., and resource gathering vecause some of the crafting recepies that make money cost more as so many people have to be paid to get the stuff
I know a thousand ways of losing money but only very few of making it

[Barradoor]

Ironically right before the gold change, a faction I had disappeared losing 1,000,001 and then her friend got enslaved.

Darn slavers with their +5 rings of timing.

[zeylin17]

I think the prisoner collar needs to be used more or discussed as to why it is not chosen more often.

Perhaps if that is figured out then the slave option wouldn't be exploited/used as much.


Perhaps different wording for the prisoner collar.
Not to manya people seemed to use it when I was down there. But I may have missed it.

[The Rambling Midget]

Being a slave is a lifestyle, and something that a character can be built around. Being a prisoner is an inconvenience and a sign of weakness. I would imagine that there are as many long term characters who have been prisoners as there are long term slaves, but slavery is the more glamorous of the two to start with, because it opens up a desirable avenue of RP, rather than interrupting a different one.

Everyone wants to be vomit-inducingly submissive once, just to see what it's like. Very few want to have an otherwise super awesome character inexplicably held captive.

[Seven Sons of Sin]

Everyone wants to be vomit-inducingly submissive once, just to see what it's like. Very few want to have an otherwise super awesome character inexplicably held captive.

[The Pretty Prince of Parties]

My concern is that post gold-update, it will be so difficult as to become impractical -- and no one will bother trying. Which would make me sad. Goodies banding together to do good things is exactly what I'm trying to encourage.

This actually started happening pre-gold update; we lost a lot of our fundraising volunteers because the rate of enslavement grossly outpaced our rate of fundraising already - they just gave up, there wasn't any point to it that a lot of them could see (because a half dozen slaves would be taken in the time it took to raise just the 500k bribe pre-update.)

I can only imagine that this get exponentially worse now (we're already down to only like... three volunteers, in my little group.)

[Tashalar]

I think the prisoner collar needs to be used more or discussed as to why it is not chosen more often.
Perhaps if that is figured out then the slave option wouldn't be exploited/used as much.
Perhaps different wording for the prisoner collar.
Not to manya people seemed to use it when I was down there. But I may have missed it.

No, I've just checked through the Slave Clamper's dialogue - there IS an option that explains the difference between slaves and prisoners. *Takes the dialogue to the Typo thread* Maybe it could be clarified a little more. I don't see how it can be exploited when it's the player of the slave/prisoner that chooses it though.

"Slaves are sold the city, and traded among the residents, as much a part of the fabric of the city as anyone."
"And a Prisoner?"
"Most are just awaiting a ransom, or being sent to the cage fights for sport. A few of 'em end up as Temple sacrifices. In every case they don't remain long in the city."

Perhaps have, at the choice "So which are you?" have the options clarified in blue beside them -

"I'm a prisoner." (TEMPORARY)
"I'm a slave." (LONG-TERM/PERMANENT)

(Also, Martin/Rattus is an amazing slave that has helped me, as a slaver PC, still have confidence to try and keep on sticking it out in the business.)

[Roketter]

I think it stands to reason to have the price were it is. Slavery shouldn't be something the slave can just simply take care off by himself, he needs financial help from a lot of friends and it should be a very long term goal.

That's what I think about this.

Howver, to play devil's advocate :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcsNbQRU5TI

[William Steele]

i'd say give it a few IRL months before lowering the cost. enough time for the gold change to really start to hit.

right now, i still have lowbie characters with way too much money.

[DirtyDeity]

+1 on reducing the cost here.
Or, alternatively, increasing the cost it takes to collar someone significantly.

I've seen plenty times where people are 'slaves', but they spend all their time on the surface. They barely RP in the UD. They don't RP as slaves. This, to me, means that their 'masters' enslaved them for kicks and giggles. Not because they wanted a slave. If thye wanted a slave, they'd make life for him in the UD, and he won't be spending all his time on the surface.

If the cost for collaring people was HIGH, then people won't just enslave others for fun. They'd only do that if they WANT slaves for whatever reason.

[Kuma]

They don't RP as slaves. This, to me, means that their 'masters' enslaved them for kicks and giggles. Not because they wanted a slave. If thye wanted a slave, they'd make life for him in the UD, and he won't be spending all his time on the surface.

Do not blame the slaver for the failings of a slave, especially if they were Taken captive, are aware the surface is easy to get to, that the repercussions are a back and forth collar-yoinking, etc.

[Yma23]

"This, to me, means that their 'masters' enslaved them for kicks and giggles. Not because they wanted a slave. If thye wanted a slave, they'd make life for him in the UD, and he won't be spending all his time on the surface."

I'm not sure tihs is entirely fair. There's a narrow margin between wanting to play a character who is a complete um.. bad person. And then being a bad person oocly.

Not that what you say isn't partly true, I'm sure there are some who are a little too liberal with the slave taking, but in the end remember it's up to the captured player to go with it or not.

So let's say you capture someone. You ask them i fthey're ok with being a slave, and they say 'yes sure.'

With luck you ask them if they're -really- sure, ect, and so on. but let's presume that, at the least, you asked once and they said yes, choosing the option.

Then they do as you say, they don't spend their time underground, they stay on the surface, ect.

Well, what does the 'master' have as an option?

They can summon them sure, heck they can kill them. Try rped torture. Try imprisoning. But then what? What if the slave doesn't give into that?

Yes, some of it is owners not properly understanding the importance of taking a slave. (and hell, one thing I'd love to see is some sort of 'time out' option, wherein a slave becomes 'free' (as in no longer owned by asingle master, but stil owned by the city) if they are not interacted with at least once per month/week, something) but some o fit is slaves just not really getting into it, and the owners being unsure about the line between being an IC monster and an ooc doushe. I know it's something that makes me a tad nervious.

[Peppermint]

I've seen plenty times where people are 'slaves', but they spend all their time on the surface. They barely RP in the UD. They don't RP as slaves. This, to me, means that their 'masters' enslaved them for kicks and giggles. Not because they wanted a slave. If thye wanted a slave, they'd make life for him in the UD, and he won't be spending all his time on the surface.

Uh, not at all, no.

Some of my slaves spend all their time on the surface because that's what the players would rather do. I'm not on 24/7 to police them. I can't guarantee that whatever I throw at them will be more enjoyable for them, than being on the surface. And it certainly isn't my job to force any RP on them. I will try to get them involved, and am perfectly willing to give them an excuse to spend time on the surface (while still serving my character), but if they don't bite, then that's out of my hands. It's not my job to police the "quality" of their RP, and -yoink punishments only go so far before verging into ooc jerk territory.

All I can really do, and what I do every single time, is give the prospective slave a long rundown beforehand of what to expect as a slave and how the collars work. I even give them the option to choose between the slave collar and prisoner collar every single time, without any IC repercussions for the choice -- so they can bow out at any moment, if they so choose.

It's a game. We're here to have fun. Ultimately, sometimes someone will decide that, you know, maybe they aren't having fun in the UD, and you know what? That's perfectly okay too.

Roleplay is a collaborative effort.