Thinking beyond 'Joy': Law and Order

Jstank · March 31, 2015, 11:46:15 PM

Building upon the joy mechanic we will soon have colonists going around trying to fill their joy requirement. As many of you have pointed out, it would be possible for colonists to take enjoyment of negative behaviors.

My idea is to implement a law and order system.

The system will work simply like this. You have a list of all the 'joy' activities in the game. Everything from stargazing to murder. As a player you can toggle certain 'joy' activities as either legal or illegal.

So for instance. Lets say MOST of your colonists have a drinking/drug problem. So you make public intoxication illegal. So if someone begins binge drinking the designated warden will come and put that individual in a prison cell. That person then becomes a prisoner. You could also be a very sadistic player and outlaw silly things like 'star gazing' This would make your colony more efficient because if people aren't allowed to 'star gaze' then they would spend more time working. Of course this would have negative effects on the colonists moods.

Furthermore while in prison the warden will have a chance of convincing the prisoner that 'star gazing' or 'binge drinking' should not be preformed. However some colonists will be beyond hope and will be in and out of jail for the time

While in prison a player could then choose to inflict a variety of punishments like putting them in stocks, banishment, rehabilitation, or execution.

Ill leave it there and if anyone wants to expand on this, or tell me I'm a terrible game idea person, Ill take it either way.

Let me know what you think! Good Idea or no?

StorymasterQ · April 01, 2015, 02:09:02 AM

In Rimworld, the humanoids are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups. The colonists, who make stuff, and the raiders, who destroy stuff. These are their stories.

DUN DUNN!

MisterVertigo · April 01, 2015, 10:08:31 AM

Quote from: StorymasterQ on April 01, 2015, 02:09:02 AM
In Rimworld, the humanoids are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups. The colonists, who make stuff, and the raiders, who destroy stuff. These are their stories.

DUN DUNN!

This seriously made me laugh. Well done!

As for the OP, i like this idea. It would make the Warden skill a bit more useful because it could be used more often. Also all those jail cells I have sitting around empty could be used. I like the idea of being able to rehabilitate someone for certain things, but others are beyond hope. I can see it now: "Ol' Joe is in the slammer again, got caught drinking on the job again!".

Darth Fool · April 01, 2015, 04:28:03 PM

What if the warden breaks a law, does he escort himself to jail?

Argon · April 01, 2015, 04:46:35 PM

I can just imagine people making colonies with Singapore like legal systems:" Oh you puked on the butchery table. Twenty lashings!"

-Argon

Johnny Masters · April 01, 2015, 04:50:10 PM

Loved the reference cues hehe

Problem is that in this game you aren't running an enterprise/factory nor a established city with laws and whatnot. While i can see the people talking about some common sense, like "lets not kill ourselves", i don't think our old military veteran ol' Joe would feel kindly after some people, probably younger than him, bugger him so he can't sip his "medicine" while at "work". "Work" because no one is paying him or anyone, so applying policies is either an act of strength or social agreement.

But at the same time it makes sense that if you are having trouble with some activity, people would voice it. So we could tie this with those colony elections threads, where you can have some sort of authority figures and decide upon touchy subjects.

So, every once in a while or every time you decide, you might call a general assembly and attempt to pass laws, building some sort of constitution. If everyone agree then great, its a law and punishable, if someone doesn't agree, he may either be convinced, agree but get a constant mood penalty related to the prohibition or he might outright refuse to follow the law and decides to leave the colony. Depending, you might even prohibit or allow on a case by case bias "Joe, if you can't drink, then don't!", but this might come with side effects such as "why everyone but him must...?" or "why everyone but me can...?". And again, even on a case by case, you could convince, coerce, conform or the pawn could simply leave.

Argon · April 01, 2015, 04:56:32 PM

^ Two things. First it would be up to you whether or not the laws are made at all.
Second the punishments could be as hilarious as the sculptures we are already making.
Old Joe for example would have to wear a bib that reads:"I am a filthy morphine addict who deserves to die in a hole", or something similar.

Jstank · April 01, 2015, 05:05:28 PM

Quote from: Darth Fool on April 01, 2015, 04:28:03 PM
What if the warden breaks a law, does he escort himself to jail?

I think it would go something like this...

I AM THE LAW

Jstank · April 01, 2015, 05:09:36 PM

Quote from: Argon on April 01, 2015, 04:56:32 PM
^ Two things. First it would be up to you whether or not the laws are made at all.
Second the punishments could be as hilarious as the sculptures we are already making.
Old Joe for example would have to wear a bib that reads:"I am a filthy morphine addict who deserves to die in a hole", or something similar.

I was thinking for a possible alpha 11 direction.

Colonist bart could write "I will not smell the roses" 1000 times on a chalkboard.