Suggestion: NPC Slavers

Another way to enhance the role of slavery in the game, is to include ‘slavers’. Slavers can be added where Taskmaster Thralls are found. Slavers could have slaves for “sale”, tied together. Players opting for the ‘dark side’ might purchase a ‘domesticated’ Thrall from a slaver (barter system, perhaps) and may find some good, skilled laborers for their bases; likewise, players opting for the ‘light side’ may attempt to free the slaves (and may even persuade a Thrall to join up, again, finding some good, skilled labor for their bases).

Slavers could set traps to capture Thralls (and players) - could make for some interesting ambush encounters. Slavers could transport captured Thralls to sale locations (such at the Galleon or a city or back-and-forth) and be targets for players to rescue or ‘acquire’.

And one interesting addition - slavers could be given the ability to ‘capture’ players. I was thinking of turning the tables on the players. Currently, if a player applies the Truncheon a few times, the Thrall drops unconscious… what if the same were true if slavers applied a Truncheon (successfully) a few times and the player (who loses) drops? A player may wake up with nothing but a complimentary loincloth and all possessions that were on the person are gone (placed in a storage chest). The player would have to find a way to free himself (insert appropriate game mechanics to keep the game balanced without frustrating the player). If successful, the player could find most of the possessions in a loot container (and perhaps a few items ‘on’ slavers. Players may awake in a fixed cage or perhaps ‘trussed up’ like pig getting ready to be roasted (which may also be a useful scenario for the cannibals) or in a cart cage being pulled to the next marketplace (like a slaver caravan with a key merchant and guards). There are lots of possibilities.

The basic idea is to take the ‘enslavement’ game mechanic and make it work on players as well while keeping it fun. I wouldn’t want the ‘enslavement’ game mechanic to be given to players though - there’s too many ‘trolls’ who could abuse it, harass players, and make it not fun. That’s why I’m suggesting this for NPCs.

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The current merchants in game sell food for 5 silver each. Silver being so rare to get I would not buy 100 stacks of meat for 1 silver.

I would hate to see what they would want to sell a slave for. The current city of Set, I can knock out a NPC right next to 20 others who will ignore me…while I drag their mate away. If I found a slaver, I think 99% of players will just take the slaves and never pay. But still an interesting idea, but they need to fix the current coin and trade\merchant system first.

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Typically, going by historical records, a slave was worth a bit less than say a horse (or in game terms, a standard mount). So for example, if a horse was worth $1,000 - $1,500 (U.S. dollars), a slave may go for $500 - $750 (for a standard slave, cheaper prices for unhealthy looking ones and premium prices for skilled slaves). But I don’t know what pricing our devs might have in mind given the lore of the Conan world.

If, as you say, most players would take the slaves and never pay (which is a real possibility), then it would be important for game balance to not make it OP. Most of the slaves might be unhealthy, diseased, unskilled Thralls, but there might be one ‘worth’ keeping. For game purposes, it should not be any more ‘profitable’ than going out and capturing one’s own Thrall. The Slaver NPC scenarios should be mostly for play style (with loot no better, but no worse than other play styles).

But I’m sure after launch, if the trade/merchant system still needs work, the devs will get to it. Right now, with the launch looming ever-so near, I’m sure they’re working overtime to meet their deadline. Its crunch time!