Slave Workforce

[Olleus]

I've read several posts here where people talk about having slaves to do some of the jobs in camp. I assume they're talking about prisoners rather than an entire mechanic I'm unfamiliar with?

If so, how do you keep them around and stop them from escaping? Capturing during combat is a bit of a pain, and when they escape they also take their chains with them making it a nuisance to get more chains to capture replacements. I know about raising relations with prisoners by using barber kits, healing, working and feeding them; but after a while they ask to be recruited and if you say no their relations tank and they continue trying to escape.

[DirtyPaws]

Any prisoner who isn't tied down to the 'stock' can have a chance to escape.

So for me, I placed any prisoner that I needed high skills for that don't need to actively work on them in the camp tied down to the stock. (i.e. Miners, Lumberers, Fisherman, Alchemist, etc...)

Downside is that they don't produce anything when resting.

[Olleus]

Right, all my professions are taken up by my mercs. But I want them on the training dummy getting exp or in the tent regenerating VP, so I'd like some slaves to work the two racks, beehive, etc... etc...

Any tricks to get them to escape less? Obviously the watch stool is one, but does the prisoners class or were they're placed matter?

[Theodrome]

Don't heal them, you lose -20% prisoner escape change buff. You can use your ponies to guard them as well. (middle part of pony is which calculates range pony guards, if you want reach one pony guard several prisoners)

[Olleus]

Originally posted by Theodrome:

Don't heal them, you lose -20% prisoner escape change buff. You can use your ponies to guard them as well. (middle part of pony is which calculates range pony guards, if you want reach one pony guard several prisoners)

Oooh, good to know, on both counts. I'll move my work area next to the stables then. Not healing feels weird, but 20% is 20%. I was healing them for the trust boost, but I noticed that only worked with potions, not with the guerney.

Relatedly, what's the point of the whip? You can only use it once per prisoner before they die, it tanks trust, and it takes someone the whole rest to use it. Not even worth the camp weight IMO.

[Valekrin]

It's as DirtyPaws said - Stocks. I first tried ruling with fear (a Watchkeeping Stool overseeing prisoners standing next to a corpsed-out Impaling Stake), but that didn't work. Next was with kindness (not freeing them of course, but giving them a Personal Cup accessory, jobs and food). As you can guess, that failed. So, I had my Tinkerer craft stocks and he was the first one chained up.

It's fun for awhile, but as you mentioned, it becomes a chore to load up on chains and chase them around to recapture after they escape, which they all will eventually if you don't recruit them. You can save scum and reposition, which might buy you a little time, but in the end a large prisoner camp wasn't worth the effort to me.

[Nasarog]

Once I get my economy up, I give up on prisoners. I just kill everything.

[➕⁺+₊ ⁺]

Originally posted by Nasarog:

Once I get my economy up, I give up on prisoners. I just kill everything.

yeah, that's reasonable, but having say a miner/woodcutter slave in a small team like 2-3 man (where noone need str but dex and/or crit) solves you lots of fuss

[Olleus]

I've noticed more than once that an escaped prisoner is visible nearby on the map, and you can recapture them. I'll try again, ringing a couple of ponies and a watchmen, treating them reasonably well but leaving them injured. I've got carcasses to process and mead to brew, damn it!

[Nasarog]

Originally posted by Warden:

Originally posted by Nasarog:

Once I get my economy up, I give up on prisoners. I just kill everything.

yeah, that's reasonable, but having say a miner/woodcutter slave in a small team like 2-3 man (where noone need str but dex and/or crit) solves you lots of fuss

Yes and no. I use my warriors with specific jobs as workers. Two birds, one stone type of deal. Prisoners are too much of a headache.

[Khalunka]

Never needed stocks. Just by setting up the camp so they can be nearby mercenaries, the escape chance will be 0%. (You can see this information in their stats). Once Its 0%, you can leave it by that. Sadly, with this kind of mechanic the way they introduced, camp wont feel as natural as it should be, but that's the way things are currently.

[Khalunka]

Originally posted by Olleus:

I've noticed more than once that an escaped prisoner is visible nearby on the map, and you can recapture them.

AFAIK, they will wander for only one day (duration between rests). If you dont recapture him/her by that time and rest, they are gone forever.

[Valekrin]

Originally posted by Nasarog:

Yes and no. I use my warriors with specific jobs as workers. Two birds, one stone type of deal. Prisoners are too much of a headache.

With a fully upgraded Stocks, that's 4 prisoners you can have doing jobs and who can't escape. If someone's goal is to have a small team or lone wolf it, it's great for professions whose stats you don't want on your mercs, or that benefit from level-up. Since prisoners don't increase the enemy amount in combat, it's a win/win! Except for the prisoners.

[Nasarog]

Originally posted by Valekrin:

Originally posted by Nasarog:

Yes and no. I use my warriors with specific jobs as workers. Two birds, one stone type of deal. Prisoners are too much of a headache.

With a fully upgraded Stocks, that's 4 prisoners you can have doing jobs and who can't escape. If someone's goal is to have a small team or lone wolf it, it's great for professions whose stats you don't want on your mercs, or that benefit from level-up. Since prisoners don't increase the enemy amount in combat, it's a win/win! Except for the prisoners.

Yea, and my company is 20 strong. 14 fighters. 2 bears. 4 work horses. I have no unused things.

[Olleus]

Originally posted by MaruWeave:

Never needed stocks. Just by setting up the camp so they can be nearby mercenaries, the escape chance will be 0%. (You can see this information in their stats). Once Its 0%, you can leave it by that. Sadly, with this kind of mechanic the way they introduced, camp wont feel as natural as it should be, but that's the way things are currently.

What exactly are the mechanics that determine that?

My camp is already not super natural... Because everyone is best friends with Captain Cook, I've had to cram as many of them around him as possible (I think the theoretical maximum is 6, minus 1 for the cooking pot). Everything is set up so that I'm getting +10 Happiness from best friends alone lol

[Olleus]

Thanks for all the advice, especially @MaruWeave for the escape mechanics and the pony trick.

With 10 mercs, 3 slaves, and 3 horses, I've managed to optimise it to have as many best friends close to each other as possible, and to have all three prisoners 0% chance to escape. It's finicky though, moving anyone even 0.5m can break the whole thing... But by keeping people fixed and moving equipment around I can mostly get everyone doing what I need them to.

This is what the camp looks like, and the result after resting (double production on the equipment is because of the backpack item from the Tiltren ancient secret).

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/2029477056644528993/8839CC6D9FE8582F53128091326C2286CAAF9869/?imw=5000&imh=5000

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/2029477056644529928/280272A334AF4FFA7BB8A4169C6725A5DBF48ED8/?imw=5000&imh=5000

Edit: Weird, screenshots have changed on steam and I can't get them to embed anymore :/