This has been suggested many times in various threads but mostly in bits and pieces.
How good are you colonists? This is about survival, right? But after 2 years of play how much have they done? Murder? Butchered humans? How far from the humans they once were have they become? Would you want to sleep in a room next to one?
This suggestion is to make the player decide how ethical their colonists will be.
A new tab titled "Justice" or "Policy"
Click on the tab and you will have a list of things that your colonists can and cannot do. Many will be turned off as default. Things such as;
Crime ...... Status...... Punishment
Prisoner execution ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment for the one that eats (20 days)
Organ harvesting ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment for the one that eats (10 days)
Colonist Murder ...... Forbidden ...... Execution
Friendly pawn Murder ...... Forbidden ...... Execution
Assault against another colonist ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment for the one that eats (10 days)
Cannibalism ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment for the one that eats (1 day).
Cooking human meat ...... Forbidden ...... A beating
Cooking cute little cat/dog meat ...... Forbidden ...... A beating
Slavery ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment to the one that 'made'/released the slave.
Nudity, drug use, alcohol use, gluttony and wasting supplies etc etc
And so on... this list should be able to be expanded (modded) for more crimes.
Players would also set the length of the punishment, such as imprisonment, there should be a minimum of 1 or 2 days to prevent player abuse.
Should something be turned off colonists will not perform that task. Doing so may incur a mood penalty and social hit. For many things already the settings have been disabled (cooking with human meat). For things like slavery, all colonists would suffer a small mood drop. This would be until the offending party was punished.
Some crimes, such as assault against a colonist may be beyond player control (broken mood) and then punishment must be dealt.
Wait, execution IS murder! Beatings are assault!? How to get around that?
A player would have to direct a colonist to 'Arrest and punish' the criminal pawn.
At the 'party' area. The colonists will gather to witness the punishment. A pawn with the warden skill AND capable of violence will lead the criminal and deal out the appropriate punishment. All pawns present will get a mood buff (+x). Any injured parties would get a bigger buff (+y). Duration should be a few days. If the sentence is imprisonment the buffs would be slightly lower and no gathering would be required. In this scenario justice (execution) is separate from colonist murder AND it applies to all pawns on the map. Giving some vengeance for colonists that lost their friend in that pirate raid to capture and dispense some 'justice' for a mood buff. The size of the mood buff would be proportionate to the severity of the punishment.
Why have this? We have this now (such as butchering and cannibalism)?
Some players may want to run a murderous set of raiders exterminating and pillaging everything and everything. But not want the constant mood penalty that come from being total heartless raiders.
Why not just turn off everything at the start of a game, so the player has more freedom?
Any system such as this needs a carrot for players. I would suggest that other plant settlements and some space traders may 'look' at your colony's reputation (what is and isn't okay) and decide .... no, don't want to do business with you at ALL. Which suits a raiding colony perfectly.
Once something is turned off a new 'morality' standing would be adjusted with all 'ethical' factions, such as tribal and other settlements, this is done via 'magic'TM. Raiders and pirates wouldn't be affected. Turning something back ON will not result in a corresponding improvement in ties. But a gradual one over a long time (years? idk)
This may incorporate a new standard entirely that plays off faction standings. Making general standings more dynamic.
It should be said that because you eat people once others wont trade with you, it would be a combination of things. But it may build up over time. What may result is instead of a group visiting, they would only pass through. (Because they perceive the colony to be not such a wholesome/safe place to hang out.
A colony of justice and a pillar of light on a planet of death and horror may have more trade than a colony that frequently eats its guests and makes hats from their skins who have an "unfortunate accident".
A counselor
Also suggested may times is a pawn that counsels 'disturbed' [do not take this to be an attack on expression] pawns. I think a warden would talk to colonists with certain traits (cannibalism, nudity, pyromaniac) periodically to help their mood. Because their tendencies may cause breakdown and then great punishment on themselves. This could be done on the justice screen.
Sheriff- I use the warden here as an example in-place of a better single in-game designated pawn on the justice screen (which would be better). Something akin to the hammerer in DF.
TL:DR
Morally/Ethically good colonies have a justice system with increased trade and morally bankrupt colonies are more like raiders and as a result do not have as many or any trade opportunities. 'Good' colonies suffer good drops from unpunished crimes while 'raiders' suffer none. Should be moddable and expanded upon.
How good are you colonists? This is about survival, right? But after 2 years of play how much have they done? Murder? Butchered humans? How far from the humans they once were have they become? Would you want to sleep in a room next to one?
This suggestion is to make the player decide how ethical their colonists will be.
A new tab titled "Justice" or "Policy"
Click on the tab and you will have a list of things that your colonists can and cannot do. Many will be turned off as default. Things such as;
Crime ...... Status...... Punishment
Prisoner execution ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment for the one that eats (20 days)
Organ harvesting ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment for the one that eats (10 days)
Colonist Murder ...... Forbidden ...... Execution
Friendly pawn Murder ...... Forbidden ...... Execution
Assault against another colonist ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment for the one that eats (10 days)
Cannibalism ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment for the one that eats (1 day).
Cooking human meat ...... Forbidden ...... A beating
Cooking cute little cat/dog meat ...... Forbidden ...... A beating
Slavery ...... Forbidden ...... Imprisonment to the one that 'made'/released the slave.
Nudity, drug use, alcohol use, gluttony and wasting supplies etc etc
And so on... this list should be able to be expanded (modded) for more crimes.
Players would also set the length of the punishment, such as imprisonment, there should be a minimum of 1 or 2 days to prevent player abuse.
Should something be turned off colonists will not perform that task. Doing so may incur a mood penalty and social hit. For many things already the settings have been disabled (cooking with human meat). For things like slavery, all colonists would suffer a small mood drop. This would be until the offending party was punished.
Some crimes, such as assault against a colonist may be beyond player control (broken mood) and then punishment must be dealt.
Wait, execution IS murder! Beatings are assault!? How to get around that?
A player would have to direct a colonist to 'Arrest and punish' the criminal pawn.
At the 'party' area. The colonists will gather to witness the punishment. A pawn with the warden skill AND capable of violence will lead the criminal and deal out the appropriate punishment. All pawns present will get a mood buff (+x). Any injured parties would get a bigger buff (+y). Duration should be a few days. If the sentence is imprisonment the buffs would be slightly lower and no gathering would be required. In this scenario justice (execution) is separate from colonist murder AND it applies to all pawns on the map. Giving some vengeance for colonists that lost their friend in that pirate raid to capture and dispense some 'justice' for a mood buff. The size of the mood buff would be proportionate to the severity of the punishment.
Why have this? We have this now (such as butchering and cannibalism)?
Some players may want to run a murderous set of raiders exterminating and pillaging everything and everything. But not want the constant mood penalty that come from being total heartless raiders.
Why not just turn off everything at the start of a game, so the player has more freedom?
Any system such as this needs a carrot for players. I would suggest that other plant settlements and some space traders may 'look' at your colony's reputation (what is and isn't okay) and decide .... no, don't want to do business with you at ALL. Which suits a raiding colony perfectly.
Once something is turned off a new 'morality' standing would be adjusted with all 'ethical' factions, such as tribal and other settlements, this is done via 'magic'TM. Raiders and pirates wouldn't be affected. Turning something back ON will not result in a corresponding improvement in ties. But a gradual one over a long time (years? idk)
This may incorporate a new standard entirely that plays off faction standings. Making general standings more dynamic.
It should be said that because you eat people once others wont trade with you, it would be a combination of things. But it may build up over time. What may result is instead of a group visiting, they would only pass through. (Because they perceive the colony to be not such a wholesome/safe place to hang out.
A colony of justice and a pillar of light on a planet of death and horror may have more trade than a colony that frequently eats its guests and makes hats from their skins who have an "unfortunate accident".
A counselor
Also suggested may times is a pawn that counsels 'disturbed' [do not take this to be an attack on expression] pawns. I think a warden would talk to colonists with certain traits (cannibalism, nudity, pyromaniac) periodically to help their mood. Because their tendencies may cause breakdown and then great punishment on themselves. This could be done on the justice screen.
Sheriff- I use the warden here as an example in-place of a better single in-game designated pawn on the justice screen (which would be better). Something akin to the hammerer in DF.
TL:DR
Morally/Ethically good colonies have a justice system with increased trade and morally bankrupt colonies are more like raiders and as a result do not have as many or any trade opportunities. 'Good' colonies suffer good drops from unpunished crimes while 'raiders' suffer none. Should be moddable and expanded upon.