Abolitionist Contact at stations

[SecretAsianMaine]

Before I start, I must point out some things:

1. Elite: Dangerous is a game set in a dark future, with a lot of real historical influences for it's setting.

-This is a game. We play this for fun. I am not asking Frontier to suddenly get rid of this element of the game's setting, because slavery makes Elite: Dangerous' story more interesting. You can even profit from slave trade in gameplay. In comparison, the gameplay features to oppose slavery are not as fleshed out as they should be.

2. As of 15-NOV-2021: Imperial Slaves are an item we can purchase by the ton. They are a literal commodity, not passengers. I assume this was done on purpose by the developer.

-We can also jettison them into a star; no one notices, cares, or even has a tracking device on the cargo.

-Interpol won't come; neither will Imps, Feds, or the Alliance. They have no realistic protections in-game. If they don't have someone from the imperial state protecting their "asset," they are just as helpless as independent/anarchy/pirate/human trafficker slaves. Instead of a class of people, they are reduced to being cattle/biowaste.

-I appreciate that the public figures of the empire seem to not treat their slaves as toys/tools, but I still have my doubts.

3. I think we can all agree we want the "Imperial mining slave and the homeless Federal citizen" to be okay.

-Bringing this up is not relevant to the topic. They are fallacious recruiting tools. I don't trust any of the superpowers, and neither should you.

-This is about people owning people, not which flavor of hegemony you prefer.

4. Frontier is allowed to do whatever they damn well please with their setting. They have been working on this game for years, and deserve more credit for sticking with this community for so long.

-However, that means they are ultimately responsible for implementation of the setting into gameplay. Simply adding slaves to the game without a way to free them feels wrong. Like evil for the sake of evil. The game is dark, but not grimdark like 40k.

-Due to the lack of in-game protections for Imperial slaves, I now assume it is designed on purpose to emulate how slavers throughout history have excused the practice, the propagandized assumption that slaves and indentured servants were protected and treated well.

We should have an "Abolitionist Contact" at certain stations in the BGS, that we can bring slaves to for reputation, influence, and random engineering materials. The in-game explanation would be: "They are independently contracted social workers who try to reconnect families and send freed slaves to their system of choice. Charities and donors supply them with resources to aid the liberated, and the pilots who helped." The BGS could place the contact in systems that have a pro egalitarian/human rights government, with the economic stability to support short term refugees. Aisling Duval could have some of these contacts in her systems, allowing Imperial players to become extraordinarily civil abolitionists. It doesn't have to actually move population numbers around, it's just flavor text.

FAQ

Why does the contact have to be independent?

-So we don't end up relocating people to the benefit of any specific superpower. Remember that the liberated pick their new start, not the contact. They are allowed to go back to the Empire as a freed person, if they wish.

Why do you hate the Empire?

-I don't. I hate slavery. The contact can also take in "illegal" slaves from the frontier and criminal underworld.

This seems like a boring and cheap kind of gameplay option.

-It isn't. You either had to buy slaves, or violently free them from slavers. Like a true abolitionist! If you were taking them from a ship, I'd advise using limpets instead of blowing them up with slaves still inside. Then bring them to the one spot in a high security system where you can be rewarded for bringing slaves. If you are scanned anywhere but at the abolitionist station, you will still be in trouble.

-Abolitionism can be risky, but the point is that you're doing the right thing. You should be rewarded, but only if you dedicate yourself to the cause. No one likes people who simply dip their toe into causes to feel good. Rare components could be limited to completing milestones for your grand total of freed people. Maybe you will be attacked by slavers who assume you always have escaped slaves on board.

 

[Florenus]

I like the idea of the game allowing us to free slaves. Seen this kind of suggestion couple of times over the years.

Elite doesn't have any kind of dynamic population system though, so I don't think this slave relocating idea would work, but just being able to free them for some reputation within abolitionist faction would be nice.
I don't think players should be able to make any profit freeing slaves. Mechanically it would be no different to slave trading.
I roleplayed freeing slaves on occasion, dropping canisters near landing pads on planetary ports and paying "littering" fines later, which in my imaginary version of the game represented money I gave to them to help them move on with their lives (I'm a cheap it seems, as those weren't big fines)

 

[SecretAsianMaine]

I like the idea of the game allowing us to free slaves. Seen this kind of suggestion couple of times over the years.

Elite doesn't have any kind of dynamic population system though, so I don't think this slave relocating idea would work, but just being able to free them for some reputation within abolitionist faction would be nice.
I don't think players should be able to make any profit freeing slaves. Mechanically it would be no different to slave trading.
I roleplayed freeing slaves on occasion, dropping canisters near landing pads on planetary ports and paying "littering" fines later, which in my imaginary version of the game represented money I gave to them to help them move on with their lives (I'm a cheap it seems, as those weren't big fines)

Thank you for letting me know about the BGS! I edited my suggestion for the devs.

 

[Dillon Fallon]

A note on Imperial Slavery.

It's rather blunt and somewhat inaccurate term for what actually happens and opens itself up to misconceptions. It's not actually slavery. It's a term of service basically to pay off a financial debt, that the non- payment of is seen as dishonerable. This is taking the honourable path to paying it, which makes you a better person in the eyes of your peers and what your peers think of you in Imperial society is among your highest concerns.

It is also a formal business agreement. Terms are laid down and there is a clear endpoint, at which the slave simply transitions back to being a citizen and are assisted to do so (help finding a job, with welfare provided while they transition). Legally, Imperial slaves are subject to laws governing decent working conditions (which is more than wage slaves in the Federation get- debt is encouraged to keep the population suppressed and to work more).

Moreover, if you free an Imperial slave, you drag them out of the system. They are still in debt, therefore still have that stigma, so no-one will deal with them and their only recourse is to go back to being a slave. That is unless you pay off their debt somehow. Potentially though, this is what those abolitionists could be trying to facilitate by tapping up wealthy pilot's for cash.

Regular slaves however- whole different thing.

 

[SecretAsianMaine]

Moreover, if you free an Imperial slave, you drag them out of the system. They are still in debt, therefore still have that stigma, so no-one will deal with them and their only recourse is to go back to being a slave. That is unless you pay off their debt somehow. Potentially though, this is what those abolitionists could be trying to facilitate by tapping up wealthy pilot's for cash.

Regular slaves however- whole different thing.

Exactly! I wanted it to be setup so we don't end up with 4,000 Imperial Citizens stuck without transport, housing, or work. I have a npc crewmember that blew up her Cutter and needs the money for a re-buy, as her RNG story. I respect the idea that the Empire wants to make paying your debts a noble cause, but these folks need better protections in game. It feels like what wage-slaves do, but with extra steps and everything is pretty. Also, they freeze you in a tube to send you to jobsites.