As more is assed to the mood/needs system, I get the sense of things becoming a bit.. I don't want to say convoluted, but definitely overly complex. I understand that balancing this sort of matrix can involve alot of spinning wheels, so I'd like to suggest a buffer of sort.
The current structure of the mood system seems to lean toward allowing players some agency in moderating and improving colonist mood. However, just as a consequence of how many factors there now are, it is possible to have a perfect storm of mood crashes that can drop someone's mood with very little to be said or done about it.
Proposal:
Have the Warden task include trying to 'talk down' colonists or prisoners that are close to a mental break (when someone is under that much stress, it's evident). The Warden will approach anyone within a certain range of their break threshold and apply the same 'talked with warden buff' that the prisoners get.
Alternative:
Have prisoners close to breaking prioritize an activity that will stabilize their mood. Like drinking or herbal meds.
Other alternative:
Give Doctors a 'sedate' option for broken colonists. They should be taken to a medical bed to recover instead of a prison.
The current structure of the mood system seems to lean toward allowing players some agency in moderating and improving colonist mood. However, just as a consequence of how many factors there now are, it is possible to have a perfect storm of mood crashes that can drop someone's mood with very little to be said or done about it.
Proposal:
Have the Warden task include trying to 'talk down' colonists or prisoners that are close to a mental break (when someone is under that much stress, it's evident). The Warden will approach anyone within a certain range of their break threshold and apply the same 'talked with warden buff' that the prisoners get.
Alternative:
Have prisoners close to breaking prioritize an activity that will stabilize their mood. Like drinking or herbal meds.
Other alternative:
Give Doctors a 'sedate' option for broken colonists. They should be taken to a medical bed to recover instead of a prison.