Unlocked now, so all good, I guess.
edited by Ulysses Kingfisher on 7/31/2020
Spoilers for next "obstacle" towards the Evenlode,
My knee-jerk reaction is to pull a Mr Fires and sicc the Constables on the entire Union, because even though I respect Furnace a great deal, they decided to REBEL even though I gave them all the sausages they could ever want. They even have the audacity to pressure me into changing the company’s (aka my own) scientific charter, like they weren’t being paid already!
I am a fair and just Master, and I would have agreed to give them more income if they had simply ASKED POLITELY, but strikes for no good reason? Biting the very hands that feed them? I can see why the Masters react so negatively to labour strikes and stick to clay labour now.
[quote=The Curious Watcher]Spoilers for next "obstacle" towards the Evenlode,
[spoiler]
My knee-jerk reaction is to pull a Mr Fires and sicc the Constables on the entire Union, because even though I respect Furnace a great deal, they decided to REBEL even though I gave them all the sausages they could ever want. They even have the audacity to pressure me into changing the company’s (aka my own) scientific charter, like they weren’t being paid already!
I am a fair and just Master, and I would have agreed to give them more income if they had simply ASKED POLITELY, but strikes for no good reason? Biting the very hands that feed them? I can see why the Masters react so negatively to labour strikes and stick to clay labour now.
[/spoiler][/quote]
Got that result earlier this morning, and-preaching to the choir. For heavens’ sake, I made a point of picking EVERY option to keep my workers well-fed no matter how expensive those options became (okay, partly because the more economic option was supporting Liberation scum but still) and when I pointed that out to Furnace she had the SHEER NERVE to tell me we weren’t friends?! There’s biting the hand that feeds you, and then there’s just pointlessly antagonising the man who rides the Vake.
edited by Hattington on 8/1/2020
I just got it. The text made me think she didn’t really wanna strike cause of how well they were treated, but the Union thought now was the best/safest area to strike in.
My charter for the company is already for the betterment of the unfortunate, so I’m already inclined to give the union a share of the company.
edited by Winthropx on 8/1/2020
[quote=Winthropx]I just got it. The text made me think she didn’t really wanna strike cause of how well they were treated, but the Union thought now was the best/safest area to strike in.
My charter for the company is already for the betterment of the unfortunate, so I’m already inclined to give the union a share of the company.
edited by Winthropx on 8/1/2020[/quote]
This question is also aimed at The Curious Watcher up there: Just curious, did you guys read the Discordance stone? I wonder if the decision to strike was in any way influenced by my decision to ignore Furnace’s warning and read the stone-whether indirectly ("That idiot’s going to get us all killed! STRIKE! STRIKE!") or directly (like, because the Discordance somehow concentrated the concept of unrest and drove everyone up in arms or something)
First of all, I have to justify. I chose plains land because my Kataleptic Toxicology level can reach level 12, which is enough to solve any poisonous weeds and man-eating plants. For example, I can try to configure some defoliants, insect repellents, and train defenses. It is also enough to help workers resist robbers. I look forward to collecting some interesting plant specimens for follow-up research. I did not intend to send workers directly to feed the idea of mosquitoes, carnivorous plants or robbers.
I am disappointed by Furnace’s claim that we are not friends. Since they stupidly chose the time-wasting practice of strikes, if possible, I will take a more cruel countermeasure, which is to fire all workers and hire from Polythreme Streets. The honest and kind lads supplement the insufficient workers.
If there are 30 workers on strike, 30 workers will be fired, and if there are 100 workers, then 100 workers will be fired. I will solve all strike labor parties for the railway company once and for all.
edited by chiche on 8/1/2020
To be fair, owning someone’s labour is owning someone’s labour regardless of how nice you are to them.
I spent so much time building skeletons and dipping in and out of Parabola just to buy them pies and biscuits, and foraging solacefruit. This betrayal is absolutely unforgiveable.
Yes, I successfully read the text on the stone. You are right. It is indeed possible. I look forward to how the author will write follow-up content. I love the content of the workers’ strike here.
[quote=Hattington]
I spent so much time building skeletons and dipping in and out of Parabola just to buy them pies and biscuits, and foraging solacefruit. This betrayal is absolutely unforgiveable.[/quote]
Hah, fair enough.
[quote=Hattington][quote=Winthropx]I just got it. The text made me think she didn’t really wanna strike cause of how well they were treated, but the Union thought now was the best/safest area to strike in.
My charter for the company is already for the betterment of the unfortunate, so I’m already inclined to give the union a share of the company.
edited by Winthropx on 8/1/2020[/quote]
This question is also aimed at The Curious Watcher up there: Just curious, did you guys read the Discordance stone? I wonder if the decision to strike was in any way influenced by my decision to ignore Furnace’s warning and read the stone-whether indirectly ("That idiot’s going to get us all killed! STRIKE! STRIKE!") or directly (like, because the Discordance somehow concentrated the concept of unrest and drove everyone up in arms or something)[/quote]
I read the stone, but never tried to strike at her. I think Furnace might consider us friends, but she does have a union to run with lots of factions to keep under control. I’m sure Some of the factions wouldn’t be happy to see her getting too cozy with management.
I’m amused because the player sentiments in this thread are pretty close mirrors to the disconnect between management and labor in practice. And I’m pretty sure at least some of you are doing that unintentionally and unironically.
For the Union workers, the railway is their life’s accomplishment. For my character, it’s a once-a-week side-gig in-between building fashionable skeletons, boxing matches with bears, and my academic investigation into the fruits of my international relations with Arbour. And yet somehow I’m the one with the equity stake and they’re the one whose paycheck stops after the line is complete. Should they be satisfied because I gave them some extra food ration? And Mrs Plenty’s week-old leftovers at that.
I have no idea what the actual track-laying conditions are. I don’t even visit unless there’s a problem that threatens the Railway itself. Maybe that’s part of why they’re striking.
I wish I had some options to reconnoiter or improve relations before I go to the Board, though.
[quote=PSGarak]I’m amused because the player sentiments in this thread are pretty close mirrors to the disconnect between management and labor in practice. And I’m pretty sure at least some of you are doing that unintentionally and unironically.
For the Union workers, the railway is their life’s accomplishment. For my character, it’s a once-a-week side-gig in-between building fashionable skeletons, boxing matches with bears, and my academic investigation into the fruits of my international relations with Arbour. And yet somehow I’m the one with the equity stake and they’re the one whose paycheck stops after the line is complete. Should they be satisfied because I gave them some extra food ration? And Mrs Plenty’s week-old leftovers at that.
I have no idea what the actual track-laying conditions are. I don’t even visit unless there’s a problem that threatens the Railway itself. Maybe that’s part of why they’re striking.
I wish I had some options to reconnoiter or improve relations before I go to the Board, though.[/quote]
I’d like to clarify I’m doing that wholly unironically but not unintentionally because you know-you’re right, I’m never going to see these workers after the railway to Hell is finally finished. I am fully aware of the irony, I just feel irrationally spiteful about all my skeletons and Parabola hunts not overcoming the current obstacle to getting what I want despite the higher cost relative to sponsoring Liberationists.
Hell, Ambition: Bag a Legend straight up asked me if I would spare the Vake out of admiration for it and my answering that with a resounding "Yes" is the closest thing I’ve gotten to roleplaying in Fallen London after all this time. If the game gives me an option to terrorise the workers with my Vake steed I’ll pick it faster than you can say "Mr. Fires has a new drinking buddy"
I REJECT MY HUMANITY, LONDON!
(well not as much as the Heart’s Desire folks because I didn’t actually win the rights to undergo treatment for becoming a Master in a century or so, but hey! I’m doing my best!)
edited by Hattington on 8/1/2020
[quote=PSGarak]I’m amused because the player sentiments in this thread are pretty close mirrors to the disconnect between management and labor in practice. And I’m pretty sure at least some of you are doing that unintentionally and unironically.
[/quote]
Oh, I totally agree. This is how the whole conversation went down:
Furnace: Our workers are getting maimed from doing backbreaking labor, being repeatedly robbed by bandits, and getting sick from spending weeks at the marshes building someone else’s railroad, and you think you can pay us off with extra sausages?
Me: Yeah, yeah I did.
Furnace: We’re not friends.
I don’t get my jollies from kicking down Union workers but this is not their railroad, this is MY railroad! I’m the one that invested and secured investments to keep it out of debt. I’m the one who pays the workers and bribes / threaten the other board members so that the railway can be the best railway possible! I have my statue in front of every station! I’m the one that brought their union head into the Board of Directors! I even mass-produced the railway tracks they’re using to make the thing IN ADDITION TO PAYING THEM SAUSAGES! I am the reason the GHR has gotten this far! And they still dare bite the hand that feeds them? With Furnace specifically stating that we are not even friends?
The only reason I have the max possible board members allowed is because I can boss around almost every faction in the Neath with impunity! And this union thinks that they can take over MY company because they did harsh labor and erroneously believe they can threaten me with terrorism? In the past, I helped Mr Fires put down a union, testified against a Cryptozoologist to secure my academic dept., sold an Unfinished Man into slavery, and have bested the most cunning individuals in the Neath to become a Master of the Bazaar itself, and they still think they are in a position to extort me?
I remember that the only reason that I helped Johnny Croak destroy Mr Fires’ factory was specifically to save the environment and frogs for further academic study, not because of the miserable folks working for the Masters. To me at least, institutional exploitation of the masses is pretty much a universal constant with or without Masters, so decreasing the plight of the downtrodden is not necessarily my problem (that should tell you all what kind of character I’m like).
Villain dialogue aside, I planned to give them as much support as possible and not get in their way ASSUMING that they did their job, but like Furnace said, I was mistaken to try to be friendly towards them. The logical part of me states that paying them off is the better option since they deserve safer working conditions and gives them no excuse to complain further, but the Master in me tells me that putting them down is for the principle, screw positive working relationships entirely out of spite. I’ll see how it goes from here, but I definitely sympathize more with the Masters now.
I did become a Discordant, but I also did not hit Furnace when I had the chance (am really regretting that now).
edited by The Curious Watcher on 8/1/2020
My railroad’s charter was for the downtrodden. I tried to keep the workers happy as we built the track so far. I turned from vengeance in Nemesis to get something even more worthwhile to me. I see no problem in giving the Union a greater stake in the railroad. Their success in building it is the only reason it’s made it this far in the first place. If they have more skin in the success of the railroad, the better it can be in the long run.
So, obviously, I want to have the railroad become a workers’ co-operative. Is it necessary to provoke the strike by charting the more unpleasant route to do so? Or could I run the track through the hills and have the railroad become worker-owned anyway?
Oops, I screwed up logging in and haven’t noticed. Previous post is from me.
I ran it through the hills, and both the strike and the option to adjust charter towards workers’ demands are still there. You also have to have Ancona on the Board
Okay, that’s it, I’m getting my unionbusting stick out. I understand emansipationists, can tolerate having to deal with liberationist and even keep everyone more or less happy, but that attitude and sheer audacity to demand a part of my company and permanent change of a charter is staggering. The definition of barking at the wrong tree. After that there is no way I’m ever having Furnace on the board.
And on the other point, as Aro said, why do I have to sell pies in the middle of nowhere? Espessially when I have an ambition related network of connections. I can understand it mechanically - such an item would be a key to all money related locks, which is bad, but narratively there is no reason not to use it.
Honestly, the problem does not exist - do not make the option for ambition completers free, make it cheaper, while everyone else pays full price. My network of Veils’ connections is not a pile of solid gold gathering dust until I spend it, after all - it’s an active business.
I fully expect to sometimes spend money on it to make things go my way. It’s called investment and dividends.
And I don’t even require all my profits to by monetary (or directly convertable to monetary) in nature - even being a greedy bastard, I’m perfectly fine with idea of using wealth to get something non-material, alleviate my boredom, or even make a charity, as long as I myself see the it worthwhile.
edited by Aro Saren on 8/1/2020