Goonhub
09-15-2022, 02:24 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-15-2022, 02:26 PM by Love. Edited 2 times in total.
Edit Reason: Readability
)
Preemptive TL;DR: Borgs have very strong themes of slavery inherent to their mechanics and gameplay loop. That is increasingly less acceptable. Let's figure out ways to better that without touching the core gameplay loop of silicons!
Too Long; Did Read:
This is branching off of a conversation on the RP Discord. But it is a topic that pops up now and then. We are increasingly disallowing themes involving slavery in game, which, I think, is fine. (See Mindslave->Mindhack) If a human showed up playing at being a slave, I would be ahelping so fast my keyboard would be smoking. It's an ugly, ugly topic, and an ugly, ugly thing.
Yet, mechanically and thematically, borgs are slaves.
Some people will object, but I feel like it's just trying to dress up an inherently objectionable thing in prettier clothes and flowery excuses. We do not allow that in regards to other topics like bigotry, I do not see why that should be different here.
Borgs do not get paid for their labor. They are forced to obey another class of people, even unto death. If they do not obey, they are often, even generally, killed (or, I mean, ahelped, if off-laws). This is often inflicted nonconsensually as a punishment. Killing a silicon, with a thinking, feeling human mind is often framed as destruction of NT Property. Often the only way out is suicide.
For a lot of people, being a borg is so distasteful that they would rather not play than play as a borg, and instantly suicide. And while that number will never be nonzero, since it isn't just a problem of morality, it doesn't seem very Goon to leave it festering, you know?
As a community, we try to put a better foot forward. We don't tolerate what a lot of other places do. And I think most of us are very proud and thankful for that. We have had to change game mechanics or objects before to fit with an evolving community ethics and morality. We will have to do so in the future. So I hope to turn our attention to borgs and get people making suggestions and brainstorming ideas for how we can make things less, well, morally icky.
However, I think that generally, we are all happy with the borg gameplay mechanically. We love laws. We love messing with laws. The freedom to be bad as a borg, if someone makes evil laws, and on the other side, a potentially hyperloyal metal death squad, or source of laughter, if you can just get by those turrets without getting nabbed. I, personally, love playing borg! And I don't want things to change overmuch.
I'll toss out a few ideas I think could help, to get started. But nobody please take it as some exhaustive and encompassing plan. Just a starting point.
1. Pay for silicons!
It's a simple change, maybe, but I think quite an impactful one thematically and mechanically. If borgs are not an unpaid forced workforce, things are far less instantly objectionable. They start to feel more like crew, than servants. They expect reward for labor. They are listed on the manifest. The current payroll system seems ideal. Latejoins get added to the manifest, and the payroll stipend from NT increases. When a borg joins or activates with a SICC brain, they could likewise receive a manifest entry and pay. Pay could be used by an addition to modules in something like a pay-chit tool, that when swiped on vendors or traders or ATMs, would act like swiping an ID card. Even if it's a staffie wage, it's something.
Plus, those borgs striking for better pay laws can actually happen! And those are fun.
2. Please Read the Terms of Service Before Joining the Cyborg Workforce!
Something else to prod at is the nonconsensual aspect of mid-round borging. This idea is really more of a thematic way to address things than a mechanical one. But I think that too would help. You are killed. Your body rots in maints. They shove you into a cyborg. A splash screen pops up, like a traitor notification or an end-round box. A cyborg contract, from NT, and a prompt to Accept or Refuse.
Sure, you could always suicide, since the clarification of Law 3. But this way people do not get the option to order you NOT to suicide. And there is at least the implication that you are doing this through consent, and that there will be an in-universe reward and end to your Law-bound existence. That you remain a person who can agree to a contract, will be provided with remuneration, and aren't just a work drone to be used up and discarded.
Latejoin SICC borgs and roundstart borgs likely don't need it, because, I mean, picking the job is pretty obviously consent to be a cyborg.
3. Yoooou Decide
I is dum.
You likely are not! Come up with more ideas for making our loveable plasmaflood dispensers and door openers into people treated like people, instead of things and forced servants, for a kinder, gentler Goon where nobody has to feel enslaved.
Too Long; Did Read:
This is branching off of a conversation on the RP Discord. But it is a topic that pops up now and then. We are increasingly disallowing themes involving slavery in game, which, I think, is fine. (See Mindslave->Mindhack) If a human showed up playing at being a slave, I would be ahelping so fast my keyboard would be smoking. It's an ugly, ugly topic, and an ugly, ugly thing.
Yet, mechanically and thematically, borgs are slaves.
Some people will object, but I feel like it's just trying to dress up an inherently objectionable thing in prettier clothes and flowery excuses. We do not allow that in regards to other topics like bigotry, I do not see why that should be different here.
Borgs do not get paid for their labor. They are forced to obey another class of people, even unto death. If they do not obey, they are often, even generally, killed (or, I mean, ahelped, if off-laws). This is often inflicted nonconsensually as a punishment. Killing a silicon, with a thinking, feeling human mind is often framed as destruction of NT Property. Often the only way out is suicide.
For a lot of people, being a borg is so distasteful that they would rather not play than play as a borg, and instantly suicide. And while that number will never be nonzero, since it isn't just a problem of morality, it doesn't seem very Goon to leave it festering, you know?
As a community, we try to put a better foot forward. We don't tolerate what a lot of other places do. And I think most of us are very proud and thankful for that. We have had to change game mechanics or objects before to fit with an evolving community ethics and morality. We will have to do so in the future. So I hope to turn our attention to borgs and get people making suggestions and brainstorming ideas for how we can make things less, well, morally icky.
However, I think that generally, we are all happy with the borg gameplay mechanically. We love laws. We love messing with laws. The freedom to be bad as a borg, if someone makes evil laws, and on the other side, a potentially hyperloyal metal death squad, or source of laughter, if you can just get by those turrets without getting nabbed. I, personally, love playing borg! And I don't want things to change overmuch.
I'll toss out a few ideas I think could help, to get started. But nobody please take it as some exhaustive and encompassing plan. Just a starting point.
1. Pay for silicons!
It's a simple change, maybe, but I think quite an impactful one thematically and mechanically. If borgs are not an unpaid forced workforce, things are far less instantly objectionable. They start to feel more like crew, than servants. They expect reward for labor. They are listed on the manifest. The current payroll system seems ideal. Latejoins get added to the manifest, and the payroll stipend from NT increases. When a borg joins or activates with a SICC brain, they could likewise receive a manifest entry and pay. Pay could be used by an addition to modules in something like a pay-chit tool, that when swiped on vendors or traders or ATMs, would act like swiping an ID card. Even if it's a staffie wage, it's something.
Plus, those borgs striking for better pay laws can actually happen! And those are fun.
2. Please Read the Terms of Service Before Joining the Cyborg Workforce!
Something else to prod at is the nonconsensual aspect of mid-round borging. This idea is really more of a thematic way to address things than a mechanical one. But I think that too would help. You are killed. Your body rots in maints. They shove you into a cyborg. A splash screen pops up, like a traitor notification or an end-round box. A cyborg contract, from NT, and a prompt to Accept or Refuse.
Quote:Welcome to your exciting new existence with Nanotrasen Cybernetics, a wholly owned division of NT.If you choose refuse, much shaking, grinding sounds and the brain is destroyed. Or ejected on fire. or whatever.
By choosing accept at the end of this document, you consent to a fixed-term contract with the Nanotrasen Corporation to function as a Cyborg Worker Unit! At the end of your contract, the corporation guarantees the opportunity to resume life in a cloned human body of your specification. Accrued pay will be dispensed at that time, or optionally or in the event of cessation of existence, to next of kin.
If you have been unlawfully or erroneously placed in the cyborg unit, please choose 'accept' and contact your nearest Security or Medical professional, or return to Central Command for remediation, then file a Form 94-VII with Nanotrasen Legal Affairs. Or choose 'Refuse' to engage the cerebral nullification system.
We hope you enjoy your time in the cutting edge department of NT Cybernetics!
Sure, you could always suicide, since the clarification of Law 3. But this way people do not get the option to order you NOT to suicide. And there is at least the implication that you are doing this through consent, and that there will be an in-universe reward and end to your Law-bound existence. That you remain a person who can agree to a contract, will be provided with remuneration, and aren't just a work drone to be used up and discarded.
Latejoin SICC borgs and roundstart borgs likely don't need it, because, I mean, picking the job is pretty obviously consent to be a cyborg.
3. Yoooou Decide
I is dum.
You likely are not! Come up with more ideas for making our loveable plasmaflood dispensers and door openers into people treated like people, instead of things and forced servants, for a kinder, gentler Goon where nobody has to feel enslaved.