Tales From the Slave Trade, Part II

November 10th, 2008 · 36 Comments · Games

I’m still slogging away as a slaver in Fallout 3, trying to make ends meet. It’s hard out there for the honest slaver, though.

First of all, the Mesmetron (or Mezzer), the energy weapon I use to stun potential slaves so I can loot their inventory and/or attach their explosive slave collars, is extremely unreliable. Not only does it not work on named NPCs (unless they’re specific targets of the slaver quest), but it’s even a crapshoot if it’ll work on random dopes who are unlucky enough to cross my path. And, even when it does work, a lot can go wrong.

Case in point: I was out in the wastes, exploring, and I came across a Raider outpost. A big one. Usually, you’ll find a few Raiders here and there in some burned out building or decaying grocery store. This was like Raider central. I counted at least seven or eight of them while peering through my sniper scope, and who knew how many others were hidden among the ramshackle ruins of the outpost. I was planning on avoiding the place altogether when I spotted some chain link fencing in one corner of the compound. Some sort of… pens. With people milling around inside them.

Slaves? Goddammit. Now, I had to do something. I couldn’t just let those slaves rot in those pens, I had to free those slaves so I could enslave them myself. Who did those Raiders think they were, getting into the slave trade? It’s bad enough I have to compete with Super Mutant slavers, now Raiders are dipping into my income source, too?

I got as close as I could and started picking off Raiders. It was not a smooth operation. There were even more Raiders than I thought, plus, they unleashed one of their slaves on me, a Super Mutant Behemoth they’d been holding in an electrified pen. This twenty-foot tall monstrosity thundered around looking for me while the Raiders spread out and flanked. It was a long, hard-fought battle that depleted my health, ammo, bottlecap mine supply, and one Stealth Boy (a temporary invisibility device). An hour later, it was over, and I was the only one left standing.

Now, to the matter at hand. I found a key to the pens, and opened the first one up. I mezzed the guy inside, but instead of being hypnotized, he took it as an attack and started running around in circles, agitating the guy in the next pen. That was no good. You want docile slaves, not frantic ones. I calmed him down with a liberal application of shotgun.

I opened the second pen. This guy responded wonderfully to the mezzer. I opened his inventory and gave him some armor and a weapon, in hopes it would help him survive the journey to Paradise Falls. I even gave him a few stimpacks, to heal himself if he got hurt. I snapped the collar on, and told him to git. I was pleasantly surprised to see him run off in the right direction, out of the compound and toward Paradise Falls. I was also surprised, somewhat less pleasantly, to see him suddenly fling himself about thirty feet into the air and discard his legs.

What the hell? I walked over to take a look, spotting a couple of frag mines the Raiders had set near the entrace to their compound. This poor dope had stepped on one. Great.

I crouched over my fallen slave, thoughfully dining on his flesh. (Did I mention I was a cannibal now? I’m a cannibal now.) That’s 100 caps to buy a new collar, plus I’d get scolded back at Paradise Falls for letting my slave die. Not to mention, I’d depleted most of my ammo and health in the battle. A total loss on the day. Maybe this slave business just isn’t worth it.

Tags: cannibalism om nom nom nom

36 responses so far ↓

1 Headwoünd // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:05 pm

You so want to do a Nondrone blog, admit it already…
2 ImperialCreed // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:07 pm

You thoroughly evil man you.
3 Dave // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:13 pm

The cannibal line was funniest thing I read this month. Literally.
4 Am i first? // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:13 pm

hurr..
5 Don // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:18 pm

Speaking as a Saviour of the Wasteland I regret that you’re not around in my neighbourhood as I’m sure your finger would pay a handsome bonus when traded in to the Regulators. Assuming I could bear to pick it up, who knows where or who it’s been in recently.
6 Pope Guilty // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:31 pm

“(Did I mention I was a cannibal now? I’m a cannibal now.)” is pretty much the funniest thing ever. That it’s parenthetical makes it even better.
7 Jon Baker // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:40 pm

Just bought the game and am looking forward to trying it out. Sucks slaving isn’t that reliable a profession, sounded like fun.

Is “hired goon” a viable source of steady income?
8 Deadly_Dragon // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:44 pm

Nice tag. That is all.
9 Dorian Cornelius Jasper // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:49 pm

Evergreen Mills: You should have sniped the Behemoth’s generator from a ridge or hanging walkway. He’ll kill all the Raiders first then attempt to leave via the railway gulch. Where the mines are.

He’ll probably survive (not sure if the mines register him as an enemy or not as I’d taken all the mines there before taking out the cage generator), but that’s when you start sniping him.
10 Christopher // Nov 10, 2008 at 12:51 pm

Ah, see, I didn’t anticipate they would even let him out. I thought he was just there for show.
11 Gemmy // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:00 pm

Well, at least you are a **thoughtful** cannibal. That’s the best kind!

As the Savior of the Wasteland, though, I can’t condone your behavior. Tsk, Tsk!
12 Chijts // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:09 pm

Lots of Saviours of the Wastelands ’round here. Well two. Still finding out you can become a cannibal has just helped me to decide to get the game. Yum.
13 Kowl Slaw // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Cannibalism. Who though that would be a good game mechanic?
14 Niteowl // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:21 pm

Y’know Frohman, sometimes the high-road is beset by all kinds of difficulties and trials. A life of virtue and right action is not easi– oh wait, you’re a cannibalistic slave trader?

Nevermind.
15 Joseph Anzalone // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:33 pm

I demand you take down this blog! Here in Washington D.C. we live in constant fear of super-mutant slaves controlled by cannibal bandits fighting other cannibal bandits! This is an offensive blog, and it makes my tummy hurt :(
16 Baby landmines // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:43 pm

Being scolded for letting your slave die is not really the top of your fucked-up-wasteland-explorer-life list.
But who am I to judge? I try to spell letters on the walls with raider/ghoul corpses using the Railway Rifle.
17 bbot // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:54 pm

I saved a captive from a Super Mutant camp near, iirc, Fort Constantine.

Untie her, refuse her offer of supplies, and watch her run off into the sunset, with that warm feeling of Doing Good glowing in my gut.

And then watch a Yao Guai run up and murder her. Whoops.
18 COLESLAW // Nov 10, 2008 at 2:06 pm

I came across the same place D:
19 yourhero88 // Nov 10, 2008 at 2:09 pm

Human flesh is the new Sandvich.
20 Smurfy // Nov 10, 2008 at 2:22 pm

http://livinginfallout3.wordpress.com/

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
21 Ledundead // Nov 10, 2008 at 2:32 pm

Oh, boy. LIFO? AHAHAHA, he looks like Mr. Bean!
22 encogen // Nov 10, 2008 at 2:52 pm

As the Last, Best Hope of Humanity armed with two Alien Blasters i say: “eww, cannibalism”.

Mirelurk meat is tastier anyway.
23 VelvetFistIronGlove // Nov 10, 2008 at 3:26 pm

And here I took to cannibalism so as to have a reliable way to decrease my karma in order to maintain neutrality.
24 Sam // Nov 10, 2008 at 4:14 pm

Wow, you really are an evil bastard.
I came upon Paradise Falls as part of the main quest to save some kids. I just found corpses and piles of goo >.>
Now I thought, I’ve had a long day, these slaver corpses probably would have wanted me to go round the world twice slaving people JUST TO GET IN?

Now this could have made me angry and make me turn my plasma rifle on them, they wouldn’t have stood a chance as I was in the best armour ever created. But my point is moot, there were never any slavers, just goo and bits (and bits of goo).

Fucking slavers.
25 Blue-Chameleon // Nov 10, 2008 at 4:30 pm

I really must become a slaver when I have the chance (or the levels). I think it sounds profitable if you know what you’re doing.
Also,
*TF2 fan art- Wow. I don’t know what to say. If you haven’t seen it, look now!
*Living in Fallout 3 - Awesome start!
26 Jordan // Nov 10, 2008 at 4:47 pm

living in fallout 3 just doesn’t have the same charm as LiO, so im not gonna really keep track of it.
27 n00bie51 // Nov 10, 2008 at 5:07 pm

This was an interesting read; keep it up, dude.
28 Pentadact // Nov 10, 2008 at 6:53 pm

I had trouble there too. Sackboy and I (I have a buddy, but he’s so ugly I make him wear a sack on his head) had no trouble with the Raiders, but then Sackboy shouts “There’s one!” and starts firing at the imprisoned Behemoth. He can’t get a good angle, so he - helpfully - walks over and opens the door to get a better shot.

End scene.
29 Mobba // Nov 10, 2008 at 7:09 pm

I lost the mezzer, and spent about 2 hours searching for it. I dropped it during a battle with some mutants in the museum, and when I went back (after backtracking all the places since my last save game I had it in) it was there lying on the ground. I don’t thing there is any way to get another one, so don’t lose it.
30 Snooglebum // Nov 10, 2008 at 7:29 pm

@Pentadact
I assume you killed him for is impudence?

Quick question: does Fallout 3 have a profanity filter like the last to games did?

Because I live in a place where it’s fully possible for *people* to hear what’s going on.
31 me // Nov 10, 2008 at 8:07 pm

Heh, looks like someone ran into evergreen mills. Be sure to run inside, there’s a bobblehead somewhere in there waiting for you. Best line of the day: I calmed him down with a liberal dose of shotgun.
32 Pentadact // Nov 11, 2008 at 4:23 am

No, the Behemoth pretty much took care of that. And me.

Fallout 3 has no profanity filter, and is quite profane. You can turn voice volume down and use subtitles, though.
33 Ricotez // Nov 11, 2008 at 8:31 am

I’ve made the mistake of buying Fallout 3. I don’t mean the gameplay; I haven’t even been able to play the game yet. It’s just that I’ve never had such a traumatic experience with my computer. It was a bit like Megaton, only at a smaller scale.
34 Simpunzle // Nov 11, 2008 at 10:46 am

It might take a while but I think I might have to enslave every single raider in there.

I’m playing an evil character (which is actually kinda hard to keep up. I keep accidentally getting good karma) but I really don’t like the raiders. Senseless violence isn’t evil, it’s just wasteful stupidity.

Yeah, that guy you just cut up? That was a potential slave… I’m just going to have to find someone to take their place. Guess who’s first on the list of potential candidates?

BTW - Animal Friend is awesome. Getting a close up view of a Yao Guai (other than the teeth lunging at you I mean) is awesome. Having one come running over and slap a Radscorpion around for you is even better.
35 Afro_Thunder // Nov 11, 2008 at 5:27 pm

I lol’d

also, Chris, LIF3 needs the wit of LIO.
36 GrimKiller46 // Nov 14, 2008 at 9:26 pm

Congrats fellow murder/cannibal. It feels nice to dine on the flesh of the innocent. Much tastier than dog. Also, once you clear out the Raiders in the Raider pit known as “Evergreen Mills”, head inside to the Foundary. Inside, you will come across a trader called Smiling Jack. He will want to trade with you, as traders will. Kill him, and enjoy the meat of his corpse. As you are devouring his flesh, you will notice a combat shotgun he has. Although combat shotguns are fairly common, this gun is the holy shotgun known as The Terrible Shotgun. It is a unique weapon, much more powerful than a regular shotgun, and can be fixed using the parts of a regular combat shotgun. Treasure it, keep it happy, love it very much. It is a godly shotgun. Also, you can raid his inventory. Then elimate (and eat) all Raiders left with your new, very nice gun.

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