Can we make an exception for abandoned slaves?

Philip Foster · Apr 20, 2015

Yes I know I know. It's a game. But this is how my brain works. I won't play as an imperial because of slavery and to me it is abhorrent even on a game play level.

When I check out a USS I don't pick up any abandoned cargo. This is because I don't play very often, once a week, twice if I've been good. I am still learning some of the game mechanics and I am not yet a confident smuggler.

My Saturday night session changed all of that. I was at a Nav beacon and I saw some cargo drifting. I scanned it and it turned out to be slaves.

Okay I am fully immersed and I can't leave them there so I decided to 'rescue' them.

Long story short, I had a mini adventure and smuggled them safely into dock in Federal space.

I have two choices now. Sell them on the black market (sorry, I couldn't do it) or jettison the cargo whilst in the hanger. So I jettisoned and imagined that they dispersed and sought asylum or some such.

At the time I thought it'd be nice to have a third option. One where I could legitimately hand them over to a charitable trust. Maybe start an 'Underground Railroad' type thing to free slaves and smuggle them out of Empire space.

I could still do it I suppose but it'd be nice to have a proper mechanism for it in the game.

lazerus · Apr 20, 2015

I am totally with you when it comes to the morals of slavery, I don't trade them but I do pick up jettisoned cargo and kid myself as I sell them on the black market that they're going to a good home and will be part of the family in no time.
I hate to break it to you though, but canisters jettisoned inside a station are destroyed.

Crank Larson · Apr 20, 2015

There are missions around which are to free slaves (usually you have to source the slaves and deliver them, at which point they are freed and you are rewarded with the warm glow of a job well done - no credits though

). However, I'm not sure if you can use scooped slaves for this.

But I agree. If you want to free the slaves, there should be somewhere you can take them to do so (though you do realise that if you simply free them in the next starport, then without any papers showing their status, they'll just be rounded up again by some other enterprising soul? At least, that would happen in Empire, I've no doubt!).

Philip Foster · Apr 20, 2015

lazerus said:
I am totally with you when it comes to the morals of slavery, I don't trade them but I do pick up jettisoned cargo and kid myself as I sell them on the black market that they're going to a good home and will be part of the family in no time.
I hate to break it to you though, but canisters jettisoned inside a station are destroyed.

Bugritt!

Troa Barton · Apr 20, 2015

Why would you deny their honor by taking them to federation space you have sealed their fate.
in the Empire a slave goes into slavery willingly to pay off a debt and restore their honor, once repaid they are no longer bound to servitude. Your Underground Railroad exists commander, in the glorious Empire. One day perhaps you will see the difference between the two with the common word of "slavery" may you one day bask in his greatness!

khemsa · Apr 20, 2015

There are missions about freeing slaves but i'm unsure if you can free "stolen" slaves.

Philip Foster · Apr 20, 2015

Troa Barton said:
Why would you deny their honor by taking them to federation space you have sealed their fate.
in the Empire a slave goes into slavery willingly to pay off a debt and restore their honor, once repaid they are no longer bound to servitude. Your Underground Railroad exists commander, in the glorious Empire. One day perhaps you will see the difference between the two with the common word of "slavery" may you one day bask in his greatness!

You sir are as mad as a hat full of spoons. I salute you.

rootsrat · Apr 20, 2015

Yeah, that's a great idea and the one that's been discussed previously. Many Commanders share your views on the matter

Here's hoping for Powerplay update...

KamiruPL · Apr 20, 2015

Troa Barton said:
Why would you deny their honor by taking them to federation space you have sealed their fate.
in the Empire a slave goes into slavery willingly to pay off a debt and restore their honor, once repaid they are no longer bound to servitude. Your Underground Railroad exists commander, in the glorious Empire. One day perhaps you will see the difference between the two with the common word of "slavery" may you one day bask in his greatness!

My thoughts about you Cmdr

Whiterose · Apr 20, 2015

Whilst you have considered your actions to be honourable, you have in fact doomed the slaves to a life in purgatory, that is if they are not shot as spies. They are imperial slaves, they work for the empire, they dont work for the federation. Their self imposed deaths will be on your conscience, it would have been far more moral to have destroyed the canisters.

Hail the Emperor. Bask in His Greatness!!

Philip Foster · Apr 20, 2015

Whiterose said:
Whilst you have considered your actions to be honourable, you have in fact doomed the slaves to a life in purgatory, that is if they are not shot as spies. They are imperial slaves, they work for the empire, they dont work for the federation. Their self imposed deaths will be on your conscience, it would have been far more moral to have destroyed the canisters.

Hail the Emperor. Bask in His Greatness!!

Lolz lolz and more lolz. Love it.

However I thought there was a difference between slaves and imperial slaves?

Also, economic realities may differ in fed, alliance or independent systems making it easier to get on without having to sell yourself into slavery. Afterall, slavery is illegal in most systems outside the empire, debtors can't sell themselves even if they wanted to. Who would want to anyway?

Poseidal · Apr 20, 2015

Hopefully we will see some of the 'ID chips' thing along with passenger cabins to 're-ID' slaves into passengers and drop them off.

I wonder how big the cabins are, it would be nice to have one on the Fer de Lance to have them travel in luxury (but there's the Clipper or the Saud Kruger liners for that as well, but the FdL will be a different 'experience').

Whiterose · Apr 20, 2015

Breaking news:: Two children playing in a star port were killed today by a stray canister that on inspection contained slaves. Fortunately their pet dog called "Halitosis Halsey" survived. Local enforcement Officers stated that the discarding of canisters is in fact a crime, and the purpitrator will be found and bought to justice.

Philip Foster · Apr 20, 2015

Whiterose said:
Breaking news:: Two children playing in a star port were killed today by a stray canister that on inspection contained slaves. Fortunately their pet dog called "Halitosis Halsey" survived. Local enfrocement Officers stated that the discarding of canisters is in fact a crime, and the purpitrator will be found and bought to justice.

Pffft and double Pffft.

Tusken · Apr 20, 2015

I had the same dilemma this weekend.
If we could turn them in at the blackmarket but without getting payed(or actualy have to pay) i would already be happy.
I know there are missions to turn in slaves so they can be realesed, but they are not always availible and hopping around the galaxy with illicit cargo to find them for the amount of slaves you happen to have is a bit to mutch.

Joe Spivey · Apr 20, 2015

Imperial slaves, true 'Imperial' slaves would not thank you for 'freeing them'.

faluc · Apr 20, 2015

+1 to freeing slaves !

I always take the missions where you can free slaves for rep gain. I usually buy a couple more than needed and set those free at the station

Poseidal · Apr 20, 2015

Joe Spivey said:
Imperial slaves, true 'Imperial' slaves would not thank you for 'freeing them'.

The Imperial Slaves may end up putting an 'attempted murder' bounty on you too.

streki · Apr 20, 2015

slavemeat = profit.

Imperial or otherwise.

Hail to the Emperor.

Crash1099 · Apr 20, 2015

Philip Foster said:
Yes I know I know. It's a game. But this is how my brain works. I won't play as an imperial because of slavery and to me it is abhorrent even on a game play level.

When I check out a USS I don't pick up any abandoned cargo. This is because I don't play very often, once a week, twice if I've been good. I am still learning some of the game mechanics and I am not yet a confident smuggler.

My Saturday night session changed all of that. I was at a Nav beacon and I saw some cargo drifting. I scanned it and it turned out to be slaves.

Okay I am fully immersed and I can't leave them there so I decided to 'rescue' them.

Long story short, I had a mini adventure and smuggled them safely into dock in Federal space.

I have two choices now. Sell them on the black market (sorry, I couldn't do it) or jettison the cargo whilst in the hanger. So I jettisoned and imagined that they dispersed and sought asylum or some such.

At the time I thought it'd be nice to have a third option. One where I could legitimately hand them over to a charitable trust. Maybe start an 'Underground Railroad' type thing to free slaves and smuggle them out of Empire space.

I could still do it I suppose but it'd be nice to have a proper mechanism for it in the game.

I agree there should be a option to free them or have a permit to rescue slaves.