I feel the article is pretty disrespectful to people who have endured or are still enduring real physical isolation and servitude.
1) the ‘victims’ can just start over at any time. The argument made that they feel they can’t because they were given a ship they otherwise had no way of being able to own at the start is total BS.
2) the argument that the players were held hostage because they were ‘kept in the dark’ so to speak about their real options and in effect were used as slaves is completely uncalled for in this context.
At any point they could have gained knowledge about gameplay mechanics on their own. The net is full of guides.
At no point were these people slaves or held hostage. Was the intention of the guild based on being social and helpful? No not at all. It was based on griefing and seeing how they could use people for their own gains.
That’s definitely being assholes to newbies. But nothing more.