Middle Men and Power Vacuums
Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 10:30 pm
There is a little confusion by me at the actual purpose of Slavers. Especially now that I have had the pleasure of using one to acquire a slave.
Going through In Character process only (no asking oocly if people had slaves) my character made the effort to contact a slaver for the acquiring of another slave. My character, Chymaera, made the acquaintance of two new individuals in the processes, and purchased Nowlyn.
This seemed mostly good, promoting RP and fluidity until it came time to switch her ownership from Menhir's hands, to Chymaera. That is to say, he could not transfer her to me. That requires an ISA representative, In Character, for us to make everything official.
Now, this makes very little sense to me. The Slaver went out, caught the slave and registered her/him as his trainee/merchandise with the ISA already. Why would he or myself, as his buyer, need to go to the ISA to confirm this? I also was online multiple times in the OOC Channel, during the selling of Nowlyn to Chymaera, as well as after, and have asked about getting someone to officially complete the registration for me, and gotten no responses, even when directly asking an ISA worker if I could pm them only to have them change their nicks a little bit later to another character without responding.
It made me realize that there is no benefit to the job/classification of Slaver.
#1. It is currently cheaper to find and collar your own slave as a player.
#2. No need to have a third (or would it be fourth?) party present to complete the collaring.
#3. No benefits to buying from a slaver, unless the slaver doesn't actually perform any training and just sells a slave within the first week of merchandise collaring it.
This seems to me, to be a problem and why there is so much inactivity from Slavers. They are effectively neutered and the system does not promote their activity.
My following suggestion I hope will not be viewed as an attack against those that have worked hard at the ISA. (Fully colored obnoxiously to do some separating for the eyeballs).
Revision to Imperial Slave Authority System
#1. Suggested Changes to enslaving/collaring/merchandise collars. ::EDIT:: Please Read below, this is a topic header, not a rule by itself.
• If desiring an individual as a slave (with OOC permission from both parties) a Slaver must be commissioned.
• EDIT: A prospective Master/Mistress may seek to 'collar' their own slave, if they pay 400 mehrials and submit the slave to a two week training course with a Slaver or ISA representative of their choice. This must contain a minimum of 4 hours of in character training, posted as a work log to the Slaver's Work Log Post.
• Slaves may only be released back to Slavers, who will then verify if they need retraining before reselling, or if they should be freed due to inadequate ability to be a good slave. (No Charge)
#2. Merchandise Collar Restrictions ::EDIT:: Please Read below, this is a topic header, not a rule by itself.
• Each Slaver has 2 merchandise collars, for free, up to 8 weeks.
• Any slave not sold after 8 weeks will incur a 20 mhl/mo fee until sold or released.
• Additional merchandise collars will cost 10 mhl/mo and may only be acquired if/when a slave is to fill it and the slaver's other merchandise collars are filled.
• Any slave released by a Slaver (OOC consent required by both parties) will be 'untouchable' for 4 weeks. Meaning they cannot be merchandise collared again for 4 weeks (regardless of OOC desire)
• A slaver may 'sell/trade' a merchandise slave to another slaver, but most post how many weeks the slave has been 'merchandise collared' which will detract from one of the 2 free, 8 week collars of the New Slaver (if they do not have a free collar, they will be required to pay the ISA for an additional 10 mhl slave collar).
• If a Slaver is missing from the game for the duration of a new merchandise slave's collar, the slave player may request another slaver or release (Posted in the Slaver's Thread)
#3. Registering & Selling Merchandise Slaves ::EDIT:: Read below, this is a topic header, not a rule in itself.
• When a Slaver takes a Merchandise Slave, they must register on the forums as per normal (OOC consent from player of slave is required) and be approved by an ISA representative.
• Slavers must post 1 work log, 4 hours minimum, before selling a Merchandise Slave.
• Slaves may not be sold for less than 100 mhls
• Every hour of training over the required 4 hours for selling will increase a slave's value by 20mhl's (the more you train her/him the more valuable they are).
• A post must be made on the forum of the intent to sell, to whom, how much is charged and with OOC consent from all 3 parties and it must be approved by the ISA on the forum.
• An ISA individual is not required to 'transfer' the slave from Slaver to buyer.
#4. Continued Presence of the ISA & Slave Pens ::EDIT:: Read Below, this is only a topic header, not a rule by itself.
• Merchandise slaves can be kept in the Slave Pens at the ISA where they can be viewed by other Slavers or perusing Mistress/Masters.
• A list of Slaver's and their current, available merchandise slaves, value and availability should be posted at the ISA (and on the forums in an ISA Availability Thread), that should be updated regularly.
• Slaves kept in the Slave Pens can be fed and bathed by the ISA workers, who may also bring in healers if necessary to treat any of the slaves.
• Sales must be completed at the Imperial Slave Authority - inside (where the slaver is expected to be turning in paperwork verifying the transaction) or outside on the auction stage.
___________________________________________
So, this is my idea. It would not take the ISA out of the equation, but it would modify their involvement. It still gives the ISA employees things to do. It also promotes a facet of the game already in play, but not being utilized to the fullness of its capability. It keeps it still in house, still tied strongly to the ISA.
Thoughts?
___________________________________________
Edits added in this color to the post, to try to emphasize and redirect as I feel perhaps there was some confusion in the wording of my original post/suggestion. I hope this helps.
Going through In Character process only (no asking oocly if people had slaves) my character made the effort to contact a slaver for the acquiring of another slave. My character, Chymaera, made the acquaintance of two new individuals in the processes, and purchased Nowlyn.
This seemed mostly good, promoting RP and fluidity until it came time to switch her ownership from Menhir's hands, to Chymaera. That is to say, he could not transfer her to me. That requires an ISA representative, In Character, for us to make everything official.
Now, this makes very little sense to me. The Slaver went out, caught the slave and registered her/him as his trainee/merchandise with the ISA already. Why would he or myself, as his buyer, need to go to the ISA to confirm this? I also was online multiple times in the OOC Channel, during the selling of Nowlyn to Chymaera, as well as after, and have asked about getting someone to officially complete the registration for me, and gotten no responses, even when directly asking an ISA worker if I could pm them only to have them change their nicks a little bit later to another character without responding.
It made me realize that there is no benefit to the job/classification of Slaver.
#1. It is currently cheaper to find and collar your own slave as a player.
#2. No need to have a third (or would it be fourth?) party present to complete the collaring.
#3. No benefits to buying from a slaver, unless the slaver doesn't actually perform any training and just sells a slave within the first week of merchandise collaring it.
This seems to me, to be a problem and why there is so much inactivity from Slavers. They are effectively neutered and the system does not promote their activity.
My following suggestion I hope will not be viewed as an attack against those that have worked hard at the ISA. (Fully colored obnoxiously to do some separating for the eyeballs).
Revision to Imperial Slave Authority System
#1. Suggested Changes to enslaving/collaring/merchandise collars. ::EDIT:: Please Read below, this is a topic header, not a rule by itself.
• If desiring an individual as a slave (with OOC permission from both parties) a Slaver must be commissioned.
• EDIT: A prospective Master/Mistress may seek to 'collar' their own slave, if they pay 400 mehrials and submit the slave to a two week training course with a Slaver or ISA representative of their choice. This must contain a minimum of 4 hours of in character training, posted as a work log to the Slaver's Work Log Post.
• Slaves may only be released back to Slavers, who will then verify if they need retraining before reselling, or if they should be freed due to inadequate ability to be a good slave. (No Charge)
#2. Merchandise Collar Restrictions ::EDIT:: Please Read below, this is a topic header, not a rule by itself.
• Each Slaver has 2 merchandise collars, for free, up to 8 weeks.
• Any slave not sold after 8 weeks will incur a 20 mhl/mo fee until sold or released.
• Additional merchandise collars will cost 10 mhl/mo and may only be acquired if/when a slave is to fill it and the slaver's other merchandise collars are filled.
• Any slave released by a Slaver (OOC consent required by both parties) will be 'untouchable' for 4 weeks. Meaning they cannot be merchandise collared again for 4 weeks (regardless of OOC desire)
• A slaver may 'sell/trade' a merchandise slave to another slaver, but most post how many weeks the slave has been 'merchandise collared' which will detract from one of the 2 free, 8 week collars of the New Slaver (if they do not have a free collar, they will be required to pay the ISA for an additional 10 mhl slave collar).
• If a Slaver is missing from the game for the duration of a new merchandise slave's collar, the slave player may request another slaver or release (Posted in the Slaver's Thread)
#3. Registering & Selling Merchandise Slaves ::EDIT:: Read below, this is a topic header, not a rule in itself.
• When a Slaver takes a Merchandise Slave, they must register on the forums as per normal (OOC consent from player of slave is required) and be approved by an ISA representative.
• Slavers must post 1 work log, 4 hours minimum, before selling a Merchandise Slave.
• Slaves may not be sold for less than 100 mhls
• Every hour of training over the required 4 hours for selling will increase a slave's value by 20mhl's (the more you train her/him the more valuable they are).
• A post must be made on the forum of the intent to sell, to whom, how much is charged and with OOC consent from all 3 parties and it must be approved by the ISA on the forum.
• An ISA individual is not required to 'transfer' the slave from Slaver to buyer.
#4. Continued Presence of the ISA & Slave Pens ::EDIT:: Read Below, this is only a topic header, not a rule by itself.
• Merchandise slaves can be kept in the Slave Pens at the ISA where they can be viewed by other Slavers or perusing Mistress/Masters.
• A list of Slaver's and their current, available merchandise slaves, value and availability should be posted at the ISA (and on the forums in an ISA Availability Thread), that should be updated regularly.
• Slaves kept in the Slave Pens can be fed and bathed by the ISA workers, who may also bring in healers if necessary to treat any of the slaves.
• Sales must be completed at the Imperial Slave Authority - inside (where the slaver is expected to be turning in paperwork verifying the transaction) or outside on the auction stage.
___________________________________________
So, this is my idea. It would not take the ISA out of the equation, but it would modify their involvement. It still gives the ISA employees things to do. It also promotes a facet of the game already in play, but not being utilized to the fullness of its capability. It keeps it still in house, still tied strongly to the ISA.
Thoughts?
___________________________________________
Edits added in this color to the post, to try to emphasize and redirect as I feel perhaps there was some confusion in the wording of my original post/suggestion. I hope this helps.