Sanity

[Lightzy]

Granted, being annoyed and being happy is fine, that system works.
But what about going insane? that sounds like FUN.

I suggest adding a SANITY METER to pawns.
It is exactly like the mood meter, except where the mood meter oscillates wildly over the course of a single day, the SANITY METER is a slow and gradual shift, taking course over weeks and months.
The final outcome of INSANITY will likewise be much heavier than a 'bad mood'. The pawn can become a gibbering wreck forever, or plant bombs across the compound because the voices told him to, or start sculpting insane works of art made of bones, bodies, teeth and caked blood etc which also affect the sanity ratings of others, AND MORE! Also, insanity is incurable.
Build an asylum!


Things that could affect sanity, other than what already affects mood:
* Seeing really Fucked up shit. Like certain kinds of monsters, such as an infestation of arachnids, but with many more tentacles and mouthes.
* Having a near-death experience
* Drugs, slowly altering brain chemistry
* A whole day of being miserable/happy
* Deviations from the moral norms of the pawn (Instead of simply not allowing a pacifistic pawn to fight, have it adversely affect his sanity)
* Being assigned a job the pawn doesn't like due to background (pretty much the same idea as above. cumulative job stress!)
* Social isolation AND MORE!


(edit: added idea from O Negative)
And moods will now, instead of contributing to deadly tantrums, will simply affect work speed, immunity gain speed, movement speed, combat morale etc.  Of course, a tantrum still can occur, but mostly harmless ones.


[The following is an aside. If you reply to this instead of the main body of the post, you're an idiot because I said so:]
Actually I think the game would be much more fun if the mood system was replaced with the more gradual sanity system, and the game didn't revolve so completely over managing moods and being basically a pawn therapist. Moods and sanity make sense but being the single core system around which everything revolves? Doesn't seem right. There should be a lot more 'economy management' problems that don't necessarily relate directly to mood. Also more Z axis.

[ruddthree]

Sounds like a really good idea, but you say it in such a way that it seems like a colonist will eventually go insane at some point in his/her life. Does it go back up?

[Lightzy]

Sure, it's like the mood thing.
There should definitely be psychiatric drugs etc that can help, or whatever.
I guess It would be most fun though if it's harder to roll back the accumulated terrible and shocking experiences that eventually lead to stuff like PSTD that soldiers etc. get.
That shit is impossible to treat, once you go PSTD it's generally a lifelong affliction.

I suppose for FUN there should also be a point of no return where the pawn just becomes a gibbering wreck or so maniacally insane with the "voices" that it's just over for him.

[Lightzy]

So yeah wanted to bump up this suggestion cuz I think it's the best one on the forum

[mumblemumble]

interesting idea, except I would say sanity should amplify mental break chance / general well being.