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Messages - fraz

#31
Ideas / Alcohol/intoxication
July 05, 2014, 10:21:17 PM
Alcoholic beverages would be dispensed from a "Fermentation Vat," which would function in a manner analogous to a Nutrient Paste Dispenser (i.e., harvested plant products are placed in adjacent Hoppers and converted into alcohol). When a colonist's mood drops dangerously low ("Mental Break soon"), they would automatically get a drink from a nearby Vat, if available.

  • Intoxication Lvl I: The first drink would give a +5 mood modifier ("Buzzed") that lasts half a day without any negative consequences.
  • Intoxication Lvl II: If mood remains dangerously low, the colonist will get a second drink, changing the mood modifier from "Buzzed" to "Tipsy," which gives +10 mood but -25% to all skills. "Tipsy" will last half a day, after which it will revert to "Buzzed" which will last an additional half day as above.
  • Intoxication Lvl III: If dangerously low mood persists while Tipsy, a third drink will change Tipsy to "Drunk," which gives +15 mood but -50% skills. Drunk will revert to Tipsy after half a day, at which time a "Hungover" modifier is added, which gives -5 mood and last half a day (Hungover ends immediately if the Colonist has another drink).
  • Intoxication Lvl IV: Finally, a fourth drink will change Drunk to "Very Drunk," which gives +20 mood, but -75% skills and creates a chance of starting fights with other colonists. When Very Drunk reverts to Drunk after half a day, the "Very Hungover" modifier is added, which gives -10 mood and lasts half a day.
There are a variety of reasons I believe such a system would be interesting. Firstly, it creates a mechanism by which Colonists can temporarily mitigate and endure negative mood modifiers, such as a psychic drone or watching their comrades die in combat. Used in small amounts or for short periods of time, it's relatively harmless. However, it also carries the possibly of dependence. An unhappy colony could be sustained - in an impaired fashion - through continuous drunkenness. This would become especially problematic when the "Hungover" modifiers consistently push Colonists back into a dangerous mood level, requiring an additional drink to cancel out the negative modifier.
#32
General Discussion / Re: Psychic Drone balance
July 05, 2014, 06:05:52 PM
As others' have said, the crashed drone event is not terribly overpowered, because it ramps up slowly, giving you time to either bolster your colonists' mood, or to end the threat by going after the crashed ship. On the other hand, getting hit with an instant -25 mood modifier for all colonists, with nothing that can be done to stop it, can result in an abrupt, unstoppable, no-fun end to one's colony. I agree with the following proposed changes:

  • Both event types should affect only a subset of colonists (maybe ~50% for the no-ship event vs ~75% for the ship event)
  • The no-ship event should perhaps have its effect capped at something less severe than -25 (maybe -15 or -20?)
  • As others have mentioned, it would be very useful (not just for psychic drones, but in general) if colonists could actively resist a mental breakdown by recognizing when their mood is getting dangerously low and proactively taking measures to improve their mood (e.g., by playing a game, drinking alcohol, seeking out fellow colonists to chat with, or - if they have a cabin fever modifier - going outside)
#33
I'd be happy to help!